The Epistle to the Hebrews part CCL

Hebrews 10:31
"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Now four times in the Epistle of Hebrews you’ve had the term ‘the living God.’ Twice as it appears for us as believers, ‘He is our living God,' speaking of Christ as He was the expressed image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15) but twice as it applies to the unbelievers, who also are going to have to deal with ‘the living God’ Who is alive forevermore. All right, when the lost come up before Him and He pronounces their final doom, there isn’t a word of argument because He is the living God! He's the Life giving God of our New Covenant of Grace. Which is an Eternal Covenant in the power of an Endless Life which is in Him (Christ) and us who have chosen His Will above our own. He’s not some idol made with stone and wood. He is the living Creator of the whole universe and He’s Sovereign. He can do whatever He wants.

In fact, let’s just go back and look what Paul is alluding to. Revelation chapter 20. Not many people will even refer to it anymore. But, I’m still not afraid to and you know, the day may come when they’ll force those of lesser natures to deny Him. Well that’s okay. We’re not going to shirk from showing people what the Bible says. Revelation 20 starting at verse 11. And this is exactly what we’re referring to that the lost, whether they are good people, religious or whether they are the down and out gutter of the world, makes no difference; for God is no respecter of persons, they’re all going to come before the Great White Throne.

Revelation 20:11a
"And I saw a great white throne; and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away;…"
We want to remember this is in that time interval between the end of the Kingdom, the thousand-year reign, or is it and the onset of eternity. I think Peter makes it so plain that when the Kingdom is completed this whole universe is just going to disappear in a puff of smoke and there will out of it come, for eternity, a New Heaven and a new earth. Now not everybody’s going to agree with me, but I think the language is such that it can’t be denied. I think the reason is that Satan has defiled everything God ever made. Out to the edges of space, Satan has defiled everything, and so, consequently, I feel, it will all be melted down as Peter says. And God is going to redo the whole nine yards if you will. With a New Heaven and a New earth in which there'll be no sin or death.

All right, so in this time frame now between the end of the Kingdom (Church, those in Christ and receptive of His activities) Age of which we are now in and the onset of eternity, just here I might say that many believe we’re going to have the Great White Throne judgment for the lost of the ages. What God has done with all the believers while this is going on in the meantime, you leave that up to God; He’s not going to lose any of us! We’re going to be someplace in utter safety. But one thing for sure, we’re not going to be at this Great White Throne nor do we see the wrath or Jacob's troubles that are on the horizon. This is only for the lost from Cain until the end. Now then, verse 12.

Revelation 20:12a
"And John saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; (now God of course, here will be Christ Jesus) and the books (plural, these could be the words spoken to us by God through His Son as the Living and New Life giving words upon which He is building His Church/Body) were opened: and another book (singular) was opened, which is the book of life(the book which records them who have chosen death to the spirit of the world and self, ego, and pride): and the dead (those who remain separated form God by way of personal choice) were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
The lost and the lawless are now ready to hear their doom. The first thing they will be shown are the blanks in that book of life where their name were written but because of choice are now removed, for all are called but few have chosen. But it’s not there and so they can’t argue – I did this and I did that. No, your name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life (they've chosen not to follow Him, to take His yoke upon themselves, to die to the world and put the deeds of the flesh to death in obedience). Then he turns to the books (plural), which is the record of their daily activities on earth. So, they are judged, to see what their level of punishment will be.

Now I think I’ve mentioned this before, for years I used to wonder, even God in His Omnipotence, is He going to keep track of every individual’s daily life? Yeah. And now with our technology and they can put the whole King James Bible on a chip the size of a pin head, well if man can do that, then God can keep a record of a few billion people. No problem.

So He’ll check the record and He’ll probably show it to them, here’s your life. Who are you to say that you can come into My Heaven? Your name is not in the Lamb’s Book of Life, your life has shown nothing that smacks of a believer and then they’ll have to admit their doom is justified. All right then, verse 13.

Revelation 20:13-14
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (not everybody’s going to suffer the same. There’s going to be degrees, do you see it?) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
Death is separation. The first separation was soul and spirit from the presence of God through sin. The second death is the separation of the lost from God eternally. Horrible, awful thought! But it’s Scriptural and people need to be warned. Now there remains a secret which we've revealed throughout this study in the Epistle to the Hebrews and our other sharing with editing of the book, “The Holiest of All” by Andrew Murray in our other blogspot sit titled, God has only One Way for Us All, which has a link on this site at whmaynard@blogspot.com.

All right, back to Hebrews 10, so indeed as we read in verse 31, and it’s not stretching the envelope one bit. "It is a fearful thing (as an unbeliever, it’s a fearful thing) to fall into the hands of the living God." But for us nothing better could happen! We are in His care. We are in the hollow of His hand. We are hidden in God in Christ. As long as we remain receptive to His activity in faith to the working of Grace activity. We have nothing to fear. But the lost, oh my goodness, I don’t see how they can go to bed at night. Verse 32.

Hebrews 10:32
"But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;"