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"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his
own order."
It is obvious that these died "in Adam" and consequently must be "made alive". The
second death lies beyond the sphere of Adam and no promise of resurrection or life is
made to any who come under its dread dominion.
The revised text reads "stand before the throne" instead of "before God" in
Rev. 20: 12, and this reading is followed by J.N.D., Rotherham, Companion Bible, as
well as the R.V. We know from other Scriptures that "He Who sits on that throne" is
none other than Christ:--
"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That
all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5: 22, 23).
"Because He hath appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness
by that man whom He hath ordained" (Acts 17: 31).
It is important to notice the character of this judgment. The word "sin" is not
mentioned. This is covered by the death of Christ. Sin entered the world by one man,
Adam. It involved all in its consequence--death. But the Scriptures as emphatically
affirm that there is a perfect parallel between Adam and Christ, and that:--
"As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto a justification of life"
(Rom. 5: 18).
If any should object to our words "a perfect parallel" we will agree that the parallel is
not perfect, that throughout Paul's argument in Rom. 5: the grace of God in Christ is
"not as it was by one that sinned", but that continually we must say when speaking of the
grace of God "much more". For Christ not only died for "sin", but in the case of all those
who received the abundance of grace, He shed His blood on account of "sins" also, and
consequently "no condemnation" can be theirs. This is not the case with "the rest of the
dead". The "sin" that was theirs in common with "all in Adam" has been put away, and
the death that ensued has been revoked. There is for them a "justification of life". These
however never knew the forgiveness of "sins" (is there a passage anywhere in the N.T.
that speaks of the forgiveness of "sin"?) and they are here found standing before the
throne to hear the judgment of God concerning their works.
The Books and the Book.
Our attention is most particularly drawn to the presence of two sets of books which are
to be opened at this great judgment:--
"And the BOOKS were opened: And ANOTHER BOOK was opened which is the
book of LIFE. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works" (Rev. 20: 12).