Another angel, a third, followed them: the more natural way to say this is “A third angel followed them” or “… followed the first two,” “Another angel followed the other two angels,” or even “Another angel appeared after the other two angels had left.”

If any one worships: the Greek uses the conditional form; in translation it is easier to imitate Good News Translation and others, and say “Those who worship” (New Revised Standard Version) or “All who worship” (New Jerusalem Bible). For worships see 4.10.

The beast and its image: this is the first beast, the one that came up out of the sea (13.1), and its image, or statue (13.14-15). If in 13.14-15 the word “statue” is used, it should be used here also.

Receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand: if the translation must specify the hand, it should say the right hand (see 13.16).

The wine of God’s wrath: this means “the wine that represents (or, brings) God’s wrath (or, punishment).” See Rev. 14.8 for comments on the translation of wine and wrath. In that verse the same Greek word meaning “fury” is used.

Poured unmixed into the cup of his anger: here God’s anger is represented as “the cup (or, bowl)” that holds the wine of his wrath. For the translation of cup see the comment in 5.8 contrasting “bowl” and “cup.” Although the language is not logical, the figure is a forceful and dramatic way of portraying God’s anger against Babylon and his punishment of those who are corrupted by her. The wine is unmixed, that is, it has no water in it to weaken it (as was most often the case when wine was served). For anger see 6.16-17, where the same term is translated “wrath.” There are a number of Old Testament passages in which a cup of wine is used as a symbol of punishment. In Jer 25.15-29 this figure is fully developed. Other passages where the figure is found are Psa 75.8; Jer 49.12; Oba 16; and Hab 2.16. Since this is a very common symbol in the Bible and is related to wine, which of course is one of the central features of Palestinian culture, translators should keep the figure if at all possible. However, this may present a problem in areas where wine is unknown, or a cup or bowl has never been used with any symbolic meaning. Translators must then decide whether a new figure of speech will be acceptable and understandable to the readers. For further comments see Oba 16 in A Handbook on the Books of Obadiah and Micah. In certain languages one may say, for example, “God will be angry and will punish him severely, just as if he drank bitter wine (or, strong drink) that God had poured at full strength (or, unmixed) into a cup.”

He shall be tormented with fire and sulphur: see 9.17-18; 19.20; 20.10. Sodom was destroyed by fire and sulfur (Gen 19.24; see also Psa 11.6). Here, as there, fire and sulphur means “burning sulfur” (so New American Bible, Revised). Sulfur burns with great heat and produces an unpleasant smell. For the verb “to torment” see “torture” in 9.5. If “torment” means specifically “torture,” a more general verbal phrase may be used, “will suffer,” “will be made to suffer,” “God will cause him to suffer,” or even “God will use … to torment him.”

In the presence of: for comments on this phrase, see 13.12. The punishment of the wicked is made even greater by the fact that they can see the blessed state of the angels and the Lamb.

The holy angels: occasionally in the New Testament the adjective holy is used of angels (see Mark 8.38; Luke 9.26; Acts 10.22). It is a word of dignity and respect, and does not imply that some of God’s angels are not holy. The basic meaning of the word, when applied to objects or people (or, as here, to angels) is that of total dedication to God (see 3.7). Other ways of translating this phrase, then, are “the respected angels (or, heavenly messengers)” or even “God’s angels (or, messengers).”

Revised Standard Version, following the form of the Greek, has one sentence for verses 9-10. Good News Translation tries to simplify the material by having two sentences. But it is possible to divide the angel’s announcement into even more sentences, as follows:

• All those who worship the beast and its statue, and who have the mark of the beast on their foreheads or on their (right) hands, will have to drink the wine of God’s anger. This is the undiluted wine that God himself poured into the cup of his anger. These people will also be made to suffer in burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

Or:

• … will be severely punished by God. It will be as if they drink undiluted (or, full strength) wine that God himself has poured into the cup that represents his anger. God will cause burning sulfur to torment these people in the sight of his angels and of the Lamb.

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 .