The Judgment Seat of Christ

There are people who teach that Christians will undergo a different kind of judgment than non-believers.  This has led to misconceptions and confusion about eternal judgment, which is one of the elementary truths of the faith that we should all understand clearly.

“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” (Heb 6:1-2)

So we need to examine the Scriptures and see what is meant by eternal judgment. 

Its Eternal Consequences
First of all, based on the passage above, it is eternal in nature in that the decision rendered by God at that point is irreversible and final.  As Jesus taught, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Mt 25:46).  It determines the eternal destination of the person being judged, so it is permanent.  And in light of the tremendous glories of heaven, as well as the enormous horrors of hell, the consequences of this judgment are of the utmost seriousness.

One Judgment for All Mankind
Jesus taught one judgment seat for all mankind.  "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” (Mat 25:31-33)

At the judgment, all the nations will be gathered before Him.  The Father has entrusted all judgment to Him (Jn 5:22).  Therefore, He will separate the people from one another, putting the righteous sheep on His right and the wicked goats on His left.  Both the righteous and the wicked will stand before the same judgment seat.

Standard of Judgment
The same standard of judgment will be used for both the righteous and the wicked. It will be based on what they did and didn’t do.

Note the standard for the righteous:
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'” (Mat 25:34-40)

Note the same standard He will use for the wicked:
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Mat 25:41-46)

We know that we are saved by grace through faith, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9).  And it is only by the blood of Jesus that we can be washed of our sin. “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7) But according to Jesus, the standard that He will use will be the same one for both the righteous and the wicked. To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of His, even the least of them, you did it to Him, and to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Him.

We know we must confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, and “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9)  But being a believer is not the same as being righteous.  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” (Mat 7:21-23)

He will have to tell some of those who call Him Lord to depart from Him, because although they believed in Him and confessed His name, they practiced lawlessness. They prophesy and perform miracles, but they do not do the will of the Father.  This is why it is so critical to be a doer and not only a hearer of the Word of God, because Jesus said that those who hear His words and act on them will be able to withstand the judgment like the house built on the solid rock. However, those who hear His words and do not act on them are foolish, because they will be destroyed like the house built on sand.

Our actions include the words we speak, which are part of the same standard the Lord will use in the judgment.  Jesus also said, "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mat 12:36-37).  By this He meant that both His disciples and everyone else would give an accounting on judgment day for every careless word they have spoken. Since our words may either justify or condemn us, we must be very careful not to open our mouths easily.  And if we do speak a careless word, we should repent and ask forgiveness.

Timing of the Judgment
Jesus taught that the eternal judgment would occur when He returns in His glory and all the holy angels with Him (Mt 25:31).  Beyond that I prefer not to get into exact details about the timing of the judgment, since it is a future event and it’s not necessary for us to know the exact sequences of such things.  Any issues relative to timing would not affect the fact that there will be a Day of Judgment.

The apostle Paul said the judgment will happen "On the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." (Rom 2:16)

The Judgment Seat
At that time, the Lord Jesus will sit on His glorious throne (Mt 25:31).  This is the judgment seat of Christ.

John saw this throne and said, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them” (Rev 20:11).  He is so terrifying on His judgment seat as to cause earth and heaven to flee from Him.

The apostle Paul said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:10-11).

In his epistle to the Romans, he called it the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, when he wrote: "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.  (Rom 2:5-11).

God does not show favoritism.  So whether you are a Jew or a a Gentile believer in Christ, God will render to each person according to his own deeds.  That is why it is so important to do good, so that you may receive glory and honor and peace, rather than the tribulation and distress of those who do evil.

The Purpose of the Judgment
Some people try to twist Paul’s words to make them say something different than what Christ taught, but we must understand all the teachings of the apostles through the Words of Jesus. They cannot be interpreted in such as way that contradicts Jesus.  Yet some cite the fact that the word translated “judgment seat” here is the Greek word “bema,” meaning “a step, that is, foot breath; by implication a rostrum, that is, tribunal: - judgment-seat, set [foot] on, throne.” (Strongs).  They admit that this word connotes the kind of raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence, which is correct.  However, even though they admit the word refers to the place of judgment occupied by rulers and magistrates to make decisions and pass sentence, they prefer to emphasize the analogy of the athletic games. They say that Paul used this Greek word in light of his frequent reference to athletic games, since such a raised platform was used in the Olympic games, at which the judge rewarded those who had won.  They force every aspect of the Olympic awards ceremony to fit, as if God must conform to man’s rules.  They say that no punishment is meted out to the losers at such a judgment, only rewards for the winners or loss of rewards for others.

In fact, Lewis Sperry Chafer states: “It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the judgment is unrelated to the problem of sin, that it is more for the bestowing of rewards than the rejection of failure.” (Systematic Theology, Vol. IV: Ecclesiology-Eschatology, Dallas Seminary Press, Dallas, TX, 1948, p. 406).  They teach that the bema judgment is not to judge believers for sin of any kind, confessed or unconfessed; however, this does not agree with the context of the passage written by the apostle Paul.

First, Paul stated, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” which agrees with what I have already stated, and which Jesus taught, that it is one judgment for all nations.  Elsewhere Paul had said, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:10-12).  In this context, Paul was warning believers not to judge their brothers, since we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, and each one will give an account of himself to God.

Secondly, Paul stated the purpose of the bema judgment is “so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  The Greek word for “recompensed” is “komizo,” meaning, “properly to provide for, that is, (by implication) to carry off (as if from harm; generally obtain): - bring, receive.” (Strongs).  Each one may receive or be provided with what is due to him or her for the deeds in the body, meaning those committed while living on earth. This recompense is for both good and bad.  It relates to what each person has done. The word for “done” is the Greek word “prasso,” meaning “to practice, that is, perform repeatedly or habitually; commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts” (Strongs).  This agrees completely with the teaching of Jesus that He will judge each one based on what they did and didn’t do, whether they did good and bad.

Therefore, the only sins that are not dealt with are the ones that have been forgiven by God and washed away in the blood of Jesus.  The Lord will never bring up any sins that He has forgiven, because when He forgives, he remembers them no more.  As the Scripture says: “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Heb 8:12).  Yet the only way to receive forgiveness for sin is to repent of it before God, confess it, and ask forgiveness.  That is why the apostle John placed the conditional word “if” on the phrase, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9). To say we are already forgiven for unconfessed sin is incorrect and unbiblical. 

In the epistle to the Hebrews, Paul wrote, "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." (Heb 10:26-27)

That is why we do fear the Lord when we think about the eternal judgment, which is why Paul went on to say, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:11).  Paul spoke in the context of the bema judgment about the terror of the Lord.  He said, including himself, “we,” when he said, “knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men.”  However, the proponents of the “rewards-only” bema seat judgment for Christians don’t quote the verse in its proper context.  They leave the part out where Paul said in the context of the bema seat judgment, “We know what it is to fear the Lord…” Paul knew what it was to fear the Lord, and this was one of the main reasons why he tried to persuade men to live for Christ.

Confidence in the Day of Judgment
The Scripture tells us that we may have confidence on the Day of Judgment and how that is possible.  The apostle John said:

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.” (1Jn 4:15-17)

This is a key passage to know and live by, if you want to have confidence on the Day of Judgment.  This is the only way you can be free from the fear of punishment on that day.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” (1Jn 4:18-19)

But if you desire to have confidence at the judgment, which John spoke of, rather than fear, it’s not enough to simply say “I confesses that Jesus is the Son of God.” Of course, you must believe in the Son of God in order to have eternal life (1 Jn 5:10,13).  But you must also act on the words in the rest of John’s epistle.  He said many hard things about the narrow path we must walk to reach heaven.  If you hate your brother and say you know God, you’re a liar.  Nobody who hates his brother truly loves God (1 Jn 2:9; 4:20). If you don’t love, then you don’t know God (1 Jn 4:8). You’ve got to love your brother in deed and truth (1 Jn 3:7,19). You can’t have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness (1 Jn 1:6). You must walk in the Light as Jesus is in the Light (1 Jn 1:7). If you say you have no sin, the Truth is not in you (1 Jn 1:8). If you say you’ve come to know Him and you don’t keep His commandments, you’re a liar (1 Jn 2:4). You’ve got to love God and keep His commandments (1 Jn 3:22-24; 5:2-3). If you love the world or the things of this world, the love of the Father is not in you (1 Jn 2:15). You’ve got to abide in Christ if you want to have confidence and not shrink away at His coming when He appears (1Jn 2:28). You must purify yourself just as He is pure, which is as pure as the River of the Water of Life itself (1 Jn 3:3). No one who abides in Him sins or practices sin (1 Jn 3:6,9). You may not sin (1 Jn 2:1).  In fact, no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him (1 Jn 3:6). If you practice sin, you’re of the devil. You must practice righteousness (1 Jn 3:7,19). Therefore, if you do sin, you must repent and confess your sin in order to be forgiven (1 Jn 1:9).  If we do, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Great White Throne Judgment
As I’ve already pointed out, some teach that there will be two judgments, one for the believers and another for the non-believers.  They say the bema judgment is for believers and the “Great White Throne Judgment” is for non-believers.  However, I hope that I have made it clear there is one judgment. If you are still not clear about this, then I kindly refer you back to my previous section in this article, called One Judgment for All Mankind.  Here is what John saw:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:11-15).

Let’s look at each part of this passage and compare it with the previous ones I’ve already mentioned:

First, he saw “a great white throne and Him who sat upon it.”  Why should this be different from the throne of judgment about which both Jesus and Paul both spoke? While this is the first time the color of the throne is mentioned in Scripture, it does not mean it is a different throne or a different judgment than what is spoken of elsewhere.

Secondly, John said, “…I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne…” Certainly one could make a case that John saw “the dead” before the throne, and not the living, which would imply that this is not referring to the saints, since we are alive in Christ.  However, if we view this in light of the previous passages in which Jesus and Paul spoke of the judgment, then it could also mean that every person who ever lived will one day stand before the throne for judgment. This would agree with the passages where Jesus and Paul spoke of the eternal judgment.  They both referred to it as the resurrection from the dead.

Thirdly, John said, “…and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds” (20:12).  This agrees completely with what both Jesus and Paul taught about the judgment, whereby we are all judged according to our deeds, which are written in the books.  This is repeated again in verse thirteen, where John wrote, “and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds” (20:13). 

Notice John said, “and another book was opened, which is the book of life;” Jesus spoke of this book when He told His disciples, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luk 10:20).  When you repent of your sins, and put your faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior, your name is written in the book of life.  This is a very important, because “…if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (20:15).  The fact that John said, “If” seems to indicate that among all of those standing before the throne, there are some whose names are in fact written in the book of life.  The implication is that these souls will NOT be thrown into the lake of fire.  However, the mistake that people make is thinking that once their name is written in the book of life, it can never be erased.  That is incorrect.  After giving your life to Jesus, if you go back into the world and into a life of sin, your name is erased.  For more on this see The Book of Life.

Fourthly, John said, “…and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.”  This means that after people are already in hell, they will be brought out of hell to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  Hell will literally give up the dead so they can receive their judgment from the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits upon the throne.  This is what some call the second resurrection, because it is the resurrection of the wicked dead, who awake to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan 12:2). However, while that is true, the Scripture simply calls it the second death.

This begs the question why they were in hell if they had not yet received judgment.  The reason is that when a person dies, God knows at the time they die what the final judgment will be on judgment day. How does He know this?  God knows everything before it happens.  He knows the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end.  There is nothing He does not know. 

In order to explain this more clearly, let me use the devil and his fallen angels as an example.  We know the eternal fire is prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41).  It was not created for humans, but for the devil and his angels.  However, Jesus taught that all the wicked go to that same place (Mt 25:41). 

And Peter drew some parallels between the fallen angels and the wicked in the second chapter of his second epistle.  In that passage he said, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” (2Pe 2:4).  Peter taught that God sent the fallen angels down to hell to be reserved unto judgment.  That means He knew already what their final outcome would be, but He cast them into hell to await the judgment.  They were cast into hell before the judgment, but immediately following the judgment they will be thrown into the lake of fire.

In that same passage, Peter spoke in the same way of the unrighteous people saying, “Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment.” (2Pe 2:9).  This means that when unrighteous people die, God keeps them under punishment for the Day of Judgment.

Likewise, Paul said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Heb 9:27).  We know that means exactly what it says, that each person has an appointment with death and we are not going to miss it.  Once we die, then comes the judgment.  It agrees with the fact that the judgment seat of Christ will happen one day at the very end for all mankind.  However, it can also be understood to mean that immediately following death, men must face a judgment that determines whether they will be allowed into heaven or sent to hell to be reserved unto judgment.  In other words, God handles it the same way he handled the fallen angels. 

This is in agreement with what many people have testified, who have received divine revelations from the Lord.  For example, Ezekiel Moses testified that he died, stood before the judgment as a believer, and was sent to hell.  When he stood there for judgment, the angels had the book of life and other books, in which all of his deeds had been recorded. (For more, see Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell). Likewise, Samuel Oghenetega testified that the Lord showed him the day Archbishop Benson Idahosa died and stood before the angels for judgment.  The angels opened the book of life and other books were opened.  His name was not found in the book of life.  Off in the distance he saw the throne of the Lord God Almighty.  It was radiating with such bright, white light, that He could not see God inside the light.  But he saw the hand of God extend outside the glory and raising only His index finger; He waved it back and forth to indicate that Idahosa would not be allowed into heaven.  He was sent to hell.  (For more, see The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness).

I believe that one day, all these people who have been sent to hell will be brought before the judgment throne of Christ to give an account for every deed done while in the body, whether good or bad.  Likewise, all those whose names are written in the book of life, because they followed Jesus, will be in heaven.  And because they are the righteous who have already taken part in the first resurrection, they will not be harmed at all by the second death, which is the lake of fire.  John wrote:

“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Rev 20:4-6)

First, John said “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” 

Secondly, he defines this event when these souls come to life by saying, “This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” That can be understood to mean that the first resurrection occurs a thousand years before the Great White Throne Judgment, at which the wicked will be sentenced to the second death in the eternal fire. But even if you don't think so, you must agree that the "first" resurrection occurs first, as the term implies, which places it before the second resurrection.

Since the second death has no power over those who take part in the first resurrection, then when they stand in the judgment, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.  In other words, they will not be thrown into the lake of fire, because their names are written in the book of life. They will have confidence on the Day of Judgment.

Thirdly, in John's description of those who take part in the first resurrection, he said, "I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them." This reference to the righteous sitting on thrones and judgment being given to them agrees with the words of the apostle Paul, who said the Lord's people will judge the world (1 Cor 6:2). These are the righteous who endure to the end; they will take part in the first resurrection and will awake to everlasting life to reign with Christ (Dan 12:2; 2 Tim 2:12).  This also agrees with the words of our Lord, who spoke of the King's servants one day being given charge of cities (Lk 19:11-19).  These are the ones who are victorious and do His will to the end, to whom He will give authority over the nations just as He has received authority from the Father (Rev 2:26-27).

Striving to Attain to the Resurrection from the Dead
I'd like to say one last word about participating in the first resurrection and avoiding the second one with its second death -- the lake of fire. There is only one road that anyone can take, if they wish to reach heaven, which is through Jesus Christ -- the Way (Jn 14:6), and it is a narrow road (Mt 7:14).  That road is very difficult and full of hardships (Ac 14:22).  Many have started out on it and then given up.

Therefore Paul said, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3:10).  Paul did not even claim to have already obtained all this, but he pressed on to take hold of it one day (Phil 3:11). The standard to do so, according to Paul, was participating in Christ's sufferings, being made like Him in His death.  And that's still the standard today, which includes considering all things loss for the sake of Christ, and losing all things (Phil 3:8). In this way Paul hoped to somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead, which is the first resurrection, the one in which the righteous shall participate.

Likewise, our Lord also called it the resurrection from the dead, saying, "but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;" (Luk 20:35).  From this we learn that you must be "considered worthy to attain" to the resurrection from the dead, in order to participate in it.

Jesus also spoke of this first resurrection as the resurrection of the righteous.  He said, "You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Lk 14:14b). So we know that this is when the righteous will be rewarded. I hope it is your desire, as it is mine also, to attain to the first resurrection from the dead, as Paul said.

The Manner and Timing of the Resurrection from the Dead
Our Lord Jesus taught us the manner and the timing of the resurrection from the dead.  He said:

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." (Joh 5:28-29)

Jesus taught that there will be a resurrection of life and a resurrection of judgment.  The first resurrection he spoke of was the resurrection of life, and that is only for those who did good deeds.  The resurrection of judgment is for those who committed evil deeds. He said that it would be His voice that all who are in the tombs would hear at a certain coming hour, which would cause them to come forth to one resurrection or the other.

The apostle Paul also taught about the timing and manner of the resurrection from the dead.  He wrote: “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘death is swallowed up in victory.’”  (1Co 15:51-54).

The resurrection from the dead will happen suddenly, in a moment, very quickly, at the time when the last trumpet is sounded.  At that time, the dead will be raised imperishable.

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1Th 4:15-17)

The resurrection from the dead will happen at the coming of the Lord, when He descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God's last trumpet.  First the dead in Christ will rise, and then we (righteous) who are alive and remain on earth will be snatched up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

The Resurrection and the Life
If it is your desire to attain to the resurrection from the dead on the last day, then you need to follow Jesus, live for Him, and trust Him to keep you. 

Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (Joh 6:38-40)

If you truly believe in Him, you must keep His Word, obeying His commands. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death." (Joh 8:51) 

“Jesus said to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’" (Joh 11:25-26)

Putting it All Together
So to recap what we have learned from the Scriptures, the eternal judgment has eternal consequences, which are final and irreversible.  There is one judgment for all mankind, one judgment seat, which is the glorious throne of Christ, and one standard of judgment, based on what each person did and didn’t do during his or her life on earth.  Each one of us must appear before the judgment seat, and there are no exceptions.  It’s appointed to each man once to die and then comes the judgment. Each one will be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The righteous will be rewarded at the resurrection of the righteous, which is the first resurrection.  That is the resurrection of the dead that we must all seek to attain to. It will happen at the coming of the Lord, when He descends from heaven with a shout, at the last trumpet.

Some people who teach about the judgment get caught up in the details of timing, sequence, and whether there will be two judgments, rather than one. But to me those are nonessential matters of "arrangement." Getting caught up in those aspects of how it will all unfold, and failing to warn people about the fact that we must all face judgment is a grave mistake that can give many people false confidence that results in their eternal destruction.  However, even if I am mistaken about some aspects of the "arrangement" in this article, I have hopefully communicated the fact that there is a judgment we must all undergo, and that we need to be ready for it.

Thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Resurrection and the Life, it is possible to have confidence on the Day of Judgment.  You must repent of your sin and believe in the Son of God in order to have eternal life, and then your name will be written in the Book of Life. But don’t stop at simply believing or saying you believe.  Act upon the Words of Jesus, proving your repentance by your deeds (Ac 26:20). Maintaining a white robe is connected with your righteous deeds.  Don’t be a mere hearer of His words, but one who keeps His Word and puts it into practice.  Live a righteous life by doing what is right, so that you may be considered worthy to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

If you died today, do you know where you would go?  Just because you think you are saved and going to heaven does not mean you are going there.  Plenty of people say, “I confess Jesus is the Son of God,” yet they don’t live like the apostle John taught in His epistle.  They don’t do what Jesus commanded, and they are like the foolish man who built on sand.  When they die, they are sent to hell with the wicked to await the judgment, while their punishment continues.  On the other hand, plenty of people are trusting in their own good works to save them, and they are wrong also.  We are saved by grace through faith. It is the gift of God; not as a result of works.  You cannot be saved without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  He loves you with an everlasting love, and died on the cross for you. But He won't lower the standard of heaven for anybody.  Please repent and turn to Him, cry out to God for mercy, and trust Jesus to save you today.  Truth, Righteousness and Holiness in Him are the only way that can bring man to heaven.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Book of Life, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, and the other posts on the home page. I also recommend watching the video by Leonard Ravenhill, The Judgment Seat of Christ (video). You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Seven Reasons to Believe the Seven Divine Revelations

I would like to give you seven reasons to believe the Seven Divine Revelations on Godly Attire and Adornment that I have written about previously.  In that article, I highlighted seven people who had received divine revelations about the need to keep our bodies holy, and since then I have found seven more divine revelations about this, which I will link to at the end.  In many of these revelations, people died and went to hell and heaven.  The Lord Jesus gave them a message for mankind regarding His standard and sent them back to the earth to proclaim it.

Sometimes, those who are critical of these testimonies will say that such messages are inconsistent with Scripture, or that they seem to be adding to Scripture.  If these revelations were inconsistent with Scripture, I can assure you I would not be giving them any attention.  That's why I want to prove to you their Scriptural basis.  So please get your Bible out of bring up the browser for your favorite online Bible, and let's get started!

1.    The Lord has answered the request of the rich man of old in hell
The Lord has answered the request of the rich man of old in hell (Lk 16:27-28), even though Abraham initially refused his request.

Some critics cite the fact that when the rich man in hell asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers about hell, so he would not come to that place of torment, “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Well, the Lord has decided to go ahead and answer the request of the rich man in hell, because this is the evil generation that will not believe unless they see such a thing.  You might wonder how could God send someone back from the dead, or why He would decide to answer a prayer that was initially refused.  So let me demonstrate from the Bible that is not inconsistent with His Word to do so:

• He initially refused the Syro-Phoenecian woman, but later granted her request (Mk 7:25-30).
• He was initially going to end Hezekiah’s life, but then heard his cry and added another fifteen years to his life (2 Ki 20:1-6).
• He was going to destroy Nineveh in 40 days, but then heard their cry of repentance and did not destroy the city (Jonah 3:4-5).
• He was going to destroy all of the Israelites, then start over through the line of Moses, creating a holy people for His Name. But after Moses prayed, God changed His mind (Exo 32:9-14).
• In addition to all the biblical examples of God changing his mind and answering prayer, there are numerous examples of God raising the dead: Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary, Jairus’ daughter, Eutychus, Tabitha, the widow’s son, and in the Old Testament, there was also the Shunammite’s son that Elisha raised from the dead. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? (Ac 26:8)
• He even answered the prayer of the Legion of demons to go into the pigs (Mk 5:12-13)

Just because God answers a request doesn’t mean you’re going to make heaven.  God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:45).  He even answers the requests of demons sometimes, and they certainly aren't going to heaven!  And in this case, He answered the request of a wicked man in hell, although it was made to Abraham. As Matthew Henry states in his commentary: "Abraham in this description represents Christ, for to him all judgment is committed, and it is his mind that Abraham here speaks."

2.    He said He’d pour out His Spirit on all mankind
He said He’d pour out His Spirit on all mankind, and we would prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions (Joel 2:28). That outpouring began on the Day of Pentecost and continues today with ever increasing glory (Ac 2:17-18).

Jesus said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”  (Jn 16:12-15)

This means that the Lord did not tell us during His earthly ministry everything He had to say.  The disciples could not bear it all at that time.  He had much more to say to us.  And He indicated two ways He would say those things to us: 1) One was the Spirit of Truth, who guides us into all Truth, and makes known to us what He receives from the Lord Jesus.  2) The other way He would say those things to us was through appearances of the Lord Jesus Himself to us.  “Jesus went on to say, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.’”  (Jn 16:16). He promised that He would disappear and reappear to them and us.  This included His death, burial, and resurrection, and the appearances He made to them during the forty days afterward.  But it also includes His appearances to His disciples since then and up until today.  This is the second way He reveals things to us that He did not explicitly say to the disciples during His earthly ministry.

3.    We are commanded not to despise prophetic utterances
We are commanded not to quench the Spirit or despise prophetic utterances (1Th 5:19-20).  We are instructed in Scripture to test them all, and correctly discern the things of the spirit.  The saints are to pass judgment on the utterance (1 Cor 14:29), and all things be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Mt 18:16).  We are instructed to test the fruit and verify the good character of the messenger (Mt 7:17-19; 12:33).  We are to search the Scriptures to ensure that the message is consistent with the Word (Ac 17:11). If the fruit (character) and message are consistent with the Word, then we should receive it as from the Lord.  We are to hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1Th 5:21-22). Dreams, visions, revelations, signs, and wonders always confirm the Word, but do not add to it.  (Mar 16:20).

4.    The Israelites had the Scriptures, but were disobeying
 The Israelites had the Scriptures, but were not obeying (Heb 3:16-19; 4:2,6; Psa 81:8-12; 1Co 10:1-6; Jud 1:5), so God sent prophets to them to warn them.  Those are the ways of God, and He does not change (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8).  The people of God have consistently persecuted the prophets He sends to warn them (Matthew 5:12; Luke 11:49; Acts 7:52).  Please see my article, A Warning to the Nay Sayers.

5.    Beware of blaspheming the Holy Spirit
Beware of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, by calling evil something that is truly done by the power of the Holy Spirit!  That is an eternal sin (Mk 3:29).  Please see my article, Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

6.    God has always had people who prophesied
Even in the Old Testament, before Pentecost, God always had people who prophesied. He had Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Malachi, and many others. In fact, some people prophesied, who were not even prophets (1Sa. 10:11; 19:20,21,24). God even spoke through a donkey (Nu 22:28-30)!

Now that He has poured out His Spirit (Ac 2:1-3,17-18), we certainly do not have less of the Spirit of God than they enjoyed during the Old Covenant.  The Lord is going to do mysterious things before He comes. Because His time is short, He will use a madman, He will use a prostitute, He will even use a child that doesn't have any teeth in his mouth to testify of His coming before He comes.

7.  The Bible teaches us to keep our bodies holy
The Bible clearly and explicitly teaches the need to keep our bodies holy.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Thes 5:23-24)

"And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Rom 6:13)

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1)

"Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience." (Col 3:5-6)

"Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body...Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:13,18-20)

Putting it all Together
I hope that these seven reasons have proven to you from the Scriptures that this is the Lord's message to the Church.  These seven people I highlighted in my article Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations are speaking for the Lord.  In fact, there are at least seven other divine revelations that I know of, in which the Lord has spoken the same message.  I also recommend reading those testimonies in my articles, James Agboola Revelation of Heaven and Hell, Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, and Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus.

If this is an area where you know you have not been walking in obedience to God, then please repent and amend your ways.  Change your life, so that you don't perish in hell.  The Lord Jesus still loves you!  But His standard for heaven is high, and He is not changing it for anybody.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You are invited to read or listen to the many, amazing testimonies of the supernatural realm on the Home page of this blog, a few of which are listed below.  Please see my articles Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Garments of Godliness, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, The Marine Kingdom and Queen of the Coast, An Open Mind that Loves the Truth, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Restored Truth, and Clean Hands and a Pure Heart. I also recommend Beauty Unfading (a poem) and Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.You may access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell

Ezekiel Moses

As I was listening to brother Ezekiel Moses on New Years Eve, he testified about how he died on his bed in 1987.  He had been going about his daily work, and decided to lay down for a few moments of rest.  After about five minutes, he found that he could no longer breath, and his spirit sat right up and came out of his body.  He turned around and stood there gazing down upon his dead body.  He suddenly forgot about his whole life on earth.  After perhaps two or three minutes, it felt like something like an elevator beneath his feet was lifting him up out of the room through the sky to the place of judgment in heaven.

The Judgment
Brother Ezekiel spoke about the judgment, where he stood in a long line with almost 10,000 people in front of him (see 46:46 in video).  They are people of all ages and all walks of life from every nation, tribe, and language, including children, preachers, prime ministers, and presidents.  He was crying, in pain, and shivering with fear of the judgment as he stood in line. At one point, he excused himself from the line, and tried to run from the judgment.  But no matter how far he ran, he could not reach the back of the line. So he had to get back in line again.  When he stepped back in line, there were now perhaps 200,000 people in front of him. I think he said they were all sent to hell, or almost all of them were (see 49:50 in video). 

Ezekiel Moses Testimony Video

When you get to the front of the line, the sliding glass door opens by itself and your name is called.  You step through the door alone. On the other side of the door, in the place of judgment, are two angels.  You can be sure the presence of the Lord is there, and they are operating under direct orders from the Imperial Throne with full authority to carry out there work. One angel standing behind a table on which there is a tall stack of books.  Each of these books contains sins that people have committed during their life on earth.  There is a book for fornication, a book for lying, a book for stealing, etc.

The apostle Paul wrote, "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal 5:19-21).  There are other lists of sins in the Bible like this, which include additional things, which Paul summarized here as "things like these."

He said that if the fruit of the Spirit is not complete in your life – all nine fruit – forget about heaven.  They are completed in holiness, since they are the fruit of the HOLY Spirit.  He said, “You must have complete holiness!” 

As the apostle Paul said, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." (Gal 5:22-25)

The other angel is seated behind a table on which is the Book of Life, which is a spotless, white book containing the names of every single redeemed person, who is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. In all the thousands of years of human existence, there is still just one book containing all the names of the redeemed, which shows how few there are.  The eyes of the angels are like flames of fire, and nobody can look at their face.

The apostle John wrote: "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev 20:11-15)

As you stand there and undergo the judgment, you are not allowed to say anything. You don't need to argue and say, "Let me talk. I can explain. This is what happened." No one can stand for you in defense on that day. It is as if you stepped onto a scale and were being weighed.  All your sins that you ever committed during your life, and for which you have never repented and asked the Lord Jesus to forgive you, are displayed on the stack of books like a computer would display search results.  Your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23). At that point, if any sins appear, they will not ask you at all.  The angel simply shouts, “Depart!” and the person goes straight to hell.  The next thing they know, they find themselves in hell. He said, “Nobody can withstand that judgment. It’s terrible!”

That’s why we need the mercy of God.  That's why we need the grace of God. And might I add, that's why we also need to live for Jesus obediently, and not just say we believe in Him.  That’s why we need to live a life of daily repentance, which is the shortest path to His mercy. 

Ezekiel says, "Hell is real!  The judgment of God is tough!"  He pleads, "Listen! I'm begging you to give your life to the Lord Jesus, whether you like it or not!"  Later he said, "Listen! If you refuse to repent and give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, you will regret having been born into this world!  Listen! This is a serious case.  You cannot escape it, unless you give your life to the Lord Jesus; unless you repent from your sins."

When the person in front of him was finally called, the door opened, and the brother ran up to the angels.  He ran behind the brother, because he wanted to see what kind of judgment he would receive.  When he entered the place of judgment, the angel at the table where the books of sins were stacked, leaned over and looked at him from behind the stack.  As soon as he had just crossed over into that place, the angel shouted to him, "No! No! Don't follow the boy!  Don't follow the boy!  Please don't follow the boy!  Don't follow the boy!  Today you will receive the mercies of the Lord."

He said, "Listen, I'm not better than the people that are in hell.  I don't live a life holier than them." He was marked for mercy. The Bible says, "I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." (Ex 33:19b; Rom 9:18a)

"I Found Myself in Hell"
Once they finally called brother Ezekiel's name, and he stood there at the judgment, he recalls, "The angel was looking at me with very cool eyes. I was looking at him. I was thinking about how he had said, 'Don't follow the boy!  Don't follow the boy!' I didn't know what to do." He struggles to recount this part of the testimony, because it was so dreadful, and when he got to this part, he used to get a horrible taste in his mouth. He says, "At last!  At last! I landed in hell! I found myself in hell!" He says, "If you want to know the truth of what I'm telling you, get on your knees and ask God! After I'm finished, get on your knees and ask God, 'This thing that I'm hearing, is it a reality? Is it true?'"

In hell he was crying out in pain, and he could hear all the voices of the people there crying, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  He said, "In hell it's full of darkness! No light. The place was full of darkness. I was crying seriously! I cried and cried.  I thought Jesus would come to rescue me.  I called and called to Him."

He said, "Jesus Christ does not hear me again. The Father does not hear my voice.  The Holy Spirit does not hear my voice. Nobody will rescue me again."

"In hell there is no water to drink, no food for us to eat. You cannot behold the eyes of demons. Hell is real! I'm begging you.  Hell is real! Nobody loved me.  Nobody cared. Listen, listen! I'm begging you everyone of you. Please! Please! Give your life to the Lord Jesus! Amend your ways...before God, because if you miss heaven -- if you miss the kingdom of God -- you will regret being born into this world! Repent! Repent! Repent! Repent! The kingdom of God is at hand! Repent! Hell is real!"

He said, "Listen! If you know you don't want to go to hell, what you need to do is beg God for mercy. Beg God, because I know what I'm talking about! When I was there, I didn't know what to do, because the place was hot! People were begging, people were asking for mercy. In hell, they don't have prayer points.  They pray, 'Lord, have mercy!' If you miss heaven, your pastor can't rescue you!"

He said, "In hell, the smoke is so thick!" Everyone who commits fornication, they hang them naked from their arms and spread their legs out, and torture their private parts with sharp objects.  They are unable to defend themselves or block it with their hands, because they are tied up. Brother Ezekiel screams and cries when he tells his testimony, because he has seen it and the voices of the people crying there is still in his ears.

I read in another account of his testimony that he said, "In hell I felt the heat. It's like when you are in Lagos here but feeling the heat from Abuja. I saw a lot of people from different races, black and white burning and crying. I heard the voice of a woman crying, and begging, and pleading to come back to the world to receive Christ Jesus. She said her husband made her to be where she was now – hell."

"Another, a youth cried that it was his friend who said they should enjoy the world for a little while.  A man was crying and begging for water, but there was no water for him to drink." said brother Ezekiel.

"Behold, as I was crying in hell, I saw the hands of God. I didn't see the face or the whole body of God. Nobody can see God's face..."

He diverged for a moment, saying, "In heaven, the saints cannot see God's face...They may see the hands, or arms, or the legs of God, but He hides His face...When God speaks in heaven, the whole heaven will shake.  Thunder will strike, because God is speaking. He's a God of thunder and of fire!..."

He continues with his account of being in hell and seeing the hands of God. "I knew these were the hands of God.  They were going about looking for someone whom He could rescue. I was shouting and crying, and the hands came to my side. I was looking.  The hands were so fresh...When I saw the hands, they just came at my back here (He points to his upper back). That finger print is still in my back till now. It just stuck on my back like a magnet, and just pulled me out of hell. He placed me back at the entrance of hell. The hand of the Lord is upon me! The hands of God -- of the Lord -- is upon me! The hands of mercy! The hands that were used to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt. The hands of salvation.  The hands of mercy.  We need the mercy to get to heaven. We need the grace to get to heaven."

"When the hands placed me at the entrance, I heard a voice...that it's by the grace of God, we will lift you up and go to heaven in Jesus' name. Immediately the angel of the Lord appeared to me. He looked at me afar off and beckoned unto me and said, 'Come. You will receive the mercy of God today.'"

In Heaven
"Then when I went to him, as he was going, I was following him. He got to a place.  Then before us it was full of gold. The floor of the places were full of gold...I saw beautiful mansions in heaven!  Beautiful mansions!  Incomparable mansions in heaven...Things of this world will perish one day.  I saw mansions, different kinds of designs in heaven."

"I was looking all about.  Then I began to look at the (ground) like a glass, and the walls of the golden house. That's why I want to cut it short, because I know what's going on.  I don't want to miss that glorious place -- that heaven. I'm thirsty to go back. I'm in haste to go back to heaven."

"And the angel of the Lord was looking at me and watching me.  Then I began to see the place was full of light.  No streetlights there. Nothing like that. Jesus Christ, the Lamp of God is the light of the place. The angel took a step and was going, and I was following.  There was a compound in front of us in the far distance.  And the face and gate were made of gold. And inside the compound there were flowers there -- beautiful flowers.  The angel took a step and was going, and I followed. Then that golden gate opened by itself. Everything in heaven is automatic."

Ezekiel asks, "Are they not eating in this heaven? Yes, of course, they are eating in heaven. In 2010 the Lord took me to my own house in heaven through the angels of the Lord.  When I entered into the sitting room, the place was being furnished...Then I saw the kitchen there.  They were preparing food. If I eat the food, I may not come back again. But thank God for that. Delicious food.  In hell, there is no food for them in hell. No water.  But in heaven, we will drink the water of life."  He sings, "There will be no crying over there. There will be no weeping over there...there will be no thirsting over there, there will be no hunger over there."

The Throne Room
He describes what it was like when he entered the throne room. I met the saints. They put on (wear) white garments, crowns on their head, star on their crown, some without stars.  But whether they put on crowns or don't put on crowns, they make heaven.  They are better off than the people in hell.  Listen, when I saw the saints of God, they were praising and dancing and worshiping the King of kings and Lord of lords.  They are so beautiful!  So handsome!  And I was looking for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I wanted to see Him. I looked up and down.  Behold, afar off, I saw King of kings and Lord of lords.  He was lying down (prostrate), and the twenty-four elders were before Him. I had to pass through the saints.  I passed through them to get to where Jesus Christ is. (Bending over) I tapped the leg of Jesus, saying, 'Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!'  He looked up, and said, '...You made it! You made it! You made it!' Because I was in hell. Then he stood up and he carried me like a baby (brother Ezekiel motions to show how the Lord lifted him up over his head like a baby). When I was in His hands, He looked at me, smiled, and laughed. He said, '...You made it! You made it! You made it!' I was smiling in His hands.  Behold, the saints were dancing and praising God! And this was why: It's because another man entered into this kingdom of God. It takes the grace and mercy."

He continues, "Listen to what happened at last.  I was still in the hands of Jesus. Outside the concert choir with these kinds of instrument in their hands: I saw harps, violins, violas, trombones, saxophones, trumpets, and all sorts of instrument in their hands. Immediately I heard from them the song of (the) Hallelujah (chorus). They sang, 'Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!' and so forth.  What happened?  Jesus Christ placed me down, and He said, 'It is time for you to go back.'  I could not say anything. He's my Master.  He's my Lord.  He says to go back.  I cannot speak a word. I began to look at His face." 

The Condition of the Church
"He was looking at me with gentle eyes -- very tender eyes. He looked at me.  He said, 'Son, before you go, I want to tell you, and I want to reveal to you, I want to show you what is going on in My Father's house. Come out!'  (The Lord walked out.)  We came out in the realm of the spirit out of the throne room, but our bodies were still in the throne room. We were looking outside, and behold, I and Jesus stood in one place. And Jesus Christ just (with His hand) wiped this one cloud aside.  And behold, we were looking down into the world. And Jesus said, "Can you see what is going on in the world? I want to tell you, My people! I want to show you what is going on!  In the Church, especially My children, the kind of lives they are living on earth.'"

"And Jesus Christ said, 'I will show you three parts.  People have forgotten that (Scripture that says) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  They are forgetting that I told them, I am not of the world, so likewise they are not of the world.'  And when Jesus Christ was saying all this, he started shedding tears, because of you and me."

"And He said, 'Let me show you.' And He showed me the women, the men, and the ministers of God.  Can you see my children, the way they are dressing, coming to My Father's house. See those women.  They say they are clean, they are born again, their name is written in the Book of Life, they are claiming they are coming to heaven, but yet let me show you what is stopping them from coming and entering My Father's kingdom.' And Jesus Christ said, 'Can you see these women, these men, and ministers of God (in three parts).  And He said, 'Look at the women! You see them? See these people that are perming their hair? With the (inaudible word), attachments*, (inaudible word), earrings in their ears, (he gestures toward his chest, indicating exposure of the chest), (putting chains on) their necks**, and things like that?  Can you see them with the trousers, and mini-skirts...some painting their fingers, some painting their lips, and etc., etc.? Some bleach their body.' And Jesus said, 'Tell them! That none of them...if My Father asks the archangels to blow the trumpets, none of them will enter My Father's kingdom.'" [Editor's note: In this section there were several inaudible words, so I suggest watching the video yourself for clarity, especially at around 1:35:55 for this paragraph.  I have tried to accurately record his words to the best of my ability, particularly the meaning he was trying to convey.]

"Then He said, 'Look at the men. Can you see them?  The way they are dressing?  With the (inaudible words), all kinds of style in their hair (he gestures toward his head and mentions some unnatural hairdos)?  (inaudible words).  Some with the knickerbockers (men's or boys' baggy, knee-length trousers), some loosen their (shirt) buttons*, shave (their chests), and are walking like (rascals) like that, coming to the house of God?' And Jesus said, 'I tell you, none of them will enter My Father's kingdom.'"

"And Jesus said, 'Can you see the men of God. Those people that I asked to preach the Truth to the people, that I asked to make the people to know the Truth?  Can you see them? Look at them!' I began to see the ministers of God. He said, 'My eyes are beholding them.' He said, 'Can you see them?' We saw some men of God that are fighting for their posts. We saw some men of God fighting for money.  We saw some men of God that entered the earth, under the earth, in order to see powerful signs and wonders (in their ministry). We saw some men of God that entered the ocean.  We saw some men of God that entered the trees. Others entered the sky and the clouds for signs and wonders -- powers of darkness! And Jesus said, 'None of them will enter My Father's kingdom!'"

"Let me tell you something.  You who go about bouncing from church to church, looking for miracles, signs and wonders, and things like that, and pastors to see visions for you, you are going to hell with them."

He spoke about women who wear trousers to do government jobs like climbing trees and so forth.  He said, "No heaven for you."  I think he said something like, "Why not ask the men (to do that job)?" He said that some pastors will argue that we must obey the government.  But he asked, "Are we supposed to obey the government or obey God?"

"All you brothers with earrings, or (punk) hair, (other hairdos), no heaven! And to wrap it up, you brothers and sisters, (with) no perming, no earrings, etc., dressing in holiness, and you think you are going to heaven, but you have lust.  What is going on between you and your husband? Some of those here are doing things that are wrong." 

"Some of you are not wearing attachments, earrings, etc., and you are dressing in holiness.  But when you get to the judgment, they will say you have unforgiveness. And the angel will say, 'Depart!  You workers of iniquity.' No attachments, earrings, etc., but she has what is called a spirit of unforgiveness."

Women Covering Their Heads
The Lord also said something to him, which is not mentioned in this video.  He said to brother Ezekiel, "Can a woman pray without covering her hair?  Think about it."  That is essentially the same question the Holy Spirit asked through the apostle Paul, who wrote: "Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?" (1 Co 11:13).  Ezekiel says the Lord specifically told him women must cover their hair when they pray, and honor God, as it says in 1 Corinthians 11:3-11. For more on this, see my article Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering?.

The Call to Repentance
"Listen! Hell is real!  Choose hell or heaven, Jesus or satan!" 

He gave the following challenge: "Listen! If the trumpet sounds right now, are you capable to go?"

"We need the mercy of God to enter heaven! I want you to cry out to God, 'I need your mercy this moment! Lord, have mercy upon me! I need your mercy to enter the kingdom of God! Lord, I don't want to go to hell! Deliver me, O God! Lord, deliver me! I don't want to find myself in hell! In Jesus' Name we pray!'"

"Listen! I want you to pray and pray and pray!"

[End of testimony]

Scripture Meditation
"For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly."  (Prov 5:21-23; also see Prov 4-5).

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Rom 6:1-2)

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!" (Rom 6:15; also see Rom 6).

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." (1 Joh 2:15)

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Mt 6:13).

For clarity, and to see this brother's sincerity, I recommend viewing the complete Testimony of HEAVEN and HELL - Ezekiel Moses. The original video that I watched is no longer available on YouTube, but there are many others that you can find like the one I have just linked to above and Part Two of that video here. There is also this interview that a sister did with him called Seven Hours in Heaven and Hell by Ezekiel Moses.

*Usually, hair "attachments" refer to wigs, false hair, or any artificial accessory that is woven into or clipped onto the hair.  While hair clips are also a type of artificial attachment, some are worldly while others aren't, so it depends on the type and the purpose.  Each person should pray earnestly and seek the Lord's guidance about what they wear, whether it pleases Him or not, and be careful not to do anything to change the image of God, in which we were created naturally.  With respect to men loosening their shirt buttons, this probably refers to more than just leaving the top button unfastened, such that the chest is exposed immodestly. We need to forget about the world's standard, and think the way God thinks about what it means to be naked or immodest in His sight.

**In this article originally, I stated that the Lord told brother Ezekiel Moses He was displeased with women shaving their legs.  However, I have since spoken with brother Ezekiel Moses on the phone, and he clarified that the Lord never told him it was wrong for women to shave their legs. I had misunderstood him due to his African dialect. He must have said something like "Showing their legs" because the context was around mini skirts, and exposing the chest (breast cleavage), etc. So there should not be a problem with women shaving the legs, since the legs should be covered anyway and nobody sees it. However, regarding shaving the legs or under the arms, the Lord has not spoken to him or to me about that, so I would advise each person to pray and ask the Lord for guidance.  I would add that the motives and thoughts of the heart are also important to the Lord. If it is simply for your own convenience and comfort, that is one thing. But for example, if one is exposing the nakedness of these parts of their body (eg., wearing sleeveless tops or dresses, or spaghetti straps, bathing suits, shorts, or short skirts and dresses), and is shaving to make these naked areas more attractive or seductive to men, or due to vanity, that would be wrong.  That is why it is so important to pray about these things and ask the Lord.  Brother Ezekiel states the Lord does not want women wearing chains on their necks.

Afterword
I had the pleasure and the honor of speaking with an brother Ezekiel by phone on July 11, 2014.  He is a genuine brother in Christ.  

He said it takes him seven days to share his entire testimony of heaven and hell, so when he conducts evangelistic crusades in Nigeria, they last for seven days.  He said that when he gives his testimony, he once again feels the searing heat of hell physically in his body.  It causes him to cry in painful torment, so that the people must pour a lot of cold water upon him to cut the heat down.  During this time, he is lying on the ground, and it takes six to eight men to hold him.  On one occasion recently they poured thirty drums of water on him, each drum containing twelve pales of water.  They have reported that they can actually see the heat rising from his body, and others felt the water getting warm.

This is a very painful experience for brother Ezekiel, so he and some other men of God have prayed and asked the Lord why this happens.  The Lord told him, "My grace is sufficient for you." The Lord told him that it is necessary for people to see him experiencing this supernatural sign as a confirmation of his testimony, so that they might believe that it is truly from the Lord and hell is real.

He said that after he gives his testimony, it is so exhausting that he sometimes goes into a coma for up to fifteen hours! During this time, the Lord sometimes comes to him to touch him, speak to him, minister to him and comfort him.  The Lord sometimes tells him what He wants for His people and what He wants Ezekiel to say to them.  Since he is incapacitated during this time, the workers where he is preaching must carry him to the car or jeep at the end of the meeting. He asked some of the workers who do not know him to tell him what they witnessed, and they say he was like a dead man, foaming at the mouth.

The next day he is so exhausted that he is unable to function.  The only way he can continue to preach is to jump up and down, shouting "Hallelujah!" about two hundred times!  Afterwards, the Lord's enormous, supernatural strength comes into his body and he is able to preach with mighty power!

Attribution notice: Most Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note:  Please prayerfully listen to this brother's testimony, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to him.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not. Neither Ezekiel nor HOREMOW are personally connected with this site. For more information on our position, please see Disclaimers.

You are invited to read or listen to the many, amazing testimonies of the supernatural realm on the Home page of this blog, a few of which are listed below. I also recommend reading Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering?, Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, Tattoos and Body Piercing, The Judgment Seat of Christ, Beauty Unfading, Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and Discerning the Things of the Spirit.You may access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Book of Life

Did you know there is a book in heaven, called the Book of Life? It's not some imaginary book.  It's a real book, and you need to be sure your name is written in it.  Let's look at what the Bible says about this book, and what people have said, who testified that they saw it when they were given a divine revelation of heaven.

Whose Names are In the Book
First, I'd like to show you what the Bible says about whose names are in the Book of Life.

The apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Philippians, "Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life."  (Phi 4:3)

Jesus Christ said in His message to the Church in Sardis, which the apostle John recorded in The Revelation, "He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."  (Rev 3:5)

There were seven Columbian youths, who received a revelation of heaven and hell. When they went to heaven, they saw the Book of Life there.  Here is a major excerpt from their testimony:

"We then came to a very immense area; a very wonderful and beautiful place.  This place was full of precious stones: gold, emeralds, rubies and diamonds.  The floor was made of pure gold.  We then went to a place where there were three very large books.  The first one was a Bible made of gold.  In Psalms it tells us that the Word of God is eternal and that the Word of God remains in Heaven forever. (Psalms 119:89) We were looking at a huge golden Bible; the pages, the scripture, everything was made of pure gold."

"The second book we saw was bigger than the Bible.  It was open and an angel was sitting there writing inside the book.  Together with the Lord Jesus we got closer to see what the angel was writing.  The angel was writing all of the things that were happening on the Earth.  Everything that has happened; including the date, the hour, everything is recorded there.  This is done so the Word of the Lord can be fulfilled where it says that the Books were opened, and that the people on the Earth were judged according to their works that were written in those books (Revelations 20:12).  The angel was writing all the things that people were doing here on Earth, good or bad, as it is written."

"We continued to the place where the third book was.  It was even bigger than the last book!  The book was closed, but we got closer to it.  All seven of us together took the book down from its stand, according to command of the Lord, and we put it on a pillar."

"The pillars and columns in Heaven are so wonderful!  They are not made like the ones on the Earth.  The columns were like a braid, they were made of different precious stones.  Some were made of diamonds, others were made of pure emeralds, others were made of pure gold, and others were made of a combination of many different type of stones.  I then understand that God really is the owner of all things, as it is written in Haggai 2:8, 'The gold is mine, and silver is mine.' I understood that God is absolutely rich and He owns all the riches in the world.  I also understood that the world in all its fullness belongs to our God, and He wants to give it to all those who ask in faith."

"The Lord said, 'Ask me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance.' (Psalms 2:8)  This book that we put on the column was so big that in order to turn a page we had to walk each page to the other side of the book.  We tried to read what was in that book, as the Lord asked us.  At first, it was difficult to read because it was written in strange characters that we could not understand.  It was different from any Earthly language; it was something totally Heavenly.  But with the help of the Holy Ghost, we were given the grace to understand it.  It was like a bandage was taken off our eyes and we could then understand the writing; as clear as our own language."

"We could see that all seven of our names were written in the book.  The Lord told us that it was the Book of Life. (Revelations 3:5)  We noted that the names written in the book were not the names we were called on Earth; these names were new, so the Word of God can be fulfilled when it says that He would give us a new name that no one else knows but the person who receives it. (Revelations 2:17)"

"In Heaven, we were able to pronounce our names, but once the Lord brought us back to Earth those names were taken from our memories and our hearts.  The Word of God is eternal, and it has to be fulfilled.  My friends, the Bible says, (Revelations 3:11) Don't let anyone take your crown, do not let any one to usurp or remove that place that the Father has ready for you.  In Heaven, there are millions of things that are wonderful, we just can't express it with our mouths.  But I want to tell you something, 'God is waiting for you!' However it is only the people that perseveres until the end, who will be saved! (Mark 13:13)" -- from Revelations of Heaven and Hell to 7 Youths

Korean brother Yong Doo Kim’s son, Joseph Kim was taken to heaven and saw the Book of Life.  He wrote in brother Kim’s book called Baptize by Blazing Fire Volume Three: "Then, while I was still at the throne of God, I saw precisely four beasts: one was a lion, a calf, a beast with the face of a human, and an eagle soaring with its wings -- just as it is mentioned in the book of Revelation 4:7. There were six wings attached to it, with countless eyes in the front as well as the back, and it looked closely and observed what was happening on earth where we lived. As the angels opened up the Book of Life before the throne of God, God turned the pages of the book one by one looking for something."

Joseph continued, "A short while later God’s enormous hand found and confirmed the matter He had in mind from the book of life. So, after He found it, He pointed at me saying, 'Joseph Kim!' and then commanded, 'Bring me Joseph’s bottle for his tears, as well as sister Shin, Sung-Kyung’s tear bottle to me.'

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Psalm 56:8, KJV).

In Volume Four of Baptized by Blazing Fire, brother Kim’s daughter Joo-Eun recorded her experience in heaven and said, “The angel who is in charge of the book of life at God’s throne is called Seraphim.”

Whose Names are Not In the Book
Next let's see whose names are not in the Book.

It's recorded in the book of Revelation, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain." (Rev 13:8)

"The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.  (Rev 17:8)

We learn from these verses that everyone whose name has not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world will worship the beast. These same people will admire him, who blasphemes God and His tabernacle. 

You Will be Judged from the Things Written in the Book
The Bible is very clear that you will be judged from the things written in the books.

A sister named Ayodelle Sawyer, from Sierre Leone was taken by Jesus Christ to heaven, and saw the Book of Life near the great big gates of heaven.  She saw her name written in it, but it was not her favorite nickname.  Her original birth name, Ayo, was the name written in heaven.  She saw the angels recording things in it faster than a computer.  Inside this Book, the Lord showed her that every thought you think on earth, and every thing you do -- whether good or bad -- is recorded in this Book.

It's recorded in the book of Revelation: "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."  (Rev 20:12-15)

It says the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  It also says that if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  That's why you need to make sure your name is in it!

Only Those Whose Names are in the Book Dwell in Heaven
The only people who are allowed to dwell in heaven are those whose names are in the Book of Life.

"In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." (Rev 21:25-27)

In Psalm 87, the psalmist wrote about how God recognizes who's born from above, born of the Spirit.  He knows those who are His.  And He has a register in heaven where all our names are written.

"His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. 'I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: "This one was born there." But of Zion it shall be said, 'This one and that one were born in her'; And the Most High Himself will establish her. The LORD will count when He registers the peoples, 'This one was born there.' Selah. Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes shall say, 'All my springs of joy are in you.'"  (Psa 87:1-7).

Blotting out names from the Book of Life
It's important for you to understand that just as names are added to the Book of Life, they can also be deleted.  The Scriptures are very clear about this.

Moses wrote, "The LORD spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people. 'Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.'  (Deu 9:13-14)

The Lord was so angry with the Israelites for their stubborn rebellion that He was about to blot their names out, and establish an even mightier nation through Moses.

In another passage, Moses wrote: "The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven."  (Deu 29:20)

Maybe you are wondering about the meaning of this expression "blot out their names from under heaven."  You might be wondering if that simply means to destroy their physical earthly lives while preserving their souls in heaven.  But this next passage makes it clear:

The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My Book."  (Exo 32:33)

This leaves no doubt that the Lord will erase from His Book whoever has sinned against Him.  This is why a life of daily repentance is the shortest route to God's mercy and compassion.

As the apostle Paul wrote: "Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.'” (2 Tim 2:19).

Angelica Zambrano from Ecuador was taken by Jesus Christ to heaven, and saw the Book of Life.

She said: Then I saw angels around me. I recognized the Angel Michael, because I met him before. The Lord said, "Listen, angel Michael is going to show you something". The angel Gabriel was also at my side. Then the angel Michael took my hand, and the Lord commanded him, "Take her and let her see what you have to show her."

"As we walked, we soon began to climb up the most beautiful staircase. It seemed like a Ball Room. And in a high place in the room there was an altar, with a most beautiful golden pulpit. When we got to the pulpit, I saw a huge book and I asked Michael, 'this book, what is it?'"

"While Michael was on the right side of the pulpit, he put his hand on the book and raised his voice saying, 'Angelica, this book you see here is the Book of Life.' I opened it and looked at it, page by page. I said, 'What does this book mean, what is written on it?'  Michael said, 'Open it, upon this book is written all the names of those whom on Earth have repented and turned their lives to our Heavenly Father.'"

"As I was looking through the book, I asked Michael, 'Is my name written here?' 'Yes, look it up and you’ll find it.' I looked, but couldn’t find it. A little worried, I asked, 'It is not here, my name is not here, I can’t find it, where is it?' He responded, 'Look, here is your name.' I was glad to see my name, but I could not understand it because it was written in another language. I noticed that many names were sparkling, so I asked him, 'Why are those names bright and tingling?' He responded, 'These names you see sparkling in the Book of Life, are those people on Earth, at this very moment are repenting from their sins and seeking for God’s presence. Look, these other names are hardly seen and some are being deleted as many have already been, are those people on Earth that are turning away from God’s ways. You have to do something, do something!'"

"Once again, he put his hand over the Book of Life and said to me, 'Go and tell mankind that if their name is not written in this Book, they cannot enter the Kingdom of My Heavenly Father, they cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.' I responded, 'Alright, I will do so.'   It is written in Revelation 20:15 'if anyone's name was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.' We walked out and went back to Jesus, he said, 'It is time for you to return to Earth.'" 

Angelica says, "Do you think your name is written in the Book of Life? If you do not think so, go seek of God. If you've turned your back on God, reconcile with Him, because He is willing to forgive you, no matter what you have done. Remember, He came to save sinners; He came to forgive all mankind’s sins on Earth. Just open your heart and ask Him for forgiveness. He is willing to cleanse us from unrighteousness, as it clearly says in 1 John 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’"

Brother Yong Doo Kim wrote in his book called, Baptized by Blazing Fire, Volume Two: "There once was a deaconess in our church. When she was living faithfully, she received many gifts from the Holy Spirit. However, the gifts were all taken back. Soon afterward, she began drinking and smoking frequently. Moreover, she would talk to a man over the telephone daily and meet him in secret. I persistently attempted to persuade her from dating that man. I even yelled at her but she continued to see the man. God is patient with people. However, if people don’t repent, they will be subject to His wrath. God showed me in a vision that He had erased her name from the book of life. When we found out, we all shook in fear. When God gives us a chance, we must take it, no matter what."

"Jesus said, 'That particular saint mocked God and troubled the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if she doesn’t mourn and sincerely repent, she won’t be entering Heaven. If the judgment of the congregation members is hard, then how much more will I judge the pastors who are committing adultery? The ministers must repent to the point of death. The ministers of today are mocking God. They say, "These are the days of grace and the gospel sets us free. Just repent and one will be forgiven unconditionally." These are the days one needs to be in fear more than the days of the Old Testament.' The Lord warned us the day is coming when we will all have to give account for our deeds."

Brother Kim continues, "As I write this chapter, I’m experiencing many hours of dismay and dissension. Jesus said, 'Do we then nullify the law by this faith. Not at all! Rather we uphold the law.' (Romans 3:31) In fact, we’re living our daily life within the Lord’s amazing grace. However, living in His grace doesn’t mean our sins just disappear. We are abusing God’s grace if we don’t repent. A daily repentant life is the fastest and shortest route to God’s mercy and compassion."

Putting it All Together
If you have been asleep spiritually, I hope this post has served as a wake up call for you.  If your name is not written in the Book of Life, you will be among those who worship the beast, and you will be thrown into the lake of fire. If you once gave your life to Jesus, but you are not living in obedience to His Word, you are not living a life of holiness, righteousness, and Truth, then you need to take this message seriously.  Your name could be fading from the Book of Life or already deleted.  If that's you, then you need to repent fearfully, cry out for God's mercy, and turn back to God, proving your repentance by your deeds.

He came to save sinners; He came to forgive all mankind’s sins on Earth. Just open your heart and ask Him for forgiveness. He is willing to cleanse us from unrighteousness, as it clearly says in 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

The names that are sparkling in the Book of Life, are those people on Earth, at this very moment are repenting from their sins and seeking for God’s presence. However, the names of those people on Earth that are turning away from God’s ways are hardly seen and some are being deleted as many have already been.

And if you are already awake spiritually, it should be a great encouragement to you to know that the Book of Life is a literal book, and upon this book is written all the names of those whom on Earth have repented and turned their lives to our Heavenly Father.  It should also be an encouragement to stay the course and live a life of holiness in every area.  That includes inward holiness of the heart, and outward holiness of the body.  This way you will ensure that your name is never erased from the Book.

Don't let anyone take your crown, do not let any one to usurp or remove that place that the Father has ready for you. We're living every day in God's grace, but that does not give us an excuse to sin.  Don't abuse God's grace. Every thought you think on earth, and every thing you do -- whether good or bad -- is recorded in a book in heaven. So be earnest and repent.  God is waiting for you! However it is only the people that perseveres until the end, who will be saved!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: Please use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog to review these testimonies, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to these people.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not. After you have done this, feel free to give your wise and referenced comments. If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog, listed below. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Godly Attire & Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations	Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven	Forty Days in Heaven and Hell
Ibrahim's Experience in Hell	Taken to Hell	Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies
Sister Ayo - a Revelation of Heaven and Hell	Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven & Hell	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.