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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Revelation 20:1–10. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here, I. A prophecy of the binding of Satan for a certain term of time, in which he should have much less power and the church much more peace than before. The power of Satan was broken in part by the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world; it was further reduced by the empire's becoming Christian; it was yet further broken by the downfall of the mystical Babylon; but still this serpent had many heads, and, when one is wounded, another has life remaining in it. Here we have a further limitation and diminution of his power. Observe, 1. To whom this work of binding Satan is committed - to an angel from heaven. It is very probable that this angel is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ; the description of him will hardly agree with any other. He is one who has power to bind the strong man armed, to cast him out, and to spoil his goods; and therefore must be stronger than he. 2. The means he makes use of in this work: he has a chain and a key, a great chain to bind Satan, and the key of the prison in which he was to be confined. Christ never wants proper powers and instruments to break the power of Satan, for he has the powers of heaven and the keys of hell. 3. The execution of this work, Rev 20:2, Rev 20:3. (1.) He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan. Neither the strength of the dragon, nor the subtlety of the serpent, was sufficient to rescue him out of the hands of Christ; he caught hold, and kept his hold. And, (2.) He cast him into the bottomless pit, cast him down with force, and with a just vengeance, to his own place and prison, from which he had been permitted to break out, and disturb the churches, and deceive the nations; now he is brought back to that prison, and there laid in chains. (3.) He is shut up, and a seal set upon him. Christ shuts, and none can open; he shuts by his power, seals by his authority; and his lock and seal even the devils themselves cannot break open. (4.) We have the term of this confinement of Satan - a thousand years, after which he was to be loosed again for a little season. The church should have a considerable time of peace and prosperity, but all her trials were not yet over.
II.An account of the reign of the saints for the same space of time in which Satan continued bound (Rev 20:4-6), and here observe,
1.Who those were that received such honour - those who had suffered for Christ, and all who had faithfully adhered to him, not receiving the mark of the beast, nor worshipping his image; all who had kept themselves clear of pagan and papal idolatry.
2.The honour bestowed upon them.
(1.)They were raised from the dead, and restored to life. This may be taken either literally or figuratively; they were in a civil and political sense dead, and had a political resurrection; their liberties and privileges were revived and restored.
(2.)Thrones, and power of judgment, were given to them; they were possessed of great honour, and interest, and authority, I suppose rather of a spiritual than of a secular nature.
(3.)They reigned with Christ a thousand years. Those who suffer with Christ shall reign with Christ; they shall reign with him in his spiritual and heavenly kingdom, in a glorious conformity to him in wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, beyond what had been known before in the world. This is called the first resurrection, which none but those who have served Christ and suffered for him shall be favoured with. As for the wicked, they shall not be raised up and restored to their power again, till Satan be let loose; this may be called a resurrection, as the conversion of the Jews is said to be life from the dead.
3.The happiness of these servants of God is declared.
(1.)They are blessed and holy, Rev 20:6. None can be blessed but those that are holy; and all that are holy shall be blessed. These were holy as a sort of first-fruits to God in this spiritual resurrection, and as such blessed by him.
(2.)They are secured from the power of the second death. We know something of what the first death is, and it is awful; but we know not what this second death is. It must be much more dreadful; it is the death of the soul, eternal separation from God. The Lord grant we may never know what it is by experience. Those who have had experience of a spiritual resurrection are saved from the power of the second death.
III.An account of the return of the church's troubles, and another mighty conflict, very sharp, but short and decisive. Observe,
1.The restraints laid for a long time on Satan are at length taken off. While this world lasts, Satan's power in it will not be wholly destroyed; it may be limited and lessened, but he will have something still to do for the disturbance of the people of God.
2.No sooner is Satan let loose than he falls to his old work, deceiving the nations, and so stirring them up to make a war with the saints and servants of God, which they would never do if he had not first deceived them. They are deceived both as to the cause they engage in (they believe it to be a good cause when it is indeed a very bad one), and as to the issue: they expect to be successful, but are sure to lose the day.
3.His last efforts seem to be the greatest. The power now permitted to him seems to be more unlimited than before. He had now liberty to beat up for his volunteers in all the four quarters of the earth, and he raised a mighty army, the number of which was as the sand of the sea, Rev 20:8.
4.We have the names of the principal commanders in this army under the dragon - Gog and Magog. We need not be too inquisitive as to what particular powers are meant by these names, since the army was gathered from all parts of the world. These names are found in other parts of scripture. Magog we read of in Gen 10:2. He was one of the sons of Japheth, and peopled the country called Syria, from which his descendants spread into many other parts. Of Gog and Magog together we only read in Eze 38:2, a prophecy whence this in Revelation borrows many of its images.
5.We have the march and military disposition of this formidable army (Rev 20:9.): They went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city, that is, the spiritual Jerusalem, in which the most precious interests of the people of God are lodged, and therefore to them a beloved city. The army of the saints is described as drawn forth out of the city, and lying under the walls of it, to defend it; they were encamped about Jerusalem: but the army of the enemy was so much superior to that of the church that they compassed them and their city about.
6.You have an account of the battle, and the issue of this war: Fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured the enemy. Thus the ruin of Gog and Magog is foretold (Eze 38:22), I will rain upon him and upon his bands an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, and fire and brimstone. God would, in an extraordinary and more immediate manner, fight this last and decisive battle for his people, that the victory might be complete and the glory redound to himself.
7.The doom and punishment of the grand enemy, the devil: he is now cast into hell, with his two great officers, the beast and the false prophet, tyranny and idolatry, and that not for any term of time, but to be there tormented night and day, for ever and ever.
Historical interpretation
Eight Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
If sorrow, and mourning, and sighing, and death itself, assail us from the afflictions both of soul and body, how shall they be removed, except by the cessation of their causes, that is to say, the afflictions of flesh and soul? where will you find adversities in the presence of God? where, incursions of an enemy in the bosom of Christ? where, attacks of the devil in the face of the Holy Spirit?-now that the devil himself and his angels are "cast into the lake of fire." Where now is necessity, and what they call fortune or fate? What plague awaits the redeemed from death, after their eternal pardon? What wrath is there for the reconciled, after grace? What weakness, after their renewed strength? What risk and danger, after their salvation? That the raiment and shoes of the children of Israel remained unworn and fresh for the space of forty years; that in their very persons the exact point of convenience and propriety checked the rank growth of their nails and hair, so that any excess herein might not be attributed to indecency; that the fires of Babylon injured not either the mitres or the trousers of the three brethren, however foreign such dress might be to the Jews; that Jonah was swallowed by the monster of the deep, in whose belly whole ships were devoured, and after three days was vomited out again safe and sound; that Enoch and Elias, who even now, without experiencing a resurrection (because they have not even encountered death), are learning to the full what it is for the flesh to be exempted from all humiliation, and all loss, and all injury, and all disgrace-translated as they have been from this world, and from this very cause already candidates for everlasting life; -to what faith do these notable facts bear witness, if not to that which ought to inspire in us the belief that they are proofs and documents of our own future integrity and perfect resurrection? For, to borrow the apostle's phrase, these were "figures of ourselves; " and they are written that we may believe both that the Lord is more powerful than all natural laws about the body, and that He shows Himself the preserver of the flesh the more emphatically, in that He has preserved for it its very clothes and shoes.
"And they went up upon 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 the devil who seduced them was cast into the take of fire and brimstone, where both the beast and the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."]This belongs to the last judgment. And after a little time the earth was made holy, as being at least that wherein lately had reposed the bodies of the virgins, when they shall enter upon an eternal kingdom with an immortal King, as they who are not only virgins in body, but, moreover, with equal inviolability have protected themselves, both in tongue and thought, from wickedness; and these, it shows, shall dwell in rejoicing for ever with the Lamb.
John goes on to state succinctly the full punishment that is to be meted out in the last judgment to the hostile city and its prince, the devil.… Why has the church been so intolerant with those who defend the view that, however greatly and however long the devil is to be punished, he can be promised ultimately that all will be purged or pardoned? Certainly it is not because so many of the church's saints and biblical scholars have begrudged the devil and his angels a final cleansing and the beatitude of the kingdom of heaven. Nor is it because of any lack of feeling for so many and such high angels that must suffer such great and enduring pain. This is not a matter of feeling but of fact. The fact is that there is no way of waiving or weakening the words that the Lord has told us that he will pronounce in the last judgment: "Depart from me, accursed ones, into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels." In this way he showed plainly that it is an eternal fire in which the devil and his angels are to burn. Then we have the words of the Apocalypse: "and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." In the one text we have "everlasting," in the other, "forever and ever." These are words that have a single meaning in the divine Scripture, namely, of unending duration.
“And the devil and his people went up into the height of the earth,” that is, in the presumption of their arrogance, and “they surrounded the camp of the saints and the city of the beloved,” that is, the church. This refers to what was earlier said about those assembled at Armageddon. They cannot be gathered into one city from the four corners of the earth. Rather, in every corner [of the earth] each people will be gathered together for opposition to the holy city, that is, for persecution of the church. “And fire shall descend out of heaven from God,” that is, out of the church, “and consume them.” In this passage the fire may be interpreted in two ways. Either they will believe in Christ through the fire of the Holy Spirit, and they will be spiritually consumed by the church, that is, incorporated into the church, or they will be consumed by the fire of their own sins and will perish.
“And they ascended upon the height of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints.” Lifted up by their arrogance, the impious ascended into the heights, but their earthly arrogance holds them back. They are wise in nothing heavenly, nor do they fear the power of celestial greatness. “They surrounded the camp of the saints.” [This means that] they wished to exist in common with the saints, but of them the prophecy is fulfilled that says, “They shall return at evening and be hungry as a dog and go around about the city.” In the present passage he calls the city “beloved,” saying, “they shall surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city.”
Just as fierce animals come out of their caves, so, it says, those led by the devil and the demons with him will come from their various locations and spread themselves out over the earth to ravage the camp of the saints, clearly meaning the church, which is established throughout the four corners of the world. But they do not know that it is not only a single angel but many angels who encamp round about them who fear God, as the psalm says. They will come to subdue the new Jerusalem, the beloved city, from which the divine law has gone into all the world through the apostles. Then, they say, the antichrist will seat himself in the temple of God. This refers either to the ancient temple of God among the Jews that was destroyed because of their audacity against Christ and which those Jews who hate God still expect to be rebuilt by him, or it refers to the true temple of God, namely, the catholic church. The antichrist will usurp for himself what does not belong to him and “proclaim himself to be God,” as the apostle says. Not long afterward, it says, fire comes down from heaven. This will be either a physical fire such as that which burned the two groups of fifty at the time of Elijah, or the passage refers to the glorious coming of Christ, who will slay them “by the breath of his mouth” and consume the aforementioned nations and their leader, the devil. Christ will hand them, along with the antichrist and the false prophet, over to the lake of fire, where they will be tormented forever and ever. Christ the Savior has taught us to pray that we enter not into temptation, and so, recognizing our weakness, let us do that earnestly, that we be saved from the trials of that which is prophesied.
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.
And the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the False Prophet are, and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Let the reader know that the present Revelation has handed down to us three things in the foregoing: first, the original evil Dragon shown in heaven; second, a beast rising from the sea, whom we understood to be second in command to Satan, but superior to the other demons; and third, the Antichrist, whom he also calls the False Prophet. But concerning the second, the Devil, and the Antichrist it was said a little above (Rev. 19:20) that the two were thrown into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Now concerning Satan, or rather the Devil, whom in the preceding passages he named the Dragon, he says that they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Therefore, the one who met the vision perceived very precisely that the thousand years, during which the Devil was bound and cast into the abyss and then released, we understood to be the Lord's dominion and his reign on earth, in which the Devil's activity was suspended for a short time. For now he has shown that their punishment and that of those deceived by him is not for a thousand years, and that, far from being a release from evil, it is for ever and ever.
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Summary
Revelation 20:10 delivers a climactic pronouncement of eternal judgment upon the primary architects of spiritual rebellion and deception: the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. This verse marks the definitive end of their malevolent influence, signifying God's ultimate triumph over all evil and the establishment of His perfect justice, consigning these adversaries to perpetual torment in the lake of fire and brimstone.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed at a pivotal juncture in Revelation's eschatological narrative, immediately following the final, divinely crushed rebellion incited by Satan after his millennium-long binding and brief release (Revelation 20:7-9). The beast and the false prophet had already been cast into the lake of fire at the second coming of Christ, as detailed in Revelation 19:20. Revelation 20:10 therefore completes the judgment of this unholy trinity, confirming their shared, eternal destiny. This definitive act sets the stage for the Great White Throne Judgment that immediately follows, where all humanity, living and dead, will face God's righteous assessment.
Historical & Cultural Context
The imagery of "fire and brimstone" (sulfur) would have resonated deeply with John's original audience, evoking powerful Old Testament precedents of divine judgment, most notably the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). This imagery conveyed not merely destruction, but a complete, purifying, and irreversible consumption, emphasizing the severity and finality of God's wrath against sin and rebellion. The concept of "torment day and night for ever and ever" speaks to a Jewish understanding of eternal consequence, contrasting with pagan notions of cyclical time or annihilation. The "devil," "beast," and "false prophet" represent the ultimate spiritual, political, and religious opposition to God, figures that would be readily understood by early Christians facing Roman persecution and various forms of spiritual deception.
Key Themes
Revelation 20:10 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Revelation and biblical theology. It underscores Divine Justice and Judgment, demonstrating God's absolute righteousness in meting out final recompense to those who persistently rebel against Him and deceive humanity. It signifies the Definitive Defeat of Evil, marking the irreversible overthrow of Satan and his earthly agents, ensuring that their influence of deception and opposition will cease forever. Furthermore, the phrase "for ever and ever" highlights the Eternal Consequence of rejecting God, emphasizing that this is not annihilation but perpetual, conscious suffering, a truth echoed in other New Testament passages concerning eternal punishment (e.g., Matthew 25:46). Finally, the verse reaffirms God's Sovereignty, asserting His ultimate control over all creation and destiny, ensuring that His redemptive plan culminates in the eradication of all opposition and the establishment of His eternal kingdom.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From diaballō, meaning "to traducer"; specifically, Satan. It denotes a false accuser or slanderer, highlighting his primary role as an adversary who maligns God and humanity and seeks to sow discord and deception. His casting into the lake of fire marks the cessation of his accusatory and deceptive work.
Probably from limēn (harbor), suggesting a body of water near a shore. In Revelation, this term is consistently used to refer to the "lake of fire," a symbolic and literal place of ultimate, inescapable, and eternal judgment, distinct from Hades or Sheol, which are temporary holding places.
Properly, "an age"; by extension, "perpetuity" or "eternity." When repeated as "for ever and ever" (Greek, eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn), literally "unto the ages of the ages," it forms the strongest possible Greek idiom for unending duration. This emphatic phrase leaves no room for a temporary or finite punishment for these entities, underscoring the absolute and perpetual nature of their torment.
Verse Breakdown
"And the devil that deceived them"
This clause identifies the primary antagonist, Satan, by his characteristic activity: deception. Throughout biblical history, from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6) to his final rebellion in Revelation 20, his modus operandi has been to mislead and ensnare humanity. This phrase establishes the just cause for his ultimate judgment.
"was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone"
This signifies the definitive and irreversible judgment of the devil. The "lake of fire and brimstone" is the ultimate destination of eternal punishment, a place of complete separation from God and intense suffering. The imagery of brimstone (sulfur) intensifies the sense of divine wrath and purification, reminiscent of ancient judgments.
"where the beast and the false prophet [are]"
This parenthetical phrase confirms the shared and ongoing destiny of the unholy trinity. The beast (representing oppressive political power) and the false prophet (representing deceptive religious authority) were already condemned to this same fate at Christ's return (Revelation 19:20). Their presence there emphasizes the unity of their rebellion and the universality of their condemnation.
"and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever"
This final clause describes the nature and duration of the punishment. "Tormented" (Greek, basanízō) implies conscious, acute suffering and anguish. The phrase "day and night" emphasizes the ceaseless, relentless nature of this torment, while "for ever and ever" (the strongest Greek expression for eternity) unequivocally declares its unending, perpetual duration. This is not annihilation, but eternal, conscious suffering.
Literary Devices
Revelation 20:10 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. Symbolism is central, with "the devil," "the beast," and "the false prophet" representing the ultimate spiritual, political, and religious forces of evil aligned against God. The "lake of fire and brimstone" is a powerful symbol of ultimate, eternal, and inescapable divine judgment, drawing on Old Testament imagery of fiery destruction. The phrase "day and night" acts as a form of Merism, where two contrasting parts represent the whole, emphasizing the continuous, unceasing nature of the torment. This is further intensified by the Hyperbole of "for ever and ever," which, while literally meaning "to the ages of ages," functions to convey the absolute and unending duration of the punishment in the strongest possible terms, leaving no ambiguity about its eternal nature. The verse also exhibits Parallelism in its judgment, linking the devil's fate directly to that of the beast and the false prophet, underscoring their shared culpability and destiny.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Revelation 20:10 is a cornerstone for understanding the biblical doctrine of divine judgment and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. It affirms God's perfect justice, demonstrating that every act of rebellion and deception against His holy character will be met with a just and eternal recompense. This verse provides a definitive answer to the problem of evil, assuring believers that the spiritual warfare and suffering experienced in this age will culminate in the complete and irreversible defeat of all cosmic adversaries. It underscores the gravity of sin and the eternal consequences of rejecting God's grace, while simultaneously offering immense comfort and hope to those who align themselves with Christ, knowing that their ultimate security rests in the victorious Lamb.
Reflection and Application
Revelation 20:10 offers profound comfort and a sobering warning. For the believer, it is a powerful assurance that evil does not win. The long history of Satan's deception, the oppressive power of the beast, and the seductive lies of the false prophet will all be brought to a definitive and eternal end by the sovereign hand of God. This truth provides immense hope and strength in the face of present spiritual battles, persecution, and the pervasive presence of evil in the world. We are reminded that our ultimate victory is secure in Christ, who has already triumphed over sin, death, and the powers of darkness. For those who have not yet surrendered to Christ, this verse serves as a solemn and urgent warning. It reveals the terrifying reality of eternal separation from God and conscious torment for those who align themselves with rebellion and reject God's gracious offer of salvation. It compels us to consider our eternal destiny and to embrace the only path to deliverance found in Jesus Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the "lake of fire and brimstone"?
The "lake of fire and brimstone" (Greek: limnē tou pyros kai theiou) is a recurring and highly symbolic motif in the book of Revelation, representing the ultimate, eternal place of divine judgment and punishment. It is distinct from Hades or Sheol, which are often understood as temporary holding places for the dead. The imagery of fire and brimstone (sulfur) evokes intense, purifying, and destructive judgment, reminiscent of God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). It signifies a complete and irreversible consumption and torment for those cast into it, particularly the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and ultimately, all who are not found in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Revelation 20:10, while depicting the final judgment of evil, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. The ultimate defeat of the devil, the beast, and the false prophet is not merely a cosmic event but the culmination of Christ's redemptive mission. From the protoevangelium in Genesis 3:15 foretelling the crushing of the serpent's head, to His victory on the cross where He disarmed principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15), Jesus has been actively dismantling the kingdom of darkness. His resurrection (Acts 2:24) and ascension (Ephesians 4:8) established His supreme authority over all creation, including the devil himself. The casting of Satan into the lake of fire is the final, public manifestation of the victory Christ secured through His sacrifice and resurrection. It assures believers that the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:12) is indeed the sovereign Lord who will bring all things under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25), culminating in an eternal kingdom where evil is utterly vanquished and God reigns supreme.