Daily Lesson for Thursday 27th of June 2024
Read 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-11; and Revelation 20:11-15. What do they say about why the wicked are raised to life again?
To resolve the sin problem so evil never arises again, everyone must be convinced that God has been fair and just in all His ways.
Image © Graham Braddock at Goodsalt.com
Ultimately, every knee shall bow and acknowledge God’s justice in the great controversy, even Satan and his evil angels, and that there was never any justification for rebellion against God. Notice this insight from Ellen G. White: “As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart—all appear as if written in letters of fire. . . .
“The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them.”—The Great Controversy, pp. 666, 668.
Read Revelation 20:9; Psalms 37:20; and Malachi 4:1-2. What insights do these passages give us about the ultimate destruction of sin and sinners and the reward of the righteous?
The good news is that Satan and his evil angels will be destroyed in the lake of fire. Sin and sinners will be consumed. According to Revelation 20:9, they will be devoured, destroyed, and not eternally tormented. The next verse uses the expression “forever and ever.” Depending on the context, the word “forever” does not always mean “endless” but, until something is completely accomplished. (See Exodus 21:6; 1 Samuel 1:22,28; Jude 1:7; and 2 Peter 2:4-6.) For the lost, the destruction itself, not the act of destroying, is eternal. God is not the eternal torturer.
In the end, one of two eternities await us all. The lost, unfortunately, receive the “wages” they have earned—eternal death. Why, then, is our only hope of not getting what we deserve, which is death, found in trusting in Jesus’ righteousness?
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