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Commentary on Revelation 20 verses 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, Joh 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 description of it, where observe, 1. We behold the throne, and tribunal of judgment, great and white, very glorious and perfectly just and righteous. The throne of iniquity, that establishes wickedness by a law, has no fellowship with this righteous throne and tribunal. 2. The appearance of the Judge, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who then puts on such majesty and terror that the earth and the heaven flee from his face, and there is no place found for them; there is a dissolution of the whole frame of nature, Pe2 3:10. 3. The persons to be judged (Rev 20:12): The dead, small and great; that is, young and old, low and high, poor and rich. None are so mean but they have some talents to account for, and none so great as to avoid the jurisdiction of this court; not only those that are found alive at the coming of Christ, but all who have died before; the grave shall surrender the bodies of men, hell shall surrender the souls of the wicked, the sea shall surrender the many who seemed to have been lost in it. 4. The rule of judgment settled: The books were opened. What books? The books of God's omniscience, who is greater than our consciences, and knows all things (there is a book of remembrance with him both for good and bad); and the book of the sinner's conscience, which, though formerly secret, will now be opened. And another book shall be opened - the book of the scriptures, the statute-book of heaven, the rule of life. This book is opened as containing the law, the touchstone by which the hearts and lives of men are to be tried. This book determines matter of right; the other books give evidence of matters of fact. Some, by the other book, called the book of life, understand the book of God's eternal counsels; but that does not seem to belong to the affair of judgment: in eternal election God does not act judicially, but with absolute sovereign freedom. 5. The cause to be tried; and that is, the works of men, what they have done and whether it be good or evil. By their works men shall be justified or condemned; for though God knows their state and their principles, and looks chiefly at these, yet, being to approve himself to angels and men as a righteous God, he will try their principles by their practices, and so will be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges. 6. The issue of the trial and judgment; and this will be according to the evidence of fact, and rule of judgment. All those who have made a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell, shall then be condemned with their infernal confederates, cast with them into the lake of fire, as not being entitled to eternal life, according to the rules of life laid down in the scripture; but those whose names are written in that book (that is, those that are justified and acquitted by the gospel) shall then be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. Let it be our great concern to see on what terms we stand with our Bibles, whether they justify us or condemn us now; for the Judge of all will proceed by that rule. Christ shall judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel. Happy are those who have so ordered and stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord!
Consider, he says, whether too the blessed John, when he says, "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it: and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them"
Who, now, are these dead people who were in the sea and whom the sea will give up? Surely we are not to think that because a person drowns, his soul does not go to hell, or that his body is preserved in the sea, or—what is still more absurd—that the sea keeps the good dead people and hell the bad ones. No one could entertain such a notion. Surely those are right who take the sea in this text to stand for this world of ours. To indicate, accordingly, that the living who Christ is to find on earth are to be judged along with the arisen dead, John termed the former dead, too. Such are the good “dead” to whom the words were addressed: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” The bad “dead” … are addressed in the verse: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead.” There is another reason why living people can be called dead, namely, because they carry around bodies destined for death. This was Paul’s thought when he wrote, “The body, it is true, is dead by reason of sin, but the spirit is life by reason of justification”35—a text in which he shows that both life and death exist in a person living in his body, death in his body, life in the spirit.… The sea is said to “deliver up” its dead, because they are presented for judgment living, just as they are; whereas death and hell are said to “give back their dead,” because they are actually restored to life. And do not imagine that it would perhaps have been sufficient for John to say death or hell. He said both—death alone for the good people who, although they suffered death, did not go to hell; and hell for the evil people who, after death, suffer the pains of hell.
Lest anyone say that those who have died at sea or have been drowned by water or have been eaten by beasts or have been destroyed by fire cannot be raised again, [it says therefore that] they gave up their dead. And since no one will escape the judgment of God, it adds, “and all were judged by what they had done.” Lest anyone should think that after the resurrection there follows a death of the body, an opinion that is profane to believe and even to mention, he adds [that death was sent into the lake of fire].
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 both the beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire.
And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each was judged according to their works.
Those who disbelieve in the resurrection of bodies mock both us and our doctrine that these bodies will be raised again, as if this were not only difficult but wholly impossible. And they say that each of the bodies on earth is composed of the four basic elements, fire, water, earth, air, and that bodies dissolved by death return to those elements from which they were originally formed. Therefore, the fiery element in us returns to its kindred universal fire; the watery element to water; and the other components to their proper counterparts. If then these are dissolved and mingled with their own substances, how can that which has become indiscernible by composition be restored again to every one of the bodies which you call bodies, unless you would say that some arise from others rather than from their own? To these one might reply with the words of the divine Scripture: "You are mistaken, O men, not knowing the power of God," (Matt. 22:20) by whose will all things were constituted, whose will alone accomplishes the work intended, as has also been said before.
For what is easier than for what is not to bring into being the substances, or having been produced and mingled either with themselves or with others to separate them again, and to assign to each its own? For the last indeed we perform too, often separating artfully the wine that has been mixed with water. Moreover the sun draws from the sea the drinkable and sweet by means of the vapors and exhalations, and lets go the heavy and earthy and salty and bitter. And first this belongs to God alone, who is able to do all things whatever He wishes. If then God brought the non-being into being, how would it not be easy for him to separate again for himself the things mixed according to the elements, and to distribute the same to each body, even if this is impossible for men? For just as it is impossible for you and for me to separate the illuminating from the burning aspect of fire, but possible for God, for "the voice of the Lord has been said to cut off the flame of fire," (Ps. 29:7) so also the things that have been mingled are impossible for you and for me, but easy and effortless for God.
Now this marvelous assertion is presented to us by the present account of the Revelation, saying, "The sea gave up the dead that were in it from the sea." And this element of water signified every moist substance. The moist substance, then, he says, gave as much as was contained in it from the watery parts of human bodies.
And Death and Hades, he says, gave up the dead who were in them. Calling the earth "death" because our bodies are dissolved in it, therefore also the inspired prophet, by indirectness, calls death "earth of death," saying "and brought me down into the earth of death." (Ps. 21:16) Therefore the whole earth gave what in it was our earthly part. In addition, Hades gave up the dead who were in it, calling Hades the air and the fire because of their invisibility and imperceptibility. For the air, by its thinness, happens to be invisible unless it were thickened; and the fire that once dwelt in the woods is invisible, unless it were applied outwardly. Moreover, the element of fire, the ether, is invisible to us because it is darkened by the superaddition of much air. Or rather, he calls fire Hades because it imparts invisibility and imperceptibility to whatever it seizes; therefore many of the learned designate it as "invisible." When therefore each of the elements had given up as much as of the human composition was in them, the resurrection was affected.
When this had taken place, he says, each was judged according to their deeds.
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SUMMARY
Revelation 20:13 vividly portrays the universal resurrection of all the unrighteous dead, summoned from every conceivable domain—the depths of the sea, the spiritual realm of death, and the underworld of Hades—to stand before the Great White Throne for final judgment. This pivotal scene underscores God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, life, and death, ensuring that every individual will be held accountable for their actions, leading to their eternal destiny.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Revelation 20:13 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. Personification is prominently featured, as "the sea," "death," and "hell" are given the human-like ability to "give up" or "deliver up" the dead. This vivid imagery transforms abstract concepts and natural phenomena into active agents, emphasizing the irresistible power of God's command that compels even these ultimate boundaries of human existence to surrender their hold. Symbolism is also at play, with "the sea" representing the vast, mysterious, and often chaotic elements of the natural world, and "death" and "hell" (Hades) symbolizing the universal dominion of mortality and the unseen spiritual realm of the departed. Their forced surrender symbolizes God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, both seen and unseen. Furthermore, the comprehensive nature of the resurrection ("every man") and the inclusion of all possible locations for the dead suggest an element of Hyperbole or Totality, underscoring that no one, regardless of how or where they died, can escape this final divine summons and judgment.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Revelation 20:13 stands as a stark reminder of the biblical doctrine of universal resurrection and final judgment, affirming God's ultimate justice and authority over all creation. It teaches that death is not the end, nor is it a permanent state for anyone. Every individual, whether righteous or unrighteous, will one day be raised to stand before God. For the unrighteous, this resurrection is specifically for condemnation based on their deeds, revealing the gravity of human sin and the necessity of divine accountability. This scene underscores the absolute certainty of a coming reckoning, where all hidden things will be brought to light and every life will be evaluated against God's perfect standard.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Revelation 20:13 serves as a profound and sobering truth, calling all humanity to a serious consideration of their eternal destiny. It underscores the absolute certainty of a future judgment for all who have lived and died apart from Christ. This passage should ignite a deep sense of urgency for those who have not yet embraced the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, highlighting that there is no escaping God's final reckoning. For believers, while this specific judgment is not for them (as their judgment for sin was borne by Christ), it reinforces the awe-inspiring justice of God and the ultimate triumph of His righteous rule. It encourages a life lived with intentionality, knowing that every action, word, and thought is seen by God, and that while salvation is by grace, works demonstrate the reality of one's faith. Ultimately, this verse should drive us to a deeper appreciation for the grace of God in Christ, who delivers us from the condemnation of our works.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the difference between "hell" in this verse and the "lake of fire" mentioned later in Revelation?
Answer: In Revelation 20:13, "hell" translates the Greek word Hades (G86), which refers to the temporary realm of the dead, a holding place for departed spirits awaiting final judgment. It is the spiritual equivalent of the grave. The "lake of fire," mentioned in Revelation 20:14-15, is Gehenna, the eternal place of conscious punishment for the devil, his angels, and all the unrighteous. Revelation 20:14 explicitly states that "Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire," signifying their abolition and the permanent, eternal destination for the condemned.
Does "judged every man according to their works" mean salvation is based on works?
Answer: No, for the unrighteous, this judgment is indeed based on their works, which reveal their rejection of God and their unrighteousness, leading to their condemnation. This is distinct from the salvation of believers, which the Bible consistently teaches is by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works, as clearly stated in Ephesians 2:8-9. For believers, their works are evaluated at the Bema Seat (judgment seat of Christ), not for salvation, but for rewards and the quality of their service to God, as described in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Revelation 20:13, though depicting the judgment of the unrighteous, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is He who holds the keys of Death and Hades, as declared in Revelation 1:18, demonstrating His supreme authority over these realms. The very fact that Death and Hades are compelled to give up their dead is a testament to Christ's triumph over them through His resurrection. For those who are "in Christ," this terrifying judgment is not their destiny. Jesus, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), has already borne the judgment for sin on the cross, fulfilling the righteous requirements of God's law. Therefore, believers will not face condemnation at this Great White Throne Judgment, for "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Instead, they will partake in the "resurrection of life," while the unrighteous face the "resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29). Christ is the one who conquered death, making a way for eternal life for all who believe, thereby delivering them from the terrifying prospect of judgment according to their works.