The Great White Throne and the Final Judgment
Revelation 20:11-15
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
Rev.20.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- ειδον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- θρονον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- μεγαν: ADJ,acc,sg,m
- λευκον: ADJ,nom,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- καθημενον: VERB,pres,mid,ptc,acc,sg,m
- επ᾽αυτου: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,m
- ου: PART,neg
- απο: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- προσωπου: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- εφυγεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- γη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ουρανος: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- τοπος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ουχ: PART,neg
- ευρεθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
Parallels
- Daniel 7:9-10 (verbal): The Ancient of Days taking his throne with white clothing/hair and the court seated—prototype language and imagery for a final judgment throne.
- Revelation 4:2-3 (verbal): Earlier heavenly throne-vision ('a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne') that provides structural and visual parallels to the great white throne.
- Revelation 21:1 (thematic): 'New heaven and new earth'—directly relates to the passing away of the former heaven and earth and the statement that no place was found for them.
- 2 Peter 3:10 (thematic): Language of the heavens passing away and being dissolved at the final day parallels the earth and heaven fleeing away before the throne.
- Matthew 25:31 (thematic): The Son of Man sitting on his glorious throne to judge the nations echoes the motif of final judgment from a sovereign throne.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
- Then I saw a great white throne and the One who sat on it; the earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
Rev.20.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ειδον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- νεκρους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- μεγαλους: ADJ,acc,pl,masc,pos
- και: CONJ
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- μικρους: ADJ,acc,pl,m
- εστωτας: PART,perf,act,acc,pl,m
- ενωπιον: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θρονου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- βιβλια: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- ηνοιχθησαν·και: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,pl
- αλλο: ADJ,neut,sg,nom
- βιβλιον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ηνοιχθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- ζωης·και: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- εκριθησαν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,pl
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- νεκροι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- εκ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- γεγραμμενων: PART,perf,pass,gen,pl,n
- εν: PREP
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- βιβλιοις: NOUN,dat,pl,n
- κατα: PREP
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- εργα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
Parallels
- Daniel 7:10 (verbal): The scene of thrones and the explicit phrase that 'the books were opened' is directly echoed here; Revelation draws on Daniel's courtroom/judgment imagery.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 (thematic): Paul's declaration that all must appear before Christ's judgment seat to receive according to their works parallels Revelation's judgment of the dead 'according to their works.'
- Exodus 32:32-33 (allusion): Moses' appeal concerning being blotted out of the LORD's book and God's keeping of a record anticipates the 'book of life' motif and the idea of names being registered or erased.
- Revelation 3:5 (verbal): An explicit New Testament use of the 'book of life' language—those whose names are written will not be blotted out—directly relates to the opened 'book of life' at the final judgment.
- Daniel 12:2 (thematic): The resurrection of the dead 'to everlasting life or shame and contempt' parallels Revelation's depiction of the dead standing before the throne to be judged and assigned destiny.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.
- And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened—the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their works.
Rev.20.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- εδωκεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- θαλασσα: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- νεκρους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- εν: PREP
- αυτη: PRON,dat,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θανατος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αδης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εδωκαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- νεκρους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- εν: PREP
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- και: CONJ
- εκριθησαν: VERB,aor,pas,ind,3,pl
- εκαστος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- κατα: PREP
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- εργα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,m
Parallels
- Revelation 20:12 (structural): Immediate literary parallel in the same scene: books are opened and the dead stand for judgment; verse 13 continues that scene with sea, Death, and Hades giving up the dead who are judged.
- John 5:28-29 (verbal): Jesus declares that the dead will hear his voice and come forth, some to life and some to judgment—parallels the imagery of the dead being given up for a final resurrection and judgment.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 (verbal): All must appear before Christ's judgment seat to receive what is due for deeds done in the body—directly parallels the doctrine of judgment 'each one according to his works.'
- Romans 2:6 (verbal): Paul states that God 'will repay each person according to what they have done,' a succinct parallel to the retributive formula in Rev 20:13.
- Matthew 25:31-46 (thematic): The final judgment where the nations are separated based on their deeds provides a thematic parallel to the judgment of the dead according to works in Revelation 20:13.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each was judged according to his works.
- The sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and they were judged, each one, according to his works.
Rev.20.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θανατος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αδης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εβληθησαν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,pl
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- λιμνην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- πυρος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- ουτος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θανατος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δευτερος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- λιμνη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- πυρος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
Parallels
- Revelation 21:8 (verbal): Explicitly repeats the phrases “lake of fire” and “the second death,” linking Rev 20:14’s judgment language to the final eschatological verdict in 21:8.
- Revelation 20:10 (structural): Earlier in the same narrative the devil is thrown into the lake of fire; places the consigning of death and Hades within the same sequence of final judgments.
- Revelation 19:20 (verbal): Describes the beast and the false prophet being thrown into the lake of fire — the same punitive imagery applied to evil figures prior to Rev 20:14’s universalizing of the fate of death and Hades.
- Matthew 25:41 (thematic): Jesus speaks of ‘eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,’ thematically paralleling Revelation’s lake of fire as the destined place of punishment for the wicked and demonic.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (thematic): Speaks of ‘eternal destruction’ as the punishment of the unrighteous, corresponding theologically to Revelation’s concept of the irreversible ‘second death.’
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
- Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
Rev.20.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- ουχ: PART,neg
- ευρεθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- βιβλω: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- ζωης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- γεγραμμενος: VERB,perf,pass,part,nom,sg,m
- εβληθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- λιμνην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- πυρος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
Parallels
- Revelation 3:5 (verbal): Promises that names will not be blotted out of the book of life — same book/blotting imagery about final standing before God.
- Revelation 13:8 (verbal): Speaks of those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life — directly parallels the book-of-life category determining fate.
- Luke 10:20 (thematic): Jesus tells disciples to rejoice that their names are written in heaven — New Testament parallel of divine registry of the saved.
- Psalm 69:28 (LXX 68:29) (verbal): Prayer: 'Let them be blotted out of the book of the living' — Old Testament background to the blotting motif.
- Exodus 32:32-33 (thematic): Moses appeals to God concerning being blotted out of God’s book — early Israelite precedent for names being written/removed by God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Then I saw a great white throne and the One who sat upon it; from his presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Another book was opened—the book of life—and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their works.
The sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged, every one of them, according to their works.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.