Revelation 20:11-12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 20:11-15

The utter destruction of the devil's kingdom very properly leads to an account of the day of judgment, which will determine every man's everlasting state; and we may be assured there will be a judgment when we see the prince of this world is judged, John 16:11. This will be a great day, the great day, when all shall appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. The Lord help us firmly to believe this doctrine of the judgment to come. It is a doctrine that made Felix tremble. Here we have a... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 20:1-15

Since the great importance of this chapter is that it is what might be called the foundation document of Millennarianism or Chiliasm, it will be better to read it as a whole before we deal with it in detail. 20:1-15 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss, and with a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a 3 thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and locked him... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 20:11

And I saw a great white throne ,.... This vision refers not to the Gospel dispensation, from the exaltation of Christ to his second coming; when he sat down on his throne at the right hand of God, and was declared Lord and Christ; when there was a shaking of the heavens and the earth, a removing of the Mosaic economy, and the ordinances of the ceremonial law in Judea, and of Paganism in the Gentile world; when the Gospel was preached to all nations, and the dead in sins were quickened, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 20:12

And I saw the dead ,.... An account being given of the Judge, next the persons to be judged are described, and in this clause, by the state and condition in which they had been; for it cannot be thought they were dead when they stood before the throne, but were raised from the dead; for this character is not descriptive of them as dead in trespasses and sins, though they are such as die in their sins, and rise in them, who are meant, but as having been corporeally dead; these are the rest of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 20:11

A great white throne - Refulgent with glorious majesty. Him that sat on it - The indescribable Jehovah. From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away - Even the brightness of his countenance dissolved the universe, and annihilated the laws by which it was governed. This is a very majestic figure, and finely expressed. There was found no place for them - The glorious majesty of God filling all things, and being all in all. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 20:12

The dead, small and great - All ranks, degrees, and conditions of men. This description seems to refer to Daniel 7:9 , Daniel 7:10 . And the books were opened - See Daniel 12:1 . "Rab. Jehuda said: All the actions of men, whether good or bad, are written in a book, and of all they shall give account." - Sohar Gen., fol. 79, col. 298. "How careful should men be to shun vice, and to act uprightly before the holy blessed God, seeing there are so many which go throughout the earth, see... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:11

And I saw a great white throne. And I saw; introducing a new phase of the vision (el. Revelation 20:1 , etc.). A throne is seen as in Revelation 4:1-11 .2; it is great, perhaps, by comparison with those mentioned in Revelation 4:4 ; white, because this is the colour of purity and all heavenly virtues (cf. Revelation 1:14 ; Revelation 2:17 ; Revelation 3:4 , etc.). And him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:11-15

The resurrection from the dead. This paragraph is an amazingly compressed eschatology. We have already studied the Scripture teaching on "the day of the Lord" which it opens up to us. We have now to look at the dread incidents which will mark that day. One of these is indicated by the words, "I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne … And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them." We will, with these words... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:11-15

Judgment; or, the opening of the books. £ Following on the resurrection is the judgment. In connection with this, we read that before the face of him that sat upon the throne the heavens and the earth fled away. This may include the final conflagration. But what the phrase actually means, no man is in a position adequately to judge. Such passages as Psalms 102:26 , Psalms 102:27 ; Matthew 24:35 ; Matthew 19:28 ; Hebrews 1:12-14 ; 2 Peter 3:7 , 2 Peter 3:10-12 ; 1 John... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 20:11-15

The second death: the lake of fire. "This is the second death, the lake of fire." Few of our readers, if any, are likely here to lose sight of the symbolic style of the Apocalypse—a style which, indeed, so largely pervades it, that if there were not other passages bearing on like themes and couched in different phraseology, its interpretation would be impossible. And even with the aid of the plainer words, the theme before us is so vast, so dread, so fraught with terror, that for our part... read more

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