Revelation 20:9; Compassed the Camp of the Saints About

Revelation 20:9 (KJV)  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

The forces of Satan advance to the very heart of the Messianic empire before being destroyed – And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

The verb “went up” means “ascended”, describing an army proceeding to attack (Judges 1:1; 1 Kings 22:4) (Lee), but here it more probably follows the custom of referring to the ascent to the backbone of central Palestine and the situation of Jerusalem (eg. Luke 18:31; Acts 11:2; 15:2; 18:22; 21:12, 15) (Swete).

Judges 1:1 (KJV)  Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? 

1 Kings 22:4 (KJV)  And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. 

Luke 18:31 (KJV)  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

Acts 11:2 (KJV)  And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 

Acts 15:2 (KJV)  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 

Acts 18:22 (KJV)  And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. 

Acts 21:12 (KJV)  And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 

Acts 21:15 (KJV)  And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. 

The destination of these armies is the “breadth of the earth”, which conceivably could mean that Satan’s forces spread over the whole earth. The technical meaning to approach Jerusalem and the need for a distinction between this expression and “the four corners of the earth” (Lee) point to a more localised reference here, however, It speaks of the land of Palestine as being fully occupied by these attacking forces. (Bullinger).

Then they surrounded the camp of the saints. The word “camp” often referred to a military barracks (Acts 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32) or to an army in line for battle (Hebrews 11:34). But since the saints have no part in repelling the attackers and have no occasion to be organised an a military unit, the meaning aligns more closely with the usage to speak of the camp of the Israelites (eg. Exodus 16:13; 29:14; Deuteronomy 23:14; Hebrews 13:11, 13). It refers simply to a place of dwelling for the saints (Beckwith).

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 424-425]