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 forever and ever
10. And the devil that deceived them ] Lit. that deceiveth, but the sense is general: as if we were to say “their deceiver.”
into the lake &c.] Rev 19:20.
where ] Read, where also.
the beast and the false prophet are] It might be better to supply were cast. That they are there still, not consumed by their more than thousand years of torment, is not stated in this clause but is in the next.
shall be &c.] To prevent ambiguity we should render, they shall be, all three of them.
for ever and ever ] Lit. to the ages of the ages, as strong an expression for absolute endlessness as Biblical language affords. The expression “day and night” seems hardly consistent with the view often expressed, that the eternity here spoken of is unaccompanied with a sense of duration like that which we call time.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the devil that deceived them – See the notes on Rev 20:3, Rev 20:8.
Was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone – In Rev 19:20, it is said of the beast and the false prophet that they were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. Satan, on the other hand, instead of being doomed at once to that final ruin, was confined for a season in a dark abyss, Rev 20:1-3. As the final punishment, however, he is appropriately represented as consigned to the same doom as the beast and the false prophet, that those great enemies of God, that had been associated and combined in deceiving the nations, might share the same appropriate punishment in the end. Compare Rev 16:13-14.
Where the beast and the false prophet are – See the notes on Rev 19:20.
And shall be tormented day and night forever – Compare the notes on Rev 14:11. All the great enemies of the church are destroyed, and henceforward there is to be no array of hostile forces; no combination of malignant powers against the kingdom of God. The gospel triumphs; the way is prepared for the final consummation.
Section d. – Condition of things in the period referred to in Rev 20:9-10;
(1) There will be, after the release of Satan, and of course at the close of the millennial period properly so called, a state of things which may be well represented by the invasion of a country by hostile, formidable forces. This, as shown in the exposition, need not be supposed to be literal; but it is implied that there will be decided hostility against the true religion. It may be an organization and consolidation, so to speak, of infidel principles, or a decided worldly spirit, or some prevalent form of error, or some new form of depravity that shall be developed by the circumstances of that age. What it will be it is impossible now to determine; but, as shown above (section c, (4)), it is by no means improbable that this will occur even at the close of the millennium.
(2) There will be a decided defeat of these forces thus combined, as if fire should come down from heaven to destroy an invading army. The mode in which this will be done is not indeed stated, for there is no necessity of understanding the statement in Rev 20:9 literally, anymore than the other parts of the chapter. The fair inference, however, is that it will be by a manifest divine agency; that it will be sudden, and that the destruction will be entire. We have no reason, therefore, to suppose that the outbreak will be of long continuance, or that it will very materially disturb the settled order of human affairs on the earth – anymore than a formidable invasion of a country does, when the invading army is suddenly cut off by some terrible judgment from heaven.
(3) This overthrow of the enemies of God and of the church will be final. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, to be tormented day and night forever. The beast and the false prophet are already there Rev 19:20; that is, they will have ceased long since, even before the beginning of the millennial period (Rev 19:20, compared with Rev 20:1-3), to have opposed the progress of truth in the world, and their power will have been brought to an end. Satan now, the last enemy, will be doomed to the same hopeless woe; and all the enemies that have ever opposed the church – in all forms of paganism, Mohammedanism, Popery, and delusion – will be destroyed forever. The world then will have peace; the church will have rest; the great triumph will have been achieved.
(4) For reasons stated in the analysis of the chapter, 5. (c), it is possible that there will be a long period of continued prosperity and peace between the events stated in Rev 20:9-10, and the final judgment, as described in Rev 20:11-15. If so, however, the purpose of the book did not require that that should be described at length, and it must be admitted that the most obvious interpretation of the New Testament would not be favorable to such a supposition. Compare Luk 17:26-30; Luk 18:8; 1Th 5:2, 1Th 5:3; 2Pe 3:3-4. The great glory of the world will be the millennial period; when religion shall have the ascendency and the race shall have reached its highest point of progress on earth, and the blessings of liberty, intelligence, peace, and piety, shall have during that period been spread over the globe. In that long duration, who can estimate the numbers that shah be redeemed and saved? That period passed, the great purpose contemplated by the creation of the earth – the glory of God in the redemption of a fallen race, and in setting up a kingdom of righteousness in a world of apostasy – will have been accomplished, and there will be no reason why the final judgment should not then occur. The work of redemption will now be finished. The end for which the means of grace have been instituted shall be obtained. All the effect which was intended to be accomplished by them shall now be accomplished. All the great wheels of Providence have gone round all things are ripe for Christs coming to judgment (President Edwards History of Redemption).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. And the devil-was cast onto the lake] Before Satan was bound, that is, his power was curtailed and restrained; now, he is cast into the lake of fire, his power being totally taken away.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
After this shall be the end of the world, when the devil shall be restrained to hell, the place of torments, where he shall have all heathens, and all the rabble of antichrist, who shall be there tormented constantly and for ever and ever.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. that deceivedGreek,“that deceiveth.”
lake of firehis finaldoom: as “the bottomless pit” (Re20:1) was his temporary prison.
whereso Coptic.But A, B, Vulgate, and Syriac read, “where also.“
the beast and the falseprophet are (Re 19:20).
day and nightfigurativefor without intermission (Re22:5), such as now is caused by night interposing between day andday. The same phrase is used of the external state of theblessed (Re 4:8). As the blissof these is eternal, so the woe of Satan and the lost must be. As thebeast and the false prophet led the former conspiracy against Christand His people, so Satan in person heads the last conspiracy. Satanshall not be permitted to enter this Paradise regained, to show theperfect security of believers, unlike the first Adam whom Satansucceeded in robbing of Paradise; and shall, like Pharaoh at the RodSea, receive in this last attempt his final doom.
for ever and everGreek,“to the ages of the ages.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the devil that deceived them,…. Both before death, in the present life, by tempting and drawing them into immorality and profaneness, or idolatry, superstition, and will worship, or persecution of the saints; and after their resurrection, by instigating them to make this foolish attempt upon the saints of the most High:
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone; the same with the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; this will be his full torment, in which he is not as yet; and this will not be until the judgment is finished hereafter described; though it is here mentioned to issue the account of Satan at once, and to show what will be his final state and condition:
where the beast and false prophet are; Re 19:20 who for so many years have been companions in wickedness together; the beast being the first beast that received his power, seat, and authority from the dragon, or devil; the false prophet being the second beast, or antichrist in his ecclesiastical capacity, as the beast is antichrist in his civil power, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with signs and lying wonders:
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever; that is, not only the devil, but the beast and false prophet, for the word is in the plural number: and this will be the case of all wicked men, of all whose minds are enmity to God and Christ, and to his people; and is a proof of the eternity of hell torments.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Was cast (). First aorist (prophetic, affective) passive indicative of (verse 3).
Into the lake of fire and brimstone ( ). As in 19:20 with the two beasts, as he adds, “where are also the beast and the false prophet” ( ).
They shall be tormented (). Return to the prophetic future of verses Rev 20:7; Rev 20:8. For see Rev 9:5; Rev 14:10. For “day and night” ( ) see Rev 4:8; Rev 7:15; Rev 12:10; Rev 14:11. For “for ever and ever” ( ) see Rev 1:6; Rev 1:18; Rev 4:9; Rev 4:10; Rev 5:13; Rev 7:12; Rev 10:6; Rev 11:15, etc. The devil was cast down from heaven (12:9), then imprisoned (20:2ff.), now he received his final doom.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
6) THE DOOM OF SATAN
1) “And the devil that deceived them,” (kai ho diabolos ho planon autous) “And the Devil, the one deceiving or deluding them; Rev 20:3; Rev 20:7-8. Though the Devil reigns now, he will not deceive and reign in hell.
2) “Was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,” (eblethe eis ten limnen tou puros kai theiou) “He was cast (thrown down) into the lake of fire and sulfur,” fire and billowing brimstone, Rev 14:10; Rev 19:20.
3) “Where the beast and the false prophet are,” (hopou kai to theriou kai ho pseudoprophetes) “Where (there) were (existed) the beast and the false prophet,” Mat 25:41; Rev 16:13, in the place prepared for the Devil and his angels and them that forget God, Psa 9:17.
4) “And they shall be tormented day and night “ (kai basanisthesontai hemeras kai nuktos) “And they will be tormented, (caused to suffer consciously) day and night,” continuously, without interruption, where there will be no soul rest forever, day and night, Rev 14:10; Mar 9:44.
5) “For ever and ever,” (eis tous aionas ton aionon) “Into (and with relation to) the ages of the ages,” endless time or duration, without cessation, forever. There the conscience, the memorex system of the soul, shall remember in torments of remorse, rejected love and spurned mercy forever, Luk 16:25; Luk 16:31.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(10) And the devil that deceived them . . .Better, And the devil that deceiveth them, or was deceiving them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the wild beasts and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented by day and by night unto the ages of the ages. The devil cast from heaven (Rev. 12:9), bound in the abyss (Rev. 20:3), is now flung into the flaming lake. There they (i.e., the devil, the wild beast, and the false prophet) are tormented unto the ages of ages. (Comp. Rev. 14:10-11; and Note on Rev. 19:20.)
THE JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD.The three enemies have been overthrown and driven forth from the earth which they have sought to destroy (Rev. 11:18). The judgment of human beings must follow.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Beast and false prophet Of this antichristic triad two are allegorical persons, and the third only a literal. It might seem that their fate must be literal cessation of existence, and no consciousness of torment. The for ever and ever, literally taken, can only signify that for them there should never be reversal of their doom. Yet, as figurative persons, they are figuratively held to suffer, as truly as to be slain, in the last chapter; and so their doom is ideally held to be eternal.
Day and night Figuratively representing ceaselessness, even after day and night have forever ceased.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet also are, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.’
The Devil shares the fate of his close minions, and the severity of their punishment is stressed. This parallels the fate of the unearthly beast and the false prophet both of whom represent Satanic power (see Rev 19:20). All three are sent there. Unlike mortal man Satan appears to be indestructible. As a spirit-being he cannot be destroyed and he must therefore be kept under total restraint for ever. The ‘chain’ had allowed him some freedom. That will be the case no longer. The ‘lake of fire’ is a symbol of something that destroys, but that it is not literal comes out in that in the end death and Hades will be destroyed by it (Rev 20:14). It is thus God’s incinerator. Satan’s torment will mainly lie in what he has forfeited and lost, and in what this has made him. It will be the consequence of his own choice and of what he has turned himself into. It will be eternal remorse, burning like a fire around him. It will be a place where he is totally restrained and which he can never leave. His influence is finished.
This is in strict contrast with the fate of rebellious man. The beast and false prophet were cast ‘alive’ (this is emphasised – Rev 19:20) into the lake of fire, whereas it is stressed that the remainder ‘were killed’ (Rev 19:21). Of them we learn that it is only ‘the smoke of their torment’ that arises for ever and ever (Rev 14:11; compare Rev 18:9-10; Rev 18:18; Rev 19:3). In their case, having suffered their deserved punishment, their suffering itself ceases, but the means of their punishment burns on for ever as an everlasting witness.
This is as depicted in Isa 66:24 where they are described in terms of dead bodies tossed on to an eternally burning rubbish dump. Compare Isa 34:10 where a similar idea of smoke arising for ever and ever from God’s judgment is depicted, and the judgment of Babylon the Great, which is also depicted in terms of similar rising smoke (Rev 18:18). Its punishment and destruction leaves behind a permanent reminder, symbolised by rising smoke.
‘The lake of fire and brimstone’. That this is not a literal lake of fire is clear from the fact that Satan has no bodily form, and could thus not be cast into fire. It contrasts, by its connection with brimstone, with the pure fire of God’s holiness (compare Rev 9:17 with Rev 11:5). It indicates something dreadful and miserable and beyond comprehension. It is the ‘eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels’ (Mat 25:41). That their punishment is severe there can be no doubt, but its true form we can never fully appreciate. As mentioned Death and Hades are also thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14). It can thus denote a place of permanent end. They clearly are not kept alive.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
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.
Ver. 10. And the devil ] This Mr Brightman interprets of the Turk, called here the devil, because instigated and set awork by the devil. Albeit another learned expositor is of opinion, that by the fall of the beast and conversion of the Jews, the Turks and other states of the East shall be brought to embrace the gospel, being first taught thereto by some notable foil. What to think of this I know not; but cannot but like well of Diodate’s note upon Rev 20:4 ; that in all this prophecy it is better and more sure to expect and stay for the explication by the event than to give it without any certain ground.
And shall be tormented ] Gr. , racked. The devil and the damned have punishment without pity, misery without mercy, sorrow without succour, crying without comfort, mischief without measure, torments without end and past imagination.
For ever and ever ] This is as another hell in the midst of hell, and forceth them to cry, , , ” woe, woe,” as if they should say, , , “not ever, not ever, Lord.” Whereto conscience answereth as an echo, , , “ever, ever.” Hence that doleful , “woe and alas” for evermore.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
lake, &c. See Rev 19:20.
where. The texts add “also”.
beast, false prophet. See Rev 19:20.
are. No verb. Read “were”, or “were cast”.
and. Add “they”.
tormented. Last of five occurances in Rev. Compare Rev 9:5.
for ever, &c. App-151. a.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 20:10. ) The more recent Latin copies badly omit :[221] and thence construe it thus, where both the beast and the false prophet shall be tormented; as though the devil himself were not to be tormented. The purity of the text is the more to be defended in this place, lest the casting of the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire previously to that of the devil should be obliterated, whereas the particle necessarily infers it. [Not until now does the punishment of Satan commence. Until this limit he continues to sin without restraint, if you except his imprisonment during the thousand years, during which there is an interruption of his worst doings.-V. g.]
[221] A Vulg. and Rec. Text support ; h omits it: also it and Vulg. read the plur. pseudoprophet.-E.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
devil
Satan, Summary: This fearful being, apparently created one of the cherubim (See Scofield “Eze 1:5”) See Scofield “Eze 28:12” and anointed for a position of great authority, perhaps over the primitive creation, (note 3); See Scofield “Gen 1:2” Eze 28:11-15 fell through pride Isa 14:12-14 His “I will” Isa 14:13 marks the introduction of sin into the universe. Cast out of heaven Luk 10:18 he makes earth and air the scene of his tireless activity; Eph 2:2; 1Pe 5:8. After the creation of man he entered into the serpent. See Scofield “Gen 3:1”, and, beguiling Eve by his subtilty, secured the downfall of Adam and through him of the race, and the entrance of sin into the world of men Rom 5:12-14.
The Adamic Covenant (See Scofield “Gen 3:14”) promised the ultimate destruction of Satan through the “Seed of the woman.” Then began his long warfare against the work of God in behalf of humanity, which still continues. The present world-system Rev 13:8 organized upon the principle of force, greed, selfishness, ambition, and sinful pleasure, is his work and was the bribe which he offered to Christ Mat 4:8; Mat 4:9. Of that world-system he is prince; Joh 14:30; Joh 16:11 and god 2Co 4:4. As “prince of the power of the air” Eph 2:2 he is at the head of vast host of demons. See Scofield “Mat 7:22”. To him, under God, was committed upon earth the power of death Heb 2:14. Cast out of heaven as his proper sphere and “first estate,” he still has access to God as the “accuser of the brethren” Rev 12:10 and is permitted a certain power of sifting or testing the self-confident and carnal among believers; Job 1:6-11; Luk 22:31; Luk 22:32; 1Co 5:5; 1Ti 1:20 but this is strictly permissive and limited power, and believers so sifted are kept in faith through the advocacy of Christ Luk 22:31; Luk 22:32. See Scofield “1Jn 2:1”. At the beginning of the great tribulation Satan’s privilege of access to God as accuser will be withdrawn Rev 12:7-12. At the return of Christ in glory Satan will be bound for one thousand years Rev 20:2 after which he will be “loosed for a little season” Rev 20:3; Rev 20:7; Rev 20:8 and will become the head of final effort to overthrow the kingdom. Defeated in this, he will be finally cast into the lake of fire, his final doom. The notion that he reigns in hell is Miltonic, not biblical. He is prince of this present world-system, but will be tormented in the lake of fire.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the devil: Rev 20:2, Rev 20:3, Rev 20:8
the lake: Rev 20:14, Rev 20:15, Rev 19:20
tormented: Rev 14:10, Mat 25:41, Mat 25:46
Reciprocal: Gen 3:15 – it shall Deu 33:7 – and be thou Deu 33:27 – thrust 1Ki 18:40 – slew them there 1Ki 22:22 – a lying spirit 2Ki 10:11 – his priests Isa 1:31 – and they Isa 33:14 – everlasting Isa 64:9 – remember Dan 7:11 – even Dan 7:26 – General Mat 10:28 – able Mat 13:42 – cast Mar 4:15 – Satan Mar 9:44 – the fire Luk 8:28 – I beseech Luk 16:23 – being Luk 16:26 – they pass Joh 8:44 – When Joh 11:25 – I am Joh 16:11 – the 1Co 15:28 – all things Eph 1:21 – in that Phi 3:19 – end Col 2:15 – having 2Th 1:8 – flaming 2Th 2:8 – whom 2Th 2:9 – is 1Ti 4:1 – seducing Heb 6:2 – eternal Jam 2:19 – the 1Pe 5:8 – the devil 2Pe 2:4 – but 1Jo 3:8 – this purpose Rev 7:15 – serve Rev 9:1 – the bottomless Rev 12:9 – deceiveth Rev 13:14 – deceiveth Rev 14:11 – for Rev 16:13 – the false Rev 17:8 – go Rev 22:18 – God
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 20:10. Devil that deceived them refers to the vast hordes who comprised the army of Satan. This verse says nothing about the fate of the deceived ones; that will be shown later. This is the lake of fire and brimstone that is mentioned in chapter 21:8. Tormented day and night is figurative as to the parts of the time for there will be no recurrence of day and night literally. The expression is used to give emphasis to the literal part of the sentence, namely, for ever and ever. In other words there will be no “breathing spell” or even brief intermission for the sake of relief; it will be continuous and endless.
Comments by Foy E. Wallace
Verese 10.
The defeat of the emperor-worship was described in verse ten with metaphors of torment and endless punishment. The three great enemies of the church had been vanquished. The devil who had employed the forces of heathenism to deceive the people and destroy the church, together with the beast and false prophet of Rev. 19:20, was cast into the region of oblivion and eternal torment. The meaning of the vision, simply stated, is that the combined effort of the imperial persecutors and of the heathen powers to stop the advance of the church resulted in colossal failure.
There is no rule of exegesis or of interpretation that could warrant a literal application of the wide sweep of this symbolic language. It was the figurative description of the end and doom of the rulers who oppressed the church of Christ; and it signified that they should nevermore exist to humiliate the Lord’s church, the Lamb’s Bride.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rev 20:10. And the devil that deceiveth them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. The last great enemy of the Church is now overcome and destroyed as the beast and the false prophet have already been (chap. Rev 19:20). He is cast into the lake of fire, where all three are tormented for ever and ever. It is presupposed in this everlasting torment that they have made their final and unchangeable choice of evil. This is indicated in the words that deceiveth, the present tense leading us to the thought of the essential character, not the present action, of the great enemy of man.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The devil is cast down into the lake of fire and brinstone where the beast and false prophet were already being punished. ( Rev 19:20 ) Since the harlot was burned and the smoke goes up, it might be said all the forces of evil reap the same reward. Thayer says the word torment means, “to vex with grievous pains (of body or mind)”. A double plural is used here to indicate time that goes on and on. It is like a repeating number in math. Thus, we could put for ever and ever and ever, etc. God will never be through punishing Satan for what he did. The everlasting fire was prepared for him and the angels that joined him in rebellion. ( Mat 25:41 ) Note the word translated “everlasting” and “eternal” in Mat 25:46 . Therefore, it could be said the reward of the faithful will only go on as long as the punishment of the wicked continues.
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Verse 10
Where the beast and the false prophet are; as stated Revelation 19:20.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
20:10 {18} 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.
(18) The third part, eternal destruction against those that are overcome: as I noted in the same place.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Then God, perhaps using an unnamed agent, will cast Satan, the deceiver, into the lake of fire that He previously prepared for the devil and his angels (Mat 25:41). The fact that the beast and the false prophet are still there shows that this is a place of conscious torment, not annihilation (Rev 19:20). The Gog of the former invasion of Palestine (Rev 19:17-21) is the beast. Furthermore the lake of fire is a place of eternal judgment: "day and night forever and ever." This will be Satan’s final abode, and this judgment will constitute the ultimate bruising of his head (cf. Gen 3:15; Joh 12:31).
"It is hard for humans to conceive of how literal fire can bring torture to nonphysical beings, but the reality of unbearable pain inflicted on Satan is unquestionable. However the Bible may speak of that future punishment-whether as the lake of fire, outer darkness (Mat 8:12; Mat 22:13; Mat 25:30), wailing and gnashing of teeth (Mat 8:12; Mat 13:42; Mat 13:50; Mat 22:13; Mat 24:51; Mat 25:30; Luk 13:28), a never-dying worm and unquenchable fire (Mar 9:48), or fire and brimstone-it presents a picture of mental agony and corporeal suffering combined in proportion to the guilt of those who have sinned (Luk 12:47-48) . . ." [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 426.]