Question about Rev 20:13 and the sea

Kerbluey

Well-Known Member
I find this passage to be very interesting and very confusing. Is this passage simply referring the resurrection of physical bodies? Edited to say, yes, I think that’s what it means. I’m interested in responses though as I’m occasionally wrong, haha.

“The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.”

1. Why is the sea separate from death and Hades?

2. In fact, why are death and Hades separate? What is death?

3. If people go to hell directly after death why is the sea a separate place? Wouldn’t this simply read “hell gave up the dead” instead of 3 separate places?
 
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InsuranceGuy

Well-Known Member
My reply may not make sense. I've always read this as if it were simply saying "the dead were given up" and not looked at it from the 3 separate places viewpoint. Maybe 'death' is just everything else besides the sea and hades? I'm not sure. It just always made sense to me if it were saying the dead were given up wherever they were, but places were mentioned that sort of muddy the waters. I'll stick with my reading because it's probably complicated. lol
 

Andy C

Well-Known Member
Jack Kelley answers your questions with his below response.

Im glad the church will be long gone before, nor will the church have anything to do with the Great White Throne Judgement, nor will those saved during the tribulations. Only unbelievers will be part of this final judgement.

From Jack:

Question: My question concerns revelation chapter 20. The Bible seems to indicate that the final “resting” place of the wicked will be in the lake of fire. Is this the same place as hell? What does it mean by death and hades and they gave up their dead? Where are the unsaved kept until the Great White Throne Judgment. OK, I guess that is three questions.

Answer: The Great White Throne judgment is the event where all the unsaved from the age of man will be assigned their final destiny. From the time of their death until they stand before the throne they are being kept in a temporary place called Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek where they are being tormented by the devil. (In the KJV both words are translated as Hell.) Until the cross, the saved also went to this place, but were comforted by Abraham while they waited for the Lord’s sacrifice to open the gates of Heaven. After the resurrection, He took the believers to Heaven. The unsaved remained where they were.
When Rev. 20:13 says that death and Hades (Hell) gave up the dead that were in them, it means the dead will be taken to stand for judgment before the Great White Throne. Then death and Hades (Hell) and anyone who’s name is not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to join Satan, the anti-Christ and the false prophet, where they’ll all be tormented day and night forever. (Rev. 20:10,15)
https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-dead-and-the-great-white-throne/
 
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Milly_Light

Member
Jack Kelley answers your questions with his below response.

Im glad the church will be long gone before, nor will the church have anything to do with the Great White Throne Judgement, nor will those saved during the tribulations. Only unbelievers will be part of this final judgement.

From Jack:

Question: My question concerns revelation chapter 20. The Bible seems to indicate that the final “resting” place of the wicked will be in the lake of fire. Is this the same place as hell? What does it mean by death and hades and they gave up their dead? Where are the unsaved kept until the Great White Throne Judgment. OK, I guess that is three questions.

Answer: The Great White Throne judgment is the event where all the unsaved from the age of man will be assigned their final destiny. From the time of their death until they stand before the throne they are being kept in a temporary place called Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek where they are being tormented by the devil. (In the KJV both words are translated as Hell.) Until the cross, the saved also went to this place, but were comforted by Abraham while they waited for the Lord’s sacrifice to open the gates of Heaven. After the resurrection, He took the believers to Heaven. The unsaved remained where they were.
When Rev. 20:13 says that death and Hades (Hell) gave up the dead that were in them, it means the dead will be taken to stand for judgment before the Great White Throne. Then death and Hades (Hell) and anyone who’s name is not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to join Satan, the anti-Christ and the false prophet, where they’ll all be tormented day and night forever. (Rev. 20:10,15)
https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-dead-and-the-great-white-throne/


Thanks for sharing this article. I now understand completely.
 

Kerbluey

Well-Known Member
You know, I’d missed that dead unbelievers are currently being tormented by satan. That’s awful, yet I’d imagine their permanent destination is even worse. :oops:
 

DanLMP

Well-Known Member
The roots of the word "sea" from the Hebrew frequently mean chaos.
Consider this when interpreting passages, especially the one late in Revelation which says that their will be no more "sea" after God remakes everything.
 

Trust&Obey

Well-Known Member
Jack Kelley answers your questions with his below response.

Im glad the church will be long gone before, nor will the church have anything to do with the Great White Throne Judgement, nor will those saved during the tribulations. Only unbelievers will be part of this final judgement.

From Jack:

Question: My question concerns revelation chapter 20. The Bible seems to indicate that the final “resting” place of the wicked will be in the lake of fire. Is this the same place as hell? What does it mean by death and hades and they gave up their dead? Where are the unsaved kept until the Great White Throne Judgment. OK, I guess that is three questions.

Answer: The Great White Throne judgment is the event where all the unsaved from the age of man will be assigned their final destiny. From the time of their death until they stand before the throne they are being kept in a temporary place called Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek where they are being tormented by the devil. (In the KJV both words are translated as Hell.) Until the cross, the saved also went to this place, but were comforted by Abraham while they waited for the Lord’s sacrifice to open the gates of Heaven. After the resurrection, He took the believers to Heaven. The unsaved remained where they were.
When Rev. 20:13 says that death and Hades (Hell) gave up the dead that were in them, it means the dead will be taken to stand for judgment before the Great White Throne. Then death and Hades (Hell) and anyone who’s name is not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to join Satan, the anti-Christ and the false prophet, where they’ll all be tormented day and night forever. (Rev. 20:10,15)
https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-dead-and-the-great-white-throne/
This is very good! I wonder, though, if the reference to the sea and death refers to a resurrection of the bodies and spirits for the White Throne Judgment? Then it would make sense if the sea or death (the earth) would be giving up their old bodies and Hades would be giving up their souls. They wouldn't be given "new" bodies, but they would stand in their old bodies for judgment. Just a thought.
 

antitox

Well-Known Member
The way I look at it: Rev 13 states that the beast comes out of the sea and the false prophet comes out of the earth. As I understand it, the sea is a descriptive from out of many people, so when Rev mentions this concerning the dead, I see it describing from the many souls that were in the netherworld which got mentioned "death and hades."
 
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