Revelation 19:20; And With Him the False Prophet

Revelation 19:20 (KJV)  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 

With two prophetic verbs of defined actions, “was taken” and “deceived”, John predicts the seizure and assignment of the two to be cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

The fact that they enter this fate while alive increases the horror of the picture (Numbers 16:30; Psalm 55:15) (Swete).

Numbers 16:30 (KJV)  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. 

Psalm 55:15 (KJV)  Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. 

This indicates that the warrior-King has captured them alive on the field of battle and sends them off to their eternal destiny in full consciousness and that the two are more than just human, because the rest of the lost will not enter the lake until the judgment of the great white throne (Revelation 20:12-15) (Alford).

Revelation 20:12-15 (KJV)  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. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

The beast has already undergone the healing of his death-wound (Revelation 13:3, 12; 17:8, 11), a counterfeit of Christ’s resurrection, so his superhuman standing is already a matter of revelation. The joining of the false prophet with the beast in this doom is surprising, but not of the false prophet with the beast in this doom is surprising, but not completely unexpected, though because of his evil sign-working powers. The lake of fire is designed for punishing individuals, not corporate entities such as empires. Therefore, it is clear that these two originated as created human beings (Bullinger, Scott).

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 397-398]