Revelation 20:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

and He will cast their leader, the devil, together with the antichrist, into the lake of fire for eternal torments.

But we, having been taught by Christ the Savior to pray that we may not fall into temptation (Mt 6:13), and knowing our weakness, shall entreat Him unceasingly and earnestly.

We shall ask to escape this temptation and not to see the coming of the antichrist, nor the nations named above, nor the death-dealing calamities that can force one to fall away from the saving faith.

Rather, preserving as far as possible the testimony of conscience uncorrupted and unwounded, and showing by good works the flame of our love for Christ, who redeemed us by His Blood, let us await the reception of eternal blessings.

May we receive them in our Savior and Redeemer, Christ. With Him, to the Father, together with the Holy and Life-giving Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The devil and his people went out on the breadth of the earth, that is, they reached the arrogance of pride. "And they surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city," that is, the Church.

This is what he said above about those gathered at Armageddon (cf. Rev 16:16). For they will not be able to gather from the four corners of the earth into one city.

Rather, in the four corners themselves, each nation will gather to besiege the holy city, that is, to persecute the Church.

"And fire came down from heaven to the earth," that is, from the Church, "and devoured them." Fire is understood here in two senses.

Either through the fire of the Holy Spirit they believe in Christ and are spiritually devoured by the Church, that is, incorporated into the Church. Or they are devoured by the fire of their own sins and perish.

"And they surrounded the beloved city," that is, the Church. Yet the fire descending from heaven will destroy them all.

When retribution finally comes, the author of evil, Satan, together with the devil and the antichrist, will be cast into the lake of fire, that is, Gehenna.

Let the reader know that this book of Revelation above presented three to us. The first is the dragon, the author of evil, appearing in heaven.

The second is the beast coming up from the sea, whom we consider second after Satan, yet surpassing the other demons. The third is the antichrist, who is also called the false prophet (cf. Rev 12:3; 13:1, 11).

A little earlier it was said of the second, the devil, and of the antichrist, that both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev 19:20).

After the term appointed by God for the reign of the devil on earth has elapsed, before the end of the visible world, Satan will be released from his bonds. He will rise up for the last and decisive battle against Christ and His Church.

Although this last battle is described here briefly, time in the prophecies is used chiefly in an indefinite sense. Therefore one may suppose that this battle will embrace a considerable span of time.

Besides this, it is evident that the prophecy speaks of the last times of the world. From the Gospel we know that before the end of the world there will be wars, civil strife, and terrible changes in nature.

Thus the centuries-long and terrible activity of the progenitor of every evil, the devil, and of his last accomplices in the human race will end. All three will be cast down into Hades for eternal torments: first the antichrist and his false prophet, and then Satan himself.