Verses¶

Primary Passage -- Revelation 20:7-15¶

Revelation 20:1-3 (Dragon/Devil/Satan Bound -- Context)¶

20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Revelation 20:4-6 (First Resurrection -- Context)¶

20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. 20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:7-8 (Satan Loosed, Gog and Magog -- Human Armies)¶

20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea.

Revelation 20:9 (Fire Devours Human Enemies -- DESTRUCTION Vocabulary)¶

20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Key: The human enemies are "devoured" (katephagen, G2719) -- destruction vocabulary.

Revelation 20:10 (Devil, Beast, False Prophet -- TORMENT Vocabulary)¶

20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Key: The three named subjects are the devil, beast, and false prophet. The torment formula ("tormented day and night for ever and ever") is applied to these three entities, not to the human armies of v.9.

Revelation 20:11-13 (Great White Throne Judgment)¶

20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Revelation 20:14 (Death and Hades Cast In -- "Second Death" Identity)¶

20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Key: When death and hades are cast into the lake of fire, the text names the lake "the second death." No torment language.

Revelation 20:15 (Human Wicked Cast In -- NO Torment Language)¶

20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Key: When humans ("whosoever") are cast into the lake of fire, the text does NOT append the torment formula. The human fate is simply stated as being "cast into the lake of fire."

Lake of Fire Passages¶

Revelation 19:15-21 (Context for Beast and False Prophet)¶

19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 19:16 And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great. 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Key: Beast and false prophet cast "alive" (zontes) into the lake. The human remnant were "slain" (v.21) -- again different vocabulary for human vs. symbolic entities. Humans die; the symbolic entities continue.

Revelation 21:1-8 (New Heaven/Earth -- Human Wicked = "Second Death")¶

21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Key: Eight categories of human wicked. The lake of fire is called "the second death" -- death terminology, not torment terminology.

Revelation 19:1-3 ("For Ever and Ever" Formula for Destroyed Babylon)¶

19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 19:2 For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Key: Same "for ever and ever" formula applied to Babylon's smoke. But Babylon is "utterly burned" (18:8), "found no more at all" (18:21), "shall be heard no more at all" (18:22-23). Same author, same book, same formula describes a completed destruction.

Beast/False Prophet Identity Passages¶

Revelation 13:1-8 (First Beast -- Symbolic Entity)¶

13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:11-17 (Second Beast = False Prophet)¶

13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

Revelation 16:13-14 (Dragon, Beast, False Prophet Together)¶

16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Revelation 17:8 (Beast: "Was, and Is Not, and Shall Ascend")¶

17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Key: The beast is described as something that "was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition." This is not a description of a literal human being.

Devil/Dragon Identity¶

Revelation 12:9 (Dragon = Devil = Satan = Old Serpent)¶

12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 12:2 (Woman "Pained" -- basanizo for childbirth)¶

12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

Revelation 14:9-11 (Beast-Worshippers -- Torment in Apocalyptic Context)¶

14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

G928 basanizo -- All 12 Occurrences (Full Verse Text)¶

Non-Judgment Uses (7 of 12)¶

Matthew 8:6 -- Physical illness

And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

Matthew 14:24 -- Waves tossing a boat

But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

Mark 6:48 -- Physical exertion/rowing

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

2 Peter 2:8 -- Moral/emotional distress

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)

Revelation 12:2 -- Childbirth/labor pains

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

Mark 5:7 -- Demon's fear of judgment

And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

Luke 8:28 -- Demon's fear of judgment

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.

Judgment Uses (5 of 12 -- all in apocalyptic/demonic contexts)¶

Matthew 8:29 -- Demons speaking of their own judgment

And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Revelation 9:5 -- Locusts torment with 5-month time limit

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Revelation 11:10 -- Two prophets "tormented" earth-dwellers (prophetic witness = distress)

And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Revelation 14:10 -- Beast-worshippers in apocalyptic vision

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Revelation 20:10 -- Devil, beast, false prophet

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

G929 basanismos -- All 6 Occurrences (All in Revelation)¶

Revelation 9:5 -- 5-month time limit

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Revelation 14:11 -- Smoke of torment ascending

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 18:7 -- Babylon's "torment" = her completed destruction

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Revelation 18:10 -- Babylon's "torment" (Babylon is destroyed)

Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Revelation 18:15 -- Babylon's "torment" (Babylon is destroyed)

The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

Context: Babylon's "torment" in Rev 18 -- what happened to Babylon:

18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her. 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft [he be], shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee

Key: Three of six basanismos occurrences describe Babylon's "torment" -- which IS Babylon's completed destruction. Babylon is "utterly burned," "found no more at all," "heard no more at all."

G931 basanos -- All 3 Occurrences (NOT in eschatological judgment)¶

Matthew 4:24 -- Physical diseases/pains

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Luke 16:23 -- Parabolic context (Rich Man and Lazarus)

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Luke 16:28 -- Parabolic context (Rich Man and Lazarus)

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Matt 25:41,46 -- Everlasting Fire/Punishment¶

Matthew 25:41

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Matthew 25:46

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Key: Matt 25:41 states the everlasting fire was "prepared for the devil and his angels" -- not originally for human beings. Humans are sent there secondarily. The punishment is described as "everlasting punishment" (kolasis aionios), not "everlasting torment."

Isaiah 14:12-20 (The King of Babylon -- Fate Described)¶

14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 14:17 [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; [that] opened not the house of his prisoners? 14:18 All the kings of the nations, [even] all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 14:19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, [and as] the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 14:20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, [and] slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

Key: The fate of the king of Babylon described with destruction vocabulary -- "cut down," "brought down to hell," "cast out of thy grave," "carcase trodden under feet." No torment vocabulary. The passage uses death/destruction imagery.

Ezekiel 28:18-19 (The King of Tyre -- Fate Described)¶

28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 28:19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never [shalt] thou [be] any more.

Key: "I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth" and "never shalt thou be any more." Total annihilation language. Not torment language. The fire "devours" and reduces to "ashes." The result is cessation: "never... any more."

Human Fate Vocabulary -- Outside Revelation¶

Matthew 10:28¶

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9¶

1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Romans 6:23¶

For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 3:16¶

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Philippians 3:19¶

Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.

2 Peter 3:7¶

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Galatians 6:8¶

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Matthew 7:13-14¶

7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 7:14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Hebrews 10:27¶

But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Revelation 1:1 (Genre Identification)¶

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:

Key: The word "signified" (semaino) means "communicated through signs." This is the book's own genre identification as symbolic/sign-language communication.

Revelation 6:8 (Therion -- Literal Beast Usage)¶

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Cross-Testament Parallels¶

Rev 20:10 -- Top NT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Rev 19:20	0.641	beast, burn, cast, deceiv
Rev 14:11	0.498	age, beast, burn, torment
Rev 20:14	0.429	burn, cast, into, lake
Matt 25:41	0.414	age, burn, devil, into
Rev 20:15	0.406	burn, cast, into, lake
Rev 16:13	0.385	beast, prophet
Rev 21:8	0.384	burn, lake
Rev 12:9	0.380	deceiv, devil

Rev 20:10 -- Top OT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Deut 13:6	0.364	burn, prophet
Isa 34:10	0.332	age, burn [continual,forever]

Rev 20:14 -- Top NT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Rev 20:15	0.472	burn, cast, into, lake
Rev 21:8	0.464	burn, death, lake, second
Rev 20:10	0.429	burn, cast, into, lake
Rev 20:13	0.401	death, hade
Rev 1:18	0.383	death, hade
Rev 19:20	0.378	burn, cast, into, lake

Rev 19:20 -- Top NT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Rev 20:10	0.641	beast, burn, cast, deceiv
Rev 16:2	0.501	beast, image, into, mark
Rev 13:14	0.459	beast, before, image, liv
Rev 14:11	0.441	beast, burn, image, mark
Rev 14:9	0.421	beast, image, mark, worship

Matt 25:41 -- Top NT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Rev 14:10	0.418	angel, burn
Matt 4:11	0.416	angel, devil
Rev 20:10	0.414	age, burn, devil, into

Isa 14:12 -- Top NT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Mark 13:25	0.348	fall, heaven
Matt 24:29	0.345	fall, heaven

Ezek 28:18 -- Top NT Parallels¶

Reference	Score	Key Terms
Rev 18:9	0.389	burn, see
Rev 18:8	0.375	burn
Rev 18:5	0.362	iniquity

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