We now come, evil power having been set aside, to the exercise of judicial
authority in peace; and this is conferred on the saints. The prophet does
not merely see the thrones as set in Daniel 7., but sitters on them too.
Besides all to whom judgment is given in general, two special classes are
mentioned, because they might seem to be too late, or to have lost their
part: those beheaded (after theassembly was gone, for it is the
Revelation-period we have to do with) for the witness of Jesus; and those
who had not worshiped the beast. (Compare chap. 6:9-11;13:15.) These, as
well as previously departed saints, had their part in living and reigning
with Christ a thousand years. But those who were not Christ's, the rest of
the dead did not live again till the thousand years were over. [see note #20]
These were finally delivered from the second death. The first death they
had undergone, the natural wages of sin, but in faithfulness; in the second
death, the final judgment against sin, they would have no part. It could
have no power over them. On the contrary, they had special relationship
with God and Christ, they were priests of God and of Christ, and would
reign with Him a thousand years. They also are priests and kings. Note how
God and Christ are here united in one thought, as continually in the
writings of John. Thus the beast and the false prophet are in the lake of
fire, their armies slain, and Satan bound in the abyss, and the risen
saints are priests to God and Christ, reigning with Christ a thousand
years. The details and effects, mark, are not given here. The object is to
give the place of the saints, and especially of the sufferers, during the
time of this book. The rest come in as a general fact, there were sitters
on thrones of judgment; but the faithful of the prophecy are specially
mentioned.
When the thousand years are finished, Satan is let loose again. He comes up
on the earth, but he never gets up to heaven again. But the nations are
tested by his temptation. Not even having seen Christ and enjoyed the
fruits of His glory-no mere means can secure the heart of man, if it is to
be depended upon; and men fall, in number as the sand of the sea, into
Satan's hands as soon as tempted; enjoying blessing, where unfaithfulness
would have been present loss (perhaps cutting off) and there was nothing to
tempt them, but unfaithful as soon as they are tempted, as soon as the
heart is tried. It was the last and needed trial of man; needed because
they could not have finally enjoyed God with natural hearts, and the
natural heart had not been tested where present blessing was on the side of
owning a present, visible, glorious Christ. The deceived multitude, not
limited now to a third of the earth or a special prophetic district but
taking in the breadth of the earth, went up against the camp of the saints,
and surrounded it and the beloved city, Jerusalem. It is remarkable here,
there is no special presence of Christ amongst them. They are left
apparently to be surrounded by their enemies. The Lord has allowed all this
testing separation of personal faithfulness. Had He appeared of course
these hostile crowds could not have come up, nor would the thorough trial
of the heart have proved the faithfulness of the saints, who would not
follow the seductions of Satan. They are pressed upon and surrounded by the
enemy, but faithful. Once this separation and full testing had been
accomplished, God's judgment fell on them from heaven, and destroyed them.
The devil was then cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and the
false prophet were already, where they are tormented for ever and ever.
This closed the exercise of wrath, of the destruction of hostile power-a
wondrous scene-that God should have enemies in this world! Now judicial
power, as such, seated in its own right, comes in. It may be remarked, that
the exercise of this on the quick, forms no part of the contents of this
book. The hostile power of the beast was destroyed by Him who judges and
makes war, the heavenly saints having been taken to glory. The crowds of
apostates at the end of the thousand years are destroyed by fire from
heaven. But the judgment of Matthew 25 is not found here, unless there be a
possible connection with the judgment of chapter 20:4.
There now comes the judgment of the dead. There no coming here. A great
white throne is set; judgment is carried on according to the purity of
God's nature. It was no dealing with the earth, or the power of evil, but
with souls. Heaven and earth-all mere scenes of judgment-disappear. The
secrets of men's hearts are judged by Him who knows them all. Heaven and
earth flee away before the face of Him that sat on the throne, and the
dead, small and great, stand before the throne. Judgment was according to
works, as it was written in the books of record. Still another element was
brought into view. Sovereign grace alone had saved according to the purpose
of God. [see note #21]
There was a book of life. Whosoever was not written there was cast into the
lake of fire. But it was the finally closing and separating scene for the
whole race of men and this world. And though they were judged every man
according to his works, yet sovereign grace only had delivered any; and
whoever was not found in grace's book was cast into the lake of fire. The
sea gave up the dead in it; death and hades, the dead in them. And death
and hades were put an end to for ever by the divine judgment. The heaven
and earth passed away, but they were to be revived; but death and hades
never. There was for them only divine destruction and judgment. They are
looked at as the power of Satan. He has the power of death and the gates of
hades; and hence these are for ever destroyed judicially. They will never
have power again. They are personified; but of course there is no question
of tormenting them or of punishment: when the devil himself is cast in,
there is. But death was not then destroyed; for the wicked dead had not
been raised for judgment. Now they had; and the last enemy is destroyed.
The force of the image, I doubt not, is that all the dead now judged (the
whole contents of hades, in whom the power of death had been) were cast
into the lake of fire, so that death and hades, which had no existence but
in their state, were entirely and judicially ended by their being cast in.
The saints had long before passed out of them; but they subsisted in the
wicked. Now these were, consequent on the judgment of the white throne,
cast into the lake of fire-the second death. The limit and measure of
escape was the book of life.
