Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 20:12
Verse 12. The dead, small and great] All ranks, degrees, and conditions of men. This description seems to refer to Dan. vii. 9, 10. And the books were opened] See Dan. xii. 1. "Rab. Jehuda said: All the actions of men, whether good or bad, are written in a book, and of all they shall give account." - Sohar Gen., fol. 79, col. 298. "How careful should men be to shun vice, and to act uprightly before the holy blessed God, seeing there are so many which go throughout the earth, see the works of men, testify of them, and write them in a book!" - Ibid., fol. 105, col. 417.
"In the first day of the new year the holy blessed God sits that he may judge the world; and all men, without exception, give an account of themselves; and the books of the living and the dead are opened." Sohar Chadash, fol. 19, 1.
The books mentioned here were the books of the living and the dead, or the book of life and the book of death: that is, the account of the good and evil actions of men; the former leading to life, the latter to death. St. John evidently alludes here to Dan. vii. 10, on which the rabbinical account of the books appears to be founded. The expressions are figurative in both.
According to their works.] And according to their faith also, for their works would be the proof whether their faith were true or false; but faith exclusively could be no rule in such a procedure.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. And I saw the dead , etc.] An account being given of the Judge, next the persons to be judged are described, and in this clause, by the state and condition in which they had been; for it cannot be thought they were dead when they stood before the throne, but were raised from the dead; for this character is not descriptive of them as dead in trespasses and sins, though they are such as die in their sins, and rise in them, who are meant, but as having been corporeally dead; these are the rest of the dead, the wicked, who lived not again until the thousand years were ended, ( Revelation 20:5) as for the righteous, they will be judged upon their resurrection from the dead in the beginning of the day of the Lord; and will be declared righteous and blessed, and be called upon and introduced to inherit the kingdom prepared for them, which they shall have possessed a thousand years when these wicked dead will be raised: who are said to be small and great; which may refer either to their age, being children and adult persons; or to their condition, being kings and peasants, high and low, rich and poor; or to their characters, as greater or lesser sinners; and this description respects them as they are in this world, and is designed to show that no consideration whatever, of age, condition, or character, will exempt them from the general judgment. This is a way of speaking used among the Jews f443 , who say, in the world of souls, ynjqjw ylwdgh , the great and the small, stand before God.
The disputations of the schoolmen, about the age and stature in which mankind will rise and be judged, are vain and foolish: these John saw stand before God; that is, Christ, who is God and Judge of all; before his judgment seat and throne, in order to be judged; for they will stand not as ministering to him, nor as having confidence before him; in this sense they shall not stand in the judgment, ( Psalm 1:5) but as guilty persons, to receive their sentence of condemnation. The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions read, before the throne; the sense is the same; for if they stood before the throne, they must stand before God, that sat upon it: and the books were opened; the book of God's omniscience, which contains all the actions of the wicked, in which all their sins are taken notice of, and will now be brought to light; and the book of his remembrance, in which they are all written as with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond; and the book of the creatures, which they have abused, and which will witness against them; and the book of providence, the riches of whose goodness have been despised by them; and the book of the Scriptures, both of law and Gospel, as well as the book of nature, of the light of nature, (see Romans 2:12,16) to which may be added, the book of conscience; the consciences of men will be awakened, and will accuse them, and bear witness against them, and be as good as a thousand witnesses: and another book was opened, which is the book of life : the same that is mentioned in ( Revelation 3:5 13:8 17:8) the book of eternal election, (see Gill on Revelation 3:5), (see Gill on Revelation 13:8), (see Gill on Revelation 17:8). No other use seems to be made of this book in the judgment of the wicked, than only to observe whose names were not written in it, as appears from ( Revelation 20:15) reference seems to be had to ( Daniel 7:10). It is a notion that has obtained among the Jews f444 , that at the beginning of the year (or every new year's day) yjtpn yrps g , three books are opened, one of the wicked perfect, another of the righteous perfect, and a third of those between both; the righteous perfect are written and sealed immediately for life; the wicked perfect are written and sealed immediately for death; the middlemost are in suspense, and continue from the beginning of the year to the day of atonement; if they are worthy, they are written for life, if not worthy, they are written for death: and in the same treatise f445 , they represent God at the same time of the year as a King, sitting on a throne of judgment, and the books of the living, and the books of the dead, yjwtp , open, before him: this with them was a prelude and a figure of the future judgment: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works ; that is, they were sentenced to everlasting condemnation and death, according to the just demerit of their wicked works; for no other are done by wicked men, nor can any other be in the books, since they are without God and Christ, and destitute of the Spirit, have no principle of grace to act from, nor any good end in view in any action of theirs. So the Jews say f446 , all the works which a man does in this world are written in a book, and they come into thought before the holy King, and they are manifest before him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-15 - After the events just foretold, the end will speedily come; and ther is no mention of any thing else, before the appearing of Christ to judge the world. This will be the great day: the Judge, the Lord Jesu Christ, will then put on majesty and terror. The persons to be judge are the dead, small and great; young and old, low and high, poor an rich. None are so mean, but they have some talents to account for; an none so great, as to avoid having to account for them. Not only thos alive at the coming of Christ, but all the dead. There is a book of remembrance both for good and bad: and the book of the sinner' conscience, though formerly secret, will then be opened. Every man wil recollect all his past actions, though he had long forgotten many of them. Another book shall be opened, the book of the Scriptures, the rule of life; it represents the Lord's knowledge of his people, and his declaring their repentance, faith, and good works; showing the blessings of the new covenant. By their works men shall be justified of condemned; he will try their principles by their practices. Thos justified and acquitted by the gospel, shall be justified and acquitte 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 destroye together. This is the second death; it is the final separation of sinners from God. Let it be our great concern to see whether our Bible justify or condemn us now; for Christ will judge the secrets of all me according to the gospel. Who shall dwell with devouring flames __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 ειδον 1492 5627 τους 3588 νεκρους 3498 μικρους 3398 και 2532 μεγαλους 3173 εστωτας 2476 5761 ενωπιον 1799 του 3588 θεου 2316 και 2532 βιβλια 975 ηνεωχθησαν 455 5681 και 2532 βιβλιον 975 αλλο 243 ηνεωχθη 455 5681 ο 3739 εστιν 2076 5748 της 3588 ζωης 2222 και 2532 εκριθησαν 2919 5681 οι 3588 νεκροι 3498 εκ 1537 των 3588 γεγραμμενων 1125 5772 εν 1722 τοις 3588 βιβλιοις 975 κατα 2596 τα 3588 εργα 2041 αυτων 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Before God. Read qronou throne for Qeou God. So Rev., before the throne.
The books (biblia). No article. Read books. Compare Dan. vii. 10.
Book of life. See on ch. iii. 5.
