This vision of God that the prophet Daniel sees is awesome! The Ancient of Days, God the Father seated on His throne with bright splendor and glory and fire coming forth. The Beast and other beasts cast into the fire. The coming of the Son of Man in glory to take His kingdom. It's a reminder to us that there WILL be a Last Day. There will be a Day in which the Lord returns and this world will end. The world is full of preachers who want to use these visions and frighten people into sending them money to tell them how to be saved from these awful events. But you, dear Christians, don't fear. Don't fear as the world should fear. For on the day that the court is seated and the books are opened, the kingdom that is given to Jesus the Son of Man will be given to you too, as Jesus says to His sheep in the Gospel lesson today: “Come, you blessed of my Father and receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!”
So what are these books that are opened? The Book of Revelation tell us that there are two books: One Book has everything you've done in it. The other Book has your name written in it. But here's the thing: you can't be in both books! The Book of Judgment is the Book of those who have rejected Christ. For them there is the fearful expectation of judgment based upon their works. Their unbelief and rejection of Christ means that they are judged on the basis of the Law and Commandments. Did they love God with their whole heart? Did they love their neighbors as themselves? No. They didn't. Not perfectly as the Lord demands. The have lived as if their good works could save them. They have lived as if their piety and religion could save them. They have lived as if their being a name on a church list could save them while never desiring to hear God's Word or confess their sins or feast upon Christ's body and blood. Those who have rejected Christ will share the fate of the devil and his angels, to be cast into the everlasting fire. For apart from Christ, they cannot save themselves and escape the judgment of this Last Day. Frightening indeed!
But the other Book is the Lamb's Book of Life. And your name is written in there with the blood of Christ by Holy Baptism. To be baptized is to be in this Book and to therefore be in Christ. We escape the Judgment of God on the Last Day because of Christ. Because on the cross, the Last Day fell on Jesus. On the cross, the judgment for your sins and the wrath stored up for your iniquities was unloaded on Jesus. There, on Calvary, Judgment Day already happened for you by happening to Jesus. When the Son of Man comes on the clouds in glory, it will not be a day of fear and punishment for you because that has already been done to Christ. When Christ the Son of Man comes in all His glory, that is the Day of your salvation. The day to lift up your head and rejoice. When you see the Son of Man in glory on the clouds, don't think, “Judgment” think “Salvation.” The triumphant Son of Man is the same Savior who died for you on the cross so that your sins are taken away, never to be brought up again, not even on the Last Day. Did you catch that? Judgment Day is not a day in which you have to face all your sins again. It is the Day in which you are declared “not guilty” in Christ through whom all your works are good because of Whom you are welcomed into this eternal kingdom.
So the question is, how do you know which Book you are in? When you sin, the Beast is right there to accuse you that you must be holy and you are not holy and so you are no Christian and have nothing but the everlasting fire to look forward to. But he lies! Your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life by Holy Baptism. That promise of water, Word and Spirit at the font is the promise that the Judgment that fell on Christ for your sins won't fall on you. That promise of Holy Absolution is that the sins the Devil whispers will keep you cut off from God can't. The Body and Blood of Christ are your Savior's promise that death itself cannot have you but you will be raised up on the Last Day and death will be thrown into the lake of fire with all of the rest of God's enemies. If you look at your life, your good works and your sins, you intentions and how hard you try to be religious, there is no hope there. Nothing but despair. Nothing there but the reminder that you deserve that everlasting fire. So don't look at YOU. Look to Christ. Look to the Son of God nailed to the tree, to the empty tomb, to the font, altar and pulpit for the certain promise that you are the Lord's. That your name is in the Lamb's Book of Life. That your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life. His promises are true and cannot be broken for they are the promises of the Son of Man who has been given this kingdom by the Ancient of Days. They are the promises of Jesus who has saved you from the wrath of God and stands you before you heavenly Father.
And since Christ has freed us from hell and judgment, you no longer need live as if you have to keep yourself right with God. It's taken care of in Christ. Now you don't have to worry about YOU. But, rather, you are free to live for the good and benefit of those around you. For after all, Christ didn't save you from judgment and hell just for you, but so that you would be a light in this dark world, living, as St. Peter says, blameless in Christ and in peace with others. The Day IS surely drawing near. But you don't need to fear it as the world. Rather, rejoice for it's coming. Cry out for it's fulfillment. Look forward to it. For that Day is not a Day of Judgment for your, but the Day of your salvation when Christ comes to raise you from the dead and give you everlasting life in a kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
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