That's kind of what I thought you were getting at. So for those who were not presented the gospel in this life, where and when will it be presented to them?
That should be obvious,
in the next age when the Lord has established his kingdom throughout all the earth, and the dead who “
sleep in Jesus” are resurrected, as is so indicated in the scriptures.
God hath appointed a day (a thousand year day)
in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained”, “
Jesus Christ, the righteous." (
Acts 17:31; 1 John 2:1)
"
When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." (
Isa. 26:9)
During the thousand-year reign of Christ, when the dead are being awakened, they will "
stand before God"
in the sense that, through the redemptive work of Christ, the original condemnation will no longer count against them, and each will have an opportunity to believe, obey, and live if they so choose. But this opportunity requires a further manifestation of divine grace,
knowledge.
The "
books"
must be opened. This is a pictorial way of telling us that he will judge the people "
with his truth." (
Psa 96:13) The "
books" contain the truth, and
must be opened, for as long they remain closed, the truth is concealed and the people "
comprehend it not."
Thus we read in
Rev 20:12, during the millennial reign of Christ when he has established his throne viz. the “
Great White Throne”, representative of
purity and justice he will judge the people with righteousness, but first in order for them to believe (and to obey), they will need to learn, to be brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth, the same truth which very few save the true Church now possess, the true Gospel, the tidings of great joy, the plan of God for the world’s redemption, which for so long had been hidden from them.
“
And I saw the dead, small and great (both humble and proud),
standing before God (justified from the original condemnation),
and books were opened …
And the dead were judged according to their works (according to their conformity and obedience to or),
by the things which were written in the books.
“
The dead includes all of the Adamic race who during this Gospel age have not escaped from the condemnation that is on the world—
DEATH—by becoming partakers of spiritual life through Jesus
“This verse relative to the dead shows us how all those death condemned ones will be on trial before the White Throne.
As surely as it is a throne of purity and Justice, their trial, as ours now, will be full, fair and impartial. The Judge himself has already become their bail, so that they shall have a full and sufficient trial before him, to attain perfection of human life.
“
The books opened, according to the rulings of which they will be tried, we understand to be the books of the Bible (the Holy Scriptures). The church, now on trial, is being judged according to these same books—and none now are on trial, to whom those books are not to some degree opened (understood). This too, accords with Jesus’ words:
`my words shall judge you in the last day’ (period)—
the Millennial day. (
John 12:48)
“The words of Jesus will no longer be hidden under parables and dark sayings, that those who hear might hear and not understand; but the secret things will be uncovered.
`The mystery of God’—
the church—
being finished, the books will be opened, and the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea” (
Isa 11:9). For God
`will have all men to be saved, [redeemed] and [then] to come unto the knowledge of the truth.’ (
1 Tim. 2:4)
“
In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.”
Isa 29:18
“…
I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts, and will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for ALL shall know me from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (
Jer 31:33, 34)
I will attempt to address the remainder of your comments in my next post.