Revelation study section
Revelation word studies
A handful of Greek words carry the theology of Revelation. Tap the speaker next to any word to hear it pronounced.
Key words
ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis) — “Revelation, Unveiling”
Usage: Revelation 1:1
Meaning: An unveiling, uncovering, disclosure of what was hidden. The source of the word “apocalypse.”
Theological Significance: The book is “the apokalypsis of Jesus Christ” — the unveiling of the glorified, reigning, and returning Lord and of God’s purposes for history. Its aim is not merely to predict the future but to reveal Christ and comfort His people (Revelation 1:1; Luke 2:32).
ἀρνίον (arnion) — “Lamb”
Usage: Revelation 5:6, 12; 7:17; 21:23; and about thirty times
Meaning: Lamb — the tender term for the sacrificial Lamb, John’s favorite title for Christ in Revelation.
Theological Significance: The arnion “as though it had been slain” is at the center of heaven’s worship, having conquered by His atoning death and ransomed a people from every nation. The crucified Lamb is the key to history and the light of the new creation (Revelation 5:9; 7:14; John 1:29).
θρόνος (thronos) — “Throne”
Usage: Revelation 4:2-10; 5:1; 20:11; 22:1, 3
Meaning: Throne — the seat of sovereign rule and authority.
Theological Significance: The thronos appears throughout Revelation, anchoring every scene in the truth that God reigns. However fierce the beast or Babylon, the throne of God and of the Lamb stands supreme, and from it flows judgment, salvation, and finally the river of life (Revelation 4:2; 22:1-3; Psalm 47:8).
νικάω (nikaō) — “To Conquer, Overcome”
Usage: Revelation 2:7, 11; 3:21; 5:5; 12:11; 17:14
Meaning: To conquer, overcome, be victorious.
Theological Significance: The Lamb “has conquered,” and His people conquer “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,” even unto death. To “the one who conquers” — the faithful, enduring believer — Christ promises a share in His victory and reward (Revelation 2:7; 12:11; 1 John 5:4).
μαρτυρία (martyria) — “Testimony, Witness”
Usage: Revelation 1:9; 12:11, 17; 19:10
Meaning: Testimony, witness — the confession of the truth about Jesus, often at great cost.
Theological Significance: John is on Patmos for “the martyria of Jesus,” and the saints conquer the dragon “by the word of their martyria,” faithful even to death. The root of “martyr,” it marks the church’s costly, victorious witness to Christ (Revelation 1:9; 12:11; 6:9).
My notes
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