What is the Great White Throne Judgment?

The great white throne judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15
and is the final judgment prior to the lost being cast into the lake
of fire. We know from Revelation 20:7-15 that this judgment will take
place after the millennium and after Satan, the beast, and the false
prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10). The
books that are opened (Revelation 20:12) contain records of everyone's
deeds, whether they are good or evil, because God knows everything
that has ever been said, done, or even thought, and He will reward or
punish each one accordingly (Psalm 28:4; 62:12; Romans 2:6; Revelation
2:23; 18:6; 22:12).

Also at this time, another book is opened, called the "book of life"
(Revelation 20:12). It is this book that determines whether a person
will inherit eternal life with God or receive everlasting punishment
in the lake of fire. Although Christians are held accountable for
their actions, they are forgiven in Christ and their names were
written in the "book of life from the creation of the world"
(Revelation 17:8). We also know from Scripture that it is at this
judgment when the dead will be "judged according to what they had
done" (Revelation 20:12) and that "anyone's name" that is not "found
written in the book of life" will be "thrown into the lake of fire"
(Revelation 20:15).

The fact that there is going to be a final judgment for all men, both
believers and unbelievers, is clearly confirmed in many passages of
Scripture. Every person will one day stand before Christ and be judged
for his or her deeds. While it is very clear that the great white
throne judgment is the final judgment, Christians disagree on how it
relates to the other judgments mentioned in the Bible, specifically,
who will be judged at the great white throne judgment.

Some Christians believe that the Scriptures reveal three different
judgments to come. The first is the judgment of the sheep and the
goats or a judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-36). This takes
place after the tribulation period but prior to the millennium; its
purpose is to determine who will enter the millennial kingdom. The
second is a judgment of believers' works, often referred to as the
"judgment seat [bema] of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10). At this
judgment, Christians will receive degrees of reward for their works or
service to God. The third is the great white throne judgment at the
end of the millennium (Revelation 20:11-15). This is the judgment of
unbelievers in which they are judged according to their works and
sentenced to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.

Other Christians believe that all three of these judgments speak of
the same final judgment, not of three separate judgments. In other
words, the great white throne judgment in Revelation 20:11-15 will be
the time that believers and unbelievers alike are judged. Those whose
names are found in the book of life will be judged for their deeds in
order to determine the rewards they will receive or lose. Those whose
names are not in the book of life will be judged according to their
deeds to determine the degree of punishment they will receive in the
lake of fire. Those who hold this view believe that Matthew 25:31-46
is another description of what takes place at the great white throne
judgment. They point to the fact that the result of this judgment is
the same as what is seen after the great white throne judgment in
Revelation 20:11-15. The sheep (believers) enter into eternal life,
while the goats (unbelievers) are cast into "eternal punishment"
(Matthew 25:46).

Whichever view one holds of the great white throne judgment, it is
important to never lose sight of the facts concerning the coming
judgment(s). First, Jesus Christ will be the judge, all unbelievers
will be judged by Christ, and they will be punished according to the
works they have done. The Bible is very clear that unbelievers are
storing up wrath against themselves (Romans 2:5) and that God will
"give to each person according to what he has done" (Romans 2:6).
Believers will also be judged by Christ, but since Christ's
righteousness has been imputed to us and our names are written in the
book of life, we will be rewarded, but not punished, according to our
deeds. Romans 14:10-12 says that we will all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ and that each one of us will give an account to God.