In verses 5-8 the main verbs are all in the present tense (see Revised Standard Version). The translator must determine what will be the effect of switching from the past tense of the previous verses to the present tense in these verses, before deciding whether or not to imitate Revised Standard Version.
From the throne issue flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder: all three things appear, together with an earthquake, in 8.5; 11.19; 16.18. They come from God’s throne; it seems that the lightning flashes down to the earth. It is possible that the Greek, literally “voices and thunders,” means “peals of thunder,” “the roar of thunderclaps,” as one event, not two. Most translations, however, have two different things: “voices (or, noises) and thunders.” The word translated voices usually means human voices; it can mean “sounds” or “noises” (see John 3.8; 1 Cor 14.7, 8; Rev 9.9; 18.22). If a choice must be made, perhaps “sounds” or “noises” is better. The trouble with voices is that it is undefined; it refers most likely not to God’s voice but to the voices of angels. The translator should be willing to translate “peals of thunder,” “the sound of thunders” (see 6.1; 10.3; 14.2; 19.6). In certain languages thunder is described as “the sky roars” or “the sound of the sky roaring.” In such cases the first part of this verse may be rendered as “And lightning was flashing out of the throne, along with loud rumbling noises” or “… and the sound of the sky roaring.”
Before the throne: New Revised Standard Version is better: “in front of the throne.”
Burn seven torches of fire: Translator’s New Testament is more natural: “seven torches were burning.” A torch usually consisted of a stick or club, one end of which was wrapped with some material that burned a long time, such as a tightly wound cloth soaked with pitch or resin (see 8.10; John 18.3).
Which are the seven spirits of God: for the seven spirits see 1.4; of God means “that belong to God” or “that serve God” (see 3.1). A translation should say quite literally are the seven spirits and not “represent” or “symbolize (the seven spirits of God).”
And before the throne: this repeats what is said in the previous verse. What follows is a description of the pavement of the great throne room (see Exo 24.10).
There is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal: this very literal translation of the Greek is not normal English style. New Revised Standard Version is better: “there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.” This is not easy to visualize, and translations differ. The words glass and crystal, like “jasper and carnelian” in verse 3, may not necessarily indicate that the water was solid as glass or crystal, but that it was as clear, or as bright, as glass or crystal. So Bible en français courant “there was what seemed to be a glass sea, as clear as crystal”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “… as transparent as crystal”; Revised English Bible “what looked like a sea of glass or a sheet of ice.” (The Greek word translated crystal may mean “ice.”) New Jerusalem Bible combines the two, “a sea as transparent as crystal.” Everything considered, it seems best to imitate Good News Translation and Bible en français courant. In some languages the equivalent of sea indicates too large a body of water. In such a case the equivalent of a “small lake” will be more natural.
An alternative translation model for 4.5-6a is:
• Lightning flashed out of the throne, and the sky roared (or, thundered). In front of the throne seven torches were burning; these are the seven spirits that serve God. Also, in front of the throne there was what looked like a lake (or, sea) made out of clear (or, transparent) glass just like ice.
And round the throne, on each side of the throne: this is a difficult passage to understand; the Greek text says literally “in the middle of the throne and around the throne.” This is usually understood as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have translated it. Beckwith states: “One at the middle of each of the four sides of the throne.” Another possibility is presented by Revised English Bible: “In the center, round the throne itself” (also New International Version). What seems to be indicated is that the four living creatures stood immediately next to the throne, one on each of its four sides, and around them were the twenty-four elders on their thrones. R. G. Hall explains this strange passage as follows: “The living creatures are part of the throne; like carved legs on a chair, they surround the seat and support it” (page 610). The writer of the book “conceives the four living creatures as an integral part of the throne. They are ‘within the space taken up by the throne,’ as the back, arms or legs of a chair are within the space taken up by the chair. They are around the throne as the legs, arms, and back surround a chair” (page 612). This may be correct, but it may be extremely difficult to express in an understandable manner; a footnote would certainly be required. It is recommended that the translator follow the example of Good News Translation.
Are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the word translated creatures means, in most contexts, “animals,” but that specific meaning should not be used here. They are simply living beings, not classified either as animals or humans. They appear frequently in chapters 4-6; see also 7.11; 14.3; 15.7; 19.4. They seem modeled after the living beings in Ezek 1.5-14. They are “covered with eyes in front and behind” (Good News Translation), that is, over their whole body, not just in their heads. In many cultures where there is a long Christian tradition employing a transliteration of “cherub” or “seraph” as the equivalent of living creature, and if translators feel that this term should continue to be employed, a footnote or a note in the glossary describing these creatures should be provided.
In the description that follows it appears that like a lion … like an ox is meant to describe only the head, not the whole creature. (In Ezek 1.6; 10.14, it is stated that each creature had four faces.) In areas where lions are unknown and there is no word for this animal, it will be helpful to say, for example, “wild animal named ‘lion,’ ” or employ a generic term in the language meaning “predator (flesh-eating animal)” and append the name “lion.” Most translations here are quite literal, and it is probably better to translate “was like a lion … was like an ox.” The word translated ox may mean a calf (Translator’s New Testament, New American Bible, Revised, Phillips), a bull (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), an ox (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New International Version, An American Translation, Barclay), a young bull (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or a young calf (Bible en français courant). It is recommended that the translation use a term for a young male animal, or simply “bull.”
With the face of a man: in the case of the third creature, it is specifically stated that it had a face that looked like a human face. It is better to translate as Good News Translation has done, “a face like a man’s face,” or New Revised Standard Version “a face like a human face.” The word “like” should not be disregarded.
Like a flying eagle: it seems probable that this indicates the appearance of the creature’s head, and not the whole body. But it is better to translate quite literally, “looked like an eagle in flight” (Good News Translation). In languages where the eagle is unknown, some other bird that soars high in the sky may be named.
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 .