And Whosoever was not Found Written in the Book of Life was Cast into the Lake of Fire

Rev.20:15 

 And Whosoever was not Found Written in the Book of Life

was Cast into the Lake of Fire.

One small sentence inserted almost at the very end of the New Testament. There are many verses which present facets of this terrible truth, but here we have the culmination succinctly stated. This subject has been relegated to the doctrinal back burners if it can be found at all. It is no longer acceptable for the mixed company found dwelling in Sunday morning pews. It is far too unpleasant for open discussion to say nothing of powerful warnings from behind God’s pulpits. It may be touched upon to prove our orthodoxy, but it almost never elicits tears from the doctrinal Bourgeoisie. To be honest, only dead preachers actually preach it with any conviction and heartbreaking emotion.

Rev.20:15 

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Before the glory of a new heaven and a new earth or the wonder of the eternal paradise of God’s presence and the blood washed saints, there is coming a mournful day of gloom for most of the human race. We as believers should never rejoice in that coming narrative, and in fact we should be conduits of light which can be used to lead sinners away from that awful day. This is no hyperbolic play on words used to present a melodrama invented inside the minds of religious fanatics. No, this is a coming reality which can only be described in a very limited way in Scripture since the things of the Spirit are often beyond human imagination.

 

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

In essence the entire world except for those who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ will stand before the Creator and asked to give an account for their sins. But since only the shed blood of Christ can forgive sins, those without Christ will not be able to escape the justice of God. They will never be able to pay for their sins and therefore they will suffer the consequences of unpaid sins forever.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Yes, this all seems like religious folklore. And if indeed the Bible is not true than it is nothing but a fairy tale. But if even most of the Bible is true than this final judgment will be an event unlike any other. Even unbelievers have a sense of justice and good and evil. Dolphins do not have that sense. Bears do not have that sense. Lions do not have that sense. But mankind has sense of fairness and good versus evil. The definition of evil or good may be different, but that sense is still present.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

But in the end the story of man, filled with war and woe, will meet its final authority. And the Judge of All will point His righteous scepter and demand holiness from every sinner born of a woman. Where will people go? To whom will they turn? The time for faith has past and they will stand naked in their sins without a hope for redemption. I tremble to think of that day, and I am in Christ. If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the unrighteous be found? Imagine standing before God and realizing that there is no hope and that you are about to reap the reward of your sin. Imagine knowing that in a moment you will be cast into the lake of fire without any hope of getting out. Imagine eternal punishment. Discount it as foolishness if you wish. Disregard the warnings if that soothes your conscience. But if you do, and that is your choice, just remember that one day you will wish you had given some attention to these words of warning. I beg you to pause with just one unguarded moment and allow God to speak to your heart.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We are impressed these days with all the technological advances and the soaring rhetoric of the latest politician or the talents of sports figures and Hollywood actors. And Biblical truths like this seem so farfetched and so out of touch with modern realities that not only are they dismissed, they are rarely even spoken of in churches whose doctrinal statements say they believe them. The warnings of eternal judgment have fallen almost silent and have given way to more uplifting messages of success, prosperity, and a healthy self image. Any judgment, to say nothing of eternal judgment, has been widely discounted as hyperbole.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

But this is as serious as it gets. Our minds have been so consumed with everything from politics to sports to finances and everything in between that we can hardly ever capture our hearts long enough to even give serious consideration to things like this. And although we cannot bring ourselves to openly deny truths like this, we have cleverly designed an ecclesiastical system that can be practiced and enjoyed without ever manifesting the prayers, emotions, and outreach that would substantiate our doctrinal suggestions.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

The truths we profess to believe are most astonishing. To put it in succinct terms, we believe that every person born will spend eternity either in the presence of Christ or in a place of continuing and unabated judgment. Think about that for a moment. That is a colossal and breathtaking assertion. And if that is true, and if we actually believe it to be true, than should not such a desperate issue elicit fruits and behaviors from those who believe it which can only be described as remarkable?

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

If a man says he believes his house is on fire, should we not expect him to flee his house? If a mother says she believes her child may be dying, should we not expect that mother to desperately cry for help? If a father says his child is drowning, should we not expect that father to swim out to rescue his child? And if a believer says he believes every person will face either heaven or hell in eternity, should we not expect that believer to pray and witness with passion or even with obsession? But what if all these scenarios do not elicit the behavior which we should expect? Then what are we to conclude? We must conclude that the man or the mother or the father or the believer does not believe what he or she says.

Rev.20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

And so we are left with an uncomfortable mirror. If we actually believe those words then shouldn’t that belief bring forth some actions and emotions that are unique and even uncomfortable as it pertains to the “normal” religious expressions? That one verse is so profound and so unsettling that it alone should demand some responses that should be considered fanatical by the accepted patterns within the Christian community. But that verse along with others dealing with that issue has little if any affect upon our hearts and lives. In effect, by our ambivalence we render them as benign doctrinal tenants and philosophical curiosities that are rarely considered seriously and even more rarely acted upon.

Rev.20: ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev.20: ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev.20: ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev.20: ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev.20: ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Selah.