20:4 Then 5 I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. 6 I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These 7 had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They 8 came to life 9 and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
20:11 Then 13 I saw a large 14 white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven 15 fled 16 from his presence, and no place was found for them. 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then 17 books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. 18 So 19 the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 20 20:13 The 21 sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death 22 and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 20:14 Then 23 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. 20:15 If 24 anyone’s name 25 was not found written in the book of life, that person 26 was thrown into the lake of fire.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
4 tn Or “and shut.” While the lexical force of the term is closer to “shut,” it is acceptable to render the verb ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) as “locked” here in view of the mention of the key in the previous verse.
5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
6 tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”
7 tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.
8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
9 tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezhsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”
10 tn Or “misled.”
11 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
12 tn The verb in this clause is elided. In keeping with the previous past tenses some translations supply a past tense verb here (“were”), but in view of the future tense that follows (“they will be tormented”), a present tense verb was used to provide a transition from the previous past tense to the future tense that follows.
13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
14 tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.
15 tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.
16 tn Or “vanished.”
sn The phrase the earth and the heaven fled from his presence can be understood (1) as visual imagery representing the fear of corruptible matter in the presence of God, but (2) it can also be understood more literally as the dissolution of the universe as we know it in preparation for the appearance of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1).
17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
18 tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”
19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.
20 tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
22 sn Here Death is personified (cf. 1 Cor 15:55).
23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
24 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
25 tn The word “name” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
26 tn Grk “he”; the pronoun has been intensified by translating as “that person.”