Revelation 20:15
And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
And if anyone
This phrase introduces a conditional statement, emphasizing the universality of the judgment. The Greek word for "anyone" (τις, tis) is indefinite, indicating that no one is exempt from this scrutiny. It underscores the impartiality of God's judgment, where every individual, regardless of status or background, is subject to the same divine standard.

was found
The Greek word for "found" (εὑρέθη, heurethē) implies a discovery or revelation of truth. This suggests a thorough examination, where nothing is hidden from God's sight. It reflects the biblical theme that God knows the hearts of all people and that His judgment is based on truth and righteousness.

whose name was not written
The concept of names being "written" (γεγραμμένον, gegrammenon) in a book is a powerful biblical metaphor for divine record-keeping. In ancient times, important records were meticulously inscribed on scrolls or tablets. This imagery conveys the idea of a permanent and unalterable record, highlighting the seriousness of one's eternal destiny.

in the Book of Life
The "Book of Life" is a significant biblical symbol representing those who belong to God and have eternal life. This concept appears throughout Scripture, notably in Exodus 32:32-33 and Philippians 4:3. It signifies God's intimate knowledge of His people and His sovereign choice in salvation. The assurance of having one's name in this book is a source of hope and security for believers.

he was thrown
The act of being "thrown" (ἐβλήθη, eblēthē) into the lake of fire is a forceful and deliberate action, indicating the finality and severity of divine judgment. This verb conveys the idea of being cast away from God's presence, a theme consistent with the biblical portrayal of hell as a place of separation from God.

into the lake of fire
The "lake of fire" is a vivid and terrifying image of eternal punishment. In the biblical context, fire often symbolizes judgment and purification. However, in this passage, it represents the ultimate consequence of rejecting God. The lake of fire is described elsewhere in Revelation as the second death, a place of eternal torment for those who do not have their names in the Book of Life. This imagery serves as a solemn warning of the reality of hell and the importance of faith in Christ for salvation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Book of Life
A divine record mentioned throughout Scripture, symbolizing those who have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. It represents God's knowledge of those who belong to Him.

2. The Lake of Fire
A place of final judgment and eternal separation from God, often associated with hell. It signifies the ultimate consequence of rejecting God's salvation.

3. Judgment Day
The event where God will judge all humanity. Those not found in the Book of Life face eternal separation from God.

4. The Unbelievers
Individuals who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and thus are not written in the Book of Life.

5. The Apostle John
The author of Revelation, who received this vision while exiled on the island of Patmos.
Teaching Points
The Importance of the Book of Life
The Book of Life is central to understanding eternal security. Believers should find assurance in their salvation through faith in Christ.

The Reality of Judgment
The lake of fire is a sobering reminder of the consequences of rejecting Christ. It calls for a serious reflection on one's spiritual state.

Evangelism and Urgency
Knowing the eternal stakes, Christians are urged to share the Gospel with urgency, ensuring others have the opportunity to have their names written in the Book of Life.

Assurance of Salvation
Believers can have confidence in their salvation, knowing that their names are written in the Book of Life through faith in Jesus.

Living with Eternity in Mind
This passage encourages Christians to live with an eternal perspective, prioritizing spiritual growth and obedience to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of the Book of Life provide assurance to believers, and how can this assurance impact your daily life?

2. In what ways does the reality of the lake of fire influence your approach to sharing the Gospel with others?

3. How can understanding the finality of Judgment Day motivate you to live a life that honors God?

4. Reflect on other biblical references to the Book of Life. How do they deepen your understanding of God's plan for salvation?

5. Considering the eternal consequences described in Revelation 20:15, what practical steps can you take to ensure your life aligns with God's will?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Philippians 4:3
Paul refers to fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life, emphasizing the assurance of salvation for believers.

Daniel 12:1
Daniel speaks of a book that records those who will be delivered, connecting to the concept of the Book of Life.

Matthew 25:41
Jesus speaks of the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, paralleling the lake of fire as a place of judgment.

Exodus 32:32-33
Moses pleads for the people, and God speaks of blotting out names from His book, indicating divine judgment and mercy.
Satan LoosedJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Revelation 20:7-15
Satan Loosed from His Prison After the Thousand YearsC. Clemance, D. D.Revelation 20:7-15
The Age of Moral ReactionD. Thomas, D. D.Revelation 20:7-15
The Saints Compassed by EvilWm. Guild, D. D.Revelation 20:7-15
Death and the GraveH. Bonar, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
Life a BookH. J. Bevis.Revelation 20:11-15
On Future Happiness or MiseryJ. Grant, M. A.Revelation 20:11-15
On the General ResurrectionJames Roe, M. A.Revelation 20:11-15
Society Divided by Christ into Two Great PartsRevelation 20:11-15
Standing Before GodBp. Phillips Brooks.Revelation 20:11-15
The Age of RetributionD. Thomas, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Book of LifeJames Wells.Revelation 20:11-15
The Book of LifeJ. Trapp.Revelation 20:11-15
The Book of MemoryDe Quincey.Revelation 20:11-15
The Books of JudgmentBp. Morrell.Revelation 20:11-15
The Books OpenedT. De Witt Talmage.Revelation 20:11-15
The Day of JudgmentJames Walker.Revelation 20:11-15
The Eternity of the Sorrows of the LostG. Matthew, M.A.Revelation 20:11-15
The Final JudgmentS. Conway Revelation 20:11-15
The Final Judgment Upon Evil ConductR. Green Revelation 20:11-15
The Fourth Scene in the History of Humanity: the Age of RetributionD. Thomas Revelation 20:11-15
The Great AssizeJ. D. Carey.Revelation 20:11-15
The Great White ThroneH. Bonar, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Great White ThroneBp. R. Bickersteth.Revelation 20:11-15
The Great White ThroneC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 20:11-15
The Great White ThroneH. Batchelor.Revelation 20:11-15
The Great White ThroneS. Coley.Revelation 20:11-15
The JudgmentT. T. Munger.Revelation 20:11-15
The JudgmentCanon Hutchings, M. A.Revelation 20:11-15
The Last AssizeH. Melvill, B. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Last JudgmentR. W. Hamilton, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Last JudgmentC. Bradley, M. A.Revelation 20:11-15
The Last JudgmentJ. G. Breay, B. A.Revelation 20:11-15
The Last JudgmentJ. A. Macdonald.Revelation 20:11-15
The Open BooksG. Salmon, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Opened BooksJ. A. Macfadyen, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Opening of the BooksW. H. M. H. Aitken, M. A.Revelation 20:11-15
The Revivals of Memory a Prophecy of JudgmentAbp. Wm. Alexander.Revelation 20:11-15
The Sea Giving Up its DeadW. R. Williams, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
The Terrible Doom of the LostC. S. Robinson, D. D.Revelation 20:11-15
People
Gog, John, Magog
Places
Patmos
Topics
Anyone, Anyone's, Book, Cast, Fire, Lake, One's, Recorded, Scroll, Thrown, Written
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 20:15

     5561   suffering, nature of
     5568   suffering, causes
     6203   mortality
     9105   last things
     9110   after-life
     9511   hell, place of punishment

Revelation 20:1-15

     9155   millennium

Revelation 20:7-15

     9210   judgment, God's

Revelation 20:10-15

     1310   God, as judge

Revelation 20:11-15

     5006   human race, destiny
     6125   condemnation, divine
     9240   last judgment

Revelation 20:12-15

     9420   book of life

Revelation 20:14-15

     5484   punishment, by God
     9512   hell, experience

Library
"But if the Spirit of Him that Raised up Jesus from the Dead Dwell in You, He that Raised up Christ from the Dead, Shall Also
Rom. viii. 11.--"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." As there is a twofold death,--the death of the soul, and the death of the body--so there is a double resurrection, the resurrection of the soul from the power of sin, and the resurrection of the body from the grave. As the first death is that which is spiritual, then that which is bodily, so
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Profanations of Good and Truth
I. Goods and Truths and Their Opposites The Divine good that goes forth from the Lord is united with His Divine truth, as heat from the sun is with light in the time of spring. But angels, who are recipients of the Divine good and Divine truth going forth from the Lord, are distinguished as celestial and spiritual. Those who receive more of the Lord's Divine good than of His Divine truth are called celestial angels; because these constitute the kingdom of the Lord that is called the celestial kingdom.
Emanuel Swedenborg—Spiritual Life and the Word of God

The Life of the Blessed in Heaven.
Having examined the glorious gifts with which the risen body is clothed, and seen that it perfects the soul in all her operations; understanding, moreover, that the glorified senses are to contribute their share to the happiness of man--we shall now consider the happy life of the blessed in heaven, including the resurrection. But, remember, it is not a new life that is now to occupy our thoughts. It is a continuation of the same life that was begun the moment the vision of God flashed upon the soul.
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

An Awful Contrast
"Then did they spit in his face."--Matthew 26:67. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away."--Revelation 20:11. GUIDED BY OUR TEXT in Matthew's Gospel, let us first go in thought to the palace of Caiaphas the high priest, and there let us, in deepest sorrow, realize the meaning of these terrible words: "Then did they spit in his face." There is more of deep and awful thunder in them than in the bolt that bursts overhead, there is
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896

The Seventh vision "In Heaven"
H^7. Chap. xix. 1-16. The final heavenly Utterances and Actions. We now come to the last of the seven Visions seen "in Heaven," which is the subject of chap. xix. 1-16, giving us the final heavenly Utterances and Actions which lead up to, explain, and introduce the five concluding judgments which close up the things of Time, and pass on to what we call the Eternal State. This last Vision "in Heaven" is divided into two parts, each having its own independent construction. The first contains the words
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

The Sea of Sodom
The bounds of Judea, on both sides, are the sea; the western bound is the Mediterranean,--the eastern, the Dead sea, or the sea of Sodom. This the Jewish writers every where call, which you may not so properly interpret here, "the salt sea," as "the bituminous sea." In which sense word for word, "Sodom's salt," but properly "Sodom's bitumen," doth very frequently occur among them. The use of it was in the holy incense. They mingled 'bitumen,' 'the amber of Jordan,' and [an herb known to few], with
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

A Few Sighs from Hell;
or, The Groans of the Damned Soul: or, An Exposition of those Words in the Sixteenth of Luke, Concerning the Rich Man and the Beggar WHEREIN IS DISCOVERED THE LAMENTABLE STATE OF THE DAMNED; THEIR CRIES, THEIR DESIRES IN THEIR DISTRESSES, WITH THE DETERMINATION OF GOD UPON THEM. A GOOD WARNING WORD TO SINNERS, BOTH OLD AND YOUNG, TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BETIMES, AND TO SEEK, BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, TO AVOID, LEST THEY COME INTO THE SAME PLACE OF TORMENT. Also, a Brief Discourse touching the
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Second
refers to Genesis iii., the promise being "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (ii. 10, 11). The reference is to Genesis iii., where death first enters. But the promise goes beyond this; for it relates not merely to the death which came in with sin, but to the "second death," which is revealed in Rev. xx. 14; xxi. 8.
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

The Lapse of Time.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."--Eccles. ix. 10. Solomon's advice that we should do whatever our hand findeth to do with our might, naturally directs our thoughts to that great work in which all others are included, which will outlive all other works, and for which alone we really are placed here below--the salvation of our souls. And the consideration of this great work,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs.
(Gergesa, Now Called Khersa.) ^A Matt. VIII. 28-34; IX. 1; ^B Mark V. 1-21; ^C Luke VIII. 26-40. ^b 1 And they came to the other side of the sea [They left in the "even," an elastic expression. If they left in the middle of the afternoon and were driven forward by the storm, they would have reached the far shore several hours before dark], ^c 26 And they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee. ^a 28 And when he was come into the country of the Gadarenes. ^c 27 And
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The General Resurrection
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. A n object, great in itself, and which we know to be so, will appear small to us, if we view it from a distance. The stars, for example, in our view, are but as little specks
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Appendix xix. On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament
THE Parables of the Ten Virgins' and of the Unfaithful Servant' close with a Discourse on the Last Things,' the final Judgment, and the fate of those Christ's Righ Hand and at His Left (St. Matt. xxv. 31-46). This final Judgment by our Lord forms a fundamental article in the Creed of the Church. It is the Christ Who comes, accompanied by the Angelic Host, and sits down on the throne of His Glory, when all nations are gathered before Him. Then the final separation is made, and joy or sorrow awarded
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Seventh (And Last) vision "On Earth"
E^7, xix. 17&151xx. 15. THE FINAL FIVE JUDGMENTS. We must get a complete view of these in order to embrace them all and view them as a whole. The Structure shows their true sequence: E^7., xix. 17-- 15. The Seventh (and Last) Vision "on Earth." E^7 A^1 xix. 17-21. MEN. The Judgment of the Beast and the False Prophet. B^1 xx. 1-3. SATAN. The Judgment of Satan (Before the Millennium). A^2 xx. 4-6. MEN. The Judgment of the overcomers. The "rest of the dead" left for Judgment. B^2 xx. 7-10.
E.W. Bullinger—Commentary on Revelation

"Now the End of the Commandment is Charity Out of a Pure Heart, and a Good Conscience, and Faith Unfeigned. "
[It is extremely probable that this was one of the probationary discourses which the author delivered before the Presbytery of Glasgow, previous to his ordination. The following is an extract from the Record of that Presbytery: "Dec. 5, 1649. The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his popular sermon 1 Tim. i. ver. 5 'The end of ye commandment is charity.'--Ordaines Mr. Hew Binnen to handle his controversie this day fifteen dayes, De satisfactione Christi."--Ed.] 1 Tim. ii. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope
In 2 Timothy, 3:16, Paul declares: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;" but there are some people who tell us when we take up prophecy that it is all very well to be believed, but that there is no use in one trying to understand it; these future events are things that the church does not agree about, and it is better to let them alone, and deal only with those prophecies which have already been
Dwight L. Moody—That Gospel Sermon on the Blessed Hope

Sanctions of Moral Law, Natural and Governmental.
In the discussion of this subject, I shall show-- I. What constitute the sanctions of law. 1. The sanctions of law are the motives to obedience, the natural and the governmental consequences or results of obedience and of disobedience. 2. They are remuneratory, that is, they promise reward to obedience. 3. They are vindicatory, that is, they threaten the disobedient with punishment. 4. They are natural, that is, happiness is to some extent naturally connected with, and the necessary consequence of,
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
OR, THE THRONE OF GRACE ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The churches of Christ are very much indebted to the Rev. Charles Doe, for the preservation and publishing of this treatise. It formed one of the ten excellent manuscripts left by Bunyan at his decease, prepared for the press. Having treated on the nature of prayer in his searching work on 'praying with the spirit and with the understanding also,' in which he proves from the sacred scriptures that prayer cannot be merely read or said, but must
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness.
^A Matt. IV. 1-11; ^B Mark I. 12, 13; ^C Luke IV. 1-13. ^c 1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, ^b 12 And straightway the Spirit driveth him forth ^c and ^a 1 Then [Just after his baptism, with the glow of the descended Spirit still upon him, and the commending voice of the Father still ringing in his ears, Jesus is rushed into the suffering of temptation. Thus abrupt and violent are the changes of life. The spiritually exalted may expect these sharp contrasts. After being
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Resurrection
'Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.' John 5:58, 29. Q-38: WHAT BENEFITS DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT THE RESURRECTION? A: At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgement, and made perfectly blessed in the
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Word
The third way to escape the wrath and curse of God, and obtain the benefit of redemption by Christ, is the diligent use of ordinances, in particular, the word, sacraments, and prayer.' I begin with the best of these ordinances. The word . . . which effectually worketh in you that believe.' 1 Thess 2:13. What is meant by the word's working effectually? The word of God is said to work effectually when it has the good effect upon us for which it was appointed by God; when it works powerful illumination
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

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