Rejoice then, O heaven: the Greek verb is the same one translated “make merry” in 11.10. Even though “all you that live there” (Good News Translation) is added, it may be impossible in some languages to address heaven as such and exhort it to be glad; so it may be necessary to say “All of you who live in heaven must rejoice” or “Be happy, all who live in heaven.” Heaven’s inhabitants are the angels. For the verb “to dwell” see comments on its use in 7.15, where it is translated “shelter.”

Woe to you, O earth and sea: for woe see 8.13. Here as well, the emphasis is on the terrible fate that will befall the people of the world. In this context it is possible to translate “Those who live on earth and in the sea will suffer terribly.” By earth and sea the writer means those who live on earth and in the sea. So it may be necessary to translate “How terrible it will be for those who live on earth and in the sea!” “The earth and the sea” is a way of speaking of the whole planet Earth. For the translation of earth and sea, see 7.1.

The devil has come down to you: here it is important to establish the point of reference. The voice proclaims this from heaven, and so it may be better to say “has gone down to you.” Moffatt translates “has descended to you,” and An American Translation “has descended upon you.”

In great wrath: this may be rendered “extremely angry,” “furious,” “has a very hot heart (or, liver).”

He knows that his time is short: this should not be translated in such a way as to imply that the Devil knows that he will soon die. He knows that he doesn’t have much more time to carry on his work of deceiving people (verse 9). This may be translated “he knows that he doesn’t have much more time to act,” “he knows that he will soon be stopped.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• All you who live in heaven should rejoice (or, be very glad). But you who live on the earth and in the sea will suffer terribly. For the Devil has come (or, gone) down to you, and his heart is very hot because he knows that he doesn’t have much more time to act.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .