Wahyu 4:2

4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, ¹  and ²  a throne was standing ³  in heaven with someone seated on it!

Wahyu 4:5

4:5 From ⁴  the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring ⁵  and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶  were burning in front of the throne

Wahyu 4:9

4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, ⁷  and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

Wahyu 20:11

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ⁸  I saw a large ⁹  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ¹⁰  fled ¹¹  from his presence, and no place was found for them.

[4:2]  ¹ tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).

[4:2]  ² tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[4:2]  ³ tn BDAG 537 s.v. κεῖμαι 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.

[4:5]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:5]  ⁵ tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”

[4:5]  ⁶ sn Some interpret the seven spirits of God as angelic beings, while others see them as a reference to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit.

[4:9]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[20:11]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ⁹ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ¹⁰ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ¹¹ tn Or “vanished.”

[20:11]  sn The phrase the earth and the heaven fled from his presence can be understood (1) as visual imagery representing the fear of corruptible matter in the presence of God, but (2) it can also be understood more literally as the dissolution of the universe as we know it in preparation for the appearance of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1).