12:7 Then 4 war broke out in heaven: Michael 5 and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But 6 the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, 7 so there was no longer any place left 8 in heaven for him and his angels. 9
18:1 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. 17
18:20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has pronounced judgment 18 against her on your behalf!) 19
19:1 After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
20:1 Then 20 I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding 21 in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
3 tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.
sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
5 sn The archangel Michael had a special role in protecting the nation of Israel in the OT (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; see also Jude 9).
6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.
7 tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
8 tn Grk “found.”
9 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the permission granted to the beast.
11 tn Grk “he” (or “it”); the referent (the beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tc The reading “and his dwelling place” does not occur in codex C, but its omission is probably due to scribal oversight since the phrase has the same ending as the phrase before it, i.e., they both end in “his” (αὐτοῦ, autou). This is similar to the mistake this scribe made in 12:14 with the omission of the reading “and half a time” (καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ, kai {hmisu kairou).
13 tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π. …because of their sufferings vs. 11.”
14 tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).
15 tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.
16 tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.
17 tn Grk “glory”; but often in the sense of splendor, brightness, or radiance (see L&N 14.49).
18 tn On the phrase “pronounced judgment” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 4.b states, “The OT is the source of the expr. κρίνειν τὸ κρ. (cp. Zech 7:9; 8:16; Ezk 44:24) ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα ὑμῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς God has pronounced judgment for you against her or God has pronounced on her the judgment she wished to impose on you (HHoltzmann, Hdb. 1893 ad loc.) Rv 18:20.”
19 tn Grk “God has judged a judgment of you of her.” Verse 20 is set in parentheses because in it the saints, etc. are addressed directly in the second person.
sn This verse forms a parenthetical aside in the narrative.
20 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
21 tn The word “holding” is implied. The two clauses “having the key of the abyss” and “a huge chain in his hand” can be construed in two ways: (1) both are controlled by the participle ἔχοντα (econta) and both are modified by the phrase “in his hand” – “having in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.” (2) The participle ἔχοντα refers only to the key, and the phrase “in his hand” refers only to the chain – “having the key of the abyss and holding a huge chain in his hand.” Because of the stylistic tendency in Rev to use the verb ἔχω (ecw) to mean “hold (something)” and the phrase “in his hand” forming a “bracket” along with the verb ἔχω around both the phrases in question, the first option is preferred.
22 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s invitation.
23 tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).
24 tn Grk “to a mountain great and high.”