Revelation 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,

Revelation 7:3

7:3 “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants ⁶  of our God.”

Revelation 22:3

22:3 And there will no longer be any curse, ⁷  and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. ⁸  His ⁹  servants ¹⁰  will worship ¹¹  him,

Revelation 2:20

2:20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that ¹²  woman ¹³  Jezebel, ¹⁴  who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives ¹⁵  my servants ¹⁶  to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ¹⁷ 

Revelation 6:15

6:15 Then ¹⁸  the kings of the earth, the ¹⁹  very important people, the generals, ²⁰  the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave ²¹  and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

Revelation 10:7

10:7 But in the days ²²  when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, ²³  just as he has ²⁴  proclaimed to his servants ²⁵  the prophets.”

Revelation 13:16

13:16 He also caused ²⁶  everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave ²⁷ ) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

Revelation 19:2

19:2 because his judgments are true and just. ²⁸ 

For he has judged ²⁹  the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,

and has avenged the blood of his servants ³⁰  poured out by her own hands!” ³¹ 

Revelation 19:5

19:5 Then ³²  a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God

all you his servants,

and all you who fear Him,

both the small and the great!”

Revelation 19:18

19:18 to eat ³³  your fill ³⁴  of the flesh of kings,

the flesh of generals, ³⁵ 

the flesh of powerful people,

the flesh of horses and those who ride them,

and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, ³⁶ 

and small and great!”

Revelation 22:6

A Final Reminder

22:6 Then ³⁷  the angel ³⁸  said to me, “These words are reliable ³⁹  and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants ⁴⁰  what must happen soon.”

Revelation 11:18

11:18 The ⁴¹  nations ⁴²  were enraged,

but ⁴³  your wrath has come,

and the time has come for the dead to be judged,

and the time has come to give to your servants, ⁴⁴ 

the prophets, their reward,

as well as to the saints

and to those who revere ⁴⁵  your name, both small and great,

and the time has come ⁴⁶  to destroy those who destroy ⁴⁷  the earth.”

Revelation 15:3

15:3 They ⁴⁸  sang the song of Moses the servant ⁴⁹  of God and the song of the Lamb: ⁵⁰ 

“Great and astounding are your deeds,

Lord God, the All-Powerful! ⁵¹ 

Just ⁵²  and true are your ways,

King over the nations! ⁵³ 

[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.

[7:3]  ⁶ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[22:3]  ¹¹ tn Or “be anything accursed” (L&N 33.474).

[22:3]  ¹² tn Grk “in it”; the referent (the city, the new Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:3]  ¹³ tn Grk “city, and his.” Although this is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, a new sentence was started here in the translation because of the introduction of the Lamb’s followers.

[22:3]  ¹⁴ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[22:3]  ¹⁵ tn Or “will serve.”

[2:20]  ¹⁶ tn The Greek article has been translated here with demonstrative force.

[2:20]  ¹⁷ tc The ms evidence for γυναῖκα (gunaika, “woman”) alone includes {א C P 1611 2053 pc lat}. The ms evidence for the addition of “your” (σου, sou) includes A 1006 2351 Ï^K pc sy. With the pronoun, the text reads “your wife, Jezebel” instead of “that woman, Jezebel.” In Revelation, A C are the most important mss, along with א Ì⁴⁷ (which only reads in portions of chapters 9-17) 1006 1611 2053; in this instance, the external evidence slightly favors the shorter reading. But internally, it gains strength. The longer reading implies the idea that the angel in 2:18 is the bishop or leader of the church in Thyatira. The pronoun “your” (σου) is used four times in vv. 19-20 and may have been the cause for the scribe copying it again. Further, once the monarchical episcopate was in vogue (beginning in the 2nd century) scribes might have been prone to add “your” here.

[2:20]  ¹⁸ sn Jezebel was the name of King Ahab’s idolatrous and wicked queen in 1 Kgs 16:31; 18:1-5; 19:1-3; 21:5-24. It is probable that the individual named here was analogous to her prototype in idolatry and immoral behavior, since those are the items singled out for mention.

[2:20]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “teaches and deceives” (διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ, didaskei kai plana), a construction in which the first verb appears to specify the means by which the second is accomplished: “by her teaching, deceives…”

[2:20]  ²⁰ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[2:20]  ²¹ sn To commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Note the conclusions of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:29, which specifically prohibits Gentile Christians from engaging in these activities.

[6:15]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:15]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated; nor is it translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:15]  ²³ tn Grk “chiliarchs.” A chiliarch was normally a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).

[6:15]  ²⁴ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[10:7]  ²⁶ tn Grk “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.”

[10:7]  ²⁷ tn The aorist ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh) has been translated as a proleptic (futuristic) aorist (ExSyn 564 cites this verse as an example).

[10:7]  ²⁸ tn The time of the action described by the aorist εὐηγγέλισεν (euhngelisen) seems to be past with respect to the aorist passive ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh). This does not require that the prophets in view here be OT prophets. They may actually refer to the martyrs in the church (so G. B. Caird, Revelation [HNTC], 129).

[10:7]  ²⁹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[13:16]  ³¹ tn Or “forced”; Grk “makes” (ποιεῖ, poiei).

[13:16]  ³² tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[19:2]  ³⁶ tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.

[19:2]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[19:2]  ³⁹ tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).

[19:5]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:18]  ⁴⁶ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause, insofar as it is related to the first imperative, has the force of an imperative.

[19:18]  ⁴⁷ tn The idea of eating “your fill” is evident in the context with the use of χορτάζω (cortazw) in v. 21.

[19:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “chiliarchs”; normally a chiliarch was a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).

[19:18]  ⁴⁹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[22:6]  ⁵¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[22:6]  ⁵² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel mentioned in 21:9, 15; 22:1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:6]  ⁵³ tn Grk “faithful.”

[22:6]  ⁵⁴ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[11:18]  ⁵⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[11:18]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “The Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[11:18]  ⁵⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[11:18]  ⁵⁹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[11:18]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “who fear.”

[11:18]  ⁶¹ tn The words “the time has come” do not occur except at the beginning of the verse; the phrase has been repeated for emphasis and contrast. The Greek has one finite verb (“has come”) with a compound subject (“your wrath,” “the time”), followed by three infinitive clauses (“to be judged,” “to give,” “to destroy”). The rhetorical power of the repetition of the finite verb in English thus emulates the rhetorical power of its lone instance in Greek.

[11:18]  ⁶² tn Or “who deprave.” There is a possible wordplay here on two meanings for διαφθείρω (diafqeirw), with the first meaning “destroy” and the second meaning either “to ruin” or “to make morally corrupt.” See L&N 20.40.

[15:3]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[15:3]  ⁶² tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[15:3]  ⁶³ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:3]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.

[15:3]  ⁶⁶ 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.