The angel said to me: the RSV footnote shows that the Greek text says only “he said to me.” The words that follow clearly indicate it is an angel speaking, probably the one of chapter 17.

Blessed: see 1.3.

Those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb: the Greek verb translated invited is simply “called”; the use of the perfect tense here suggests that “who have been invited” (Good News Translation) is a better translation. In terms of a wedding, “feast” or “banquet” is more appropriate than supper. In certain languages one may say, for example, “the feast (or, fiesta) to celebrate the marriage of the Lamb” or “the feast to celebrate the Lamb taking a wife.”

These are true words of God: the Greek is ambiguous, and the meaning may be “These words of God are true,” “These are true words from God,” or “These true words come from God.” Perhaps the second option is to be preferred, stated differently: “This is a true message from God” (note Barclay, “This is a genuine message from God”). And to what it refers is also in doubt; it may be specifically what the angel says in this verse, or the song in verses 6-8, or more generally the whole book. Perhaps the song in verses 6-8 is what the angel refers to (see also 21.5; 22.6). However, since it is uncertain what the word These refers to, translators should keep their translations ambiguous.

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 .