Wahyu 1:16

1:16 He held ¹  seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His ²  face shone like the sun shining at full strength.

Wahyu 1:20--2:1

1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: ³  The seven stars are the angels ⁴  of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the Church in Ephesus

2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, ⁵  write the following: ⁶ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁷  the one who has a firm grasp on ⁸  the seven stars in his right hand ⁹  – the one who walks among the seven golden ¹⁰  lampstands:

Wahyu 3:1

To the Church in Sardis

3:1 “To ¹¹  the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ¹² 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹³  the one who holds ¹⁴  the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation ¹⁵  that you are alive, but ¹⁶  in reality ¹⁷  you are dead.

Wahyu 12:1

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12:1 Then ¹⁸  a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. ¹⁹ 

Wahyu 12:4

12:4 Now ²⁰  the dragon’s ²¹  tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then ²²  the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born.

[1:16]  ¹ tn Grk “and having.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but because contemporary English style employs much shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he.”

[1:16]  ² tn This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:20]  ³ tn The words “is this” are supplied to make a complete sentence in English.

[1:20]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “the messengers.”

[2:1]  ⁵ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[2:1]  ⁶ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[2:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” The expression τάδε λέγει (tade legei) occurs eight times in the NT, seven of which are in Rev 2-3. “The pronoun is used to add solemnity to the prophetic utterance that follows. …In classical drama, it was used to introduce a new actor to the scene (Smyth, Greek Grammar, 307 [§1241]). But the τάδε λέγει formula in the NT derives from the OT, where it was used to introduce a prophetic utterance (BAGD, s.v. ὅδε, 1)” (ExSyn 328). Thus, the translation “this is the solemn pronouncement of” for τάδε λέγει is very much in keeping with the OT connotations of this expression.

[2:1]  sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. The LXX has the same Greek phrase (τάδε λέγει, tade legei) about 350 times, with nearly 320 of them having “the Lord” (Heb יהוה, Yahweh) as subject. That the author of Revelation would use such an expression seven times with the risen Christ as the speaker may well imply something of Christ’s sovereignty and deity. Cf. also Acts 21:11 in which the Holy Spirit is the speaker of this expression.

[2:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “holds,” but the term (i.e., κρατῶν, kratwn) with an accusative object, along with the context, argues for a sense of firmness. (Cf. ExSyn 132.)

[2:1]  ⁹ sn On seven stars in his right hand see 1:16.

[2:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “lampstands of gold” with the genitive τῶν χρυσῶν (twn cruswn) translated as an attributive genitive.

[3:1]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[3:1]  ¹² tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[3:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[3:1]  sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.

[3:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “who has” (cf. 1:16).

[3:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “a name.”

[3:1]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[3:1]  ¹⁷ tn The prepositional phrase “in reality” is supplied in the translation to make explicit the idea that their being alive was only an illusion.

[12:1]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[12:1]  ¹⁹ sn Sun…moon…stars. This imagery is frequently identified with the nation Israel because of Joseph’s dream in Gen 37.

[12:4]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.

[12:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:4]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.