Discovery BoxRevelation 4:1--5:14
Context4:1 After these things I looked, and there was 1 a door standing open in heaven! 2 And the first voice I had heard speaking to me 3 like a trumpet 4 said: “Come up here so that 5 I can show you what must happen after these things.” 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, 6 and 7 a throne was standing 8 in heaven with someone seated on it! 4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper 9 and carnelian 10 in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald 11 encircled the throne. 4:4 In 12 a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were 13 dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns 14 on their heads. 4:5 From 15 the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring 16 and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, 17 were burning in front of the throne 4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. 18
In 19 the middle of the throne 20 and around the throne were four living creatures 21 full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The 22 first living creature was like a lion, the 23 second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings 24 and was full of eyes all around and inside. 25 They never rest day or night, saying: 26
“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, 27
Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”
4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, 28 and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 4:10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground 29 before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns 30 before his 31 throne, saying:
4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
since you created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created!” 32
5:1 Then 33 I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back 34 and sealed with seven seals. 35 5:2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 5:3 But 36 no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. 5:4 So 37 I began weeping bitterly 38 because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5:5 Then 39 one of the elders said 40 to me, “Stop weeping! 41 Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; 42 thus he can open 43 the scroll and its seven seals.”
5:6 Then 44 I saw standing in the middle of the throne 45 and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. 46 He had 47 seven horns and seven eyes, which 48 are the seven 49 spirits of God 50 sent out into all the earth. 5:7 Then 51 he came and took the scroll 52 from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, 5:8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground 53 before the Lamb. Each 54 of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). 55 5:9 They were singing a new song: 56
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals
because you were killed, 57
and at the cost of your own blood 58 you have purchased 59 for God
persons 60 from every tribe, language, 61 people, and nation.
5:10 You have appointed 62 them 63 as a kingdom and priests 64 to serve 65 our God, and they will reign 66 on the earth.”
5:11 Then 67 I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their 68 number was ten thousand times ten thousand 69 – thousands times thousands – 5:12 all of whom 70 were singing 71 in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the lamb who was killed 72
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and praise!”
5:13 Then 73 I heard every creature – in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them – singing: 74
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power 75 forever and ever!”
5:14 And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground 76 and worshiped.
[4:1] 1 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).
[4:1] 2 tn Or “in the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
[4:1] 3 tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
[4:1] 4 sn The phrase speaking to me like a trumpet refers back to Rev 1:10.
[4:1] 5 tn The conjunction καί (kai), much like the vav-consecutive in Hebrew, appears to be introducing a final/purpose clause here rather than a coordinate clause.
[4:2] 6 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).
[4:2] 7 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).
[4:2] 8 tn BDAG 537 s.v. κεῖμαι 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.
[4:3] 9 tn Grk “jasper stone.”
[4:3] 10 sn Carnelian was a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).
[4:3] 11 tn Or “a rainbow emerald-like in appearance.”
[4:4] 12 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[4:4] 13 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] 14 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
[4:5] 15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[4:5] 16 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?…).”
[4:5] 17 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.
[4:6] 18 tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.
[4:6] 19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[4:6] 20 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
[4:6] 21 tn On the meaning of ζῴον (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the ζῷα in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”
[4:7] 22 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[4:7] 23 tn Both here and before the phrase “the third,” 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.
[4:8] 24 tn Grk “six wings apiece,” but this is redundant with “each one” in English.
[4:8] 25 tn Some translations render ἔσωθεν (eswqen) as “under [its] wings,” but the description could also mean “filled all around on the outside and on the inside with eyes.” Since the referent is not available to the interpreter, the exact force is difficult to determine.
[4:8] 26 tn Or “They never stop saying day and night.”
[4:8] 27 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.”
[4:9] 28 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.
[4:10] 29 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] 30 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
[4:10] 31 tn The pronoun “his” is understood from the demonstrative force of the article τοῦ (tou) before θρόνου (qronou).
[4:11] 32 tc The past tense of “they existed” (ἦσαν, hsan) and the order of the expression “they existed and were created” seems backwards both logically and chronologically. The text as it stands is the more difficult reading and seems to have given rise to codex A omitting the final “they were created,” 2329 replacing “they existed” (ἦσαν) with “have come into being” (ἐγένοντο, egeneto), and 046 adding οὐκ (ouk, “not”) before ἦσαν (“they did not exist, [but were created]”). Several
[5:1] 33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[5:1] 34 tn Grk “written on the inside and the outside” (an idiom for having writing on both sides).
[5:1] 35 tn L&N 6.55 states, “From the immediate context of Re 5:1 it is not possible to determine whether the scroll in question had seven seals on the outside or whether the scroll was sealed at seven different points. However, since according to chapter six of Revelation the seals were broken one after another, it would appear as though the scroll had been sealed at seven different places as it had been rolled up.”
[5:3] 36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[5:4] 37 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of no one being found worthy to open the scroll.
[5:5] 39 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[5:5] 40 tn Grk “says” (a historical present).
[5:5] 41 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] 42 tn Or “has been victorious”; traditionally, “has overcome.”
[5:5] 43 tn The infinitive has been translated as an infinitive of result here.
[5:6] 44 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[5:6] 45 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
[5:6] 46 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.” The phrase behind this translation is ὡς ἐσφαγμένον (Jw" ejsfagmenon). The particle ὡς is used in Greek generally for comparison, and in Revelation it is used often to describe the appearance of what the author saw. This phrase does not imply that the Lamb “appeared to have been killed” but in reality was not, because the wider context of the NT shows that in fact the Lamb, i.e., Jesus, was killed. See 13:3 for the only other occurrence of this phrase in the NT.
[5:6] 47 tn Grk “killed, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he.”
[5:6] 48 sn The relative pronoun which is masculine, referring back to the eyes rather than to the horns.
[5:6] 49 tc There is good ms evidence for the inclusion of “seven” (ἑπτά, Jepta; Ì24 א 2053 2351 ÏK). There is equally good ms support for the omission of the term (A 1006 1611 ÏA pc). It may have been accidentally added due to its repeated presence in the immediately preceding phrases, or it may have been intentionally added to maintain the symmetry of the phrases or more likely to harmonize the phrase with 1:4; 3:1; 4:5. Or it may have been accidentally deleted by way of homoioteleuton (τὰ ἑπτά, ta Jepta). A decision is difficult in this instance. NA27 also does not find the problem easy to solve, placing the word in brackets to indicate doubts as to its authenticity.
[5:6] 50 sn See the note on the phrase the seven spirits of God in Rev 4:5.
[5:7] 51 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[5:7] 52 tn The words “the scroll” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[5:8] 53 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] 54 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[5:8] 55 sn This interpretive comment by the author forms a parenthesis in the narrative.
[5:9] 56 tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.
[5:9] 57 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”
[5:9] 58 tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”
[5:9] 59 tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tw qew] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 Ï sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, hgorasa"). A few
[5:9] 60 tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[5:9] 61 tn Grk “and language,” but 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.
[5:10] 62 tn The verb ἐποίησας (epoihsas) is understood to mean “appointed” here. For an example of this use, see Mark 3:14.
[5:10] 63 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.
[5:10] 64 tn The reference to “kingdom and priests” may be a hendiadys: “priestly kingdom.”
[5:10] 65 tn The words “to serve” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the word “priests.”
[5:10] 66 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.
[5:11] 67 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[5:11] 68 tn Grk “elders, and the number of them was.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[5:11] 69 tn Or “myriads of myriads.” Although μυριάς (murias) literally means “10,000,” the point of the combination here may simply be to indicate an incalculably huge number. See L&N 60.9.
[5:12] 70 tn The words “all of whom” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate the resumption of the phrase “the voice of many angels” at the beginning of the verse.
[5:12] 72 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”
[5:13] 73 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[5:14] 76 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.”
