Revelation 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.
Study Note
Study Note
The great white throne judgment — 'I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done' — presents the universal final judgment as forensic, documented, and comprehensive. The 'books' (biblia) recording human deeds are an ancient heavenly court metaphor (Daniel 7:10; Enoch 47:3), while the 'book of life' (20:15) provides the positive register of those belonging to God. The 'great and small' universal inclusion refuses both the privileged escape of the powerful and the hopeless exclusion of the obscure. The judgment 'according to what they had done' should be read in the context of the book of life: works provide evidence of whose kingdom one belongs to, not the basis of entry into life.
Other Translations
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which isthe bookof life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and scrolls were opened, and another scroll was opened, which is that of the life, and the dead were judged out of the things written in the scrolls--according to their works;
And I saw the dead, great and small, taking their places before the high seat; and the books were open, and another book was open, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things which were in the books, even by their works.
Cross References
Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of …
Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that …
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man …
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be …
I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and …
Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of …
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten …
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and …