After the defeat of Antichrist, Satan is bound and imprisoned that the rebellious earth may be cleared up and the kingdom of Christ may come (vv. 4-6).

They refers to the overcomers. They are now sitting upon thrones, and authority to judge has been given to them. Having authority to judge means having the kingdom (cf. Dan. 7:10, 18, 22). This indicates that they have received the kingdom and are enjoying it.

These are the ones who are martyred throughout the church age, as mentioned in Rev. 6:9.

These are the ones who are martyred during the great tribulation (Rev. 13:7, 15).

I.e., were resurrected.

These are the unsaved who will participate in the resurrection of judgment after the millennium (John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:23-24; Rev. 20:12).

Or, best. The first resurrection is the best one. It is not only the resurrection of life (John 5:29; 1 Cor. 15:23b; 1 Thes. 4:16) but also the resurrection of reward (Luke 14:14), the out-resurrection, i.e., the outstanding resurrection, which the apostle Paul sought (Phil. 3:11), the resurrection of kingship as a reward to the overcomers, which enables them to reign as co-kings with Christ in the millennial kingdom (vv. 4, 6). Hence, blessed is he who has part in the first resurrection (v. 6).

Or, happy. The highest blessing is to inherit the kingdom of God manifested on earth and even to be the co-kings of Christ within the kingdom.

Not only the resurrected overcomers, such as the man-child in Rev. 12:5 and the later martyrs in Rev. 15:2, but also the raptured living overcomers, such as the firstfruits in Rev. 14:1-5, have part in the issue of the first resurrection.

See note Rev. 2:11^2d.

The overcomers will be priests, drawing near to God and Christ, and kings, reigning over the nations with Christ in the millennium (Rev. 2:26-27; 12:5). As priests, they satisfy God and Christ, who enjoy their service, and as kings they reign for God and represent God, shepherding man for man's enjoyment and satisfaction. This is a reward to the overcomers. The believers who are defeated in this age will forfeit this reward. However, after being dealt with by the Lord in the millennium, these defeated ones will participate in the blessing of this reward, which will be to serve God and represent God in the kingship in the new heaven and new earth for eternity (Rev. 22:3, 5).

Some ancient authorities have the definite article the.

The abyss (v. 3) will be a temporary prison for the devil. After the thousand years, he will be released from his prison to be God's tool to test mankind for the last time.

Gog and Magog, according to Ezek. 38:2-3 and Ezek. 39:1-2, must be Russia. Ezekiel 38:2 (ASV) indicates that Gog and Magog are of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, which correspond with Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk. Ezekiel 39:2 (ASV) refers to these places as "the uttermost parts of the north." What is mentioned concerning Gog and Magog in Ezek. 38 and 39 will occur before the millennium, whereas what is recorded concerning them in this chapter will take place after the millennium. This verse shows that Satan's deceiving of the nations that are in the four corners of the earth is his deceiving of Gog and Magog. This may indicate that in mankind's last rebellion against God, which will be instigated by Satan, Gog and Magog will take the lead and the nations will follow.

This will be the last war on earth. It will be caused by mankind's last rebellion, which will be instigated by Satan, God's enemy, after the millennium. Although mankind will be in a restored state for one thousand years, man's rebellious nature will still remain. It will be exposed by Satan's last instigation and will be purged away by the Lord's final judgment on mankind.

The camp of the saints is the lodging place of the overcoming believers, who compose the heavenly armies (Rev. 19:14) camping on earth. The beloved city is the city of Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the remnant of Israel. The overcoming believers and the remnant of Israel are God's faithful people on earth in the millennium, who stand with God and for God. At the end of the millennium, Satan will instigate rebellious mankind from the uttermost parts of the north to attack God's people.

The camp of the saints is the lodging place of the overcoming believers, who compose the heavenly armies (Rev. 19:14) camping on earth. The beloved city is the city of Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the remnant of Israel. The overcoming believers and the remnant of Israel are God's faithful people on earth in the millennium, who stand with God and for God. At the end of the millennium, Satan will instigate rebellious mankind from the uttermost parts of the north to attack God's people.

Some ancient authorities insert, from God.

The lake of fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). However, the beast and the false prophet, as well as the "goats" in Matt. 25:32-33, 41, are cast into it a thousand years earlier than the devil (Rev. 19:20). After the thousand years, the devil also is thrown into it.

White here signifies righteous, indicating that the Lord's great throne, which is for His judgment, is righteous.

Him must refer to the Lord Jesus. God the Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22) and has ordained Him to be the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rom. 2:16). Matt. 25:31-46 speaks of the Lord as the One who will judge the living before the millennium. Here, the Lord is the One who will judge the dead after the millennium.

The old heavens and the old earth will be changed (Heb. 1:11-12). The old heavens will pass away, their elements being burned and dissolved, and the old earth will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10). Out of this change will issue the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1) as the universe of the new creation, which will serve as the location for the New Jerusalem in eternity.

Standing here indicates that the dead have been resurrected. This is the resurrection of the unbelievers, the resurrection of judgment, after the millennium (John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:23-24).

These scrolls are the record of the unbelievers' works and deeds; the unbelievers will be judged according to what is recorded in the scrolls.

This is the record of the names of the believers (Rev. 13:8; 17:8; Luke 10:20).

These scrolls are the record of the unbelievers' works and deeds; the unbelievers will be judged according to what is recorded in the scrolls.

Since the dead unbelievers who were drowned in the sea are included among those in Hades, the dead given up by the sea must not include any unbelieving human beings; they may be the spirits (the demons today — Matt. 8:31-32; 12:43) of the living beings of the preadamic age (see Life-study of Genesis, Message Two). This may indicate that today's demons will be judged at the great white throne along with the unbelieving human beings.

The lake of fire is the "trash can" for the entire universe, into which all negative things, including death and Hades, will be cast. Death will be the last enemy destroyed by the Lord (1 Cor. 15:26).

In the first death, the soul and spirit of fallen men are separated from their body and perish in the section of suffering in Hades (Luke 16:22-24). In the second death, their soul and spirit, after being rejoined to their body in resurrection, are cast with their body into the lake of fire. This means that the unbelievers' whole being — spirit, soul, and body — will perish in eternal torment in the lake of fire.

The perishing unbelievers will be judged according to the scrolls, which are a record of their works (vv. 12-13), but they will be cast into the lake of fire according to the book of life. This indicates that they are condemned by the Lord because of their evil deeds but perish because of their unbelief, which issues in their not having their names written in the book of life. Not believing in the Lord Jesus is the unique sin that causes people to perish (John 16:9).

Lit., scroll.

The lake of fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). Since the unbelievers have followed the devil, they will share the devil's judgment (John 16:11) and will become joint partakers of the devil's eternal torment. The demons, also having followed the devil, will share the same destiny.