What Does Revelation 20:12 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The opened books expose what has been done, while life itself appears in a separate book.
THE MEANING
This verse places you inside a reality where no deed vanishes from God’s sight: the dead stand before God, the books open, and judgment follows what is written and done. The book of life is opened in the same scene, alongside the record of works.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that death erases the account is undone: the dead stand before God, and their works are part of the judgment.
THE ROOT
ἐκρίθησαν
ekrithēsan
GROWS FROM
κριν-
krin-
to distinguish, decide, render judgment
“judged” in this verse is ekrithēsan. The English can make this sound like a bare verdict; the root carries the act of distinguishing and deciding. With the books opened and the works named as the measure, judgment is rendered from what is disclosed, without softening its severity.
ALSO GROWS
krisis: judgment, decision
κρίσις
It names the judgment that follows when what is recorded is brought into view.
kritēs: judge
κριτής
It names the one who makes the decision, connecting judgment to an act of discernment.
ἔργα
erga
GROWS FROM
ἐργ-
erg-
deed, work, something done
The root points to deeds as things done, not merely what is claimed. Here the written record and the works converge: action comes into view and is the stated basis of judgment.
ALSO GROWS
ergazomai: to work, do
ἐργάζομαι
The verb carries the same root into the act of doing that the record makes visible.
ergatēs: worker, one who does a task
ἐργάτης
This branch keeps the focus on the person’s doing, the source of the works named in the verse.
ζωῆς
zōēs
GROWS FROM
ζω-
zō-
to live, living existence
This root belongs to the word family for living. The passage names the book by life while separately describing works as recorded and assessed, keeping both in view in the same scene.
ALSO GROWS
zaō: to live
ζάω
This verb shares the living root behind the name of the book.
zōopoieō: to make alive, give life
ζωοποιέω
This compound carries the same root into the act of giving life.
THE PATTERN
What is done comes into the open before God and forms the measure of judgment.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.THE THREAD
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:Romans uses the same Greek word, ἔργα (erga, “deeds/works”), that Revelation uses for “works.” The shared root links the opened record to the measure named in both passages: what a person has done.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us