In these verses, we come to the grand finale of the final judgment, where every person from the beginning of time will stand before God’s white throne to be judged according to his deeds. The scene pictured for us is so terrifying, that even the sky and earth flee from the presence of God. Daniel gives us a vivid description of this scene in Daniel 7:9-10. [“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.]
This judgment will be objective, based on the records of each person’s deeds. Along with the book of deeds, there will also be the book of life; and everyone whose name is not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night for all eternity. This is the same place where Satan, the beast, and the false prophet were cast.
Once the source of evil is destroyed, along with those who were in rebellion against God, the only other thing that remains, in order to rid this creation of the effects of the fall, is the destruction of death. And that is exactly what we see in verse 14: “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Death and Hades, the place where souls are kept after death, are personified as humanity’s last enemy. And they too will be utterly destroyed, never to plague mankind again!
We praise God that as believers, we do not need to fear the final judgment because Christ bore God’s wrath on our behalf. Those that are in Christ have “passed from death to life” (cf: John 5:24) and “shall never die” (cf: John 11:26). Therefore, we can live today with hope and expectation of our glorious future, where every enemy of ours will be destroyed and we will live forever in his presence in perfect peace and righteousness. In the meanwhile, we wrestle against sin, pray for God’s strength and protection, and reach out to the lost with the hope of the gospel.