![]() ![]() Things happen that we may oppose, or fail to happen that we may advocate. One of the frustrating things about life in this world is that we are all individuals with our own ideas, we each have a limited understanding of the truth, and we therefore do not agree about what to do. When you are a part of the Lord’s kingdom you are said to “reign” with Him because you love Him, you cooperate with what He does, so you are joined with Him. “To live and reign with Christ for a thousand years does not mean literally for that time, but rather that these people had for a long time already been a part of the Lord’s kingdom, even though they had been oppressed.” (Apocalypse Revealed 849). The souls of those who were raised up, who lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, refer to good people who have been oppressed by injustice: Judgment is said to be “committed to them” because when you see the truth clearly it becomes the basis for better decision-making. The “thrones” here stand for the truths of the Word seen clearly (Apocalypse Revealed 845). This describes good news about the judgment. ![]() And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4) ![]() Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God. “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Our reading from Revelation 20 began this way: New Church teachings give us a beautiful way to think about it, a way that is helpful to both groups and individuals as we all move forward in life. Judgment is not what people think that it is, nor does it happen in the way that many people believe. Will you someday stand before that throne? This is the picture in John's vision, but it's a picture of things that happen internally, not literally. It can be seen as contributing to an idea of God as one who looks at you like a stern judge, who evaluates you and who probably finds you wanting. Yet, it's a scene that can produce anxiety, too. God in His infinite power has set things right. Immediately afterwards John sees the Holy City New Jerusalem descending to earth. The forces of evil have been overcome and put in their place. More than any other scene in Revelation the Great White Throne is the picture of the Last Judgment – the dead, small and great, standing before God. Our topic is what this means for us and the perspective it provides on the concept of judgment that so frequently comes up in the Word. The throne is a final decision-point, a clear sight of the way things are and ought to be. What does it represents in our lives? This throne stands for the end of suffering for those who were originally seen as hidden under the altar at the beginning of the book – good people persecuted in an unjust world. In Revelation, chapter 20, John sees a great white throne. ![]() The element of judgment may not be obvious, but this is one of the ways that life moves forward in the never-ending process of growth and change. Simply having the state of things clarified through discussion and the sharing of information is a form of judgment. The celebration of an achievement or milestone is a form of judgment, as is the reaching of a decision. In many ways, judgment is a part of every occasion, and the greater the occasion the more significant is the judgment. And there was found no place for them.” Revelation 20:11 “And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. ![]()
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