Bede — Commentary on Scripture

Revelation 20:9

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

And they ascended over the breadth of the earth, etc. It is not meant that they came or will come to one place, as if the beloved city, that is, the Church, would be confined to one place. Rather, by the term breadth of the earth, it is intended to indicate that it will be persecuted among all nations and will not abandon its struggle, preferring to use the term camp.

Revelation 20:10

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, etc. That is, the devil will be cast into the eternal fire at the final judgment, where all whom he has led will also go, that is, the majority of the impious city. For the beast should be understood according to the context: sometimes it means the devil, sometimes the Antichrist, sometimes the very impious city. The name of the fire descending from heaven can also signify the sudden destruction of the wicked when the Lord comes and will slay the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth (2 Thess. 2). He explains more fully how, when Christ judges, the devil with his followers is cast into the fire.

Revelation 20:11

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.

And I saw a great white throne, etc. He said he saw someone sitting on the throne from whose presence earth and heaven fled away. This signifies that, after the judgment, there will be no more heaven and earth as they are, because there will be a new heaven and a new earth, meaning a transformation of things, not their complete destruction. For the figure of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7); it does not say the substance. It is believed that the same substance will be changed for the better.

Revelation 20:12 · 3 passages

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.

And the dead were judged from what was written in the books, etc. That is, they were judged according to the Testaments, based on what they did or did not do from them. The books can also be understood as the deeds of the righteous, by the comparison of which the wicked are condemned, as if in the opening of the books, they read the good that they themselves did not want to do.

And the books were opened, etc. Another version says: Which is the book of the life of each one. Therefore, the opened books are called the Testaments of God. For the world will be judged according to both Testaments. The book of life is the memory of each one’s deeds, not that He has a book of remembrance, but as the knower of all secrets.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. For when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His majesty, then all nations will be gathered before Him.

Revelation 20:13 · 2 passages

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.

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, etc. This undoubtedly happened before the dead were judged. Therefore, he recapitulates what he had omitted and follows the order, saying:

And they were judged, each one according to their deeds. This signifies that bodies will be gathered from the earth and souls from their places. The good are designated by the name of death, which has only suffered the dissolution of the flesh, but not punishment. The wicked are designated by the name of hell. It can also be taken literally, that all bodies, even those that the waves have swallowed or beasts have devoured, will be resurrected. Tyconius explains it thus: "The nations that he will find alive here are the dead of the sea. And death and hell gave up their dead, these are the buried nations." When he had said: And they were judged, each one according to their works, he briefly added how death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. He refers to the devil and his followers, whom he had previously described as being followed by hell on the pale horse. He repeats what he had already said more clearly by anticipation: And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur. What he had added there more obscurely, he explains here more clearly, that bot…

And they were judged, each one according to their deeds. This signifies that bodies will be gathered from the earth and souls from their places. The good are designated by the name of death, which has only suffered the dissolution of the flesh, but not punishment. The wicked are designated by the name of hell. It can also be taken literally, that all bodies, even those that the waves have swallowed or beasts have devoured, will be resurrected. Tyconius explains it thus: "The nations that he will find alive here are the dead of the sea. And death and hell gave up their dead, these are the buried nations." When he had said: And they were judged, each one according to their works, he briefly added how death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. He refers to the devil and his followers, whom he had previously described as being followed by hell on the pale horse. He repeats what he had already said more clearly by anticipation: And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur. What he had added there more obscurely, he explains here more clearly, that both the beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life. That is, who was not judged by God to be alive. Hence, it seems more correct to say, as those who interpret the open books as the consciences of individuals and their revealed works. The book of life, however, is the foreknowledge of God (which cannot be mistaken) concerning those to whom eternal life will be given, in which they are written, that is, foreknown. Having finished the judgment by which he saw the wicked condemned, it remains for him to also speak of the good.

Revelation 21:1 · 2 passages

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And the sea is no more. Whether it will be dried up by that great heat, or whether it will also be transformed for the better, I cannot easily say. We read that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, but not a new sea. Unless perhaps, as prophetic language often mixes literal and figurative speech, the turbulent life of this age, which will then cease, is symbolized by the sea.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, etc. This will be done in the order that he has already mentioned above, saying that he saw one seated on the throne from whose presence heaven and earth fled away, implying the judgment of the wicked. Then the figure of this world will pass away with the conflagration of the heavenly fires, so that, with heaven and earth transformed for the better, the quality of the transformation will correspond to the incorruption and immortality of the bodies of the saints. As for what he said:

Revelation 21:2

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And the holy city, new Jerusalem, etc. This city is said to descend from heaven because it is made by the grace of God, which is heavenly. It is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; for there is another Jerusalem that is not adorned for her husband, but for an adulterer.

Revelation 21:3

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with men, etc. God himself will be the reward of eternal beatitude for the elect, which they will possess forever as they are possessed by Him.

Revelation 21:4 · 2 passages

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Such great and exalted clarity from the gift of God will appear in that city that no traces of the old world will remain. Since the heavenly incorruption will exalt the bodies, and the vision of the eternal King will nourish the minds.

And death shall be no more, etc. For he had already foretold that death was cast into the lake of fire. This same sentence can also be understood in this way: that with the holy city glorified by the final judgment, pain, mourning, and mortality will remain only in hell.

Revelation 21:6 · 3 passages

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

And he said to me: Write, etc. And he said to me: It is done. These things must be believed, not explained, especially since he says it is done in the past tense, so that no one may doubt about the future.

I am Alpha, etc. As he testified at the beginning of the book that he is Alpha and Omega, so it was fitting to repeat it here for the third time, that neither before him is there any God, as Isaiah says, nor after him is there believed to be another (Isaiah 43). And because the discourse is about the end of the world, the one who is called the consummator of the age can be understood as the Creator.

I will give to the thirsty, etc. From this fountain, he now sprinkles believers on the way, and to those who overcome, he offers it abundantly to be drawn from in the homeland. Both, however, are given freely. For the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. And from his fullness, we have all received, grace upon grace (John 1).

Revelation 21:8 · 2 passages

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, etc. He always mixes harsh warnings with soothing words to instill caution. Thus, Psalm 145, while abundantly declaring the grace of the Lord’s mercy, suddenly introduces His strict judgment, saying: The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy (Psalm 145). He joins the cowardly with the unbelieving because the one who fears to face the peril of struggle doubts the reward of victory.

And for all liars, their part will be in the lake burning with fire. He shows that there are many kinds of lies, but the most dangerous and detestable are those that sin against religion, as mentioned above. They say, he says, that they are Jews and are not, but lie, being a synagogue of Satan.