Wahyu 1:6

1:6 and has appointed ¹  us as a kingdom, ²  as priests ³  serving his God and Father – to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! ⁴  Amen.

Wahyu 2:8

To the Church in Smyrna

2:8 “To ⁵  the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: ⁶ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁷  the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but ⁸  came to life:

Wahyu 2:12

To the Church in Pergamum

2:12 “To ⁹  the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following: ¹⁰ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹¹  the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: ¹² 

Wahyu 3:14

To the Church in Laodicea

3:14 “To ¹³  the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: ¹⁴ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹⁵  the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator ¹⁶  of God’s creation:

Wahyu 4:3

4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper ¹⁷  and carnelian ¹⁸  in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald ¹⁹  encircled the throne.

Wahyu 7:10

7:10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,

“Salvation belongs to our God, ²⁰ 

to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Wahyu 7:12

7:12 saying,

“Amen! Praise and glory,

and wisdom and thanksgiving,

and honor and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

Wahyu 9:15

9:15 Then ²¹  the four angels who had been prepared for this ²²  hour, day, ²³  month, and year were set free to kill ²⁴  a third of humanity.

Wahyu 16:12

16:12 Then ²⁵  the sixth angel ²⁶  poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water ²⁷  to prepare the way ²⁸  for the kings from the east. ²⁹ 

[1:6]  ¹ tn The verb ποιέω (poiew) can indicate appointment or assignment rather than simply “make” or “do.” See Mark 3:14 (L&N 37.106).

[1:6]  ² tn See BDAG 168 s.v. βασιλεία 1.a for the idea of “he made us a kingdom,” which was translated as “he appointed us (to be or function) as a kingdom” (see the note on the word “appointed” earlier in the verse).

[1:6]  ³ tn Grk “a kingdom, priests.” The term ἱερεῖς (Jiereis) is either in apposition to βασιλείαν (basileian) or as a second complement to the object “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas). The translation retains this ambiguity.

[1:6]  ⁴ tc Both the longer reading τῶν αἰώνων (twn aiwnwn, “to the ages of the ages” or, more idiomatically, “for ever and ever”; found in א C Ï) and the shorter (“for ever”; found in ̹⁸ A P 2050 pc bo) have good ms support. The author uses the longer expression (εἰς [τοὺς] αἰῶνας [τῶν] αἰώνων, ei" [tou"] aiwna" [twn] aiwnwn) in every other instance of αἰών in Revelation, twelve passages in all (1:18; 4:9, 10; 5:13; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11; 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5). Thus, on the one hand, the style of the author is consistent, while on the other hand, the scribes may have been familiar with such a stylistic feature, causing them to add the words here. The issues are more complex than can be presented here; the longer reading, however, is probably original (the shorter reading arising from accidental omission of the genitive phrase due to similarity with the preceding words).

[2:8]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[2:8]  ⁶ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[2:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[2:8]  sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.

[2:8]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present between these two phrases.

[2:12]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[2:12]  ¹⁰ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[2:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[2:12]  sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.

[2:12]  ¹² sn On the sharp double-edged sword see 1:16.

[3:14]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[3:14]  ¹⁴ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[3:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[3:14]  sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.

[3:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “the beginning of God’s creation”; or “the ruler of God’s creation.” From a linguistic standpoint all three meanings for ἀρχή (arch) are possible. The term is well attested in both LXX (Gen 40:13, 21; 41:13) and intertestamental Jewish literature (2 Macc 4:10, 50) as meaning “ruler, authority” (BDAG 138 s.v. 6). Some have connected this passage to Paul’s statements in Col 1:15, 18 which describe Christ as ἀρχή and πρωτότοκος (prwtotoko"; e.g., see R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 124) but the term ἀρχή has been understood as either “beginning” or “ruler” in that passage as well. The most compelling connection is to be found in the prologue to John’s Gospel (1:2-4) where the λόγος (logos) is said to be “in the beginning (ἀρχή) with God,” a temporal reference connected with creation, and then v. 3 states that “all things were made through him.” The connection with the original creation suggests the meaning “originator” for ἀρχή here. BDAG 138 s.v. 3 gives the meaning “the first cause” for the word in Rev 3:14, a term that is too philosophical for the general reader, so the translation “originator” was used instead. BDAG also notes, “but the mng. beginning = ‘first created’ is linguistically probable (s. above 1b and Job 40:19; also CBurney, Christ as the ᾿Αρχή of Creation: JTS 27, 1926, 160-77).” Such a meaning is unlikely here, however, since the connections described above are much more probable.

[4:3]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “jasper stone.”

[4:3]  sn Jasper was a semiprecious gemstone, probably green in color (L&N 2.30).

[4:3]  ¹⁸ sn Carnelian was a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).

[4:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “a rainbow emerald-like in appearance.”

[7:10]  ²⁰ tn The dative here has been translated as a dative of possession.

[9:15]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[9:15]  ²² tn The Greek article τήν (thn) has been translated with demonstrative force here.

[9:15]  ²³ tn The Greek term καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term “month” since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:15]  ²⁴ tn Grk “so that they might kill,” but the English infinitive is an equivalent construction to indicate purpose here.

[16:12]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:12]  ²⁶ tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:12]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.

[16:12]  ²⁸ tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.

[16:12]  ²⁹ tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ. …21:13.”