Translation commentary on Revelation 20:12

The dead, great and small: this means all who have died, including important and common people (see 11.18; 13.16; 19.5, 18). These are “the rest of the dead” of verse 5, that is, all the rest of humanity in addition to the resurrected martyrs. As verse 5 makes clear, these dead people have been raised to life for this final judgment; but the text here does not explicitly say they have been resurrected. The text also says nothing of any persons who are alive at the time of the Final Judgment.

Books were opened: presumably the attending angels opened these books, the ones in which the actions of all people are recorded. In some languages it will be necessary to say “they (unknown subjects) opened the books.”

Another book … the book of life: see 3.5; 13.8.

Were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done: this can be stated “were judged according to what they had done, as recorded (or, written) in the books.” For by what they had done, compare “as your works deserve” in 2.23. In languages that do not use the passive, one may say “God judged them according to what (or, the things) they had done, as he had recorded it in the books.”

Beginning with books were opened the translation can read as follows:

• … and the books in which the actions of all people had been recorded were opened. And then another book was opened, the book containing the names of those who will live forever with God. All the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded (or, written) in the books.

Or:

• … they opened the books in which God had recorded the actions of all people. Then they opened another book. This book contained the names of those people who will live forever with God. He judged all the dead people according to what they had done, as he had recorded it in the books.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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