He who conquers: see the comments at 2.7. Here, unlike the translation of this phrase in the other letters, Good News Translation has the singular because of the actions that follow. The plural can be used, with the addition of “each one of them” to the verb phrase I will write on. New Revised Standard Version uses the second person singular, “If you conquer…”; but this can be taken to mean the angel of the church instead of the members of the church. It is more likely that the third person is intended here. Other ways of rendering this are “the one (or, person) who conquers,” “whoever conquers,” and so on.

I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God: the common meaning of pillar is a stone or wooden post that supports a building. Here, however, as the following clause makes clear, the meaning is that this is an important part of the building, one that is put solidly in place and will last as long as the temple of my God, which is the eternal kingdom of God. The word used to translate temple should be quite generic, indicating a building used for worship; nothing so specific as “church,” or “cathedral,” or “synagogue” should be used. For the possessive my God see the comment at 3.2. In this context God does not belong to the speaker, Christ, but Christ serves God.

Never shall he go out of it: the pillar is solidly, permanently, eternally, a part of the temple of God. Nothing, no one, can remove it. The meaning may be expressed in a positive manner, “and he will always remain there,” or else retain the negative, “he will never have to leave it.”

In what follows, the Greek text can be understood to mean that the pillar is the object of the action of writing: “I will write on the pillar” (so New Jerusalem Bible). But it seems more likely that it is the person, or persons, who is referred to as a pillar (so most translations).

For the names written on “those who conquer,” see the similar statements in 14.1; 22.4. Here the name of my God indicates that this person belongs to the God of the glorified Christ; the name of the city of my God means that person is a citizen of the eternal city, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven (see 21.2, 10). Instead of comes down it is better to translate “will (soon) come down.” Some languages, like English, have two words, “sky” and “heaven,” to translate the one Greek noun that covers both. In a passage like this, “sky” would not be a faithful translation of the Greek, inasmuch as the emphasis on the passage is that the new Jerusalem owes its existence to God, who dwells in heaven (see also 4.1). The last name, my own new name, is not easy to identify. Perhaps it refers to the name “The Word of God” (19.12-13), or the name “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19.16), or “the Lamb” (5.6), which appears fifty times in this book.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• I will make the person who conquers the powers of evil an important post in the big house for worshiping God whom I serve. This person will never have to leave there. I will write on him the name of my God and the name New Jerusalem, which is the name of the city of my God, which will come down from God out of heaven. I will also write on him my own new name.

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 .

Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals: instead of opened the translation can be “broke” (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible) or “broke open” (Good News Translation, New American Bible, Revised). In light of the breaking of the other seals (verses 3, 5, 7, 9, 12), it is possible to translate here as Good News Translation has done, “(break open) the first of the seven seals” (also Revised English Bible, An American Translation, Barclay, New International Version, New American Bible, Revised, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje).

Say, as with a voice of thunder: this is better said “say in a (loud) voice that sounded like thunder.” The comparison has to do with the volume of sound, not the timbre of the voice. Perhaps “like the roar of thunder” or “as loud as a clap of thunder.”

Come!: John himself seems to be near the open door in heaven, or in heaven itself (4.1-2), and he hears one of the living creature, who are near the throne, call out “Come!” The command (second person singular) is addressed to someone riding a horse, who appears immediately.

In some Greek manuscripts and ancient versions the command is “Come and see” (also in verses 3, 5, 7), which is addressed to John himself. But the original text is only “Come,” which is directed at the horseman. The translation should not imply that the horseman is told to go to heaven, but that he should come forth from wherever he is. The four horsemen ride out over the earth. It is not said where they start from, but presumably it is from somewhere in heaven, since they are God’s messengers. The Greek verb can be understood to mean “Go,” and some believe that this is what it means here. Given the fact that in the following verse the horseman went out or “rode out” (Good News Translation), translators in many languages may find it helpful to use the word “Go” in this verse.

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 .

Filled it with fire from the altar: the angel took live coals from the altar and put them in the censer, and threw the burning incense and the live coals on the earth. In many languages simply filling the censer with fire will sound strange, so it will be helpful to make certain information explicit and say “Then the angel took the incense container and filled it with burning coals from the altar.”

Peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning: see 4.5.

Earthquake: see 6.12.

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 .

Swore by him who: this may be expressed by “made a solemn promise in the name of him who” or “took a vow in the name of him who,” “made a strong promise in,” or “stated solemnly, using God’s name, that everything he would say is true.” The name of God is used in order to show that what the angel is about to say is absolutely true. See A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, page 144, for a detailed discussion on the difference in English between “promise,” “vow,” “swear,” or “oath.” In this context the angel is taking an oath, making a solemn statement, with God as witness, that something is true.

Him who lives for ever and ever: see 4.10 for this way of speaking about God.

Created heaven … the earth … and the sea: this means the whole universe. The addition in each case of and what is in it (see also 12.12) is meant to emphasize that everything that exists, animate and inanimate, was all created by God (see 14.7).

That there should be no more delay: instead of using the indirect discourse, as Revised Standard Version does, it is better to use direct discourse, with a colon or comma and quotation marks to begin the message of the angel (as most translations do). This avoids the ambiguity of should of Revised Standard Version, which can be taken to mean “there ought not to be any more delay.” New Revised Standard Version reads “There will be no more delay, but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

If the impersonal form “there will be no more delay” of the Greek and the English is difficult or unnatural in other languages, the translation can be “God will not wait any longer.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “The time of waiting is over”; this is a good model to imitate.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• And he solemnly stated, using the name of God who never dies and who created the universe, that he was speaking the truth. He said, “God will not wait any longer to do what he has planned….”

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 .

But they were defeated: in Greek the verb is singular, not plural: “and he (that is, the dragon) did not prevail (or, win).” Of course the dragon’s angels were also defeated, as the next statement makes clear. Defeated in certain languages will be rendered as “did not win” or “could not overcome.”

There was no longer any place for them in heaven: this is a rather indirect way of saying “they could not stay in heaven any longer.” New Jerusalem Bible uses the positive form: “they were driven out of heaven.” This general statement of fact is made more specific in the verse that follows.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• But the dragon did not win, and they (unknown agents) would not allow him and his supporters to stay in heaven any longer.

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 .

In their mouth no lie was found: this translates the Greek text quite literally, but it is most unnatural English. Something like “they never lied” or Good News Translation “They have never been known to lie” expresses the meaning in a more natural way. This may be the writer’s way of saying that these people never denied they were Christians, as some may have done in an attempt to avoid persecution and martyrdom. The translation, however, must state quite precisely what the Greek text says. On the translation of lie see comments on “false” in 2.2. Some languages will express lie idiomatically; for example, “weave the mouth” (Yapese).

For they are spotless: this has to do with moral or spiritual purity. The same Greek word is used of Christ in Heb 9.14 and 1 Peter 1.19, and of people in Phil 2.15; Col 1.22; Jude 24. Some English translations have “blameless”; New American Bible, Revised has “unblemished,” and Barclay translates “faultless in their purity.” One may also express this as “they have never done any evil things.”

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 .

The great river Euphrates: see 9.14.

Its water was dried up: this can be stated “its water stopped flowing.” The language recalls Isa 11.15-16; and see Josh 3.13-17.

To prepare the way for the kings from the east: by drying up the river Euphrates, the angel made it possible for the kings who ruled in the east to advance with their armies and attack the kingdom of the beast. It is generally agreed that the east refers to the region then known as Parthia (now in north central Iraq). The noun east translates the Greek phrase “rising of the sun” (also in 7.2), and in certain languages this will be a more natural translation.

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 .

She glorified herself: this means “to boast”: “she boasted of her greatness,” “she was very vain,” or “she boasted, ‘I am very great.’ ”

Played the wanton: this is a rather quaint expression in English; the Greek means “indulged her lust,” “enjoyed luxury” (see the related noun “wealth” in Rev. 18.3). New Revised Standard Version has “lived luxuriously.” The verb appears here and in verse 9, and nowhere else in the New Testament. These first two clauses may also be expressed as “Just as she boasted, ‘I am very great,’ and lived a life full of luxury (or, good things).”

A like measure of torment and mourning: for the noun translated torment see “torture” at 9.5; 14.11. The more general idea of “suffering” or “pain” fits the context here. The Revised Standard Version sentence structure, As she … so give her, may not be the best way to translate this part of the verse; something like the Good News Translation restructuring may be easier to follow. New Jerusalem Bible has “Every one of her pomps and orgies is to be matched by a torture or an agony”; Revised English Bible “Measure out torment and grief to match her pomp and luxury.” Another way of expressing this is “You must cause her to receive extreme pain and sorrow that equals her luxurious life (or, way of life) and her pride in herself.”

Since: this statement of reason will be followed by the result in verse 8, “so….” It may be better to restructure, as Good News Translation has done, and say here “She tells herself,” “She keeps on saying to herself,” “She keeps reassuring herself,” or “She keeps thinking to herself.”

A queen I sit: “I am a queen, sitting on my throne.” Queen normally refers to the wife of a king, but in this context it means “a woman ruler” who has complete control over her subjects. In certain languages it will sound strange to bring in a feminine subject into the first sentence. In such a case one may say “Here I sit on my throne, ruling with complete authority.”

I am no widow, mourning I shall never see: it may not be natural to speak of “(never) seeing mourning,” so something like “I shall never mourn,” “I shall never be in mourning” may be better. This mourning is the sorrow a woman feels when her husband dies. This boast may be stated as follows: “I am not a widow, and I will never know the sorrow of widowhood,” or “Since I have no husband, I will never be a widow mourning her husband’s death,” or “I have no husband who will die, so I will never have to weep for him.” See similar language in Isa 47.7-9.

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 .