The Great White Throne Judgment is mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15, which is a biblical passage that pertains to the final judgment that will occur during the culmination of the so-called “End Times.”  With regard to this judgment, we will attempt to answer the following questions:

  • When will this judgment take place?
  • Who will be doing the judging?
  • Who will be judged?
  • How important will be the works of those who are being judged?
  • Who will suffer eternal punishment as a result of the final judgment?

Although we will focus primarily on Revelation 20:11-15, we will also briefly consider several other scriptures that we regard as pertinent.

[Note:  When we quote Scripture in this article, we use the wording in the New King James Version of the Bible, except when we are quoting a source that uses a different translation.]

Revelation 20:11-15

This scripture passage states,

Then I [the Disciple John] saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.  [Note: Most translations of the Bible say “standing before the throne” rather than “standing before God” in this scripture.]

With regard to this scripture, Adam Clarke Commentary believes that God the Father will judge everyone.  In addition, Clarke asserts that each person’s works will indicate whether or not that person’s faith was “true.”  More specifically, Clarke states,

A great white throne – Refulgent with glorious majesty.

Him that sat on it – The indescribable Jehovah.

The dead, small and great – All ranks, degrees, and conditions of men. This description seems to refer to Daniel 7:9-10.

And the books were opened – See Daniel 12:1. . . . All the actions of men, whether good or bad, are written in a book, and of all they shall give account.

The books mentioned here were the books of the living and the dead, or the book of life and the book of death: that is, the account of the good and evil actions of men; the former leading to life, the latter to death.

According to their works – And according to their faith also, for their works would be the proof whether their faith were [sic] true or false; but faith exclusively could be no rule in such a procedure.

Written in the book of life – Only those who had continued faithful unto death were taken to heaven.

Also in reference to Revelation 20:11-15, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible likewise expresses the belief that God the Father will judge everyone.  Pett goes on to state that “for those who are not the true people of God,” their works will determine how they have responded to God, Jesus Christ; the prophets, God’s Word, etc. and they will be judged accordingly.  And, Pett believes that everyone who has not trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior will suffer eternal punishment.  According to Pett,

In the heavenly world there are no physical thrones and neither the Father nor the Son need to sit on one in order to judge. . . . It indicates that God will call all men into solemn judgment. Every man will have to give account of himself to God.

For those who are not the true people of God . . . the judgment is based on how they have responded to God, how they have responded to the words of Jesus and the prophets, both old and new, how they have responded to the word of God and His law, for ‘works’ include all three (Matthew 5; Matthew 16:27; Luke 16:31; John 6:28-29).

[A]ll men are involved in this judgment. It is an all-embracing scene into which all other pictures of the judgment have to be fitted. And fitted they can be if we recognise that what is important is the spiritual lessons and not the physical descriptions. The significance of the book of life is that it contains the names of those who have been cleansed from sin, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14). . . . [A]s Paul constantly stressed, while our works cannot justify us, they can certainly condemn us, and those who are not His [i.e., God’s] will be found doubly guilty, for they have not only broken God’s law but they have also rejected His mercy. For them there is no future. There is only the lake of fire.

With regard to the same scripture, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible, in contrast with Clarke and Pett, indicates that Jesus Christ, not God the Father, will do the judging of all the dead – both those whose name is written in the Book of Life (i.e., the righteous) and everyone else (i.e., the unrighteous).  Barnes goes on to say that the righteous will be rewarded according to their works, but he does not state that the unrighteous will be rewarded according to their works.  Instead, Barnes declares that the unrighteous will be judged according to their deeds, which seems to imply that he believes that there will be differences in the degree of their eternal punishment.  Barnes explanation of Revelation 20:11-15 is as follows:

And I saw a great white throne – This verse commences the description of the final judgment, which embraces the remainder of the chapter. . . .

And him that sat on it – The reference here undoubtedly is to the Lord Jesus Christ, the final Judge of mankind (compare Matthew 25:31), and the scene described is what will occur at his second advent.

And I saw the dead, small and great – All the dead – for this language would express that – the whole race being composed of the “small and great.” . . . The fair meaning in this place therefore is, that all the dead would be there, and of course this would preclude the idea of a “previous” resurrection of any part of the dead, as of the saints, at the beginning of the millennium. There is no intimation here that it is the wicked dead that are referred to in this description of the final judgment. It is the judgment of all the dead.

Stand before God – That is, they appear thus to be judged. The word “God” here must naturally refer to the final Judge on the throne, and there can be no doubt (see Matthew 25:31) that this is the Lord Jesus. (Compare 2 Corinthians 5:10.)

And the books were opened – That is, the books containing the record of human deeds. The representation is, that all that people have done is recorded, and that it will be exhibited on the final trial, and will constitute the basis of the last judgment.

And another book was opened, which is the book of life – The book containing the record of the names of all who shall enter into life, or into heaven. . . . The meaning here is, that John saw not only the general books opened containing the records of the deeds of people, but that he had a distinct view of the list or roll of those who were the followers of the Lamb. It would seem that in regard to the multitudes of the impenitent and the wicked, the judgment will proceed “on their deeds” in general; in regard to the righteous, it will turn on the fact that their names had been enrolled in the book of life. That will be sufficient to determine the nature of the sentence that is to be passed on them. He will be safe whose name is found in the book of life; no one will be safe who is to have his eternal destiny determined by his own deeds. This passage proves particularly that the righteous dead are referred to here as being present at the final judgment. . . .

According to their works – The fact that the name of anyone was found in the book of life would seem, as above remarked, to determine the “certainty” of salvation; but the amount of reward would be in proportion to the service rendered to the Redeemer, and the attainments made in piety.

And they were judged – All these were judged – the righteous and the wicked. . . .

Again, in reference to Revelation 20:11-15, John Gill’s Exposition on the Whole Bible, like Barnes, indicates that Jesus Christ, not God the Father, will judge the unrighteous, whom Gill believes will be the only people present at the final judgment.  And, like Barnes, Gill thinks the works of these people will determine the degree of their eternal punishment.  Gill interprets Revelation 20:11-15 as follows:

And I saw a great white throne – [I]t is best . . . to understand it of the general judgment at the last day, which is the common sense of ancient and modern interpreters; though it seems only to regard the judgment of the wicked, . . . .

and him that sat on it – the throne was not empty, one sat upon it, who is no other than the Son of God; to whom all judgment is committed, and who is ordained to be Judge of quick and dead. . . .

And I saw the dead – [I]t cannot be thought they were dead when they stood before the throne, but were raised from the dead; for this character is not descriptive of them as dead in trespasses and sins, though they are such as die in their sins, and rise in them, who are meant, but as having been corporeally dead; these are the rest of the dead, the wicked, who lived not again until the thousand years were ended (Revelation 20:5).  As for the righteous, they will be judged upon their resurrection from the dead in the beginning of the day of the Lord; and will be declared righteous and blessed, and be called upon and introduced to inherit the kingdom prepared for them, which they shall have possessed a thousand years when these wicked dead will be raised. . . .

and another book was opened, which is the book of life – the same that is mentioned in Revelation 3:5, the book of eternal election. . . . No other use seems to be made of this book in the judgment of the wicked, than only to observe whose names were not written in it, as appears from Revelation 20:15. . . .

and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works – that is, they were sentenced to everlasting condemnation and death, according to the just demerit of their wicked works. . . .

and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them – “death”, which is here represented as a person . . .; and “hell” signifies the grave, which will now be opened, and deliver up all its prisoners, all that have been buried in the earth. . . .

and they were judged every man according to their works – some to greater, some to lesser punishment, as their sinful works deserved.

In reference to the same scripture, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, like both Barnes and Gill, asserts that Jesus Christ will be the judge.  This commentary also states that only the people who did not participate in the first resurrection will participate in this judgment, which will be the “final vindication” of God’s righteousness, but does not explain what is meant by the term “ final vindication.”  This commentary specifically says,

Him that sat on it [the throne] – the Son, to whom ‘the Father hath committed all judgment. God in Christ, i.e., the Father represented by the Son, before whose judgment-seat we must all stand.

The dead – ‘the rest of the dead’ who did not share the first resurrection, and those who died during the millennium.

Small and great – The wicked who died from Adam to Christ’s second advent, and all the righteous and wicked who died during and after the millennium, shall then be judged. The transfigured godly, who reigned with Christ during it, shall also be present. . . .

Book of life – Besides the general book of all, there is a special book for believers, in which their names are written, not for their works, but for Christ’s work for, and in, them: ‘the Lamb’s book of life.’

According to their works. We are justified by faith, judged according to (not by) our works. The general judgment is designed for the final vindication of God’s righteousness. . . .

Matthew Poole’s English Annotations on the Holy Bible is another Bible commentary which declares that Jesus Christ, not God the Father, will judge everyone who has ever lived, according to Revelation 20:11-15.  In this regard, Poole indicates that the righteous will be judged to determine the extent of their absolution (i.e., forgiveness) and that the wicked will suffer the second death (i.e., eternal punishment).  Poole’s explanation is as follows:

The former verses gave us an account of Christ, the great Judge of the quick and the dead in the last day; the Lord Jesus Christ sat upon a throne of glory, about to execute his last holy and righteous judgment. Now he describes the persons to be judged, viz. all, both small and great.

And the books were opened – to show the justice and righteousness according to which this Judge would proceed, books are said to be opened. What books? The book of God’s law; the book of God’s omniscience; the book of men’s consciences. In the former is contained what all men should have done; the two latter will discover what they have thought, spake, or done in the flesh.

And another other book was opened, which is the book of life – the book of life, mentioned in Revelation 3:5, by which is to be understood the book of God’s election, wherein are the names of all those who, being from eternity chosen to life, were redeemed with the blood of Christ, and afterwards effectually called, justified, and sanctified.

And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works – according to these books shall the last judgment be, Romans 2:16, with respect had unto every one’s work.

By hell is meant all places where the dead are; whosoever shall be at that day in the state of the dead; the bodies of men, whether buried in the earth or sea; and the souls of men, whether they be in the place of torments or happiness, shall all be re-united to their bodies, that they may both in soul and body receive their final doom of eternal happiness, or eternal misery, accordingly as they have lived in the world; and those who shall be alive at that day, who shall be changed, (as the apostle [i.e., Paul] speaks in 1 Corinthians 15:51), are to be counted dead in the sense of this text, their change being instead of death to them. It is not said they shall be judged for their works (though that as to the wicked is true), but

according to their works – which is true as to the elect, who though their names be written in the book of life, yet must work righteousness; and they shall have judgment of absolution, not according to the perfection, but the sincerity, of their works, done in obedience to the will of God.

Scriptures Other than Revelation 20:11-15

Now, we will briefly consider several other scriptures that we think are relevant to determining what will occur at the Great White Throne Judgment.

The first of these scriptures is Revelation 20:4.  Because it precedes Revelation 20:11-15, it is reasonable to assume that the millennial (i.e., 1,000-year) reign of Jesus Christ will occur before the Great White Throne Judgment.  Revelation 20:4  states,

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The next three scriptures indicate that Jesus Christ (aka the Son of Man) will be the One to judge people at the Great White Throne Judgment.

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus Christ asserts,

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . . Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Romans 14:10 says, “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

And, 2 Corinthians 5:10 asserts, “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.”

One additional scripture that we will consider is Revelation 20:10, which declares, ““The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.  And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  This verse, in conjunction with Revelation 20:15, which we previously considered, infers that the punishment for everyone who is thrown into the lake of fire will be eternal.

Conclusions

We have reached the following conclusions regarding what will occur at the Great White Throne Judgment:

  • The final judgment will occur after the end of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
  • Although there is some disagreement as to specifically who will do the judging at the last judgment, we believe that most of the evidence indicates that the Judge will be Jesus Christ.
  • There is apparently greater disagreement as to which people will be present at the final judgment, but we believe that this judgment will include everyone who has ever lived. Our primary reason for this belief is that, if only the wicked will be judged at that time, then verse 15 would be unlikely to state that “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”  In other words, if none of the people at this judgment will be regarded as righteous, it is reasonable to assume that Revelation 20:11-15 would indicate that the name of no one at this judgment will be found in the Book of Life.  If this were so, everyone at this judgment would be cast into the lake of fire.  However, this scripture infers that there will be people at the final judgment whose name is found in the Book of Life (i.e., people whom God regards as righteous), so they will not be cast into the lake of fire.
  • The Bible makes it clear that, at the final judgment, no one will be given eternal salvation on the basis of their works (see Ephesians 2:8-9), but several scriptures indicate that the people whom God regards as righteous will receive rewards for their good deeds (see Matthew 6:1-4; 16:27 and Luke 6:35).
  • Also, at the final judgment, only the people whose name is written in the Book of Life (i.e., the righteous) will receive eternal salvation. Everyone else will be condemned to eternal punishment

[If you want to know how you can have assurance of eternal salvation, click on “What Must a Person Do to Be Assured of Eternal Salvation?”]