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,
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.
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).
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).
3 tn BDAG 537 s.v. κεῖμαι 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
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?…).”
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.
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.
8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
9 tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.
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.
11 tn Or “vanished.”