Revelation 20:15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
I remember watching my brothers getting in trouble. They were older than I was, and therefore got in trouble more than I did. But watching them taught me a lesson. If you don’t want the punishment, get better at hiding your infractions!
But some infractions just can’t be hidden. Think of those memes of the little kids with chocolate frosting all over their faces, hair, outfit and hands. “Did you eat the cake?” Some things just can’t be hidden no matter how hard you try.
We are now in the portion of the book of Revelation when the judgments on the inhabitants of earth have taken place. The vials, plagues, bowls, and seals have all be counted through. The worst kinds of things have happened, and all in the hopes that individuals would repent and turn to the LORD and receive forgiveness and protection. But they haven’t turned.
It is against that background that our text is set. Those who haven’t responded to seeing the wrath of God poured out are about to receive the results of their choices. They could have had forgiveness and loving acceptance, but they have chosen to stand against God’s wrath.
All those rounds of warning were not heeded. Stubborn hearts remained stubborn. Fixed jaws remained fixed. Nothing could persuade them to turn and repent. If the signs that have come before didn’t persuade them, nothing could.
And so they now stand on the wrong side of history. They have chosen to be rejected, and so for eternity they will be rejected. They have chosen to be absent from God’s presence, and so God gives them their wish. There is nothing worse than living apart from God’s presence. That is torment.
This picture of a lake of fire is a common one in apocalyptic literature. It is the cultural picture of extreme judgment, ultimate judgment. In Jerusalem, the large city capital of the people of Israel, there was a garbage dump outside the city walls that burned continually. What a smell! Imagine your local landfill on fire, all the time, 24/7. Would you want to live there in the dump?
Things that were rotten and dead they were considered unfit for contact. We all know this today as well. Don’t you wash your hands after gardening or after using the toilet! Of course we do! They did back then as well. They might not have understood bacteria and viruses, but they knew dirt.
Those who reject God’s grace receive the worst situation they could imagine. They are outside God’s presence and protection, doomed to live lives of misery and suffering. It was their choice to reject the loving hand extended. They didn’t respond to the calls for repentance.
Where is you name written? Is it written in the book of life? Are you responding to God’s call to repentance in your life? Are you willing to live life His way, or must you be in charge?
I want to encourage you to today start living God’s way. Respond to Him. He loves you. He has done everything that is needed in order for your relationship with Him to be restored. Will you accept that reconciliation plan?
The Arnold Journey 