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Revelation 20:11-15

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; 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. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-15 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Revelation 20:11

Theological / Devotional

Throne. A symbol of authority, in this case authority to carry out a judgment. The throne is “white,” suggesting probably the purity and justness of the decisions arrived at. It is also described as “great,” perhaps with reference to the momentous decisions arrived at.

Him that sat. The identity of the person seated on the throne is not stated, unless the phrase “before God” (v. 12) gives his identity. However, textual evidence attests (cf. p. 10) the reading “before the throne” in place of “before God.” Hence the identity remains uncertain.

The Scriptures present both Christ (Rom. 14:10) and the Father (Heb. 12:23) as sitting in judgment. In Rev. 4:2, 8, 9; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5 it is the Father who is seated on the throne, as the divine judge. The two work in closest unity (see on John 10:30). The official acts of one become the official acts of the other. Here it is doubtless Christ who leads out.

Fled away. An indication of the absolute power of the One sitting upon the throne and of the transitory existence of this present world (Ps. 102:25, 26; 104:29, 30; Isa. 51:6; Mark 13:31; 2 Peter 3:10). The eternal order of things is to be of an entirely new kind (Rev. 21:1–5).

By SdaBc