Revelation of Jesus Christ

The Greek verb σημαίνω carries the sense of “to give a sign,” “to signal,” “to point out,” “to indicate,” “to make clear,” “to make known,” “to communicate information,” “to report,” “to disclose,” or “to signify.” Thus, in Revelation 1:1, ἐσήμανεν may be understood as “He made it known,” “He communicated it,” or “He signified it.” The word can involve communication through signs, but it does not, by itself, require the meaning “to make symbolic.”

Thus, when Revelation 1:1 is translated as “he reported it,” the Greek could also carry the sense that He “made it known,” “communicated it,” or “indicated it,” with the possible nuance of communicating by means of a sign. This does not mean that every detail in Revelation is symbolic, but it does show that the book itself allows for symbolic communication. This is not only suggested in the opening verse; it is explicitly demonstrated when Jesus interprets the seven stars and the seven lampstands for John: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:20, KJV). Therefore, Revelation should not be forced into a purely literal reading at every point. The lampstands are real features within John’s vision, but they are not merely literal lampstands; they signify the churches, portrayed through the heavenly image of light-bearing stands before Christ.

Reading would be out loud

The throne is the Father's in the immediate logic of Revelation 1:4-5. Grace and peace come from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; from the seven Spirits before His throne; and from Jesus Christ. The greeting distinguishes the Father, the seven Spirits, and Jesus, even though Revelation will later speak of the throne of God and of the Lamb together.

He is not just King of Kings but also prince or ruler, ἄρχων, of the kings.

“Released” (λύω) appears in the Critical Text, while “washed” (λούω) is found in the Majority Text; in Greek, these two verbs differ by only a single letter. Within Revelation’s broader context, Christ is portrayed as the one who ransoms and redeems, while the saints are primarily described as those whose robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb (7:14; 12:11; 22:14). Revelation also describes the saints by endurance, testimony, commandments, and faithfulness (12:17; 14:12; 20:4), but those works are not presented as the ground of their worthiness. This pattern suggests that, in this instance, the sense of Christ freeing rather than washing is the more contextually fitting reading.

ἀμήν — "truly" for Amen

The KJV/TR adds "the beginning and the ending"; the critical text reads Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ, λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός — the title continues without the expansion.

Tribulation for the church is not unique to what has been labeled as "the great tribulation" of 7 years. All Christians will face tribulation. When we read Revelation and John speaks of being a "companion in tribulation," he is referring to that shared trouble we have in this world. But there is also a tribulation that is great, taking place over 7 years, and many will enter into it. So when we see reference to the "patience of the saints," we should not confuse the tribulation we face every day as the church with what is meant to be a very particular tribulation at a very particular time. This is why many use the special label "the great tribulation" to make that distinction clear. Even so, this study treats "great tribulation" as a descriptor, not a title — Matthew describes the peak, while Revelation 7:14's double-article Greek designates the span itself: "the tribulation, the great one" (see 7:14). There are types and degrees of tribulation (2:22; 7:14; Matthew 24:21), and the seven years escalate from great at the opening to an all-time peak at the middle, the same way the earthquakes escalate across the seals, trumpets, and vials (8:5; 11:19; 16:18). Context, not the term alone, assigns each passage its place on that path. Here John is making a soft relation in the shared theme of waiting on Jesus (6:9; 12:17; 13:10; 14:12).

John says he is a “fellow partaker,” which appears to echo the language found in Paul’s writings, which were primarily addressed to the churches among the nations. Further, John is not just speaking about partaking in general tribulation; he is also including the kingdom and the patience of Jesus.

The KJV/TR reads "Jesus Christ" in both places; the critical text reads Ἰησοῦ — "Jesus" — without "Christ."

It is worth noting that the possible delivery route of the letter may correspond to the chiastic structure of the messages to the churches.

Image from https://biblemapper.com/

The KJV/TR opens the command with "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and," and addresses the churches "which are in Asia"; the critical text carries neither, reading ὃ βλέπεις γράψον εἰς βιβλίον καὶ πέμψον ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις — "What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches."

The KJV/TR reads "seven lampstands" here; the critical text reads ἐν μέσῳ τῶν λυχνιῶν — "in the midst of the lampstands" — without the number.

This is the only time wool is used and that is strictly related to the Lamb.

Does "white" apply to both head and hair? Yes, λευκαὶ applies to κεφαλή (head) + τρίχες (hairs)

The KJV/TR reads λέγων μοι — "saying unto me"; the critical text reads λέγων — "saying" — without "unto me."

The KJV/TR closes the declaration with "Amen"; the critical text lacks it here.

In light of Revelation 1:19, chapters 1–3 focus on what is present and what will follow. When the vision reaches Revelation 4, the emphasis shifts exclusively to “what must take place after these things.”

See the 12 stars in Chapter 12; these appear to point to the tribe heads of Israel in Chapter 12, while these 7 stars are connected to the messengers of the churches. If the church messengers are understood as human representatives, both star images would then involve human leaders within their respective groups.

The seven-and-twelve pattern also has support from the two feeding miracles. In the feeding of the five thousand, the setting is Jewish/Galilean and twelve baskets remain (Matthew 14:20; Mark 6:43; Luke 9:17; John 6:13), naturally fitting Israel's twelve tribes. In the feeding of the four thousand, the narrative follows Jesus' movement through Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis region, a Gentile or half-Gentile setting, and seven baskets remain (Matthew 15:29-39; Mark 7:31; 8:1-10). Jesus Himself keeps the twelve and seven basket counts distinct when He recalls both miracles (Matthew 16:9-10; Mark 8:19-20). This does not prove the Revelation imagery by itself, but it gives textual, historical, and geographical support for reading the seven stars as Gentile church messengers and the twelve stars as Israelite tribal heads.

“mystery” (μυστήριον) appears four times in Revelation and is applied specifically to the identity of two symbolic elements: the “seven stars” in Jesus’ right hand and “Mystery Babylon.” When we examine Mystery Babylon in its extended treatment (Revelation 17–19), she is set in deliberate contrast to the bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem. If the bride stands as the counterpart to this “mystery” city, and the seven stars are likewise called a “mystery,” the text may be suggesting a parallel in kind. In that case, the seven stars need not be understood strictly as heavenly angels, but could instead represent specific members within the body of the bride.

In the closing clause the KJV/TR repeats the relative clause — αἱ ἑπτὰ λυχνίαι ἃς εἶδες, "the seven lampstands which you saw"; the critical text reads αἱ λυχνίαι αἱ ἑπτὰ — "the seven lampstands" — without it.

The KJV/TR reads "…and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted"; the critical text reads καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἔχεις καὶ ἐβάστασας διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου καὶ οὐ κεκοπίακες — "and you have endurance, and bore for my name's sake, and have not grown weary" — without the separate "laboured" clause.

"Somewhat" is supplied in translation; the Greek reads ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ — "I have against you."

The KJV/TR reads "I will come unto thee quickly"; the critical text reads ἔρχομαί σοι — without "quickly" here, though it stands at 2:16 (ταχύ).

The KJV/TR places the tree "in the midst of the paradise of God"; the critical text reads ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ — "in the paradise of God."

The Greek here is ξύλον — wood — the word the Greek Old Testament uses for the tree of life in Genesis 2:9 and the New Testament uses for the cross (Acts 5:30; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24). The natural trees of the plagues are a different word, δένδρον (7:1, 7:3, 8:7, 9:4).

The KJV/TR opens "I know thy works, and…"; the critical text reads οἶδά σου τὴν θλῖψιν — "I know your tribulation" — without the works clause.

Two details here anchor larger patterns. First, testing and tribulation are welded in one clause — "that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days" — and the only other use of the testing word in Revelation is "the hour of temptation" in 3:10. The book itself pairs the two ideas. Second, this testing is counted — ten days — a local, bounded tribulation for one church, while Philadelphia, Smyrna's mirror, is kept out of a designated world-wide hour (3:10). The two crown churches carry the two modes: a counted tribulation endured unto death with a crown of life promised (2:10), and a designated hour escaped with a crown held fast (3:11). Ten counted days here, a great one at the span's opening (7:14), and a greatest at the middle (Matthew 24:21) — tribulation comes in types and degrees.

The KJV/TR opens "I know thy works, and…"; the critical text reads οἶδα ποῦ κατοικεῖς — "I know where you dwell."

The KJV/TR reads "to eat of the hidden manna"; the critical text reads δώσω αὐτῷ τοῦ μάννα — "I will give to him of the manna" — without the eating verb.

If 7 is the number of completion, Jesus' listing of only 6 qualities here helps emphasize that something is lacking.

The KJV/TR includes ὀλίγα — "a few things" (KJV "I have a few things against thee"); the critical text reads ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι — "I have against you that…" — without it.

Both νεφρούς (kidneys) and καρδίας (hearts) are plural in Greek, reflecting an idiom for the totality of the inner life (“inner parts and hearts”), which English translations often render in the singular for smoothness.

The KJV/TR carries ἐπὶ σέ in the first clause — "I will come upon you as a thief"; the critical text reads ἥξω ὡς κλέπτης — "I will come as a thief" — with "upon you" only in the second clause (ἥξω ἐπὶ σέ).

"little" here is used instead of "few" to more closely reflect the Greek consistency for the word "ολιγος".

The KJV/TR includes καί — "even" — before "in Sardis"; the critical text reads ἔχεις ὀλίγα ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν — "you have a few names in Sardis" — without it.

Here we see a direct link between "hour of temptation" and what "shall come upon all the world". It is not referring to the general temptation or trial of saints; it is one the whole world will face. The Greek carries Revelation's designating construction — τῆς ὥρας τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τῆς μελλούσης ἔρχεσθαι — "the hour of the testing, the one about to come upon the whole inhabited earth." This hour is designated, not counted: when Revelation counts, it scopes with a number ("one hour," 17:12; "ten days," 2:10) and means precision; when it designates, it uses the article ("the hour of his judgment," 14:7; "the hour to reap," 14:15) and means a season. Its target class is also designated: "them that dwell upon the earth" is the book's standing term for the settled, rebellious class (6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8; 17:8) — the domain where Satan dwells (2:13) and demons take habitation (18:2), in contrast to those who tabernacle in heaven (7:15; 12:12; 13:6; 21:3). The hour tests that class; the kept-out are not in it. Finally, the only other use of the testing word in Revelation is 2:10, where testing is welded to tribulation in one clause — so "the hour of the testing" stands beside "the tribulation, the great one" (7:14) as two designations of one span: the tribulation names the saints' side of it, the hour names the earth-dwellers' side.

πειρασμός - Temptation or trial

In Rev 3:10 the greek word here is "οἰκουμένη" for "the inhabited earth". The older sense of κόσμος is “order,” “arrangement,” or “adornment.” From the concept of an ordered arrangement it developed the sense “ordered universe” or “world.” The NT semantic range for κόσμος is much broader than that of οἰκουμένη.

The KJV/TR opens with "Behold"; the critical text reads ἔρχομαι ταχύ — "I come quickly" — without it.

The seal of the Father.

"I will write upon him" before "my new name" is supplied in translation; the Greek carries the verb once — γράψω ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν — and the new name follows in the same sweep, καὶ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ καινόν.

Jesus is on the throne too, not just the Father, so in the white throne judgment, we can see how the Father and the Son being one demonstrates that Jesus could execute the white throne judgment once he has put all things under his feet after the 1000 years at the time of the final judgment.

Jesus is showing things exclusive to the future. This is crucial for Chapter 12, where the birth of Jesus might be seen as a flashback to Mary's birth; this is not the case. This birth is like those of Isaiah 26 and Isaiah 66:7.

The KJV/TR opens with καί — "And immediately"; the critical text reads Εὐθέως ἐγενόμην — "Immediately I was" — without the conjunction.

In Greek it is θρόνος, which is better translated as throne. This makes the 24 elders, again, a closer match to saints like in Revelation 3:21.

The KJV/TR adds "I saw"; the critical text seats the elders on the thrones in the same sweep as the vision of 4:2-3, without repeating the verb.

From λάμπω "to shine", λαμπάς = a torch, a blazing fire-lamp, a carried flame, not a stand; used for bright, fiery illumination.

Wings are mentioned in Revelation only a few times. First, the four living creatures have wings around the throne (Rev. 4:8). If these creatures are connected with the cherubim of the Old Testament, then their wings may be associated with the movement of God’s heavenly throne. This connection is not merely later symbolism; it has biblical grounding. Ezekiel sees the living creatures, later identified as cherubim, moving with the wheels and the glory of YHWH (Ezek. 1:19–24; 10:15–20). Daniel also sees the Ancient of Days seated on a throne with wheels of burning fire (Dan. 7:9). Most directly, 1 Chronicles 28:18 speaks of “the chariot, even the cherubim” connected with the ark of the covenant. Thus, cherubim, wings, throne, movement, and chariot imagery are biblically connected.

The KJV/TR reads "to open and to read the book"; the critical text reads ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον — without the reading clause.

The KJV/TR carries a second verb, "and to loose (λῦσαι) the seven seals"; the critical text reads ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ — one "to open" governing both the book and its seven seals.

The KJV/TR reads "And I beheld, and, lo"; the critical text reads Καὶ εἶδον — "And I saw" — without the interjection.

The KJV/TR supplies the object, "the book"; the critical text reads εἴληφεν ἐκ τῆς δεξιᾶς — "he took [it] out of the right hand."

Harps are not an identity marker beyond being used exclusively by those who sing. Thus, harps let us know who is singing a given song, and not much more.

The ESV uses "ransomed" instead of "redeemed"; in Greek, these are the same in the TR and CT: ηγορασας.

In verse 9, a new song is sung about a "redeemed" (KJV) group of people, and because the 144,000 are called "redeemed" multiple times in Revelation 14, we can understand how the TR/KJV might link us back to this moment in time, where we also see "a new song." The ESV, however, breaks this link slightly in English by saying "ransomed" instead of "redeemed." This is important because it suggests a shared redemptive theme between this new song and the one in Revelation 14. The two songs are not identical, as the song in Revelation 14 remains hidden and its learning is restricted, but they belong to the same redemptive category: both are Lamb-centered, both involve harps, and both are connected to the redeemed. The thematic resonance suggests that these two distant texts share a common thread.

ωδην καινην - "new song"

The bracketed rendering [people] reflects a textual variation in Revelation 5:9, where, in some manuscripts, it reads "us," with "people" omitted entirely. Some Greek witnesses include the first-person pronoun ἡμᾶς (“us”), yielding the sense “you purchased us for God,” while other witnesses omit the pronoun. When the pronoun is omitted, “people” is not a separate Greek word replacing “us”; it is supplied (added) in English from the following phrase, “from every tribe and language and people and nation.” The variations with "us" may reflect that ἡμᾶς was original and preserved, even though the pronoun creates a difficult reading in the mouths of the singers. It is also possible that ἡμᾶς was originally a marginal note, or that it was added because the absence of an explicit object seemed incomplete.

In terms of the oddity it creates for the singers, songs, and heavenly choruses in Revelation should be handled carefully, since their wording may not identify every singer in the same direct way as ordinary narrative dialogue. In other words, a song may be sung by individuals who are not themselves the subject of the song. In this case, the four living creatures do not appear to be the likely referent of the possible “us,” though the twenty-four elders may be.

In verse 10, the KJV says, "made us unto our God kings and priests," whereas the ESV says, "you have made them a kingdom and priests," which further links us to Exodus 19:6 in particular and also Daniel 7:18, Daniel 7:27, and Romans 8:17 — other textual criticism points aside. Because Revelation is deeply linked to the Old Testament, the ESV and CT seem to have the right words here. The ESV, in the case of this study, is more accurate in terms of the manuscripts here, and we should see this as not being the saints who sing it based on the manuscripts we have. It appears the 4 beasts and 24 elders are the ones who sing, as they have the harps, and they are not saints of "kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation".

In the KJV/TR/Codex Sinaiticus/NA28 (βασιλεύσουσιν), "They 'shall reign'. Yet, in the reading of Codex Alexandrinus, it places the saints on the earth at present (βασιλεύουσιν). For the astute, the two Greek words here differ by only one letter. Based on the story of Revelation, it seems the reigning on earth would be a future prospect and not a current one before the seals of the scroll are opened.

κτίσμα — creature, a created thing.

The KJV/TR ends "worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever"; the critical text ends at προσεκύνησαν — "fell down and worshipped." The TR also numbers the elders here — εἴκοσι τέσσαρες, "four and twenty" — where the critical text reads οἱ πρεσβύτεροι — "the elders" — alone.

While the original Greek manuscripts lack verses and chapters, we see the same cadence in each horseman, which comes through in Greek and is reflected in the verse counts of our current editions. That cadence is: two verses per horseman. This is another example of Revelation's high level of structure overall.

Zechariah 6:1-8 may provide an important Old Testament background for the horsemen in Revelation 6. In Zechariah, the prophet sees four chariots drawn by colored horses, and the angel identifies them as “the four spirits of the heavens” going out from before “the Lord of all the earth” (Zechariah 6:5, KJV). The Hebrew word is רוּחַ, which can be translated as spirit, wind, or breath. So Zechariah’s horse/chariot vision already carries both horse imagery and wind/spirit language.

This matters when reading Revelation 6 and 7 together. Revelation 6 presents four horsemen in an opening judgment sequence. Then Revelation 7 shows four angels at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth, so that the wind does not blow on the earth, the sea, or any tree. These may be literal winds, but they are also restrained by heavenly agents in a judgment setting.

Zechariah also connects the horse/chariot movement to the settling of God’s displeasure. After the horses go out, the Lord says those going toward the north country “have quieted my spirit” (Zechariah 6:8, KJV). The Hebrew phrase is הֵנִיחוּ אֶת־רוּחִי, meaning “they have caused my spirit to rest,” which the NASB renders as “have appeased My wrath.” That rendering is interpretive, but it shows the contextual force of the passage: the horse/chariot agents are connected with divine judgment and the settling of God’s wrath.

So we should not ignore the shared pattern. Zechariah 6 brings together four horse-related agents, wind/spirit language, directional movement, worldwide scope, and God’s wrath/displeasure. Revelation 6-7 brings together four horsemen, four angels, four corners of the earth, four winds, worldwide harm, and divine restraint before judgment is released. This does not require the horsemen of Revelation 6 to be identical to the four winds of Revelation 7, but it does make the connection meaningful. The horsemen may be understood as part of the opening movement of God’s judgment, with Revelation 7 showing that even the winds connected to that judgment remain under God’s authority until His servants are sealed.

The KJV/TR reads "Come and see" in each of the four summons (6:1, 3, 5, 7); the critical text reads ἔρχου — "Come" — alone.

The KJV/TR reads "Come and see" in each of the four summons (6:1, 3, 5, 7); the critical text reads ἔρχου — "Come" — alone.

The KJV/TR reads "Come and see" in each of the four summons (6:1, 3, 5, 7); the critical text reads ἔρχου — "Come" — alone.

The KJV/TR reads "Come and see" in each of the four summons (6:1, 3, 5, 7); the critical text reads ἔρχου — "Come" — alone.

Unless otherwise indicated, life translates ζωή (zōē), denoting life as possessed or imparted. Lifeᵖ translates ψυχή (psychē), denoting the living self, person, or one’s personal life. The superscript p is an editorial marker for psychē and is not part of the Greek text.

This cry for "judgment" for God to execute seems to be reflected in the 7th seal with the prayer of the saints in 8:3 and the trumpets that follow the 7th seal. Then this call for judgment appears to be finished after the 7th trumpet when the 7th vial messengers pour their vials out. In this way the text seems to communicate the judgment of God spanning from the first trumpet to the last vial. This is also affirmed in the text in 6:17 when it is declared "for the great day of their wrath is come" after the 6th seal is opened.

χρονον - time, period of time, an epoch, era, marked duration. Here translated as "season".

As we enter Revelation 7, remember that this earthquake is already harming the earth. So when Revelation 7 says that the earth should not be hurt until the 144,000 are sealed, the passage likely hints that the sealing of the 144,000 happened before the earthquake of the sixth seal, at the latest.

The KJV/TR reads "and, lo"; the critical text reports the earthquake without the interjection.

In Revelation 16:20, the mountains are removed entirely, whereas here the mountains are still present and used as places to hide. This shows that the events of Revelation 6:14 and 16:20 are distinct from one another.

We will later learn about the fall of Mystery Babylon, which falls early in Revelation. Revelation 6:15 is not the time of the destruction of Mystery Babylon. Everyone here is focused on themselves, not on Mystery Babylon's fall.

δοῦλος — servants or bond-servant — is not used exclusively for saints in Revelation, so when we see this word used later in Revelation 6:15, it does not imply that the bond-servants of Jesus are present at that moment; to make such a claim, other support needs to be supplied, of which this study has not found enough through exegesis to make that claim. Meaning, in Revelation 6:15, we cannot interpret the bond-servant in that verse as being saints going through the tribulation.

The KJV/TR repeats "every"; the critical text reads πᾶς δοῦλος καὶ ἐλεύθερος — one "every" governing both, bondman and free.

In 6:16 and 12:14, the theme of hiding from a face is mirrored between the Lamb and the red dragon. In Revelation 6, people ask creation to hide them from the face of the Lamb. In Revelation 12:14, the 144,000 are hidden from the face of the dragon by the Creator. This reflects a form of idolatry, appealing to creation for deliverance rather than turning to the Creator.

In the KJV, the singular "his" suggests the wrath belongs only to the Lamb, but the ESV—following earlier manuscript evidence—reads "their wrath," indicating both the Father and the Lamb. This reading fits the context more naturally, given the reference to the face of the Father, and it also harmonizes with Revelation 6:16, where the wrath is already explicitly attributed to the Lamb. In Essays on Revelation, 2011, Chapter 8, Stevens argues that Revelation 6:17 originally read "their wrath," noting that both external and internal evidence favor the plural, and suggesting that later scribes likely shifted it to the singular for theological reasons. Finally, if this is "their" wrath, then the reading in 15:1, when we see the 7 plagues were "with them the wrath of God is finished" ones, makes more sense, vs. the KJV saying the angel's plagues were "in them is filled up the wrath of God." The wrath of God has been a looming event at the very least from seal 6 to the first vial being poured out, when it will be finishing.

This is not the end of the tribulation. Rather, it marks a moment of recognition by those on the earth; they understand who is judging them, and they realize that further wrath is still to come.

The KJV/TR opens with καί and reads μετὰ ταῦτα — "And after these things"; the critical text reads Μετὰ τοῦτο — "After this" — singular, without the conjunction.

“The rising” (Greek ἀνατολή) is the ordinary term for “east,” derived from the direction of the sun’s rising. Thus “from the rising of the sun” (ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἡλίου) is a more explicit expression meaning “from the east,” preserving a vivid and literal manner of speech.

They are told not to hurt "the earth and the sea." It does not include the heavens. This points to effects on the lower earth.

"We" seems to indicate a leader angel among equals.

The KJV/TR repeats "were sealed" with every tribe; the critical text writes ἐσφραγισμένοι only at the first and the last — Judah (7:5) and Benjamin (7:8) — bookending the list, with the ten tribes between carrying only the count.

These are not the angels in Revelation 5:11 because they have a number and this multitude has no number. The text is making the distinction clear.

"About" before "the elders" is supplied in translation; the Greek reads κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων — one "round about" governing both.

ESV says "coming out" instead of "came out". The ESV is better here than the KJV. The Greek identifies the multitude as οἱ ἐρχόμενοι ("the ones coming out") using a present participle, not a completed aorist. The ESV preserves this ("coming out"), while the KJV smooths it to "came out," likely because the group is already seen in heaven. The Greek, however, intentionally holds both together: the multitude is already present in heaven and yet defined by their act of emergence. This overlap signals a transitional moment, not a prolonged process. Read in context with the immediate counting of the 144,000 (Rev 7:1-8), the grammar points to a single coordinated event, with the sealing/counting on earth and the appearance of the great multitude in heaven occurring at the same time. This same "coming out" motif reappears in Rev 18:4 ("Come out of her, my people"), reinforcing the idea of a divinely commanded, quick exit rather than a drawn-out migration. Also, note how these are not described as slain or dead, nor as coming from under the altar. Revelation describes death plainly when it intends it — slain (6:9), beheaded (20:4) — and where death is not described, it should not be read in without stronger context. This group is described only as coming out, standing, and serving: living. This also answers how they can be "coming out of great tribulation" so early: they are in the seven years at its very opening — briefly, at its eve — and they come out before the seal plagues begin.

τῆς θλίψεως τῆς μεγάλης — the double article in the second attributive position (article, noun, article, adjective), Greek's emphatic construction: "the tribulation, the great one." The phrase is definite and particular, with the greatness stressed, and this is the only place in the New Testament where this phrase carries the definite form — Matthew 24:21 and Revelation 2:22 are without the article. The KJV's "out of great tribulation" under-translates the articles, so the KJRM renders them exactly. The articles mark a known, particular tribulation; which one is assigned by context — in this study's reading, the seven years just opening. This construction also follows a pattern Revelation uses for major entities: the city, the great one (17:18); the day, the great one (6:17; 16:14); the river, the great one (9:14; 16:12); the winepress, the great one (14:19); the supper, the great one (19:17) — and here, the tribulation, the great one. Each instance of the pattern designates an entity inside Revelation's own narrative. Note that Matthew 24:21's specificity comes instead from its relative clause, "such as was not since the beginning of the world," a unique description in a clause where Greek naturally drops the article. The two texts are definite by different means: Matthew describes the peak; Revelation designates the span, and the peak sits inside it (13:5-7).

This is not the same moment as 21:22. In the New Jerusalem there is no temple (Revelation 21:22), yet in Revelation 7:15 the redeemed are described as serving God "in his temple." That distinction matters. Revelation 7 is therefore not describing the eternal state after the thousand years, but a scene in heaven prior to the final descent of the New Jerusalem. The presence of a temple in 7:15 indicates a heavenly setting before the consummation of Revelation 21-22. For that reason, and many others, we should not telescope these passages into one identical event. Instead, the text itself encourages us to see the sealing of the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8) and the great multitude before the throne (7:9-17) as occurring within the same redemptive moment — two perspectives on a coordinated heavenly and earthly scene — rather than forcing them into a later, post-millennial framework where no temple exists.

Note that "shall hunger no more" is a future proposition, not a present one, for this group.

ESV again is more accurate: "will be their shepherd" vs. "shall feed them"; in Greek, ποιμαίνει means "to shepherd, take care of sheep," or "rule" rather than "shall feed them" in the KJV.

In 8:2, it says, "seven messengers who stand before God." This phrase may not seem significant, but it is if it is assumed that the first four messengers of these seven are the same as those in Revelation 7:1 who are holding back the four winds of the earth. Note the messengers' position: In 8:2 "before God" and in 7:1 "standing on the four corners of the earth". While the messengers need not be seen in a fixed position at all times, 8:2 places them before God within the context of the blowing of the trumpets, not on the earth. This does not mean the messengers are unable to relocate to earth for their blowing of trumpets (Revelation elsewhere gives opportunity for this type of movement from heaven to earth), but the direction of the text does not appear to be giving opportunities for that movement for all of chapter 8.

The KJV/TR reads "the first angel sounded"; the critical text reads Καὶ ὁ πρῶτος ἐσάλπισεν — "and the first sounded" — without "angel" (the trumpets of 8:8, 10, 12 carry it).

Unless otherwise indicated, life translates ζωή (zōē), denoting life as possessed or imparted. Lifeᵖ translates ψυχή (psychē), denoting the living self, person, or one’s personal life. The superscript p is an editorial marker for psychē and is not part of the Greek text.

λαμπὰς — a lamp — "Burning like a torch" or "burning like a flaming torch" as a "light source".

The Critical Text calls this flying messenger an "eagle" (αετου). The Majority Text uses a more general term, "angel/messenger" (ἄγγελος). The Critical Text is not out of place with its priority for eagle. This is because "flying" (πετομένου) in the book of Revelation is used almost exclusively when describing birds or eagles. Thus, because we see "πετομένου", it is safe to expect the Greek with it to also be "αετου" (eagle). Also, because of this pattern of flying being related to birds, even if the original Greek was ἄγγελος (messenger) and not αετου (eagle), we could infer the messenger is an eagle using that pattern, even if the word for "eagle" is not present.

“Shaft of the abyss” (τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ἀβύσσου) — φρέαρ (phrear) denotes a “well,” “pit,” or more precisely a vertical shaft or opening, not the abyss itself. The phrase describes an access point leading to the abyss (ἄβυσσος). The term ἄβυσσος (abyssos) means “deep,” “unfathomable,” or “bottomless,” referring to a depth without measure rather than a “pit” as such. The traditional English rendering “bottomless pit” (e.g., KJV) reflects this idea interpretively and has been retained due to longstanding usage, though “abyss” more directly represents the Greek term.

The Greek does not decisively distinguish between Wormwood, “it,” in Revelation 8:10-11 and the star in Revelation 9:1 as “him.” In both passages, the noun is ἀστήρ, “star,” which is grammatically masculine. Therefore, masculine agreement by itself does not prove personhood. In Revelation 9:1, αὐτῷ is dative singular and agrees naturally with ἀστήρ, but it can be rendered “to him” or “to it” depending on context. Likewise, Revelation 9:2 does not contain an explicit pronoun “he”; ἤνοιξεν is simply third-person singular, “he/she/it opened.” The reason English often uses “him/he” is not the pronoun or verb form alone, but the agency in the context: the star is given a key and opens the abyss. Thus, the grammar permits “it,” but the action favors a personal heavenly being. So, the star can be a "he" or an "it" depending on the interpretive position one takes.

The wings in Revelation 9:9 should probably be understood symbolically, not merely as literal insect wings. In Revelation, wings are connected with movement. The four living creatures have wings around the throne (Rev. 4:8), and if they are connected with the cherubim of the Old Testament, their wings recall the movement of God’s heavenly throne and glory. Ezekiel sees the living creatures moving with the wheels and the glory of YHWH, and he later identifies those living creatures as cherubim (Ezek. 1:19–24; 10:15–20). Daniel also sees the Ancient of Days seated on a throne with wheels of burning fire (Dan. 7:9), and 1 Chronicles 28:18 connects the cherubim with “the chariot” of the ark.

This helps frame the wings in Revelation 9:9. The locusts’ wings are not described for decoration, but for motion and force: “the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.” These are symbols of a hostile power taking flight, moving forward, and acting in war-like judgment. The comparison to chariots shows that the wings communicate movement, speed, and military force.

This same movement idea appears again in Revelation 12:14, where the woman is given “the two wings of the great eagle” so that she may fly into the wilderness to be nourished away from the serpent. In Revelation 9:9 the wings move the locusts into judgment; in Revelation 12:14 the wings move the woman into preservation. Thus, the wing imagery is not random. Revelation uses wings to communicate motion in the form of flight as its symbol. In Revelation 4:8 the throne itself is not shown taking flight, but the winged living creatures belong to the throne setting. In Revelation 9:9 and 12:14, however, wings are directly connected with movement: one force moves to harm those not sealed by God, while the woman moves to safety under God’s protection.

Abaddon/Apollyon is best understood here by function: an abyssal, demonic angelic ruler, the king over the locusts from the bottomless pit. The names mean destruction/destroyer, but Revelation 9 does not identify him as Satan, the sea beast, or the false prophet.

Revelation 9:11 calls Abaddon/Apollyon “the angel of the bottomless pit” and presents him as king over the locusts. His Hebrew name, Abaddon, is connected with destruction, and his Greek name, Apollyon, means “Destroyer.” This title fits the nature of the judgment in Revelation 9, where the locusts are not random creatures but an organized host under a destroying king.

This should not be collapsed into an identification with Satan. Revelation names Satan elsewhere as the dragon, the old serpent, the Devil, and Satan (Rev. 12:9; 20:2), but Revelation 9:11 gives this figure a different title and role: the angel of the abyss who rules the locusts. Abaddon/Apollyon should therefore be treated as a distinct abyssal ruler unless the text itself gives stronger reason to identify him otherwise.

A related possibility is that Abaddon/Apollyon is also the fallen star at the beginning of Revelation 9. John sees “a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth,” and the key of the bottomless pit is given to him (Rev. 9:1). If this fallen star is the same figure later named Abaddon/Apollyon, then the picture may be that the angel of the abyss is given limited authority to open the bottomless pit and release the locusts for this specific judgment. However, Revelation 9 does not explicitly identify the fallen star with Abaddon/Apollyon, so this should be held as a possible inference rather than a stated fact.

The clearer theme is that this destroying king is still restrained by God. The locusts are allowed to torment those who do not have the seal of God, but they are forbidden to harm those who are sealed (Rev. 9:4). Thus, the king of destruction may harm those who belong to the realm of rebellion, but he cannot harm those who belong to God. Abaddon/Apollyon is not acting independently; his authority is limited by God’s command.

The KJV/TR opens with καί — "And they had"; the critical text reads ἔχουσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν βασιλέα — "they have a king over them" — without the conjunction.

The voice commanding the release may be the altar messenger of 8:3, since Revelation often presents angels or living creatures as having delegated authority to announce and bring about judgment, as when the living creatures say "Come" in Revelation 6. This would fit the role of messengers in Revelation as servants who deliver God's messages and administer His judgments. The four bound messengers themselves should not be identified with the saints; in context they are released as agents of judgment connected with the killing of a third part of mankind.

The phrase "for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year" shows precise appointed timing. Revelation repeatedly marks time carefully, so its time markers should not be flattened into vague symbolism where the text presents them with this level of specificity.

ESV, "The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number." The ESV renders the phrase idiomatically ("twice ten thousand times ten thousand"), preserving the apocalyptic numeric form of δισ μυριαδες μυριαδων. However, the added clause "I heard their number" (ηκουσα τον αριθμον αυτων) indicates an explicitly enumerated total, not a vague expression of magnitude. This supports the KJV's inference of a precise count, even while the Greek presents that count in a stylized, idiomatic form.

The KJV/TR joins the clauses with καί — "and I heard"; the critical text reads ἤκουσα τὸν ἀριθμὸν αὐτῶν — "I heard the number of them" — without it.

In the TR/KJV the word "plagues" (πληγή) does not appear here, but it is present in the TR at 9:20.