Just Who Will Be Tormented at Revelation 20.10?

And the slanderer,
the one who deceives [the nations to surround the camp of the saints and the city, the beloved city],
he was thrown into the lake of the fire and sulfur
where the monsterlike animal and the false prophet had also been thrown;
and they will be tormented day and night into the aeons of the aeons.1

One e-mail, three letters, and nearly seven years without correction or reply, the author posts anew his open letter to the Living Church of God, publisher of Tomorrow's World magazine.

May the following provide factual and substantial support for why the Christian is under the imperative to test the quality of everything (1 Thessalonians 5.21). Whatever one submits to us to be believed as true regarding the Bible and its teachings, do not accept it as true and approve of it without first trying to ascertain its purity and soundness by examination and testing (cf. Acts 17.11).2 Put all such things to the test. Hold firmly to that which passes the Touchstone. Reject the rest. No word of any organization, ministry, denomination, church, individual, or web site---including this one---is above scrutiny.

Dear Living Church of God,

In the January-February 2004 edition of Tomorrow's World page nine ("Questions & Answers") reads,
Q[uestion:] Does Revelation 20:10 teach that the Beast and the false prophet will spend eternity being tormented in burning hell-fire?
    A[nswer:] This is a common misunderstanding, caused by translators' (and many readers') careless assumptions. First, take a look at the verse in question. "And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).
    Notice that the word "are" is in italics. This means that translators added the word, and that it is not part of the original Greek manuscripts. A more accurate English rendering would be "were cast"---since at the time of this verse, the Beast and false prophet have already been cast into the lake of fire (cf. Revelation 19:20). The pronoun "they" in the next sentence is also a translator's interpretation, added to the New King James Version but rightly absent from the King James Version.
    Thus, an accurate translation of the verse would be: "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and false prophet were cast, and he shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever."
    Now, the sense and meaning of this verse becomes clear. Satan, the Devil, will be thrown into the lake of fire. He will be the one who is tormented day and night.3

Your translation "he shall be tormented" in Revelation 20.10 requires basanisthesetai, the future passive indicative 3rd person singular of basanizo (see Revelation 14.10). The Majority Text and critical Greek texts all read Revelation 20.10 with basanisthesontai ("they will be tormented"), the future passive indicative 3rd person plural of basanizo. Further, the Peshitta reads the 3rd person plural neshttanquwn; the Vulgate, the 3rd person plural cruciabuntur; and Luther, the plural werden gequälet werden.

When compared with the manuscript evidence I believe you will find your translation of Revelation 20.10 in the said edition of Tomorrow's World to be in error. I ask respectfully for a public correction for the sake of any reader your translation might have misled.

Thomas John Dexter

_____________________

1. An interpretative translation of the Greek in Revelation 20.10 by this writer.

2. Cf. also Susanna 1.48.

3. Click here for Tomorrow's World's PDF of the edition containing the Question & Answer in its entirety. Note their article argues for complete annihilation of the unregenerate as opposed to eternal conscious torment, an issue which this writer is addressing.


The author implores checking his charge against the Living Church of God and Tomorrow's World against Scripture using the tools of biblical interpretation. Please be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker having no cause or need to be ashamed, handling the word of truth accurately.

Except for the block quotation in blue, this labor stands copyrighted © 2004-2011 by Thomas John Dexter. All rights reserved.

Last updated August 17, 2011.