Great White Throne Judgment
Before we get the new heaven and new earth, there is one more event that
must take place - the Great White Throne Judgment. In my last article, Satan is Let Loose One More Time, you saw that Satan will end up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone forever and ever - never to bother, harm or tempt humans ever again! Now what happens to the rest of unsaved humanity?
They will all come before God in what is called the Great White Throne Judgment. This event has to be the most disturbing and most bothersome event in all of Scripture. Before this happens, the Bible tells us that all the unsaved people are kept in a place called Hades (Hell) until the Millennium Kingdom is up. Hades (Hell) is a temporary place of torment that these souls are kept in until they have to appear before God in this final judgment, which will determine their eternal fate once and for all.
The New King James version calls this place Hades. However, the Original King James version calls this place Hell. Either way - Hell or Hades is a temporary place of torment where all unbelievers go to before this judgment comes to pass.
Here is the verse giving us the details on what will be happening in this judgment of the unsaved.
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire." (Revelations 20:11-14)
Remarks
1. The above verse refers to a "second death." The first death is when the unsaved are thrown into Hades after they physically die and are kept there until the Millennium Kingdom is up. The second death refers to when the unsaved are cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where they will remain for all of eternity.
Notice that the above verse definitely establishes that these unsaved people are in kept Hades until this judgment comes forth. The verse says that "Hades delivered up the dead who were in them."
2. After this final judgment is pronounced, not only are the unsaved cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, but Hades itself is also cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. This would thus be a "merger" of Hades and the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Not only is God going to merge His heaven with our earth when we get the new heaven and new earth - God is also going to merge Hades (Hell) with the Lake of Fire and Brimstone when all is said and done. This will God