Revelation 20:8
in Revelation 20and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
KJV
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
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This verse in Revelation 20
Commentary
14 notes on this verseLike wild beasts from their lairs, so these also will be released over the earth from their places through the Devil their general, so that they may destroy the camps of the saints-that is, the Church- which have been established in the four extremities of …
This site's exposition
Satan shall be loosed
on Revelation 20:7-9
The loosing is as deliberate as the binding, and the final rebellion recruits from nations born during the reign: Gog and Magog, Ezekiel 38-39's names taken up for a last muster as numberless as the sand. They compass the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and there is no battle narrative at all, only fire from God out of heaven devouring them, the war over in one verse. The episode is the Bible's last word on the human heart: after a thousand years of visible righteousness, deception still finds tinder, and the exposition lets that verdict stand.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
At that time the devil will have a single objective in his deception, namely, to bring on this battle, rather than deceive by the multifarious means of his previous malice. The expression "will go forth" means that his secret hatred will blaze out into open persecution. For this is to be the very last of all persecutions immediately preceding the very last of all judgments—a persecution that Holy church, the worldwide city of Christ, is to suffer at the hands of the worldwide city of the devil, in every place where the two cities will then extend. The peoples John calls Gog and Magog are not to be thought of as some definite barbarians dwelling in a certain part of the earth, such as the Getae and Massagetae (as some have imagined on account of the initial letters), or any other foreign tribes beyond the pale of the Roman Empire. John clearly indicates that they are to be everywhere in the world, "nations that are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog." Of these names I am told that, literally, Gog means "a roof" and Magog "from the roof." Thus we may take the words to mean an "abode" and a "person issuing from this abode" and, therefore, "the peoples in whom the devil abides as in an abyss" and "the devil himself, lifting himself up and coming out of them." They are the "roof," and he is "from the roof." If … we apply both names to the peoples (rather than the first to them, the second to the devil), then they are the "roof" because the ancient foe is now shut up and roofed over in them, and they will issue "from the roof" when their concealed hatred bursts forth and is revealed in the open.
In this passage "to deceive" means to scatter or to spoil, that is, to drag the nations along with him into condemnation, namely, all the wicked whom he has deceived in every part of the earth. And he will cause those who have been gathered …
Therefore, enough of these things. But since he said in what has gone before that the Devil will come forth to deceive the nations, he now says what nations and from whom they are gathered: He says, Gog and Magog, to gather them to the …
The Medieval Church2 voices
the beloved city. That is Jerusalem, which will be inhabited at that time by Christians, as was said in Ez. 39.
Satan will be loosed from his prison and will deceive all nations and will entice Gog and Magog to war for the devastation of the world. Some believe that these two are the remote northern people of the Scythians, whom we call the Huns, and, …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he will go out and deceive the nations, etc. Then he will deceive them to gather them for this battle. For even before, in the ways he could, he was deceiving through many and various evils. For it is said that he will go …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And shall go forth to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - (That is, in all the earth)-the more diligently, as he hath been so long restrained, and knoweth he hath but a small time. Gog and Magog - Magog, the second son of Japhet, is the father of the innumerable northern nations toward the east.
We have the names of the principal commanders in this army under the dragon-- Gog and Magog. We need not be too inquisitive as to what particular powers are meant by these names, since the army was gathered from all parts of the world. These names are found in other parts of scripture.
And shall go out,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
A has but one Greek article to "Gog and Magog," whereby the two, namely, the prince and the people, are marked as having the closest connection. B reads the second article before Magog wrongly. HILLER [Onomasticon] explains both words as signifying "lofty," "elevated." For "quarters" the Greek is "corners." to battle--Greek, "to the war," in A and B.
Gog and Magog - This seems to be almost literally taken from the Jerusalem Targum, and that of Jonathan ben Uzziel, on Num 11:26. I shall give the words at length: “And there were two men left in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, the name of the other was Medad, and on them the spirit of prophecy rested.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And shall go out to deceive the nations - See the notes on Rev 12:9. The meaning here is, that he would again, for a time, act in his true character, and in some way delude the nations once more. In what way this would be done is not stated. It would be, however, clearly an appeal to the wicked passions of mankind, exciting a hope that they might yet overthrow the kingdom of God on the earth. Which are in the four quarters of the earth - Literally, corners of the earth, as if the earth were one extended square plain. The earth is usually spoken of as divided into four parts or quarters - the eastern, the western, the northern, and the southern. It is implied here that the deception or apostasy referred to would not be confined to one spot or portion of the world, but would extend afar. The idea seems to be, that during that period, though there would be a “general” prevalence of the gospel, and a “general” diffusion of its blessings, yet that the earth would not be entirely under its influence, and especially that the native character of the human heart would not be changed. Man, under powerful temptations, would be liable to be deluded by the great master spirit that has so often corrupted the race. Once more he would be permitted to make the trial, and then his power would forever come to an end. Gog and Magog - The name “Gog” occurs as the name of a prince in Eze 38:2-3, Eze 38:16, Eze 38:18; Eze 39:1, Eze 39:11. “He is an invader of the land of Israel, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal,” Eze 38:2. […]
The words behind it
30 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐξελεύσεται | exeleusetai | will go out | G1831 → | 216 times |
| πλανῆσαι | planesai | to deceive | G4105 → | 39 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | nations | G1484 → | 161 times |
| τὰ | ta | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τέσσαρσιν | tessarsin | four | G5064 → | 41 times |
| γωνίαις | goniais | corners | G1137 → | |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς, | ges | earth, | G1093 → | 248 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Γὼγ | gog | Gog | G1136 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Μαγώγ, | magog | Magog, | G3098 → | |
| συναγαγεῖν | sunagagein | to gather together | G4863 → | 59 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | unto | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόλεμον, | polemon | war, | G4171 → | 18 times |
| ὧν | hon | of whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀριθμὸς | arithmos | number [is] | G706 → | 18 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὡς | hos | like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄμμος | ammos | sand | G285 → | |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θαλάσσης. | thalasses | sea. | G2281 → | 90 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξελεύσεταιwill go out
exeleusetaiG1831 →216 times
πλανῆσαιto deceive
planesaiG4105 →39 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνηnations
ethneG1484 →161 times
τὰ<the>
taG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
τέσσαρσινfour
tessarsinG5064 →41 times
γωνίαιςcorners
goniaisG1137 →
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆς,earth,
gesG1093 →248 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΓὼγGog
gogG1136 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
Μαγώγ,Magog,
magogG3098 →
συναγαγεῖνto gather together
sunagageinG4863 →59 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
εἰςunto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
πόλεμον,war,
polemonG4171 →18 times
ὧνof whom
honG3739 →1405 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀριθμὸςnumber [is]
arithmosG706 →18 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ὡςlike
hosG5613 →500 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἄμμοςsand
ammosG285 →
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
θαλάσσης.sea.
thalassesG2281 →90 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 11:12And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
it leads to
- Genesis 22:17
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
- Genesis 32:12
But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”
- Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to…
- Genesis 22:17
Through
Revelation 20:10And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day…
it leads to
- Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
- Revelation 19:20
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and…
- Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- Matthew 25:41
Through
Revelation 16:14These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Revelation 17:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this chapter
About Revelation
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 20:7-8; Apringius of Beja, TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 20:7; Augustine of Hippo, City of God 20.11; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Nerses of Lambron, Commentary (church-history corpus); Nicholas of Lyra, Commentary (church-history corpus) and Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.