I’m told that scare tactics fail to instill faith. Which may be true, but what about alarming future possibilities described in the Scriptures?

As the Bible reaches its end, we read of the judgement of the dead. Books are opened, and each person is appraised by what is recorded. The verdict? Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

These writings describe the future for those who refuse to acknowledge the Lord. Perhaps a lake of fire simply serves as a metaphor, but the dreadful existence in a nether world with absolutely no hint of God apparently compares to such terror.

It should cause one to pause.

What catches the attention quicker than a lake of fire? What centers the mind more clearly than the possibility of judgement? Perhaps the stark image of books of the dead are necessary to shake us from our narcissism and self-love?

Fear of wrath may not sustain faith, but the reality of wrath may spark faith. This picture of an eternity without hope clarifies our need for a Savior. Jesus saves is not just a slogan applying to the issues we face today, but a promise for our future.

What a wonderful, life-giving moment it will be when we hear our name read aloud from the pages of the book of life, and we fully grasp the concept of Savior.

Revelation 20 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by writ RHET