5:10 You have appointed 4 them 5 as a kingdom and priests 6 to serve 7 our God, and they will reign 8 on the earth.”
8:1 Now 9 when the Lamb 10 opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
14:17 Then 11 another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.
15:5 After 12 these things I looked, and the temple (the tent 13 of the testimony) 14 was opened in heaven,
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 The verb ἐποίησας (epoihsas) is understood to mean “appointed” here. For an example of this use, see Mark 3:14.
5 tc The vast majority of witnesses have αὐτούς (autous, “them”) here, while the Textus Receptus reads ἡμᾶς (Jhmas, “us”) with insignificant support (pc gig vgcl sa Prim Bea). There is no question that the original text read αὐτούς here.
6 tn The reference to “kingdom and priests” may be a hendiadys: “priestly kingdom.”
7 tn The words “to serve” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the word “priests.”
8 tc The textual problem here between the present tense βασιλεύουσιν (basileuousin, “they are reigning”; so A 1006 1611 ÏK pc) and the future βασιλεύσουσιν (basileusousin, “they will reign”; so א 1854 2053 ÏA pc lat co) is a difficult one. Both readings have excellent support. On the one hand, the present tense seems to be the harder reading in this context. On the other hand, codex A elsewhere mistakes the future for the present (20:6). Further, the lunar sigma in uncial script could have been overlooked by some scribes, resulting in the present tense. All things considered, there is a slight preference for the future.
7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption of the topic of the seals.
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the Lamb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
13 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
14 tn On this term BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή 1.b.α states, “ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου the Tabernacle or Tent of Testimony (Ex 27:21; 29:4; Lev 1:1; Num 1:1 and oft.…) Ac 7:44; 1 Cl 43:2, 5,” and then continues in section 2 to state, “Rv 15:5 speaks of a ναὸς τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. God’s σκ.= dwelling is in heaven 13:6, and will some time be among humans 21:3.”
15 tn Grk “the temple of the tent of the testimony” (ὁ ναός τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, Jo naos ths skhnhs tou marturiou). The genitive “of the tent” is probably an appositional genitive and should be rendered as “the temple, which is the tent.” The entire expression, then, would be “the temple which is the tent of testimony,” that is, “the heavenly equivalent of the tent or tabernacle that was with Israel in the wilderness” (G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 801-2).
16 tn The word “kings” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the referent.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 tn On the term translated “fine linen,” BDAG 185 s.v. βύσσινος states, “made of fine linen, subst. τὸ β. fine linen, linen garment…Rv 18:12, 16; 19:8, 14.”