Answer
In Revelation 20:12, John has a vision of the final judgment before the great white throne: “I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (ESV). John’s vision of the “great and small, standing before the throne” reveals that people of all rank and status will be judged by God. This includes those who had significant positions in life and those who did not.
When John mentions the “great and small” in Revelation 20:12, he is referring to people from all walks of life. The “great” are those who held positions of power and influence in their earthly lives, such as leaders, rulers, wealthy people, and those who were highly regarded by society. The “small,” on the other hand, are everyday people who lived without recognition or notoriety. Whether great or small, “each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12, ESV).
The “books” in Revelation 20:12 are a meticulous record of everyone’s actions. As such, they contain everything we did in our earthly lives, whether we were “great” or “small.” Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (ESV). Ecclesiastes 11:9 makes a similar point: “Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment” (ESV). God will evaluate the deeds of everyone according to His fair and righteous judgment.
The “book of life” in Revelation 20:12 is essential for understanding the final judgment. It is a list of those who have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul, in Philippians 4:3, mentions the book of life, saying, “Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow works, whose names are in the book of life” (ESV). Everyone, whether great or small, will be judged by their works, but salvation only comes through the work of Christ. Those who belong to Christ are written in the book of life.
John’s vision of the final judgment in Revelation 20:12, then, emphasizes that everyone, regardless of his or her status, is accountable to God. In fact, the expression great and small reinforces that no one is excluded from God’s judgment. The Bible’s clear teaching is that unbelievers are storing up wrath against themselves (Romans 2:5) and that God will “repay each person according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6). Justice will be on full display on that day. Present-day actions have eternal consequences.
John’s vision presents a clear image of the final judgment, where the dead, great and small, stand before the great white throne. Because everyone will be judged by God, we should heed Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
