Discovery BoxRevelation 2:1 
Context2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, 1 write the following: 2
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 3 the one who has a firm grasp on 4 the seven stars in his right hand 5 – the one who walks among the seven golden 6 lampstands:
Revelation 3:1
Context3:1 “To 7 the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: 8
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 9 the one who holds 10 the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation 11 that you are alive, but 12 in reality 13 you are dead.
Revelation 3:7
Context3:7 “To 14 the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following: 15
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 16 the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors 17 no one can shut, and shuts doors 18 no one can open:
Revelation 8:3
Context8:3 Another 19 angel holding 20 a golden censer 21 came and was stationed 22 at the altar. A 23 large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne.
Revelation 8:7
Context8:7 The 24 first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that 25 a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Revelation 8:12
Context8:12 Then 26 the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day 27 and for a third of the night likewise.
Revelation 10:9
Context10:9 So 28 I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He 29 said to me, “Take the scroll 30 and eat it. It 31 will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
Revelation 14:15
Context14:15 Then 32 another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use 33 your sickle and start to reap, 34 because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!”
Revelation 18:21
Context18:21 Then 35 one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force 36
Babylon the great city will be thrown down 37
and it will never be found again!
Revelation 20:3
Context20:3 The angel 38 then 39 threw him into the abyss and locked 40 and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)
1 map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.
2 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
3 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” The expression τάδε λέγει (tade legei) occurs eight times in the NT, seven of which are in Rev 2-3. “The pronoun is used to add solemnity to the prophetic utterance that follows. …In classical drama, it was used to introduce a new actor to the scene (Smyth, Greek Grammar, 307 [§1241]). But the τάδε λέγει formula in the NT derives from the OT, where it was used to introduce a prophetic utterance (BAGD, s.v. ὅδε, 1)” (ExSyn 328). Thus, the translation “this is the solemn pronouncement of” for τάδε λέγει is very much in keeping with the OT connotations of this expression.
sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. The LXX has the same Greek phrase (τάδε λέγει, tade legei) about 350 times, with nearly 320 of them having “the Lord” (Heb יהוה, Yahweh) as subject. That the author of Revelation would use such an expression seven times with the risen Christ as the speaker may well imply something of Christ’s sovereignty and deity. Cf. also Acts 21:11 in which the Holy Spirit is the speaker of this expression.
4 tn Grk “holds,” but the term (i.e., κρατῶν, kratwn) with an accusative object, along with the context, argues for a sense of firmness. (Cf. ExSyn 132.)
5 sn On seven stars in his right hand see 1:16.
6 tn Grk “lampstands of gold” with the genitive τῶν χρυσῶν (twn cruswn) translated as an attributive genitive.
7 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
8 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
9 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.
sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.
10 tn Grk “who has” (cf. 1:16).
11 tn Grk “a name.”
12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
13 tn The prepositional phrase “in reality” is supplied in the translation to make explicit the idea that their being alive was only an illusion.
14 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
15 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
16 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.
sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.
17 tn The word “door” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context. Since the following verse does contain the word “door” (θύραν, quran), that word has been supplied as the direct object here.
18 tn See the note on the word “door” earlier in this verse.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 tn Grk “having.”
21 sn A golden censer was a bowl in which incense was burned. The imagery suggests the OT role of the priest.
22 tn The verb “to station” was used to translate ἑστάθη (Jestaqh) because it connotes the idea of purposeful arrangement in English, which seems to be the idea in the Greek.
23 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
24 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
25 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” because what follows has the logical force of a result clause.
26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
27 tn Grk “the day did not shine [with respect to] the third of it.”
28 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the voice.
29 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
30 tn The words “the scroll” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
31 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
32 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
33 tn Grk “Send out.”
34 tn The aorist θέρισον (qerison) has been translated ingressively.
35 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
36 tn On ὅρμημα ({ormhma) BDAG 724 s.v. states, “violent rush, onset ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλών Babylon will be thrown down with violence Rv 18:21.” L&N 68.82 refers to the suddenness of the force or violence.
37 sn Thrown down is a play on both the words and the action. The angel’s action with the stone illustrates the kind of sudden violent force with which the city will be overthrown.
38 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
40 tn Or “and shut.” While the lexical force of the term is closer to “shut,” it is acceptable to render the verb ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) as “locked” here in view of the mention of the key in the previous verse.
