[B-Greek] Revelation 20:4: KAI confusion ....

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Wed Aug 20 21:13:19 EDT 2008


It is not uncommon for words to be used with differing significance even in close proximity.  In fact, that appears to be a rather common practice which leads to the creation of puns in some instances (I am not suggesting such a practice here).  To impose what is perceived to be the usage of EZHSAN in Re 20.5 to its use in Re 20.4 is not only unnecessary but most likely incorrect.
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To say that the setting of Re 20.1-4 does not carry over into Re 20.5 ff has nothing to recommend it.  There is nothing in the context to suggest that there is a change of setting from the earth to the heavenly throne room.  In fact, the mention of the fact that they were beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and that they did not receive the mark of the Beast demands that the setting be on the earth.
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 george
gfsomsel.


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death..


- Jan Hus
_________



----- Original Message ----
From: Iver Larsen <iver_larsen at sil.org>
To: George F Somsel <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>; Jonathan Robie <jwrobie at mindspring.com>; B-Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 6:23:50 AM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Revelation 20:4: KAI confusion ....

----- Original Message ----- 
From: George F Somsel
To: Iver Larsen ; Jonathan Robie ; B-Greek
Sent: 20. august 2008 02:15
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Revelation 20:4: KAI confusion ....


I don't think ἔζησαν [EZHSAN] should be taken as an inceptive aorist.  It is not that they "came to 
life" but rather that "they lived."

IL: Whar arguments do you have for this? BAGD says:
"of dead persons who return to life become alive again of men (3 Km l7:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; 
Rv 20:4, 5"
Noticr also the same word in v. 5, which can hardly mean anything than came to life.


The 24 elders who sit on thrones are located in heaven as indeed everything is in the vision 
beginning with chapter 4.  While everything in the vision takes place in heaven, some things are 
more in heaven than are other things, i.e., while the vision is viewed in heaven, some things in the 
vision are viewed as occurring in heaven while other things in the vision are viewed as taking place 
on earth.  In the case of Re 20.4, it is preceeded by the notice in 20.1 that
.
Καὶ εἶδον ἄγγελον καταβαίνοντα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ
KAI EIDON AGGELON KATABAINONTA EK TOU OURANOU
.
It is thereby signified that this takes place on earth whereas the 24 elders are in heaven.

IL: Section 20:1-3 appears to take place on earth, but that does not carry over to the new section 
that starts in v. 4.

Iver Larsen 


      


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