Wahyu 1:1

The Prologue

1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, ¹  which God gave him to show his servants ²  what must happen very soon. ³  He made it clear ⁴  by sending his angel to his servant ⁵  John,

Wahyu 4:4

4:4 In ⁶  a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were ⁷  dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns ⁸  on their heads.

Wahyu 4:10

4:10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground ⁹  before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns ¹⁰  before his ¹¹  throne, saying:

Wahyu 5:5

5:5 Then ¹²  one of the elders said ¹³  to me, “Stop weeping! ¹⁴  Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; ¹⁵  thus he can open ¹⁶  the scroll and its seven seals.”

Wahyu 5:8

5:8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground ¹⁷  before the Lamb. Each ¹⁸  of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). ¹⁹ 

Wahyu 12:9

12:9 So ²⁰  that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.

Wahyu 13:10

13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity,

into captivity he will go.

If anyone is to be killed by the sword, ²¹ 

then by the sword he must be killed.

This ²²  requires steadfast endurance ²³  and faith from the saints.

Wahyu 14:6

Three Angels and Three Messages

14:6 Then ²⁴  I saw another ²⁵  angel flying directly overhead, ²⁶  and he had ²⁷  an eternal gospel to proclaim ²⁸  to those who live ²⁹  on the earth – to every nation, tribe, ³⁰  language, and people.

Wahyu 15:3

15:3 They ³¹  sang the song of Moses the servant ³²  of God and the song of the Lamb: ³³ 

“Great and astounding are your deeds,

Lord God, the All-Powerful! ³⁴ 

Just ³⁵  and true are your ways,

King over the nations! ³⁶ 

Wahyu 16:14

16:14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth ³⁷  to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. ³⁸ 

Wahyu 16:19

16:19 The ³⁹  great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations ⁴⁰  collapsed. ⁴¹  So ⁴²  Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup ⁴³  filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath. ⁴⁴ 

Wahyu 19:2

19:2 because his judgments are true and just. ⁴⁵ 

For he has judged ⁴⁶  the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,

and has avenged the blood of his servants ⁴⁷  poured out by her own hands!” ⁴⁸ 

Wahyu 20:9

20:9 They ⁴⁹  went up ⁵⁰  on the broad plain of the earth ⁵¹  and encircled ⁵²  the camp ⁵³  of the saints and the beloved city, but ⁵⁴  fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. ⁵⁵ 

[1:1]  ¹ tn The phrase ἀποκάλυψις ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (ajpokaluyi" Ihsou Cristou, “the revelation of Jesus Christ”) could be interpreted as either an objective genitive (“the revelation about Jesus Christ”), subjective genitive (“the revelation from Jesus Christ”), or both (M. Zerwick’s “general” genitive [Biblical Greek, §§36-39]; D. B. Wallace’s “plenary” genitive [ExSyn 119-21]). In 1:1 and 22:16 it is clear that Jesus has sent his angel to proclaim the message to John; thus the message is from Christ, and this would be a subjective genitive. On a broader scale, though, the revelation is about Christ, so this would be an objective genitive. One important point to note is that the phrase under consideration is best regarded as the title of the book and therefore refers to the whole of the work in all its aspects. This fact favors considering this as a plenary genitive.

[1:1]  ² tn Grk “slaves.” Although this translation frequently renders δοῦλος (doulos) as “slave,” the connotation is often of one who has sold himself into slavery; in a spiritual sense, the idea is that of becoming a slave of God or of Jesus Christ voluntarily. The voluntary notion is not conspicuous here; hence, the translation “servants.” In any case, the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ³ tn BDAG 992-93 s.v. τάχος has “quickly, at once, without delay Ac 10:33 D; 12:7; 17:15 D; 22:18; 1 Cl 48:1; 63:4…soon, in a short time…Rv 1:1; 22:6…shortly Ac 25:4.”

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Or “He indicated it clearly” (L&N 33.153).

[1:1]  ⁵ tn See the note on the word “servants” earlier in this verse.

[4:4]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:4]  ⁷ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were” to indicate the connection to the preceding material.

[4:4]  ⁸ sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.

[4:10]  ⁹ tn Grk “the twenty-four elders fall down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[4:10]  ¹⁰ sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.

[4:10]  ¹¹ tn The pronoun “his” is understood from the demonstrative force of the article τοῦ (tou) before θρόνου (qronou).

[5:5]  ¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[5:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

[5:5]  ¹⁴ tn The present imperative with μή (mh) is used here to command cessation of an action in progress (ExSyn 724 lists this verse as an example).

[5:5]  ¹⁵ tn Or “has been victorious”; traditionally, “has overcome.”

[5:5]  ¹⁶ tn The infinitive has been translated as an infinitive of result here.

[5:8]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[5:8]  ¹⁸ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[5:8]  ¹⁹ sn This interpretive comment by the author forms a parenthesis in the narrative.

[12:9]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.

[13:10]  ²¹ tc Many mss (C 051* 2351 Ï^A pc) read “if anyone will kill with the sword, it is necessary for him to be killed with the sword” (εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτενεῖ, δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι). Other mss (א 1006 1611* 1854 al) are similar except that they read a present tense “kills” (ἀποκτείνει, apokteinei) in this sentence. Both of these variants may be regarded as essentially saying the same thing. On the other hand, codex A reads “if anyone is to be killed by the sword, he is to be killed by the sword” (εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι). Thus the first two variants convey the idea of retribution, while the last variant, supported by codex A, does not. (There are actually a dozen variants here, evidence that scribes found the original text quite difficult. Only the most important variants are discussed in this note.) The first two variants seem to be in line with Jesus’ comments in Matt 26:52: “everyone who takes up the sword will die by the sword.” The last variant, however, seems to be taking up an idea found in Jer 15:2: “Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.” Though G. B. Caird, Revelation (HNTC), 169-70, gives four arguments in favor of the first reading (i.e., “whoever kills with the sword must with the sword be killed”), the arguments he puts forward can be read equally as well to support the latter alternative. In the end, the reading in codex A seems to be original. The fact that this sentence seems to be in parallel with 10a (which simply focuses on God’s will and suffering passively and is therefore akin to the reading in codex A), and that it most likely gave rise to the others as the most difficult reading, argues for its authenticity.

[13:10]  ²² tn On ὧδε (Jwde) here, BDAG 1101 s.v. 2 states: “a ref. to a present event, object, or circumstance, in this case, at this point, on this occasion, under these circumstances…in this case moreover 1 Cor 4:2. ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν…Rv 13:18; cf. 17:9. ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονή…13:10; 14:12.”

[13:10]  ²³ tn Or “perseverance.”

[14:6]  ²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[14:6]  ²⁵ tc Most mss (Ì47 א* Ï sa) lack ἄλλον (allon, “another”) here, but the support for it is stronger (Ì^115vid א² A C P 051 1006 1611 1841 2053 2329 al latt sy bo). The problem that its inclusion represents is that there is no reference to any other angel in the immediate context (the last mention was in 11:15). In this instance, the longer reading is harder. The word was probably intentionally omitted in order to resolve the tension; less likely, it might have been accidentally omitted since its spelling is similar to “angel” (ἄγγελος, angelos).

[14:6]  ²⁶ tn L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth – ‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’”

[14:6]  ²⁷ tn Grk “having.”

[14:6]  ²⁸ tn Or “an eternal gospel to announce as good news.”

[14:6]  ²⁹ tn Grk “to those seated on the earth.”

[14:6]  ³⁰ tn Grk “and tribe,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[15:3]  ³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[15:3]  ³² tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[15:3]  ³³ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:3]  ³⁴ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

[15:3]  ³⁵ tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.

[15:3]  ³⁶ tc Certain mss (Ì⁴⁷ א*^,2 C 1006 1611 1841 pc) read “ages” (αἰώνων, aiwnwn) instead of “nations” (ἐθνῶν, eqnwn), which itself is supported by several mss (א¹ A 051 Ï). The ms evidence seems to be fairly balanced, though αἰώνων has somewhat better support. The replacement of “ages” with “nations” is possibly a scribal attempt to harmonize this verse with the use of “nations” in the following verse. On the other hand, the idea of “nations” fits well with v. 4 and it may be that “ages” is a scribal attempt to assimilate this text to 1 Tim 1:17: “the king of the ages” (βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, basileu" twn aiwnwn). The decision is a difficult one since both scenarios deal well with the evidence, though the verbal parallel with 1 Tim 1:17 is exact while the parallel with v. 4 is not. The term “king” occurs 17 other times (most occurrences refer to earthly kings) in Revelation and it is not used with either “ages” or “nations” apart from this verse. Probably the reading “nations” should be considered original due to the influence of 1 Tim 1:17.

[16:14]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”

[16:14]  ³⁸ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

[16:19]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[16:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[16:19]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “fell.”

[16:19]  ⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).

[16:19]  ⁴³ tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).

[16:19]  ⁴⁴ tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumo") and ὀργή (orgh) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.

[19:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.

[19:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.

[19:2]  ⁴⁷ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[19:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).

[20:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:9]  ⁵⁰ tn The shift here to past tense reflects the Greek text.

[20:9]  ⁵¹ tn On the phrase “broad plain of the earth” BDAG 823 s.v. πλάτος states, “τὸ πλάτος τῆς γῆς Rv 20:9 comes fr. the OT (Da 12:2 LXX. Cp. Hab 1:6; Sir 1:3), but the sense is not clear: breadth = the broad plain of the earth is perh. meant to provide room for the countless enemies of God vs. 8, but the ‘going up’ is better suited to Satan (vs. 7) who has recently been freed, and who comes up again fr. the abyss (vs. 3).” The referent here thus appears to be a plain large enough to accommodate the numberless hoards that have drawn up for battle against the Lord Christ and his saints.

[20:9]  ⁵² tn Or “surrounded.”

[20:9]  ⁵³ tn On the term παρεμβολή (parembolh) BDAG 775 s.v. states, “Mostly used as a military t.t.…so always in our lit.…1. a (fortified) camp…ἡ παρεμβολὴ τῶν ἁγίων Rv 20:9 is also to be understood fr. the OT use of the word.”

[20:9]  ⁵⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[20:9]  ⁵⁵ tn See L&N 20.45 for the translation of κατεσθίω (katesqiw) as “to destroy utterly, to consume completely.”