Revelation 20 · Verse 11

Revelation 20:11

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Revelation 20:11, King James Version

Revelation 20:11 in other translations

BSB	Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
WEB	I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the sky fled away. There was found no place for them.
ASV	And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
YLT	And I saw a great white throne, and Him who is sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven did flee away, and place was not found for them;
DARBY	And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled, and place was not found for them.
BBE	And I saw a great white seat, and him who was seated on it, before whose face the earth and the heaven went in flight; and there was no place for them.
Webster	And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

What does Revelation 20:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

11. great--in contrast to the "thrones," Re 20:4. white--the emblem of purity and justice. him that sat on it--the Father [Alford]. Rather, the Son, to whom "the Father hath committed all judgment." God in Christ, that is, the Father represented by the Son, is He before whose judgment-seat we must all stand. The Son's mediatorial reign is with a view to prepare the kingdom for the Father's acceptance. When He has done that, He shall give it up to the Father, "that God may be all in all," coming into direct communion with His creatures, without intervention of a Mediator, for the first time since the fall. Heretofore Christ's Prophetical mediation had been prominent in His earthly ministry, His Priestly mediation is prominent now in heaven between His first and second advents, and His Kingly shall be so during the millennium and at the general judgment. earth and heaven fled away--The final conflagration, therefore, precedes the general judgment. This is followed by the new heaven and earth (Re 21:1-27).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 11. And I saw a great white throne. This verse commences the description of the final judgment, which embraces the remainder of the chapter. The first thing seen in the vision is the burning throne of the Judge. The things that are specified in regard to it are that it was great, and that it was white. The former expression means that it was high or elevated. Compare Isa 6:1. The latter expression--white--means that it was splendid or shining. Compare 1Kgs 10:18-20. The throne here is the same which is referred to in Mt 25:31, and called there "the throne of his glory."

And him that sat on it. The reference here, undoubtedly, is to the Lord Jesus Christ, the final Judge of mankind, (compare Mt 25:31,) and the scene described is that which will occur at his Second Advent.

From whose face. Or, from whose presence; though the word may be used here to denote more strictly his face--as illuminated, and shining like the sun. See Rev 1:16, "And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."

The earth and the heaven fled away. That is, as the stars, at the rising of the sun, seem to flee to more remote regions, and vanish from human view, so when the Son of God shall descend in his glory to judge the world, the earth and all other worlds shall seem to vanish. Every one must admire the sublimity of this image; no one can contemplate it without being awed by the majesty and glory of the final Judge of mankind. Similar expressions, where the natural creation shrinks back with awe at the presence of God, frequently occur in the Bible. Compare Ps 18:7-15, 77:16-19, 114:3-5, Hab 3:6,10-11.

And there was found no place for them. They seemed to flee entirely away, as if there was no place where they could find a safe retreat, or which would receive and shelter them in their flight. The image expresses in the most emphatic manner the idea that they entirely disappeared, and no language could more sublimely represent the majesty of the Judge.

(a) "earth" 2Pet 3:10,12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11 A great white throne - Refulgent with glorious majesty. Him that sat on it - The indescribable Jehovah. From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away - Even the brightness of his countenance dissolved the universe, and annihilated the laws by which it was governed. This is a very majestic figure, and finely expressed. There was found no place for them - The glorious majesty of God filling all things, and being all in all.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 20:11-15

After the events just foretold, the end will speedily come; and there is no mention of any thing else, before the appearing of Christ to judge the world. This will be the great day: the Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, will then put on majesty and terror. The persons to be judged are the dead, small and great; young and old, low and high, poor and rich. None are so mean, but they have some talents to account for; and none so great, as to avoid having to account for them. Not only those alive at the coming of Christ, but all the dead. There is a book of remembrance both for good and bad: and the book of the sinner's conscience, though formerly secret, will then be opened. Every man will recollect all his past actions, though he had long forgotten many of them. Another book shall be opened, the book of the Scriptures, the rule of life; it represents the Lord's knowledge of his people, and his declaring their repentance, faith, and good works; showing the blessings of the new covenant. By their works men shall be justified or condemned; he will try their principles by their practices. Those justified and acquitted by the gospel, shall be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death, or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. This is the second death; it is the final separation of sinners from God. Let it be our great concern to see whether our Bibles justify or condemn us now; for Christ will judge the secrets of all men according to the gospel. Who shall dwell with devouring flames?

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Revelation 20:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΚαὶKaiAndG2532

εἶδονeidonI sawG1492

θρόνονthronona throneG2362

μέγανmegangreatG3173

λευκὸνleukonwhiteG3022

καὶkaiandG2532

τὸνtonthe [One]G3588

καθήμενονkathēmenonsittingG2521

ἐπ᾽ep᾽onG1909

αὐτόν,autonit,G846

οὗhouwhoseG3739

ἀπὸapofromG575

προσώπουprosōpoufaceG4383

ἔφυγενephugenfledG5343

ἡhētheG3588

γῆgēearthG1093

καὶkaiandG2532

ὁho<the>G3588

οὐρανός,ouranosheavenG3772

καὶkaiandG2532

τόποςtoposplaceG5117

οὐχouchnotG3756

εὑρέθηheurethēwas foundG2147

αὐτοῖς.autoisfor them.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 20:11

Revelation 21:1
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 Peter 3:7
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Daniel 2:35
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Matthew 25:31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
2 Peter 3:10-12
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Romans 2:5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Acts 17:30-31
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Jeremiah 4:23-26
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.
Revelation 16:20
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Psalms 9:7-8
But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Revelation 6:14
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

I saw.
2; 19:11; Ge 18:25; Ps 9:7,8; 14:6,7; 47:8; 89:14; 97:2; Mt 25:31
Ac 17:30,31; Ro 2:5
from.
6:14; 16:20; 21:1; Jer 4:23-26; Da 2:35; Mt 24:35; 2Pe 3:7,10-12
and there.
12:8; Job 9:6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Revelation 20:10
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.
Revelation 20:11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
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.

Read all of Revelation 20

Revelation 20:11 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y vi un gran trono blanco y al que estaba sentado sobre él, de delante del cual huyó la tierra y el cielo; y no fué hallado el lugar de ellos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et je vis un grand trône blanc, et celui qui était assis dessus, de devant la face duquel la terre s’enfuit et le ciel; et il ne fut pas trouvé de lieu pour eux.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und ich sah einen großen weißen Thron und den, der darauf saß, vor dessen Angesicht die Erde entfloh und der Himmel, und keine Stätte wurde für sie gefunden.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et vidi thronum magnum candidum, et sedentem super eum, a cujus conspectu fugit terra, et cælum, et locus non est inventus eis.