After this life is finished, we will all have to give account for the lives that we lived.
“People are destined to die once and then face judgment.”—Hebrews 9:27 (CEB)
Judgment is certain. After death, we will come before God to be judged. The outcome of that judgment will be determined by the choices that we made in life.
If you take almost any class in college, the professor will put together a syllabus that will include information about how your final grade will be figured, and on what it will be based. You would be wise to take note of this information and give your time and effort to those things that will count most toward your final grade.
In a similar way, we will all face an ultimate “final exam” at the end of our lives. This final exam will determine our eternal destiny.
Our lives on this earth may last 50, 75, or possibly 100 years, but after this life is over, we do not cease to exist. We simply change locations and go on living for eternity. Compared to the true, unending lengths of our lives in eternity, the time that we spend here is just a brief wisp of smoke that is gone in an instant. If our whole focus is on this life on earth, we are missing the point … and it will cost us dearly.
“Your life is like a mist. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away.”—James 4:14 (ICB)
If we are wise, we will do as much as we possibly can now to find out how we will be evaluated in our final exam, and diligently prepare for that as best we can.
Let’s take a look at what we know about that final exam that we will all face.
When the Books are Opened
When we face our final exam that will determine how and where we will spend eternity, there will be books opened. Our eternal destinies will be determined by what is contained in those books. This is how the prophet Daniel saw it:
“I kept looking until thrones were placed [for the assessors with the Judge], and the Ancient of Days [God, the eternal Father] took His seat, Whose garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame; its wheels were burning fire.
“A stream of fire came forth from before Him; a thousand thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand rose up and stood before Him; the Judge was seated [the court was in session] and the books were opened.”— Daniel 7:9-10 (AMP)
We would be absolutely foolish if we did not prepare ourselves for this day of ultimate judgment. We can find more detail about what that day will be like in the book of Revelation:
“I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. When the earth and sky saw his face, they ran away. There was no place for them.
“I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what they had done. The things they had done were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it. And Death and Hell gave up their dead. Each of the dead was judged by what he had done.
“Then Death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”— Revelation 20:11-15 (NIRV)
A lot of mystery surrounds that day of judgment, but what is certain from this passage is that God Himself will sit as the ultimate judge. Books will be opened, and we will each be judged according to what we did in our lifetimes, which has been recorded in these books. Our existence forever will be determined by what is written in those books, but it seems that the most critical judgment will be determined by whether or not our names are written in the “Book of Life.”
