Friday, July 19, 2024

Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes on Revelation 20:12 (cf. D&C 128:6)

  

20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God/And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before the throne: It is likely that the phrase would be better written “once dead,” since all at this point have been resurrected. The phrase “great and small” denotes everyone. None escape judgment.

 

and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: On “the book of life,” see Notes at 3:5.

 

The book of life is the heavenly record and contains the names of the sanctified who will inherit eternal life (see D&C 132:19). The other books are the complimentary records kept by proper authority on earth that show that the necessary ordinances have been performed for the sanctified (D&C 132:6–8; compare Dan. 7:10).

 

and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works/then the dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the books, according to their works: Here the καί (kai) makes “a temporal transition from the previous clauses” and takes the place of such temporal adverbs as εἶτα (eita) or τότε (tote) and is translated as “then” in the Rendition. The “works” here spoken of include baptism, endowment, and eternal marriage, and enduring to the end in righteousness. When a person meets these requirements, he and she are assured of eternal life. (Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, The Revelation of John the Apostle [BYU New Testament Commentary Series; Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, 2013], 485-86)