The One Year Bible TLB (294 page)

143:1
answer my plea because you are faithful to your promises,
literally, “answer me in faithfulness and righteousness.”

8:8
just and true and yet forgiving them their sins,
literally, “in truth and in righteousness.”

8:19
July, August, October, and January,
literally, “fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months” of the Hebrew calendar.

16:7
I heard the angel of the altar say,
literally, “I heard the altar cry.”

16:10
from the sea,
implied.

16:13
his False Prophet,
described in 13:11-15 and 19:20.

16:17
It is finished,
literally, “It has happened.” An epoch of human history has come to an end.

144:3
Why bother at all with the human race?
literally, “Or the son of man that you take account of him?”

144:12-15
Here is my description of,
implied.

9:1
for the Lord is closely watching all mankind, as well as Israel,
or “for the cities of Syria belong to the Lord, as much as do the tribes of Israel.”

9:10
from the river to the ends of the earth,
or “to the ends of the land” of Palestine. Either interpretation is possible from the Hebrew text, but many other passages indicate Christ’s universal rule.

17:3
a scarlet animal that had seven heads and ten horns.
The Dragon—Satan—and the Creature from the sea are also described in 12:3, 9, and 13:1.

17:8
go to eternal destruction,
literally, “go to perdition.”
dumbfounded at his reappearance after being dead,
literally, “dumbfounded at the ruler who was, and is not, and will be present.”

17:9
represent a certain city,
implied in v. 18.

10:4
the Ruler over all the earth,
i.e., the Messiah.

10:11
the sea of distress,
or “the Sea of Egypt,” referring to the Red Sea, which the people of Israel were miraculously brought through when God delivered them out of slavery the first time.

11:1
to judgment,
implied.

11:12
thirty little silver coins,
the price of a slave; see Exodus 21:32 and Matthew 27:3-9.

11:13
Use it to buy a field from the pottery makers,
literally, “Throw it to the pottery makers.”

18:2
every kind of evil spirit,
literally, “every foul and hateful bird.”

18:3
have enjoyed themselves with her,
literally, “have committed fornication with her.”

18:22
no more pianos, saxophones, and trumpets,
literally, “harpers, pipers, and trumpeters.”

146:10
Jerusalem,
literally, “Zion.”

12:11
King Josiah,
implied in 2 Chronicles 35:24-25; literally, “like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.”

13:6
these scars on your chest and your back.
Evidently self-inflicted cuts, as practiced by false prophets; see 1 Kings 18:28.
I got into a brawl at the home of a friend,
literally, “[These are] wounds I received in the house of my friends.” Some think this refers to Christ; others believe this refers to a false prophet who is lying about the reasons for his scars.

13:8
Two-thirds of all the nation of Israel will be cut off and die.
Something of this sort has already happened twice: 2 million Jews perished in the Roman wars, and 6 million under Hitler. Is a yet future disaster predicted here?

19:2
sin,
literally, “fornication,” the word used symbolically throughout the prophets for the worship of false gods.

19:9
the angel,
literally, “he”; the exact antecedent is unclear.
God himself has stated this,
literally, “These are the true words of God.”

19:10
The purpose of all prophecy . . . is to tell about Jesus,
literally, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

19:12
A name was written on his forehead,
implied.

19:13
“The Word of God,”
literally, “The Logos,” as in John 1:1—the ultimate method of God’s revealing himself to man.

19:20
the False Prophet;
see 13:11-16.

31:1
King Lemuel of Massa,
or “King Lemuel the oracle.”

14:5
for it will reach across to the city gate,
literally, “for the valley of my mountain shall touch Azel”—apparently a hamlet on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem.
all his saints and angels,
literally, “his holy ones.”

14:6
The sun and moon and stars will no longer shine.
The Hebrew is uncertain.

14:14
at Jerusalem,
or “against Jerusalem.”

14:16
to celebrate a time of thanksgiving,
literally, “to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles,” or “Booths.”

14:20
These Are Holy Property,
literally, “Holy to the Lord.”

20:9
of Jerusalem,
implied.

20:10
will again,
implied from v. 3.

20:11
they found no place to hide,
literally, “there was no longer any place for them.”

21:3
be among them;
some manuscripts add, “and be their God.”

21:17
216 feet across . . . using standard units,
literally, “144 cubits by human measurements.” A cubit was the average length of a man’s arm—not an angel’s! The angel used normal units of measurement that John could understand.

21:18-20
layer,
literally, “foundation.”

21:22
are worshiped in it everywhere,
literally, “are its temple.”

3:1
the One,
literally, “the Lord.”

3:6
for my mercy endures forever,
implied.

4:5
another prophet like Elijah,
literally, “the prophet Elijah.” Compare Matthew 17:10-12 and Luke 1:17.

22:2
Trees of Life,
literally, “The tree of life”—used here as a collective noun, implying plurality.

22:6-7
soon,
or “suddenly,” “unexpectedly”; also in vv. 12 and 20.

150:1
in the heavens he made with mighty power,
literally, “in the firmament of his power.”

31:31
These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance,
literally, “Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates.”