Revelation 20:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

John said that books were opened, and also another book. Of the latter he did not keep silent as to what kind of book it was. This book, he says, is the book of each one's life.

Therefore, by those books which he mentioned first, we should understand the sacred books, both old and new, that is, Scripture. In these books it was shown what God commanded to be done by His commandments.

In the book that is the book of life, it is recorded what each person did or did not do from what was commanded.

If this latter book is imagined bodily, who could determine its size and length? Or how much time would be needed to read a book in which the whole life of all and each is described?

The dead are either all people who have died bodily, or those made dead by transgressions. They are great and small either by age, as was said above, or because they will be punished unequally, according to the number of their dead works. Or the great are the righteous, and the small are sinners, worthless because of defilement and the low value of the soul through their sins. The opened books are the conscience and deeds of each person. One of them is the book of life, with the names of the saints written in it.

Who is free before God, if not those who have confessed that they exist by the power of Him who judges the deeds of each?

God is said to have a book, not a bodily book, but a spiritual one, that is, eternal memory, where the names of the faithful are preserved. Therefore the psalm says: "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance" (Ps 111:6).

"And another book was opened, which is the book of life." The book of life, and life itself, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Then He will open, that is, make known to all creation, when He gives to each according to his works.

"The dead were judged according to what was written in the books, according to their works." David says: "Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this" (Ps 61:12).

He calls the righteous great, not because of bodily size, but because of the glory and radiance of their virtue. By the small he means sinners, since they became insignificant through their base disposition and worthlessness.

"And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life." In the Gospel the Lord says that broad and spacious is the way leading to perdition, and many go by it.

He also says that narrow and strait is the way leading to life, and that few not only walk upon it, but even find it (cf. Mt 7:13-14).

Therefore he saw many books at once, and one book. The many books are those in which all men are written, since their multitude is contained there.

When Thou shalt come, O God, to earth with glory, all things will tremble, and the river of fire will flow before Thy judgment seat. The books will be opened, and the hidden things will be revealed.

Then deliver me from the unquenchable fire, and count me worthy to stand at Thy right hand, O most righteous Judge.

Ikos (To phoberon). Thinking on Thy dread tribunal, O most glorious Lord, and on the day of judgment, I am afraid and tremble, being accused by my conscience.

When Thou shalt will to sit upon Thy throne and make examination, then no one will be able to deny his sins. For truth itself will accuse, and fear will encompass all.

Then the fire of Gehenna will roar mightily, so that sinners will gnash their teeth. Therefore have mercy on me before the end, and spare me, O most righteous Judge.

"And the dead were judged," and so forth. That is, they were judged according to the books of the Old and New Testaments, according to what they did by them and what they did not do.

The books may also be understood as the works of the righteous, because in comparison with them the evil receive condemnation. It is as though, when these books are opened, they read in them the good deeds which they themselves did not wish to perform.

The opinion of those who think that the opened books mentioned above are each person's thoughts and deeds, now disclosed, seems just to me.

As for the book of life, it is the foreknowledge of God, which cannot err, concerning those to whom eternal life will be given. They are written in this book and therefore are known beforehand.

In this prophetic vision of John, the interpreters of Revelation see the dread Judgment of God. Then the dead will live (cf. Jn 5:25), and their souls will be united with their bodies, though changed into a better form and made incorruptible (cf. 1 Cor 15:35-44).

They will appear to give an account of their earthly deeds and to receive the recompense due to them (cf. 2 Cor 5:10).

"Every body will be composed and given back from that into which it was dissolved, whether it was given over to earth or to sea," says Saint Andrew.

"And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire." According to Saint Andrew, this means that the evil demons, guilty of the source of death, which is sin, will be cast into the fire.

They have Hades as their refuge, and there they also conduct those who obey them. Thus death and Hades here name their authors, just as a city may name those who live in it.

The opened books, by which judgment is carried out over the dead, symbolically depict the omniscience and righteousness of the Judge. All the deeds of the people on trial are known to Him with such detail and precision as though they had been written down by Him. It is worthy of note that there is only one book of life, as if as a sign of the smaller number of the elect. Yet there are several books in which the names and deeds of the condemned are written.

After this final victory over the devil there followed the universal resurrection of the dead and the dread judgment of God upon mankind. The Apostle John saw people standing before the throne of God, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. According to the interpretation of St. Andrew, "the opened books are the conscience and deeds of each person. One of them is the book of life, with the names of the saints written in it."