# Rev 20:12



## gordo (Dec 20, 2012)

'And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.'

What works does this passage speak of? A confusing verse for me. Obviously a faith without works is a dead faith, but this verse seems to really point towards works being a key factor in judgment. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!


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## rbcbob (Dec 20, 2012)

gordo said:


> 'And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.'
> 
> What works does this passage speak of? A confusing verse for me. Obviously a faith without works is a dead faith, but this verse seems to really point towards works being a key factor in judgment. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!



Matthew Henry comments:



> The persons to be judged (v. 12): The dead, small and great; that is, young and old, low and high, poor and rich. None are so mean but they have some talents to account for, and none so great as to avoid the jurisdiction of this court; not only those that are found alive at the coming of Christ, but all who have died before; the grave shall surrender the bodies of men, hell shall surrender the souls of the wicked, the sea shall surrender the many who seemed to have been lost in it. 4. The rule of judgment settled: The books were opened. What books? The books of God's omniscience, who is greater than our consciences, and knows all things (there is a book of remembrance with him both for good and bad); and the book of the sinner's conscience, which, though formerly secret, will now be opened. And another book shall be opened--the book of the scriptures, the statute-book of heaven, the rule of life. This book is opened as containing the law, the touchstone by which the hearts and lives of men are to be tried. This book determines matter of right; the other books give evidence of matters of fact. Some, by the other book, called the book of life, understand the book of God's eternal counsels; but that does not seem to belong to the affair of judgment: in eternal election God does not act judicially, but with absolute sovereign freedom. 5. The cause to be tried; and that is, the works of men, what they have done and whether it be good or evil. By their works men shall be justified or condemned; for though God knows their state and their principles, and looks chiefly at these, yet, being to approve himself to angels and men as a righteous God, he will try their principles by their practices, and so will be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges. 6. The issue of the trial and judgment; and this will be according to the evidence of fact, and rule of judgment. All those who have made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell, shall then be condemned with their infernal confederates, cast with them into the lake of fire, as not being entitled to eternal life, according to the rules of life laid down in the scripture; but those whose names are written in that book (that is, those that are justified and acquitted by the gospel) shall then be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. Let it be our great concern to see on what terms we stand with our Bibles, whether they justify us or condemn us now; for the Judge of all will proceed by that rule. Christ shall judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel. Happy are those who have so ordered and stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord!


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## Bill The Baptist (Dec 21, 2012)

I believe that these are people who are not saved, and thus their sins have not been covered by Christ. As Paul points out in Galatians, all those who are not in Christ are under the law and its curse.


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## gordo (Dec 21, 2012)

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## MarieP (Dec 29, 2012)

rbcbob said:


> The issue of the trial and judgment; and this will be according to the evidence of fact, and rule of judgment. All those who have made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell, shall then be condemned with their infernal confederates, cast with them into the lake of fire, as not being entitled to eternal life, according to the rules of life laid down in the scripture; but those whose names are written in that book (that is, those that are justified and acquitted by the gospel) shall then be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. Let it be our great concern to see on what terms we stand with our Bibles, whether they justify us or condemn us now; for the Judge of all will proceed by that rule. Christ shall judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel. Happy are those who have so ordered and stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord!



I find Henry's words here very interesting in light of a certain current debate


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## ThyWord IsTruth (Jan 1, 2013)

Romans 14:10 states that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. On to verse 12 "so then each of us shall give an account of himself to God"

Again in 2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad"

We see in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 that our works will become clear. 3:12-15 "Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each ones work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each ones work, of what sort it is. 14 if anyones work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 if anyones work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver.

Whatever works the elect have done unto eternity for the kingdom will remain but all our selfish works will be burned away by the refiners fire. 

The elect will have their names written in the Book of Life as redeemed by the blood of The Lamb and those not under the Covenant of Grace will stand on their own merits and be damned.


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## ThyWord IsTruth (Jan 1, 2013)

One more scripture to share on this:
Psalms 1:5 "Therefore the ungodly will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous."

Oh to be in the hands of a mighty God!


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## gordo (Jan 1, 2013)

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