Revelation 20:9

9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

Revelation 20:9 in Other Translations

9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,

9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

9 They'll stream across the earth, surround and lay siege to the camp of God's holy people, the Beloved City. They'll no sooner get there than fire will pour out of Heaven and burn them up.

9 They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

Revelation 20:9 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 20:9

And they went up on the breadth of the earth
Either the whole earth, in the several parts of which they will be raised; or the land of Israel, where Christ and his people will be; and so the wicked being raised, will come up from the several parts of the world, and spread themselves over the holy land; just as Gog and Magog are said to cover the land of Israel, as a cloud, ( Ezekiel 38:16 ) and it may be observed, that the very phrase of (Kura bxr) , "the breadth of thy land", is used of Immanuel's land, or the land of Israel, in ( Isaiah 8:8 )

and compassed the camp of the saints about;
these are the blessed and Holy Ones, who have part in the first resurrection, even all the saints; not only the martyrs under the Heathen persecutions, and the confessors of Christ under the Papacy, but all the saints from the beginning of the world; these will be all encamped together, with the tabernacle of God in the midst of them, ( Revelation 21:3 ) and Christ their King at the head of them, ( Micah 2:13 ) the allusion is to the encampment of the children of Israel in the wilderness, about the tabernacle, which was in the midst of them, ( Numbers 2:2 ) &c. afterwards the city of Jerusalem itself was called a camp, and answered in all respects to the camp in the wilderness ^F6, to which the reference is in ( Hebrews 13:11-13 ) and which serves to illustrate the passage here, since it follows:

and the beloved city:
not Constantinople, as some have thought, but the holy city, the new Jerusalem, ( Revelation 21:2 ) the general assembly and church of the firstborn, beloved by God and Christ, and by the holy angels, and by one another; and these very probably will be with Christ upon the same spot of ground where the Old Jerusalem stood, a city so highly favoured, and so much distinguished by God; so that where Christ suffered so much reproach and shame, and such an accursed death, he will now be glorified, and live in triumph with his saints:

and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them;
not material fire; with this the earth, and the bodies of the wicked then upon it, will be burnt at the beginning of the thousand years; but now their bodies will be raised immortal, and not capable of being consumed with such fire; but the fiery indignation of God, or his wrath, which will be poured out like fire, is here meant, which will destroy both body and soul; this is no other than the lake of fire, or second death, into which they will be cast; and which will not be until the judgment is over, though it is here related to show what will be the event and issue of their attack upon the saints: the allusion is to the fire sent upon Gog and Magog, and to the burning of their weapons, in ( Ezekiel 38:22 ) ( Ezekiel 39:6 Ezekiel 39:9 Ezekiel 39:10 ) and so the Jews

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 say of their Gog and Magog, that

``they shall be killed with the burning of the soul, with a flame of fire, which shall come from under the throne of glory.''

F6 T. Bab Zebachim, fol. 116. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Beth Habbechirah, c. 7. sect. 11.
F7 Targum Jon. in Numb. xi. 26.

Revelation 20:9 In-Context

7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison

8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.

9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.

Cross References

• 1. Ezekiel 38:9,16
• 2. Psalms 87:2
• 3. Ezekiel 38:22; Ezekiel 39:6; S Revelation 13:13