Semantic Analysis

07 — Semantic Analysis: Revelation (Full Book) with Core Passage Verse-by-Verse Treatment

0. Method and Baseline Interoperability

This analysis extends, and never contradicts, the baseline Romans Language Package for Mandarin. Where a Revelation term is already fixed in translation_memory.json (e.g. 神, 耶稣, 主, 圣灵, 圣洁, 圣徒, 救恩, 复活, 荣耀, 恩典, 信心, 义, 福音, 神的国, 约, 先知, 预言, 使徒, 神的大能), that exact Mandarin rendering is reused without modification. This document does not re-litigate those entries; it flags them as [BASELINE REUSE] with a one-line contextual note only where Revelation’s usage shifts the nuance (e.g. “nations” in Rev 21-22 vs. “Gentiles” in Romans).

Revelation is an apocalyptic-prophetic genre (ἀποκάλυψις, “unveiling”) communicated substantially through symbolic sign-vision (Rev 1:1, ἐσήμανεν, “signified”). A cross-cutting interpretive risk applies to the entire book: Chinese religious culture has its own rich traditions of prognostication and symbol-reading — 谶纬 (chènwěi, prophetic-apocryphal texts predicting dynastic change), 占卜/卦象 (divination, I Ching hexagram reading), and popular fortune-telling. Revelation’s symbols (numbers, beasts, colors, seals) must be taught as God’s authoritative, Christ-centered disclosure of certain future realities, not as a coded fortune-telling text to be “cracked” for esoteric secrets or applied to personal fate-telling. This general risk (Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation doctrine) is flagged at first occurrence of each major symbol and is not repeated in full at every subsequent instance.

PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: Revelation 21:1-8 (Verse-by-Verse)

Revelation 21:1

Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶὶ γῆν καινήν· ὁ γὰρ πρῶτος οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ πρώτη γῆ ἀπῆλθαν, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

Field	Detail
Term	New (heaven / earth)
Original	καινός (adj.), used of οὐρανός and γῆ
Transliteration	kainos
Literal meaning	”New” in kind/quality, as opposed to νέος (“new” merely in time/age)
Semantic range	Fresh, previously non-existent in this form; qualitatively renewed, not merely repaired or recycled
English variants	new, renewed, novel
Contextual theological meaning	Not a repair of the old cosmos but a qualitatively new creation act of God, the consummation of Christ’s redemptive work — the doctrine of The New Heaven and New Earth
Mandarin rendering & risk	新 (xīn), in the fixed compound 新天新地 (CUV standard). Risk: High. 新 alone is a common adjective; the doctrinal weight must be carried by teaching, not the character itself. Greater risk: Chinese cosmological traditions (Buddhist kalpa-cycles of world-destruction-and-recreation, 劫; Daoist cyclical cosmic renewal) present “world renewal” as an endless repeating cycle. 新天新地 must be taught as a once-for-all, final, non-repeating re-creation, the terminus of history — not one turn of an eternal wheel.

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Sea (no more)	θάλασσα	thalassa	sea, large body of water	Literal sea; throughout Revelation also a symbol of primeval chaos, the source from which the beast rises (13:1)	sea	The disappearance of “the sea” signals the removal of the last locus of chaos, evil-origin, and separation from the renewed cosmos — ties to Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	海 (hǎi). Risk: Medium. Plain term, but translators/teachers must flag the symbolic register (chaos-source) alongside the literal one so readers do not read this only as a geography note.

Revelation 21:2

καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς. “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Holy (city)	ἁγία (fem. of ἅγιος)	hagia	set apart, consecrated	Moral purity + covenantal set-apartness	holy, sacred, consecrated	The city’s holiness derives from God’s presence, not human achievement	[BASELINE REUSE] 圣 (root of 圣洁/圣徒/圣灵, Critical/High per baseline). Compound: 圣城 (shèngchéng). Risk: Medium — must not be read as ritual-purity-through-practice (cf. 清净, rejected in baseline holiness note).
Descending from heaven	καταβαίνουσαν (pres. ptc. of καταβαίνω)	katabainousan	coming down, descending	Movement from above to below; contrasts with human ascent/building	coming down, descending	The city is God’s gift, descending ready-made — direct polemical contrast to Babylon (Rev 17-18), a city of human self-exaltation that God brings down (καταβαίνω is never used of Babylon; Babylon is thrown down, ἔρριψεν, 18:21). New Jerusalem’s origin is entirely from God	从天而降 (cóng tiān ér jiàng). Risk: Medium. Must preserve the directionality: the city comes from God to humanity; it is not a human utopian project ascending to heaven (cf. the Tower of Babel pattern, and the “ascend” language throughout Chinese cultivation traditions — 修仙, 升天 — where a practitioner ascends to immortal status through effort). New Jerusalem is received, not attained.
Bride	νύμφη	nymphē	bride, young married woman	Bride/newly married woman; by extension, the beloved covenant partner	bride	The Church corporately as Christ’s covenant bride — doctrine of The Church as Bride of Christ, paired with 19:7-8 and 22:17	新妇 (xīnfù) — established CUV rendering (distinct from the modern colloquial 新娘, xīnniáng, which this Language Package does NOT adopt, to preserve register consistency with CUV). Risk: High. Must be taught as a corporate, covenantal image (the whole redeemed people, not an individual romantic relationship) and must not be flattened into ordinary Chinese wedding-custom expectations (dowry-exchange, family-alliance framing) that could obscure the exclusive, once-for-all covenant-fidelity sense Paul develops in Ephesians 5 and John develops here.
Adorned	κεκοσμημένην (perf. ptc. of κοσμέω)	kekosmēmenēn	arranged, put in order, decorated	Ornamentation; also root of κόσμος (“world/order”)	adorned, beautified, arrayed	The bride’s beauty is given/prepared by God, not self-achieved — anticipates 19:8, “it was granted her to clothe herself”	妆饰整齐 (zhuāngshì zhěngqí), CUV idiom. Risk: Low.

Revelation 21:3

καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου λεγούσης· Ἰδοὺ ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σκηνώσει μετ’ αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτοὶ λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς μετ’ αὐτῶν ἔσται. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Throne	θρόνος	thronos	throne, seat of authority	Royal/judicial seat of sovereign power; in Revelation, God’s and the Lamb’s shared seat of cosmic rule	throne	Center of the doctrine of The Sovereignty of God over History: all final reality proceeds from the throne	宝座 (bǎozuò), CUV standard. Risk: Medium. 宝座 readily evokes an imperial throne in Chinese cultural memory (the Dragon Throne, 龙椅). Teaching must clarify: this is not a rival earthly dynasty but the singular, transcendent throne over all history, including over every human throne (cf. 19:16, “King of kings”).
Tabernacle/dwelling	σκηνή (noun) / σκηνώσει (fut. of σκηνόω)	skēnē / skēnōsei	tent, temporary dwelling / “will tent, will pitch tent”	OT tabernacle typology (Exod. 25-27; the tent where God’s presence dwelt among Israel in the wilderness); echoes John 1:14 ἐσκήνωσεν, “the Word…dwelt [tabernacled]“	tabernacle, dwelling, dwelling place	God’s presence permanently, unmediated, among his people — the goal toward which the whole biblical storyline (tabernacle → temple → incarnation → new creation) moves	帐幕 (zhàngmù, noun); 住/同住 (zhù/tóngzhù, verb), CUV renders “神的帐幕在人间…他要与人同住.” Risk: High. Must retain the OT tabernacle echo (God journeying with, and dwelling among, his covenant people) rather than reading merely as “coexistence” or “cohabitation” in a flat modern sense. Cross-reference incarnation (道成肉身, baseline Critical) — σκηνόω is the same verb John uses for the Incarnation; Rev 21:3 is its eschatological fulfillment: what began in the Word becoming flesh culminates in God’s unmediated dwelling with all his people.
People (his people)	λαός (pl. λαοί in the earlier textual tradition)	laos	people, populace; specifically a covenant people	The covenant people of God, echoing “you will be my people” (Exod. 6:7; Jer. 31:33)	people, peoples	The formula fulfills the covenant-people promise for a now multi-national redeemed humanity — ties to Unity of Jews and Gentiles-type universality already secured in the baseline Romans package, now consummated	子民 (zǐmín) — distinct from 圣徒 (saints, baseline). Risk: Medium. 子民 in Chinese carries a faint echo of “subjects of a ruler” (imperial subject-people); must be taught as covenant family, not merely political subjection.
God (himself with them)	θεός	theos	God	See baseline	God	Immediate divine presence, unmediated by priest, temple veil, or ritual	[BASELINE REUSE] 神 (Shén), Critical.

Revelation 21:4

καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι, οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι, ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Death	θάνατος	thanatos	death	Physical death; personified as an enemy/power throughout Revelation (6:8; 20:14)	death	Death’s final, permanent abolition — direct fruit of Christ’s own resurrection [BASELINE REUSE: 复活, Critical] and the reversal of Genesis 3’s curse	死亡 (sǐwáng). Risk: High. Must be taught in continuity with the baseline resurrection doctrine: death is ended because the risen Christ has conquered it (1 Cor. 15), not because souls escape an impersonal cycle of rebirth (baseline already forbids 轮回/投胎 for “resurrection”; the same vigilance applies here — “no more death” must not be read through a reincarnation lens as “no more need for further rebirths”).
Mourning	πένθος	penthos	grief, mourning, lamentation	Funerary/ritual grief	mourning, grief	The removal of all grief-occasions, since their cause (sin, death, separation) is gone	悲哀 (bēi’āi). Risk: Low.
Crying/wailing	κραυγή	kraugē	a cry, outcry	Loud vocal expression of distress; also used of the martyrs’ cry in 6:10 (“how long?“)	crying, wailing, outcry	The end of all cries of distress and unanswered lament	哭号 (kūháo). Risk: Low.
Pain	πόνος	ponos	pain, toil, distress	Physical or laborious suffering	pain	Comprehensive end of suffering	疼痛 (téngtòng). Risk: Low.
The former things	τὰ πρῶτα	ta prōta	”the first things”	The entire old created order marked by sin, death, and curse	the former things, the first things	Everything belonging to the fallen, pre-consummation order is decisively over	以前的事 (yǐqián de shì). Risk: Low. Echoes πρῶτος οὐρανός/πρώτη γῆ of v.1 — translators must keep the verbal link visible (both “first heaven/earth” and “former things” share the root πρῶτος) so Mandarin readers can trace the parallel between v.1 and v.4.

Revelation 21:5

Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ· Ἰδοὺ καινὰ ποιῶ πάντα. καὶ λέγει· γράψον, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί εἰσιν. “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
The one seated on the throne	ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ	ho kathēmenos epi tō thronō	the one sitting upon the throne	Standard Revelation title for God the Father (4:2, 9-10; 5:1, 7, 13; 7:10; 19:4; 21:5)	the one who sits on the throne	Speaker of the climactic new-creation announcement — the Sovereignty of God over History given a voice	坐在宝座上的 (zuò zài bǎozuò shàng de). Risk: Low (reuses 宝座, see v.3).
I am making all things new	καινὰ ποιῶ πάντα	kaina poiō panta	”new-things I-am-making all”	Present tense — an act already underway/certain, not merely future	I make all things new; I am making everything new	The definitive summary statement of the whole book’s resolution; the climactic center of The New Heaven and New Earth doctrine	我将一切都更新了 (wǒ jiāng yíqiè dōu gēngxīn le), CUV rendering. Risk: High. 更新 (gēngxīn, “renew/update”) is common secular vocabulary (e.g. software “update,” urban “renewal” 城市更新). Teaching must clarify this is not incremental improvement/renovation of the old but the sovereign, total, once-for-all re-creating act of God — the same God who spoke creation into being in Genesis 1.
Trustworthy and true	πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί	pistoi kai alēthinoi	faithful/reliable and true/genuine	πιστός: dependable, faithful (same root as πίστις, “faith” — [BASELINE REUSE] 信心, High); ἀληθινός: real, genuine, not counterfeit	faithful and true, trustworthy and true	Certifies the reliability of God’s own spoken word/promise, guaranteeing its fulfillment — undergirds Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	可信的,是真实的 (kě xìn de, shì zhēnshí de). Risk: Medium. πιστός here is an attribute of God’s words, not the human act of trusting (信心 in the baseline is about a person’s trust in God/Christ). Translators must not blur “these words are faithful/reliable” with “these words require faith to believe” — the emphasis is on God’s own reliability, not the hearer’s believing response.

Revelation 21:6

καὶ εἶπέν μοι· γέγονεν. ἐγώ [εἰμι] τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ, ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος. ἐγὼ τῷ διψῶντι δώσω ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος τῆς ζωῆς δωρεάν. “And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.’”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
It is done	γέγονεν (perf. of γίνομαι)	gegonen	”it has come to pass / it has happened”	Perfect tense: a completed act with abiding results	it is done, it has come to pass	Marks the certain, completed fulfillment of the whole redemptive-historical plan announced from Genesis onward. Note: the identical exclamation Γέγονεν appears at 16:17, marking the completion of God’s wrath in judgment. Translators must render both occurrences consistently so Mandarin readers can perceive the deliberate literary parallel: the same word that seals final judgment (16:17) also seals final restoration (21:6)	都成了 (dōu chéngle), CUV rendering. Risk: High. Must NOT be conflated with Jesus’s cry from the cross “It is finished” (τετέλεσται, John 19:30, CUV 成了/完了), a different Greek verb describing the completion of the atoning work itself. Γέγονεν in Rev 21:6 announces the consummation of all God’s purposes in history, building on but distinct from the finished atonement. Keep 都成了 exclusively for this Revelation formula and do not merge its nuance with the Calvary utterance.
Alpha and Omega	τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ	to Alpha kai to Ō	The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet	A merism (two extremes standing for the whole range) expressing total temporal and ontological comprehensiveness	Alpha and Omega, the A and the Z	Divine self-identification as the eternal sovereign origin and goal of all things — reused for both the Father (1:8; 21:6) and Christ (22:13), asserting shared deity	阿拉法,俄梅戛 (Ālāfǎ, Éméigā), CUV transliteration. Risk: Medium. Because Mandarin readers do not know Greek alphabetic order, the transliteration alone communicates nothing without the accompanying paraphrase; it must always be paired with 首先的、末后的 or 初、终 (“the First and the Last” / “the Beginning and the End”) so the merism’s meaning is not lost.
Beginning and end	ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος	archē kai telos	beginning and end/goal	ἀρχή: origin, source, first cause; τέλος: goal, completion, final purpose (not merely “stopping point”)	beginning and end	Restates the Alpha/Omega claim in ordinary Greek vocabulary: God (and Christ) is both the source and the intended goal of history	初,终 (chū, zhōng). Risk: Low.
Thirsty	ὁ διψῶν	ho dipsōn	one who thirsts	Physical thirst; throughout Scripture a metaphor for spiritual longing/need (John 4:14; 7:37; Isa. 55:1)	the thirsty (one), whoever is thirsty	An open, universal invitation extended to anyone in spiritual need	口渴的人 (kǒukě de rén). Risk: Low.
Water of life	τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς ζωῆς / ἡ πηγὴ τοῦ ὕδατος τῆς ζωῆς	to hydōr tēs zōēs / hē pēgē tou hydatos tēs zōēs	”the water of the life” / “the spring of the water of the life”	Life-giving water sourced directly from God, echoing Ezek. 47, Zech. 14:8, and John 4/7	water of life, living water	The freely-given, God-sourced provision of eternal life itself, paired with 22:1, 22:17	生命泉的水 / 生命水的河 (shēngmìng quán de shuǐ / shēngmìng shuǐ de hé), CUV. Risk: Medium. ζωή here [BASELINE-ADJACENT: cf. 救恩/salvation, Critical] must be read as the fullness of resurrection life secured by Christ, not a symbol of vitality/longevity (长生, a strong theme in Daoist immortality-seeking tradition, e.g. elixirs of “eternal life” 长生不老药). The water of life is relational, received by faith, not consumed as an alchemical substance.
Without payment / freely	δωρεάν	dōrean	as a free gift, without cost, gratis	Adverb from δωρεά (“gift”), same root family as χάρις (“grace”)	freely, without cost, as a gift	Direct verbal echo of the grace principle: the ultimate gift of eternal life is received, never purchased or earned	白白地(赐给) (báibái de (cìgěi)), CUV. Risk: Critical. This word carries the same anti-merit logic flagged as Critical for [BASELINE REUSE] 恩典 (grace): it must be taught in explicit contrast to the merit-accounting worldview of 功德/阴德 (Buddhist accumulated merit; rejected alternatives for grace in the baseline). The water of life cannot be earned by good works, ritual devotion, or accumulated merit — it is given as pure gift, received by “thirsting” (desiring, coming) rather than by achieving.

Revelation 21:7

ὁ νικῶν κληρονομήσει ταῦτα, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ θεὸς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι υἱός. “The one who overcomes will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
The one who overcomes	ὁ νικῶν (pres. ptc. of νικάω)	ho nikōn	the one conquering/overcoming	Victory in a contest, war, or trial; the standard refrain of the seven letters (chs. 2-3) and the dominant verb for faithful endurance throughout Revelation	he who overcomes, the one who conquers, the victor	Denotes the believer who perseveres in faith and testimony through persecution to the end — center of Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution	得胜的 (déshèng de). Risk: High. Must be anchored to Christ’s own victory (5:5, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered”; 3:21, “as I also conquered and sat down with my Father”) and to 12:11 (“they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony”) — overcoming is not self-generated heroic willpower or accumulated spiritual merit (avoid any drift toward 功德-style earned-victory framing) but victory secured through union with the conquering Lamb, appropriated by continued faith and testimony, even unto death.
Inherit	κληρονομήσει (fut. of κληρονομέω)	klēronomēsei	will inherit, will receive as an heir’s portion	Legal inheritance-right, not a wage earned by labor	will inherit, will receive as a heritage	The overcomer receives the whole new-creation reality as an inheritance, i.e., as a family right, not a purchased reward — connects to the baseline [BASELINE-ADJACENT] adoption doctrine (儿子的名分, High)	承受…为业 (chéngshòu…wéiyè), CUV. Risk: High. Must preserve the family-inheritance logic (an heir receives by relationship, not by earning) rather than a reward-for-service framing that could drift toward merit theology.
Son	υἱός	huios	son	Legal/relational son, heir; used generically for legitimate heirs regardless of the recipient’s biological sex in the ancient legal-inheritance idiom Paul also uses (cf. Gal. 4:6-7; Rom. 8:15-17, [BASELINE REUSE] 儿子的名分/阿爸, both High)	son, child, heir	Fulfills the OT covenant formula (“I will be his God, and he will be my son,” 2 Sam. 7:14) for every overcoming believer — full inheritance-sonship, the consummation of the adoption doctrine already secured in this life (Rom. 8)	儿子 (érzi), consistent with baseline 儿子的名分 (adoption). Risk: High. TRANSLATOR NOTE required: 儿子 is grammatically masculine in Mandarin, but the referent is every overcoming believer, male and female alike — the term functions as a legal-inheritance status word (parallel to Paul’s usage), not a claim that only males inherit. This nuance must be taught explicitly alongside the term, exactly as the baseline flags for the adoption doctrine generally.

Revelation 21:8

τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσι καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμακοῖς καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος. “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Cowardly	δειλός (dat. pl. δειλοῖς)	deilois	cowardly, fearful	Fear that leads to abandoning faithful testimony under pressure	the cowardly, the fearful	The opposite of the “overcomer” of v.7 — failing to persevere in testimony under persecution disqualifies rather than merely disappoints	胆怯的 (dǎnqiè de). Risk: Medium. Must be read specifically as failure of faith-testimony under pressure, tied to Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution, not generic timidity of temperament.
Faithless/unbelieving	ἄπιστος (dat. pl. ἀπίστοις)	apistois	without faith, unbelieving	Negation of πιστός/πίστις — [BASELINE REUSE root] 信心 (faith, High)	unbelieving, faithless	Ultimate unbelief, the refusal of trust in Christ maintained to the end	不信的 (bùxìn de). Risk: High. Direct negative counterpart to the baseline 信心 doctrine; must retain the personal-trust-in-Christ sense (not merely “skeptical of religion in general”).
Detestable/abominable	ἐβδελυγμένος (dat. pl. ἐβδελυγμένοις)	ebdelygmenois	detestable, abhorrent, defiled	Root related to cultic/moral abomination (LXX idiom for idolatrous or ritually unclean practice)	detestable, abominable, vile	General category of morally/religiously abhorrent conduct	可憎的 (kězēng de). Risk: Low.
Murderers	φονεύς (dat. pl. φονεῦσι)	phoneusi	murderers	Those who take human life unlawfully	murderers	Violation of the sanctity of human life	杀人的 (shārén de). Risk: Low.
Sexually immoral	πόρνος (dat. pl. πόρνοις)	pornois	sexually immoral persons, fornicators	Same root as πόρνη (“prostitute/harlot,” the symbolic title of Babylon in chs. 17-19)	the sexually immoral	Literal sexual immorality here; the same root is used symbolically for idolatrous Babylon — translators should be aware of, but not merge, the literal and symbolic senses	淫乱的 (yínluàn de). Risk: Medium. Cross-reference the symbolic “the great harlot” 大淫妇 (ch. 17) sharing the same root — keep the literal-individual and symbolic-corporate uses distinct in teaching notes even though the root term is shared.
Sorcerers	φαρμακός (dat. pl. φαρμακοῖς)	pharmakois	sorcerer, one who practices magic arts (root: φάρμακον, “drug/potion,” source of English “pharmacy”)	Occult practice, potion-based magic, casting of spells	sorcerers, those who practice magic arts	Any occult manipulation of spiritual power apart from, and in defiance of, God	行邪术的 (xíng xiéshù de). Risk: Medium. This lands on culturally live ground: Chinese folk religion includes widespread practices of talisman-writing (符), spirit-mediums (巫), and spell-casting (咒术) which some readers may practice unreflectively within family tradition. The term must be taught as clearly condemning any manipulation of spiritual power outside submission to God, without being weaponized carelessly against every traditional practice without further pastoral discipleship.
Idolaters	εἰδωλολάτρης (dat. pl. εἰδωλολάτραις)	eidōlolatrais	idol-worshipers	Worship (λατρεία) offered to an idol (εἴδωλον)	idolaters	Directing worship owed to God alone toward a false object — directly opposed to Worship of the Lamb	拜偶像的 (bài ǒuxiàng de). Risk: High. Requires careful pastoral framing in the Chinese context: ancestor veneration (祭祖) and popular temple worship are widespread cultural practices that some believers’ extended families continue to observe. The term itself must remain doctrinally clear (worship directed to any object other than the one true God), while teaching materials should distinguish the theological category from blanket condemnation of all family ritual observance without further discipleship nuance — this distinction should be made explicit in any accompanying commentary, not left for the term alone to resolve.
Liars	ψευδής (dat. pl. ψευδέσιν)	pseudesin	liars, false ones	Root shared with ψευδοπροφήτης (“false prophet,” 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) and ψεῦδος (“falsehood,” 21:27; 22:15)	liars, the false, all who are false	Comprehensive rejection of falsehood, standing opposite God’s self-description as “trustworthy and true” (v.5)	说谎话的 (shuō huǎnghuà de). Risk: Low.
Lake of fire	λίμνη τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ	limnē tē kaiomenē pyri kai theiō	”the lake burning with fire and sulfur”	First introduced 19:20 (beast and false prophet), then 20:10, 14-15, and here — the place of final judgment for Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and the unrepentant wicked	lake of fire, lake of fire and sulfur/brimstone	Final, conscious, eternal judgment — NOT a purgatorial or transitional stage	火湖 (huǒhú). Risk: Critical. Must be distinguished from the Buddhist hell-realms (地狱, dìyù) of Chinese popular religion, which are understood as temporary punishments within an ongoing cycle of rebirth, from which a soul may eventually be released through merit, ritual (超度, already forbidden in the baseline for “salvation”), or the passage of karmic time. The lake of fire in Revelation is final and irreversible for the unrepentant — there is no subsequent rebirth or ritual release. This distinction must be taught explicitly wherever the term occurs.
Second death	ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος	ho thanatos ho deuteros	”the death, the second”	First introduced 2:11; recurs 20:6, 14; 21:8 — eternal separation from God following the final judgment, contrasted with the “first” (physical) death	the second death	Final, eternal exclusion from God’s presence and from the life described in vv.1-7 — the terrible counterpart to the “first resurrection” (20:5-6)	第二次的死 (dì-èr-cì de sǐ), CUV. Risk: Critical. Must never be read through a reincarnation framework (i.e., NOT “a second life-and-death cycle,” which would invert the meaning entirely). It is the terminal, non-repeating opposite of eternal life, exactly as [BASELINE REUSE] 复活 (resurrection, Critical) is the terminal, non-repeating opposite of ordinary death. Both terms must be insulated from any cyclical (轮回) reading.

PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY (Revelation 1-22)

Chapter 1 — Prologue and Vision of the Risen Christ

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Revelation/Apocalypse	ἀποκάλυψις	apokalypsis	unveiling, disclosure	Removal of a covering to reveal what was hidden; a distinct literary/theological genre in Jewish and Christian literature	revelation, apocalypse, unveiling	The whole book is Christ’s disclosure of end-time realities to his church, not a human speculative document — sets the doctrine of Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation	启示 (qǐshì). Risk: Medium. Distinguish from divinatory “revelation” claims common in Chinese folk religion (spirit-medium channeling, oracle interpretation, 灵签). This is a unique, closed, Christ-given disclosure, not an ongoing channel open to any medium or practitioner.
Signified/made known by signs	ἐσήμανεν (aor. of σημαίνω)	esēmanen	signified, indicated by a sign	Communication through symbol rather than plain statement (root: σημεῖον, “sign”)	made it known, signified	Establishes from the book’s first verse that its content is substantially communicated in symbolic form, requiring careful, Christ-centered interpretation rather than literalistic or fortune-telling decoding	指示/晓示 (zhǐshì/xiǎoshì), CUV. Risk: Medium. Ties directly to the Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation doctrine; flag at first occurrence for all subsequent apocalyptic imagery (numbers, beasts, colors) in the book.
Almighty	παντοκράτωρ	pantokratōr	ruler of all, all-powerful one	A divine title (LXX rendering of Heb. Šaddai/Tsebaot); occurs 9x in Revelation, only once elsewhere in the NT (2 Cor. 6:18)	Almighty, the All-Powerful One	Absolute, exclusive divine omnipotence over all history and creation — reinforces The Sovereignty of God over History	全能者 (quánnéngzhě). Risk: High. Distinguish from generic “all-powerful deity” language used loosely of various figures in Chinese folk pantheons (e.g., the Jade Emperor 玉皇, or claims of omnipotence made for various bodhisattvas/deities); 全能者 in Revelation designates the singular true God exclusively, not a superlative rank within a populated spirit-world.
Alpha and Omega	τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ	to Alpha kai to Ō	see 21:6 above	—	—	—	[Treated fully at 21:6]; first occurrence here at 1:8.
First and Last	ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος	ho prōtos kai ho eschatos	the first and the last	Same merism as Alpha/Omega, applied to the risen Christ (1:17), reused of God the Father conceptually	the First and the Last	Christ shares the Father’s eternal, all-encompassing identity — supports Deity of Christ and undergirds The Return and Reign of Christ	首先的、末后的 (shǒuxiān de, mòhòu de). Risk: High. Must be applied consistently to Christ here and to God the Father at 1:8/21:6/22:13 so Mandarin readers perceive the shared divine title as an assertion of Christ’s full deity.
Testimony/witness	μαρτυρία (noun) / μαρτυρέω (verb) / μάρτυς (agent noun)	martyria / martyreō / martys	testimony, witness / to testify / a witness	Legal/courtroom witness-bearing extended to faithful proclamation, even to the point of death (the source of the English loanword “martyr,” though the Greek word itself means simply “witness”)	testimony, witness, to bear witness	Central to Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution: faithful proclamation of what one has seen and believed concerning Jesus, sustained even under threat of death	见证 (jiànzhèng). Risk: High. Must be taught carefully: the Greek term itself denotes testifying, not dying — death is the potential cost of faithful testimony under persecution (as with Christ himself, “the faithful witness,” 1:5; and Antipas, 2:13), not a synonym built into the word. Do not collapse 见证 into “martyrdom” as though every act of witness implies death.
Priests / kingdom	βασιλείαν…ἱερεῖς	basileian…hiereis	kingdom…priests	Echo of Exod. 19:6 (“a kingdom of priests”); βασιλεία [BASELINE REUSE 神的国, Medium] combined with a NEW term, ἱερεῖς	a kingdom, priests	The redeemed community is constituted as both royal and priestly before God — anticipates 5:10 and 20:6	国度…祭司 (guódù…jìsī). Risk: Medium. 祭司 (jìsī, “priest”) must be distinguished from Buddhist monastics (僧, 和尚) or Daoist ritual masters (道士); this priesthood is the corporate mediatory identity of all believers before God through Christ, not a ritual-specialist class.
Lord’s day	ἡ κυριακὴ ἡμέρα	hē kyriakē hēmera	the Lord’s day	The first day of the week, the day of resurrection, set apart for Christian worship	the Lord’s Day	Reuses [BASELINE REUSE] 主 (Lord, Critical) as an adjective; establishes the pattern of corporate worship gathered around the risen Lord	主的日子 (Zhǔ de rìzi). Risk: Low.

(Reused without new field-treatment in ch.1: 神 [God], 耶稣 [Jesus], 主 [Lord], 圣灵 [Holy Spirit, as “the seven spirits before his throne,” see note below], 复活 [resurrection, “the firstborn of the dead”], 荣耀 [glory], 教会 [churches].)

Note on “the seven spirits” (τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα, 1:4; 4:5; 5:6): a symbolic (7 = completeness) reference to the fullness of the one Holy Spirit before God’s throne, not seven distinct spirit-beings. Render with [BASELINE REUSE] 圣灵-root vocabulary: 七灵 (qī líng, “seven spirits”) with an explanatory note that this is a symbolic depiction of the Spirit’s fullness, not a plurality of spirits — avoid any reading through the lens of folk multiple-spirit cosmology (灵界, spirit-world populated by many discrete spirit-beings).

Chapters 2-3 — Letters to the Seven Churches

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Overcome/conquer	νικάω (ptc. ὁ νικῶν)	nikaō	to conquer, to win a victory	Athletic/military victory; the refrain closing each of the seven letters	he who overcomes, the one who conquers, to be victorious	Faithful perseverance in the face of compromise, false teaching, or persecution, until the end — see full treatment at 21:7	得胜的 (déshèng de). Risk: High (fully treated at 21:7 above; first occurrence 2:7).
Repent	μετανοέω	metanoeō	to change one’s mind, to turn	Reorientation of mind and direction, not mere emotional regret	repent, turn	A call to reverse course from compromise/sin back to faithful covenant loyalty — addressed corporately to churches, not only individuals	悔改 (huǐgǎi). Risk: Medium. Distinguish from mere remorse/regret (后悔, hòuhuǐ, an emotional state) — 悔改 denotes an active reorientation of direction and allegiance, consistent with [BASELINE-adjacent] usage of 悔改 throughout the wider CUV tradition (though not separately defined in the Romans TM).
Second death	ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος	ho thanatos ho deuteros	see full treatment at 21:8	—	—	First occurrence, 2:11	[Fully treated at 21:8]; 第二次的死. Risk: Critical.
Tree of life	τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς	to xylon tēs zōēs	the tree of the life	Echoes Gen. 2:9; 3:22-24 (access denied after the Fall); recurs 22:2, 14, 19	the tree of life	Restored, permanent access to the life once forfeited in Eden — a key image of The New Heaven and New Earth	生命树 (shēngmìng shù). Risk: Medium. Requires OT (Genesis) narrative literacy; must not be confused with Daoist/folk-immortality “tree/herb of eternal life” motifs (仙草, 蟠桃, the peaches of immortality in Chinese mythology, e.g. Xiwangmu’s garden) — this tree’s fruit is relational, covenantal restoration, not a magical life-extension substance.
Crown of life	ὁ στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς	ho stephanos tēs zōēs	the wreath/crown of the life	στέφανος: a victor’s wreath (athletic/military), distinct from διάδημα (a ruler’s royal crown/diadem, used of Christ in 19:12 and of the dragon in 12:3)	crown of life, wreath of life	A reward of victory and vindication given by Christ to the one who perseveres, not a symbol of political rule	生命的冠冕 (shēngmìng de guānmiǎn). Risk: Medium. Distinguish στέφανος (victor’s wreath, reward for faithful endurance) from διάδημα (royal crown/authority) — the two are different Greek words for different concepts and both occur in Revelation; Mandarin 冠冕 can carry either sense, so context notes must specify “reward-wreath,” not “ruling crown,” here.
Hidden manna / white stone / morning star / key of David	(various, 2:17; 2:28; 3:7)	—	—	Distinct localized images of hidden divine provision, personal vindication, messianic promise (Num. 24:17), and Davidic authority (Isa. 22:22)	—	Reward and identity images for the persevering believer	Rendered with standard CUV vocabulary (吗哪, 白石, 晨星, 大卫的钥匙). Risk: Low. Minor exegetical images, low doctrinal-collision risk; note in passing without dedicated risk treatment.
Book of life	τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς / ἡ βίβλος τῆς ζωῆς	to biblion tēs zōēs	the book/scroll of the life	God’s sovereign record of those who belong to him; first occurrence 3:5, recurring 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27	book of life, scroll of life	Assurance that the overcomer’s name is permanently secured before God — supports Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	生命册 (shēngmìngcè), CUV. Risk: High. Must be distinguished from the Chinese folk-Daoist “ledger of merit and demerit” (功过簿, gōngguò bù) recorded by underworld officials (城隍, 阎王) and used to calculate a person’s fate based on accumulated good/bad deeds. The book of life is not a merit-tally; inclusion is grounded in belonging to the Lamb (13:8, “the Lamb’s book of life”), not a running moral balance sheet.
New Jerusalem	ἡ καινὴ Ἰερουσαλήμ	hē kainē Ierousalēm	the new Jerusalem	First occurrence 3:12, fully developed in ch. 21	new Jerusalem	Promised future dwelling of the overcomer with God — anticipates the core passage	[Fully treated in Core Passage, 21:2]; 新耶路撒冷.
Tribulation	θλῖψις	thlipsis	pressure, affliction, tribulation	Suffering under external pressure, often specifically persecution for the faith (2:9-10)	tribulation, affliction, suffering	Sustained affliction endured for Christ’s sake, the setting for perseverance-under-persecution teaching	患难 (huànnàn). Risk: Medium. Reinforces Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution; distinguish from generic misfortune/hardship (苦难 broadly) by keeping the persecution-for-Christ’s-sake context explicit.

(Chapters 2-3 also reuse: 教会 [churches], 神的国/王 [kingdom language], 圣灵 [“what the Spirit says to the churches”], 死亡, 生命.)

Chapter 4 — The Throne Room Vision

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Throne	θρόνος	thronos	see full treatment at 21:3	—	—	The unshaken center of heavenly reality from which all Revelation’s action proceeds	[Fully treated at 21:3]; 宝座. First major vision occurrence here (4:2 and throughout ch. 4-5).
Worship	προσκυνέω	proskyneō	to bow down, to prostrate oneself in homage	Physical prostration + the internal disposition of reverent submission; used throughout Revelation exclusively of homage due to God/the Lamb, and explicitly forbidden toward angels (19:10; 22:8-9) or the beast (13:4, 8, 12)	worship, bow down, do homage	Exclusive worship due to God alone (and, remarkably, to the Lamb — see ch. 5) — the doctrine of Worship of the Lamb	敬拜 (jìngbài). Risk: Critical. Must be sharply distinguished from the general Chinese verb 拜 (bài), used broadly and non-exclusively for ancestor veneration (拜祖先), temple worship of multiple deities (拜神/拜佛), and even respectful greeting gestures. 敬拜 in Revelation denotes worship in the fullest theological sense, reserved exclusively for God and the Lamb; the book itself dramatizes the danger of misdirected worship (of angels, of the beast) as a central warning. This term requires explicit doctrinal framing at every occurrence.
Elders (twenty-four)	πρεσβύτεροι	presbyteroi	elders	Senior, honored representative figures enthroned around God’s throne (interpreted variously as redeemed humanity, angelic representatives, or both)	elders	Represent the redeemed people of God (or heavenly council) in worship before the throne	长老 (zhǎnglǎo). Risk: Medium. 长老 also names a modern Presbyterian/Reformed church office and, in Chinese clan culture, a respected senior kinsman; in Revelation the term denotes a heavenly worshiping figure, not an earthly ecclesial office or clan authority — clarify the distinct referent when teaching.
Four living creatures	τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα	ta tessara zōa	the four living beings	Composite winged creatures (echoing Ezek. 1 and Isa. 6) leading heavenly worship	four living creatures, four beasts (older translations)	Represent the fullness of created life joining in ceaseless worship of the Creator	四活物 (sì huówù), CUV. Risk: Low. Note: distinct from θηρίον (“beast,” chs. 11-19); English “beast” for both ζῷον (KJV) and θηρίον causes confusion in older translations — Mandarin CUV already distinguishes them (活物 vs. 兽), which should be retained deliberately.
Holy, holy, holy	ἅγιος ἅγιος ἅγιος	hagios hagios hagios	see baseline “holy”	Triple repetition (echoing Isa. 6:3) intensifying the declaration to the superlative	holy, holy, holy	Threefold repetition as a Hebraic superlative affirming God’s utterly unique, transcendent moral purity and otherness	[BASELINE REUSE] 圣哉!圣哉!圣哉! (shèng zāi, shèng zāi, shèng zāi), using 圣 root. Risk: Medium (same as baseline “holy”).
Worthy	ἄξιος	axios	worthy, deserving, of equal weight/value	Merit-language used exclusively of God and the Lamb in Revelation’s worship scenes (4:11; 5:9, 12)	worthy	Grounds the worship of God (and later the Lamb) in his own inherent worth, not in obligation or fear	配得 (pèidé). Risk: Medium. Establishes the pattern completed in ch. 5 where the Lamb is declared equally “worthy” — an assertion of shared divine worthiness between the Father and the Lamb; must render consistently in both chapters.

Chapter 5 — The Lamb and the Scroll

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Lamb	ἀρνίον	arnion	little lamb, lamb	The dominant Christological title in Revelation (28 occurrences), depicting Christ as the sacrificial, slain-yet-standing, victorious Lamb (5:6, “standing, as though it had been slain”)	the Lamb	Christ’s identity as the once-slain, now-triumphant sacrificial Lamb, worthy of the very worship reserved for God alone — the center of Worship of the Lamb and closely tied to Deity of Christ [BASELINE REUSE root doctrine]	羔羊 (gāoyáng), established Chinese Christian usage. Risk: Critical. The single most theologically loaded new term in the book. Two collision risks: (1) 羔羊 alone may suggest only gentleness/weakness/passivity to a reader unfamiliar with the sacrificial background, obscuring that this Lamb is also the conquering “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (5:5) who judges the world (6:16) and reigns eternally (22:1, 3); (2) the Lamb receives the identical worship, throne, and worthy-praise given to God the Father (5:13-14), a direct and repeated assertion of Christ’s full deity that must never be softened. Every occurrence in worship contexts should be flagged for theologian review per the escalation rules already established for Christological terms in the baseline.
Worthy	ἄξιος	axios	see ch.4 treatment	—	—	Declared of the Lamb in 5:9, 12 — extending the Father’s own “worthy” (4:11) to the Lamb	[Treated at ch.4] 配得. Consistency required across chs. 4-5.
Redeemed/purchased	ἀγοράζω	agorazō	to buy, to purchase in the marketplace	Commercial purchase-language applied to Christ’s atoning death “purchasing” people for God with his blood (5:9; also 14:3-4)	ransomed, redeemed, bought	Christ’s sacrificial death as the price paid to secure the redeemed for God from every nation — connects to [BASELINE-adjacent] salvation (救恩, Critical) without collapsing into a literal financial transaction to a third party	买赎/买 (mǎishú/mǎi). Risk: High. Must be taught carefully: this is atonement imagery (the cost of Christ’s blood), not a literal payment made to Satan or to some cosmic ledger-keeper, and must not be assimilated to the Buddhist/folk merit-transaction worldview already flagged Critical under grace in the baseline (功德, transactional merit accumulation). The “purchase” is a one-time, all-sufficient act of Christ, not an ongoing exchange.
New song	ᾆσμα καινόν	asma kainon	a new song	A song appropriate to a new act of God’s redemption (echoing OT “new song” language, e.g. Ps. 96:1)	a new song	Fresh worship appropriate to the once-for-all redemptive accomplishment of the Lamb	新歌 (xīngē). Risk: Low.
Lion of the tribe of Judah / Root of David	ὁ λέων ὁ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα / ἡ ῥίζα Δαυίδ	ho leōn ho ek tēs phylēs Iouda / hē rhiza Dauid	the lion from the tribe of Judah / the root of David	Messianic titles drawn from Gen. 49:9-10 and Isa. 11:1, 10	the Lion of Judah, the Root of David	Confirms the Lamb’s identity as the promised messianic king from David’s line — ties to [BASELINE REUSE] seed_of_david / Davidic covenant (大卫的后裔, High)	犹大支派的狮子 / 大卫的根 (Yóudà zhīpài de shīzi / Dàwèi de gēn), CUV. Risk: Medium. Reinforces continuity with the baseline Davidic-covenant doctrine; the conquering “Lion” title must be held together with the “slain Lamb” title in the same verse (5:5-6) as a deliberate paradox — conquest achieved through sacrificial death, not military force.

Chapter 6 — The Seven Seals Opened

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Seal	σφραγίς (noun) / σφραγίζω (verb)	sphragis / sphragizō	seal, signet / to seal	An official mark of ownership, authentication, or security, closing a scroll until opened by the rightful authority	seal, to seal	The seals on the scroll represent Christ’s exclusive authority to unfold the course of history and its judgments — supports The Sovereignty of God over History	印 (yìn, noun) / 封印 (fēngyìn, verb). Risk: Medium. Distinct from, yet later contrasted with, the protective “seal” placed on God’s servants (7:3, see ch.7) and the hostile “mark” of the beast (13:16-17, see ch.13) — three related-but-opposed uses of seal/mark imagery must be kept terminologically distinguishable in Mandarin (印/封印 for the scroll seals; 印/盖印 for God’s seal on believers; 印记 for the beast’s mark) even though they share a root concept.
Four horsemen	(unnamed, symbolic)	—	—	Symbolic riders (conquest, war, famine, death) unleashed upon the opening of the first four seals	the four horsemen	Symbolic depiction of divinely permitted historical calamities preceding final judgment	Rendered descriptively, no fixed technical term; low independent doctrinal risk beyond the general Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation caution already flagged in ch. 1 — avoid literalizing as a predictive timetable for specific historical events.
Wrath (of the Lamb)	ὀργή	orgē	settled anger, wrath	God’s/Christ’s righteous, personal judicial response to sin and evil, as opposed to impulsive rage	wrath, anger	Introduces the doctrine of divine wrath explicitly attributed to the Lamb (6:16-17) as well as to God — supports Judgment of the Wicked and Vindication of the Saints	忿怒 (fènnù). Risk: High. Must be distinguished from the impersonal karmic-retribution concept 报应 (bàoyìng), already flagged under sin in the baseline: divine wrath is the personal, righteous response of a holy God (and, startlingly, of the Lamb) to sin, not an impersonal cosmic mechanism that operates automatically apart from God’s own moral character and will.
Souls under the altar (cry for vindication)	αἱ ψυχαὶ…ὑποκάτω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου	hai psychai…hypokatō tou thysiastēriou	the souls…under the altar	Martyrs’ souls crying out “how long?” (ἕως πότε), awaiting final judgment and vindication	souls under the altar	Assures persecuted believers that unavenged suffering is seen and will be vindicated by God in his own timing — ties directly to Judgment of the Wicked and Vindication of the Saints	在祭坛底下的灵魂 (zài jìtán dǐxià de línghún). Risk: Medium. Distinguish from ancestor-spirit appeasement concepts (祭祖/安抚亡灵); these are not restless spirits requiring ritual pacification but the vindicated dead awaiting God’s own righteous, sovereign timing for justice.

Chapter 7 — The 144,000 and the Great Multitude

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Sealed	σφραγίζω	sphragizō	to seal, to mark with a seal	Here a protective ownership mark placed by God on his servants (7:3-4), the positive counterpart to the beast’s mark (ch.13)	sealed	God’s people are marked as his own possession and protected through coming trials — direct antithesis to the beast’s mark, and a note of Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	盖印/受印 (gài yìn / shòu yìn). Risk: Medium. Must be visually/conceptually distinguished in teaching from the beast’s mark (印记, ch. 13) despite the shared root — one is God’s mark of ownership and protection; the other is the beast’s mark of allegiance and judgment.
144,000	δώδεκα φυλαὶ…δώδεκα χιλιάδες	dōdeka phylai…dōdeka chiliades	twelve tribes…twelve thousand (each)	12 × 12,000 — a symbolic number built from 12 (the tribes of Israel/completeness of God’s covenant people) rather than a strict census figure	144,000	Symbolic representation of the complete, secure covenant people of God (paired with the innumerable “great multitude” of v.9, representing the same reality from a Gentile-inclusive angle)	十四万四千人 (shísìwàn sìqiān rén). Risk: Medium. Ties to the Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation doctrine flagged in ch.1: this number should be taught as symbolic totality/completeness, not as a literal population cap on the redeemed, especially since it is followed immediately by “a great multitude that no one could number” (7:9) representing the same redeemed reality.
Great multitude	ὄχλος πολύς	ochlos polys	a large crowd	An uncountable multitude “from every nation, tribe, people, and language”	a great multitude	Universal, international scope of the redeemed — reinforces [BASELINE-adjacent] universal scope of the gospel without ethnic limitation	许多的人 (xǔduō de rén). Risk: Low.
Salvation (acclamation)	σωτηρία	sōtēria	see baseline	—	Salvation belongs to our God!	Doxological acclamation of God’s saving accomplishment	[BASELINE REUSE] 救恩, Critical.
Washed robes (in the blood of the Lamb)	ἔπλυναν τὰς στολὰς αὐτῶν…ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ἀρνίου	eplynan tas stolas autōn…en tō haimati tou arniou	washed their robes…in the blood of the Lamb	Sacrificial-blood imagery applied to moral/spiritual cleansing, not literal garment-dyeing	washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb	Purification and standing before God secured entirely through Christ’s sacrificial death, not through the believer’s own works	在羔羊的血里洗净了衣裳 (zài gāoyáng de xiě lǐ xǐjìng le yīshang). Risk: High. Reuses [BASELINE REUSE root] 羔羊 (Lamb, Critical); must retain the sacrificial-atonement sense and not be read as a literal or merely ceremonial washing ritual disconnected from the cross.

Chapters 8-9 — The Seven Trumpets

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Incense (prayers of the saints)	θυμίαμα	thymiama	incense	OT tabernacle/temple worship imagery; here explicitly identified as “the prayers of the saints” (8:3-4)	incense	Believers’ prayers rise before God as an acceptable offering, echoing OT sacrificial worship, without any priestly-mediator requirement beyond Christ	香 (xiāng). Risk: Medium. Distinguish decisively from the burning of incense to ancestors, household/temple deities, or Buddhist images (烧香拜佛/祭祖), an extremely common devotional practice in Chinese folk religion. Here incense is a metaphor for the acceptability of the saints’ prayers before God through Christ, not a literal ritual offering that itself carries spiritual power or that should be replicated in personal devotion.
Abyss/bottomless pit	ἄβυσσος	abyssos	the deep, the bottomless (place)	A subterranean prison for demonic powers, distinct from the lake of fire (final judgment)	the abyss, the bottomless pit	A temporary place of restraint for demonic forces under God’s ultimate control — reinforces The Sovereignty of God over History even over evil’s operations	无底坑 (wúdǐ kēng), CUV. Risk: Medium. Distinguish from Chinese folk-Buddhist/Daoist underworld cosmology (地府, 阴间, Yama’s courts) — the abyss here is not a general realm of the dead or a judicial underworld bureaucracy but a specific holding-place for restrained demonic powers, under God’s sovereign lock and key (9:1; 20:1-3).
Locusts / Abaddon-Apollyon	ἀκρίδες / Ἀβαδδών / Ἀπολλύων	akrides / Abaddōn / Apollyōn	locusts / “Destruction” (Heb.) / “Destroyer” (Gk.)	Symbolic demonic plague-army with a named ruler meaning “Destroyer” in both Hebrew and Greek	locusts; Abaddon; Apollyon	Demonic torment permitted by God as partial, limited judgment prior to the end, never beyond God’s set limits (9:5, “for five months”)	蝗虫 (huángchóng) / 亚巴顿 (Yàbādùn). Risk: Low-Medium. Primarily an instance of the general Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation caution; avoid literalizing as an actual insect plague to be watched for as a specific predictive sign.
Wormwood	Ἄψινθος	Apsinthos	wormwood (a bitter plant); also a star’s name here	Bitterness/poison imagery for judgment on the created order	wormwood	Judgment poisoning humanity’s own life-sustaining resources (water) as a consequence of collective sin	茵陈 (yīnchén), CUV. Risk: Low.

Chapter 10 — The Little Scroll

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Mystery (of God)	μυστήριον	mystērion	mystery, secret	Not “puzzle” but a previously hidden divine plan now being disclosed at the appointed time (Pauline usage, e.g., Rom. 11:25 [not in baseline TM but same theological category])	mystery	God’s redemptive-historical plan will reach its appointed completion exactly as announced through the prophets — reinforces The Sovereignty of God over History	奥秘 (àomì). Risk: Medium. Distinguish from esoteric/occult “mystery” traditions (秘术, esoteric technique-based secret knowledge in some folk and Daoist inner-alchemy traditions) — biblical mystery is a disclosed plan of a personal God, not privileged secret knowledge accessible only to initiates through technique.
Sweet/bitter (the scroll eaten)	γλυκύ / πικρόν	glyky / pikron	sweet / bitter	Echoes Ezek. 2:8-3:3; receiving and proclaiming God’s word is both delightful (its truth and promise) and bitter (the hard message of judgment it also contains)	sweet as honey / bitter in the stomach	The prophetic task combines the sweetness of God’s revealed truth with the bitterness of the judgment-message it requires proclaiming	甜/苦 (tián/kǔ). Risk: Low.

Chapter 11 — The Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Two witnesses	οἱ δύο μάρτυρες	hoi dyo martyres	the two witnesses	Symbolic prophetic figures (echoing Moses and Elijah imagery) who testify, are killed, and are raised — [BASELINE-adjacent root] 见证/μάρτυς (testimony, ch.1)	the two witnesses	Faithful prophetic testimony maintained even to death, vindicated by resurrection — a vivid enactment of Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution together with resurrection [BASELINE REUSE, Critical]	两个见证人 (liǎng gè jiànzhèng rén). Risk: High. Reuses the ch.1 见证 term; the narrative (death, then resurrection after 3.5 days, 11:11) must retain 复活-consistent vocabulary [BASELINE REUSE, Critical] — never 还魂 (folk reanimation) or 轮回 for their being “raised.”
Beast (from the abyss)	θηρίον	thērion	wild beast	First explicit appearance of this key symbolic term (11:7), fully unveiled in ch.13	the beast	Symbol of organized anti-God political/religious power that persecutes God’s faithful witnesses	兽 (shòu). Risk: High (fully treated at ch. 13 below; first occurrence noted here).
Kingdom (of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord)	ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ κόσμου…τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν	hē basileia tou kosmou…tou kyriou hēmōn	the kingdom of the world…of our Lord	[BASELINE REUSE] 神的国 (kingdom_of_god, Medium) applied climactically: earthly political dominion is decisively transferred to Christ’s eternal reign	the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord	Anticipates the full consummation of The Return and Reign of Christ	[BASELINE REUSE] 国 root; here 世上的国 (worldly kingdoms) become 我们主…的国 — 主 [BASELINE REUSE, Critical]. Risk: Medium. Must not be read as merely a change of this-worldly dynasty (cf. baseline caution against 天下/王朝 framing for kingdom_of_god) but as the definitive, cosmic, eternal transfer of sovereignty to Christ.

Chapter 12 — The Woman, the Male Child, and the Dragon

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Dragon	ὁ δράκων (ὁ μέγας)	ho drakōn (ho megas)	the (great) dragon/serpent	Explicitly identified in 12:9 as “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan”	the dragon, the serpent	The personal, supreme evil adversary of God, God’s people, and the Messiah — central figure in the doctrine of Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	龙 (lóng). Risk: CRITICAL — the single most acute cultural-collision risk in the entire book. In Chinese culture, 龙 (the dragon) is an overwhelmingly positive symbol: imperial authority (the Dragon Throne), good fortune, cosmic power, and Chinese national/ethnic self-identity itself (“descendants of the dragon,” 龙的传人). Revelation’s δράκων is an emphatically evil figure — Satan himself, the accuser, the persecutor of the woman and her offspring, ultimately defeated and cast into the lake of fire (20:2, 10). Every occurrence of 龙 in Revelation (12:3-17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2) MUST carry an explicit doctrinal note that this dragon-symbol is wholly negative and refers to Satan — the polar opposite of the auspicious cultural dragon. This requires sustained catechetical framing throughout teaching materials, not just a single footnote; the risk of unconscious positive-symbol bleed-through is severe and structural (built into the language itself), unlike most other collision risks in this package, which involve specific competing terms rather than a culture’s single most positively-loaded creature-symbol.
Ancient serpent	ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος	ho ophis ho archaios	the ancient/original serpent	Direct identification with the serpent of Gen. 3	the ancient serpent	Ties Satan’s end-time defeat to his original deception in Eden, framing all of history between as the outworking of that one long conflict	古蛇 (gǔ shé). Risk: High. Reinforces the identification chain (dragon = serpent = devil = Satan, 12:9) — teach all four titles together as naming one single being, to prevent the 龙/dragon title’s cultural positivity from being compartmentalized away from the plainly negative “ancient serpent/devil/Satan” titles.
Devil / Satan	ὁ διάβολος / ὁ Σατανᾶς	ho diabolos / ho Satanas	the slanderer / the adversary	Standard NT titles for the supreme personal evil being	the devil, Satan	See above	魔鬼 (móguǐ) / 撒但 (Sādàn), established CUV transliteration/translation. Risk: High. Standard, unambiguous Chinese Christian vocabulary; primary risk is ensuring readers connect these already-clear titles to the culturally-loaded 龙 title in the same verse.
Accuser	ὁ κατήγορος	ho katēgoros	the accuser (legal term)	Courtroom prosecutorial role, cast against believers before God	the accuser	Satan’s ongoing (but ultimately defeated) role of accusation, overturned by the Lamb’s blood and the believers’ testimony (12:10-11)	控告者 (kònggào zhě). Risk: Medium.
Overcome (by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony)	ἐνίκησαν…διὰ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτῶν	enikēsan…dia to haima tou arniou kai dia ton logon tēs martyrias autōn	they conquered…through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of their testimony	Combines [BASELINE-adjacent] 得胜 (overcome, ch.2-3) with 羔羊 (Lamb, Critical) and 见证 (testimony, ch.1)	they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony	The theological center of Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution: victory is secured by Christ’s atoning death, appropriated and displayed through the believer’s faithful testimony, even unto death (12:11, “they loved not their lives even unto death”)	得胜…是因羔羊的血,和自己所见证的道 (déshèng…shì yīn gāoyáng de xiě, hé zìjǐ suǒ jiànzhèng de dào), CUV. Risk: Critical. This single verse binds together three Critical/High baseline-adjacent terms (得胜/overcome, 羔羊/Lamb, 见证/testimony) into the book’s clearest single statement of how believers “win”: entirely through Christ’s finished atoning work, displayed through faithful, even costly, testimony — never through merit, ritual power, or self-generated heroism.

Chapter 13 — The Beast from the Sea and the Beast from the Earth

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Beast	θηρίον	thērion	wild/savage beast	Two beasts introduced: from the sea (a composite political-imperial power, 13:1-10) and from the earth (a false-prophet religious power, 13:11-18)	the beast	Symbolic embodiment of organized political and religious power in service of the dragon, demanding ultimate allegiance and worship that belong to God alone	兽 (shòu). Risk: High. Must be kept distinct from 四活物 (the “four living creatures” of ch.4, an unrelated positive image, distinguished in Mandarin as noted in ch.4). Teach as symbolic of any age’s ultimate anti-God power structure, not necessarily one single, narrowly identifiable historical government — resist over-literalized political speculation while retaining the real historical particularity John’s first readers would have recognized (imperial Rome).
Mark (of the beast)	χάραγμα	charagma	a stamp, an engraved mark	An official mark of ownership/allegiance (used of imperial/commercial seals in the ancient world)	mark, mark of the beast	The beast’s counterfeit “seal” of allegiance, demanded for participation in economic/social life, contrasted directly with God’s protective seal on his people (7:3, ch.7)	印记 (yìnjì), CUV. Risk: High. Must remain visually/terminologically distinct from God’s seal (印/盖印, ch.7) despite the shared conceptual root — one marks allegiance to the beast (leading to judgment), the other marks belonging to God (leading to protection and inheritance).
Image (of the beast)	ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ θηρίου	hē eikōn tou thēriou	the image/likeness of the beast	εἰκών (“image/icon”), a different word from εἴδωλον (“idol,” used in 9:20 and 21:8) though functioning as an object of forbidden worship here	image of the beast	An idolatrous object demanding worship in place of God — direct violation of Worship of the Lamb	像 (xiàng). Risk: Medium. Distinguish the Greek term εἰκών (image/likeness) from εἴδωλον (idol object, [BASELINE-adjacent] 偶像) though both function similarly here as forbidden objects of worship; keep terminology distinct in Mandarin (像 vs. 偶像) to preserve the Greek text’s own word choice.
Number of the beast (666)	ὁ ἀριθμὸς τοῦ θηρίου, χξς	ho arithmos tou thēriou	the number of the beast	A symbolic number (widely understood as gematria, letters-as-numbers, likely encoding a specific historical name/title in John’s day) requiring “wisdom” (13:18) to discern, not a universally-applicable arithmetic code for all future readers	666, the number of the beast	Illustrates the book’s use of number-symbolism requiring interpretive wisdom, not simple literal decoding — reinforces the Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation doctrine	六百六十六 (liùbǎi liùshíliù). Risk: Medium. Strong risk of being read through the lens of Chinese numerological/fortune-telling culture (numbers as inherently lucky/unlucky, e.g. 4 as inauspicious, 8 as auspicious) — teaching must clarify this specific number functions as an ancient gematria code for a specific historical referent/symbolic pattern, not as a number carrying independent magical potency to be feared superstitiously in daily life (e.g., avoiding phone numbers, addresses containing 666).

Chapter 14 — The 144,000, the Eternal Gospel, and the Harvest

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Eternal gospel	εὐαγγέλιον αἰώνιον	euangelion aiōnion	the everlasting/eternal good news	[BASELINE REUSE] 福音 (gospel, Medium) modified by αἰώνιος (“eternal, everlasting”)	the eternal gospel, the everlasting gospel	Emphasizes that the one gospel already proclaimed is permanently, unchangeably valid — not a new future revelation superseding it	永远的福音 (yǒngyuǎn de fúyīn). Risk: Medium. Must be taught as the same gospel already fixed in the baseline (福音), qualified as eternally valid, not as a distinct or additional revelation appearing only at the end of history.
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord	μακάριοι οἱ νεκροὶ οἱ ἐν κυρίῳ ἀποθνήσκοντες	makarioi hoi nekroi hoi en kyriō apothnēskontes	blessed [are] the dead, the ones dying in [the] Lord	[BASELINE REUSE] 主 (Lord, Critical); μακάριος: a state of divine favor/blessedness, not mere happiness	blessed are the dead who die in the Lord	Assurance that death for believers “in the Lord,” even under persecution, leads to blessed rest, not annihilation or an uncertain intermediate state	在主里死了的人有福了 (zài Zhǔ lǐ sǐ le de rén yǒu fú le). Risk: Medium. Reinforces Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution; must retain “in the Lord” (union with Christ) as the ground of blessedness, not a general statement that death itself is a blessing.
Harvest / grapes of wrath / winepress	θερισμός / ὀργή…ληνός	therismos / orgē…lēnos	harvest / wrath…winepress	Agricultural judgment imagery (echoing Joel 3:13; Isa. 63:1-6): the wicked “harvested” and “trodden” in judgment	the harvest, the winepress of the wrath of God	Vivid symbolic depiction of decisive final judgment on unrepentant humanity — supports Judgment of the Wicked and Vindication of the Saints	收割/忿怒的酒醡 (shōugē / fènnù de jiǔzhà). Risk: Medium. Reuses [BASELINE-adjacent] 忿怒 (wrath, ch.6); primarily an instance of the general symbolic-interpretation caution — vivid agricultural imagery for a real, final judgment, not to be pressed into a literal viticultural prediction.

Chapter 15 — The Seven Bowls Prepared; The Song of Moses and the Lamb

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Song of Moses and of the Lamb	ἡ ᾠδὴ Μωϋσέως…καὶ ἡ ᾠδὴ τοῦ ἀρνίου	hē ōdē Mōuseōs…kai hē ōdē tou arniou	the song of Moses…and the song of the Lamb	Joins the Exodus deliverance song (Exod. 15) with worship of the Lamb, uniting old-and new-covenant deliverance into a single act of praise	the song of Moses and of the Lamb	Christ’s redemptive work is the fulfillment and greater antitype of the Exodus deliverance — reinforces Worship of the Lamb and typological continuity of Scripture ([BASELINE-adjacent] fulfillment_of_prophecy, High)	摩西的歌…羔羊的歌 (Móxī de gē…gāoyáng de gē). Risk: Medium. Reuses 羔羊 [BASELINE-adjacent Critical]; requires OT (Exodus) narrative literacy to be meaningful — teaching should supply the Exodus background briefly.
Tabernacle of testimony (temple filled with glory/smoke)	ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου	hē skēnē tou martyriou	the tent/tabernacle of the testimony	OT tabernacle terminology (LXX), here as the heavenly temple filled with God’s manifest presence	the tabernacle of the testimony/witness, the temple	Reuses [treated in Core Passage v.3] 帐幕 and [ch.1] 见证; the glory-filled temple recalls Exod. 40:34-35 and 1 Kings 8:10-11	见证的帐幕 (jiànzhèng de zhàngmù). Risk: Medium (combination of two already-flagged terms; no independent new risk beyond their individual notes).

Chapter 16 — The Seven Bowls Poured Out

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Armageddon	Ἁρμαγεδών	Harmagedōn	(transliteration of Hebrew, likely “Mount Megiddo”)	A symbolic place-name for the climactic final confrontation between God and the forces arrayed against him	Armageddon	The decisive, symbolic gathering-point for the ultimate defeat of evil, part of Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	哈米吉多顿 (Hāmǐjíduōdùn), CUV transliteration. Risk: Medium. Strong risk of over-literalized, speculative geopolitical/military reading (a persistent pattern in popular end-times literature); teaching must foreground the symbolic-theological point (God’s certain, total victory) over speculative geography or modern-conflict identification, consistent with the Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation doctrine.
It is done	γέγονεν	gegonen	see full treatment at 21:6	—	Marks the completion of God’s wrath in judgment (16:17), the structural counterpart to 21:6’s completion of new creation	—	[Cross-reference to 21:6 above]; 都成了. Risk: High — render identically in both places to preserve the deliberate literary parallel between judgment’s completion and re-creation’s completion.

Chapter 17 — Babylon the Great and the Beast with Seven Heads

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
The great harlot / Babylon the great	ἡ πόρνη ἡ μεγάλη / Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη	hē pornē hē megalē / Babylōn hē megalē	the great prostitute / Babylon the great	Symbolic personification of an idolatrous, seductive, oppressive world-system (economic, political, religious) allied with the beast against God’s people — same root (πόρνη) as πόρνοις in 21:8, but here personifying a corporate system rather than describing individual conduct	the great prostitute, Babylon the great, the whore of Babylon (older translations)	The ultimate embodiment of humanity’s self-exalting, idolatrous civilization in rebellion against God, standing in direct antithesis to the Bride, the New Jerusalem (21:2, 9-10 deliberately parallel “come, I will show you the bride” with “come, I will show you…the great prostitute,” 17:1)	大淫妇 (dà yínfù), CUV. Risk: High. Requires careful teaching to keep the symbolic-corporate reading (an idolatrous civilizational/economic/political system) primary, distinguishing it from the literal-individual sense of πόρνοις in 21:8. The deliberate literary contrast between “the great prostitute” (Babylon, ch.17-18) and “the bride” (New Jerusalem, ch.21) should be highlighted in teaching materials as a structural key to the whole book.
Mystery	μυστήριον	mystērion	see ch.10 treatment	—	“Babylon the great, mother of…the mysteries”	The name itself is called “a mystery” requiring spiritual discernment to decode	[Treated at ch.10] 奥秘.

Chapter 18 — The Fall of Babylon

No new load-bearing theological terms beyond those already introduced in ch. 17 (Babylon the great, the great prostitute) and general judgment vocabulary already treated (审判/judgment, ch.6; 忿怒/wrath, ch.6). This chapter dramatizes the fall of Babylon through vivid economic/political lament imagery (“Come out of her, my people,” 18:4 — a call using [BASELINE-adjacent] covenant-people language already treated at 21:3) but introduces no new theological vocabulary requiring separate glossary treatment.

Chapter 19 — Hallelujah; The Marriage Supper of the Lamb; The Rider on the White Horse

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Hallelujah	Ἁλληλουϊά	Hallēlouia	”Praise the LORD” (Heb.)	A fixed liturgical exclamation of praise, transliterated rather than translated across virtually all Bible traditions	Hallelujah, Alleluia	Climactic corporate worship celebrating God’s judgment of Babylon and the coming reign of Christ — Worship of the Lamb	哈利路亚 (hālìlùyà), established transliteration (already standardized in the source Language Package’s transliteration conventions). Risk: Low.
Marriage supper of the Lamb	ὁ γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου	ho gamos tou arniou	the marriage/wedding of the Lamb	Consummation of the Bride/Bridegroom covenant relationship between Christ and the Church, first anticipated at 19:7 and fulfilled in the imagery of 21:2, 9	the marriage of the Lamb, the wedding feast of the Lamb	The consummation of The Church as Bride of Christ — the covenant relationship between Christ and his redeemed people reaching its joyful, permanent fulfillment	羔羊的婚筵 (gāoyáng de hūnyán), CUV. Risk: High. Reuses [BASELINE-adjacent] 羔羊 (Lamb, Critical); must retain the covenantal-consummation theological sense rather than being flattened into ordinary Chinese wedding-banquet cultural associations (e.g., 喜宴 conventions of face, gift-giving reciprocity, family-alliance negotiation) that could obscure the exclusively gracious, Christ-initiated nature of this union.
Righteous deeds (fine linen)	τὰ δικαιώματα τῶν ἁγίων	ta dikaiōmata tōn hagiōn	the righteous deeds/acts of the saints	δικαίωμα: a concrete righteous act or requirement (related to but distinct from [BASELINE REUSE] δικαιοσύνη/义, Critical, and δικαίωσις/称义, Critical)	the righteous deeds of the saints	The fine linen the Bride wears represents the visible righteous conduct of the saints, GIVEN to her (“it was granted her to clothe herself,” ἐδόθη), not self-produced merit that earns standing before God	圣徒所行的义 (shèngtú suǒ xíng de yì), CUV. Risk: Critical. This phrase sits directly on top of the baseline’s Critical-risk distinction between forensic righteousness (义, received by faith, never a Confucian-virtue achievement) and any works-based framing. δικαιώματα here denotes the visible fruit of an already-justified people, which is itself granted by God (ἐδόθη, a divine passive), not the ground of their justification. Teaching must make explicit: this is sanctification’s fruit adorning an already-declared-righteous Bride, not merit that produces or maintains her righteous status — directly reinforcing, not contradicting, the baseline’s Critical warning against a Confucian-virtue or merit-earned reading of 义.
King of kings and Lord of lords	βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυρίων	basileus basileōn kai kyrios kyriōn	king of kings and lord of lords	A superlative Hebraic title-construction (repetition of the noun in genitive plural) asserting absolute supremacy over every other king/lord, applied to the returning Christ	King of kings and Lord of lords	The climactic assertion of Christ’s absolute supremacy over every human ruler and authority, at his return — center of The Return and Reign of Christ and reuses [BASELINE REUSE] 主 (Lord, Critical)	万王之王、万主之主 (wàn wáng zhī wáng, wàn zhǔ zhī zhǔ), CUV. Risk: Critical. Directly reuses and intensifies the baseline’s Critical warning on 主 (Lord): this title asserts Christ’s supremacy over every earthly ruler and dynasty, past and present — a claim with particular resonance (and particular risk of domestication) in a culture with its own historic absolute-monarch tradition (the emperor as 天子, Son of Heaven, already flagged Critical in the baseline for a different term). Teaching must be explicit that this is not “the greatest of many kings” but a categorically different, transcendent, exclusive sovereignty.
Word of God	ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ	ho Logos tou Theou	the Word of God	Direct echo of John 1:1, 14 — [BASELINE REUSE-adjacent] 道 (Dao/Word), already Critical in the baseline’s incarnation entry (道成肉身)	the Word of God	Identifies the returning conquering rider as the same eternal divine Word who became flesh — continuity between incarnation and return	神的道 (Shén de dào). Risk: Critical. Direct reuse of the baseline’s Critical caution on 道 (the character also names the impersonal cosmic principle of Daoist metaphysics): here applied to the returning, warrior-victorious Christ, this title must be taught with the same vigilance as 道成肉身 — this is the personal, eternal divine Word returning in judgment and triumph, not an impersonal cosmic force or principle asserting itself.
Beast and false prophet (thrown into the lake of fire)	τὸ θηρίον…ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης…ἡ λίμνη τοῦ πυρός	to thērion…ho pseudoprophētēs…hē limnē tou pyros	the beast…the false prophet…the lake of fire	First occurrence of “lake of fire” (fully treated at 21:8); ψευδοπροφήτης, “false prophet,” a NEW compound term ([BASELINE-adjacent root] 先知/prophet, Low) negated	the false prophet, the lake of fire	The final, decisive judgment of the anti-God powers, guaranteeing Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	假先知 (jiǎ xiānzhī) — negation of [BASELINE REUSE] 先知 (prophet, Low). Risk: Medium. Distinguish clearly from a genuine [BASELINE REUSE] 先知; the false prophet is a specific end-time deceiving figure empowering the beast’s counterfeit worship system (13:11-15), not merely any inaccurate religious teacher generally.

Chapter 20 — The Thousand Years, the Great White Throne, and the Final Judgment

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Thousand years / Millennium	χίλια ἔτη	chilia etē	a thousand years	A defined, symbolic-or-literal period (interpreted variously across legitimate theological traditions — premillennial, amillennial, postmillennial readings all exist) during which Satan is bound and the saints reign with Christ	the thousand years, the millennium	The bounded, God-appointed period preceding the final judgment and consummation, part of The Return and Reign of Christ	一千年 (yī qiān nián). Risk: High. Render literally as “a thousand years” without embedding any single interpretive stance (premillennial/amillennial/postmillennial) into the translation itself — that determination belongs to teaching/commentary, not to the base translation. Avoid any temptation to render loosely as merely “a very long age” (which would import a Buddhist-kalpa-like vague-immensity framing, 劫) rather than a specific, bounded number.
First resurrection	ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡ πρώτη	hē anastasis hē prōtē	the resurrection, the first	[BASELINE REUSE root] ἀνάστασις/复活 (resurrection, Critical), qualified as “first,” implying a subsequent (general/final) resurrection	the first resurrection	Reinforces bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection doctrine even while introducing a sequence (first/then general) — the sequencing itself must not be read as contradicting the “once-for-all” character of each individual’s own resurrection	头一次的复活 (tóu yī cì de fùhuó). Risk: Critical. Must retain [BASELINE REUSE] 复活 exactly, never substituting 轮回/投胎/还魂 (forbidden per baseline); “first” here denotes a sequence of distinct resurrection events in salvation history, not a person undergoing multiple births/deaths/rebirths — an important distinction to state explicitly given the proximity of “first” and “second” language (first resurrection / second death, both in this chapter) to reincarnation-cycle vocabulary patterns in Chinese religious idiom.
Reign (with Christ)	βασιλεύω	basileuō	to reign, to rule as king	[BASELINE-adjacent] 王/βασιλεία root (kingdom_of_god, Medium); verb form here describing believers sharing in Christ’s kingly reign	they will reign with him	Believers share, by grace, in Christ’s own royal authority during this appointed period — an extension of the adoption/inheritance doctrine ([BASELINE REUSE] 儿子的名分, High) into royal terms	作王 (zuò wáng). Risk: Medium. Distinguish sharing derivatively in Christ’s reign (an inheritance-gift) from any independent or merit-earned royal authority.
Great white throne	ὁ θρόνος ὁ μέγας ὁ λευκός	ho thronos ho megas ho leukos	the throne, the great, the white	[Treated fully at 21:3] 宝座 (throne), qualified as “great” and “white” (purity/holiness)	the great white throne	The final judgment seat before which all the dead are judged “according to what they had done” (20:12-13) — climax of Judgment of the Wicked and Vindication of the Saints	白色的大宝座 (báisè de dà bǎozuò). Risk: Medium (combination of already-treated 宝座 with a purity-qualifier; no independent new risk).
Gog and Magog	Γὼγ καὶ Μαγώγ	Gōg kai Magōg	(proper names, from Ezek. 38-39)	Symbolic representation of the final, universal hostile-nations coalition assembled against God’s people before the end	Gog and Magog	Reinforces that opposition to God’s people, however organized and however extensive, is ultimately and finally defeated — Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil	歌革、玛各 (Gēgé, Mǎgè), CUV transliteration. Risk: Medium. Avoid speculative identification with any specific modern nation or ethnic group (a documented pattern in some popular prophecy literature); teach as symbolic/representative of ultimate, universal anti-God hostility, consistent with the baseline’s own caution (under “israel”) about contemporary political sensitivity around end-times geopolitical identification.
Book of life	βίβλος τῆς ζωῆς	biblos tēs zōēs	see full treatment at ch.3	—	The dead judged, and those not found written in the book of life cast into the lake of fire	Climactic use of the already-introduced term at the final judgment scene	[Treated at ch.3] 生命册. Risk: High (as established).

Chapter 21 (beyond the core passage, vv. 9-27) — The New Jerusalem Described

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
Temple (God and the Lamb ARE the temple)	ναός	naos	temple, inner sanctuary	The specific sanctuary building/place of divine presence; here explicitly stated to be absent because unnecessary (21:22)	temple, sanctuary	The New Jerusalem needs no separate temple building because God’s and the Lamb’s own presence fully constitutes it — the final fulfillment of the tabernacle-temple-incarnation trajectory (cf. v.3 above, σκηνόω)	殿 (diàn). Risk: Medium. Distinguish from [BASELINE REUSE] 教会 (church, Medium) and from Chinese temple vocabulary already forbidden in the baseline for “church” (庙/寺/道观); here the term describes an OT-pattern sanctuary building, explicitly rendered obsolete by unmediated divine presence — the point is the removal of any need for a separate sacred building, the opposite of a call to build one.
Nations (bring their glory)	τὰ ἔθνη	ta ethnē	the nations, the peoples	Same Greek word as [BASELINE REUSE] ἔθνη/外邦人 (“Gentiles,” Medium, in Pauline Jew-Gentile contrast contexts), but here denoting the full company of redeemed peoples of every nation streaming into the New Jerusalem, without the specific Jew/Gentile contrastive frame that governs Romans’ usage	the nations, the peoples of the earth	Universal, international inclusion in the consummated kingdom — an eschatological, celebratory sense of “the nations,” distinct from the polemical Jew/Gentile distinction Paul addresses	TRANSLATOR NOTE REQUIRED: render as 万国/列国 (wànguó/lièguó, “the nations [of the earth]”) rather than reusing [BASELINE REUSE] 外邦人 here. Risk: Medium. Although the underlying Greek word (ἔθνη) is identical to the one fixed as 外邦人 in the Romans baseline, Revelation 21-22’s usage describes the eschatological ingathering of all redeemed peoples in celebratory, non-contrastive terms, not the Jew/Gentile distinction Romans addresses. Reusing 外邦人 here risks importing an insider/outsider ethnic framing the text does not intend at this point; 万国/列国 better conveys “all earth’s peoples,” consistent with the same caution already noted in the baseline against the Hua-Yi (华夷) civilized/barbarian framing.
Nothing unclean/detestable	πᾶν κοινὸν καὶ [ὁ] ποιῶν βδέλυγμα	pan koinon kai [ho] poiōn bdelygma	anything common/unclean and one doing an abomination	Reuses the same root (βδέλυγμα) as ἐβδελυγμένοις in 21:8	nothing unclean, nothing detestable	Absolute moral purity of the consummated city — no continuity or admission for the practices condemned in 21:8	[Treated at 21:8] 可憎的 root. Risk: Low (combination; no independent new risk).

Chapter 22 — The River of Life, the Tree of Life, and the Return of Christ

Term	Original	Translit.	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Mandarin & risk
River of the water of life	ποταμὸς ὕδατος ζωῆς	potamos hydatos zōēs	a river of water of life	[Treated at 21:6] 生命水; combined with a flowing-river image (echoing Ezek. 47:1-12; Gen. 2:10) proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb	the river of the water of life	Continuous, abundant, God-and-Lamb-sourced life flowing through the consummated new creation	生命水的河 (shēngmìng shuǐ de hé), CUV. Risk: Medium (as established at 21:6).
Tree of life	τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς	to xylon tēs zōēs	see ch.2-3 treatment	—	Bearing twelve kinds of fruit, leaves for healing the nations	Full, final restoration of Edenic access to life — the whole biblical storyline’s frame (Gen. 2 → Rev. 22) completed	[Treated at ch.2-3] 生命树. Risk: Medium (as established).
No more curse	οὐκ ἔσται…κατάρα	ouk estai…katara	there will not be…a curse	κατάρα: the judicial curse pronounced in Gen. 3:14-19 upon the serpent, humanity, and the created order	no more curse	The final, total reversal of the Genesis curse — the theological bookend of the entire biblical storyline, and the capstone of The New Heaven and New Earth	咒诅 (zhòuzǔ). Risk: High. Must be distinguished from the folk-religious practice of casting or lifting curses/spells (下咒/解咒), common in Chinese folk-religious and popular superstition contexts. This is the lifting of the specific, singular, judicial curse God himself pronounced in Genesis 3 as a consequence of sin, not the removal of an arbitrary or magically-cast personal misfortune — the referent is cosmic-covenantal, not individual-magical.
Throne of God and of the Lamb	ὁ θρόνος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου	ho thronos tou theou kai tou arniou	the throne of God and of the Lamb	A single, shared throne (singular θρόνος, not “thrones”) for both God the Father and the Lamb	the throne of God and of the Lamb	A final, climactic grammatical assertion of the Lamb’s full co-equal deity, sharing literally one throne with God — capstone of Worship of the Lamb and Deity of Christ	神和羔羊的宝座 (Shén hé gāoyáng de bǎozuò). Risk: Critical. The grammatical singularity (one throne, not two) must be preserved in translation and teaching as a deliberate assertion of shared divine sovereignty — do not render or explain in a way that implies two separate, merely adjacent thrones.
His servants will worship him	οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ…προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ	hoi douloi autou…proskynēsousin autō	his servants…will worship him	[Treated at ch.4] 敬拜; δοῦλος, “servant/slave,” describing the redeemed community’s willing, permanent service	his servants will worship him	The eternal destiny of the redeemed: unending worship and service, not merely a static reward but active, joyful relationship	[Treated at ch.4] 敬拜. New sub-term: 仆人 (púrén, “servant”). Risk: Low for 仆人 itself; Risk: Critical for 敬拜 as established.
Angel worship forbidden	Ὅρα μή· σύνδουλός σού εἰμι…τῷ θεῷ προσκύνησον	hora mē; syndoulos sou eimi…tō theō proskynēson	”See [that you do] not [do this]; I am your fellow servant…worship God”	The angel explicitly refuses worship offered to him and redirects it to God alone (22:8-9, repeating 19:10)	“Worship God [alone]!”	An explicit, repeated internal safeguard within the text itself against misdirected worship, even toward exalted heavenly beings — direct reinforcement of Worship of the Lamb’s exclusivity	Reuses [Treated at ch.4] 敬拜, negated: 不可敬拜天使 (bùkě jìngbài tiānshǐ, “you must not worship angels”). Risk: High. This is one of the clearest textual safeguards in the whole book against misdirected worship and should be highlighted in teaching precisely because Chinese folk religion commonly venerates a populated hierarchy of spirit-beings, deities, and intermediaries (城隍, 土地公, various tutelary spirits) — Revelation itself dramatizes and forbids exactly this kind of expanded veneration, redirecting all worship to God and the Lamb alone.
I am coming soon	ἔρχομαι ταχύ	erchomai tachy	I am coming quickly/soon	Repeated refrain (22:7, 12, 20) asserting the certainty and nearness (in redemptive-historical, not necessarily calendar-literal, terms) of Christ’s return	I am coming soon, I am coming quickly	The certain, imminent expectation grounding The Return and Reign of Christ and motivating faithful perseverance in the present	我必快来 (wǒ bì kuài lái), CUV. Risk: Medium. “Soon/quickly” (ταχύ) should be taught with attention to the tension already present within the NT itself between certainty and delay (cf. 2 Pet. 3:8-9) — avoid resolving this tension by predictive date-setting, a real risk given both Chinese and cross-cultural popular fascination with end-times prediction.
Amen, come Lord Jesus	Ἀμήν, ἔρχου κύριε Ἰησοῦ	Amēn, erchou kyrie Iēsou	Amen, come Lord Jesus	Closing prayer-response of the whole book; reuses [BASELINE REUSE] 阿们 (established transliteration per the source Language Package), 主 (Lord, Critical), 耶稣 (Jesus, Critical)	Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!	The proper posture of the whole church awaiting Christ’s return: an eager, worshipful prayer, not passive speculation	阿们。主耶稣啊,我愿你来!(Āmen. Zhǔ Yēsū a, wǒ yuàn nǐ lái!), CUV. Risk: Low (fully composed of already-established baseline terms).
Grace be with all	ἡ χάρις…μετὰ πάντων	hē charis…meta pantōn	the grace…[be] with all	[BASELINE REUSE] 恩典 (grace, Critical)	the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all	The book’s closing benediction, grounding the entire preceding apocalyptic vision in the same grace already central to the whole biblical gospel	[BASELINE REUSE] 恩典, Critical.
Do not add to or take away from the words of this prophecy	μὴ ἐπιθῇ ἐπ’ αὐτά…μὴ ἀφέλῃ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων	mē epithē ep’ auta…mē aphelē apo tōn logōn	let him not add to them…let him not take away from the words	Reuses [BASELINE REUSE root] 预言 (prophecy, Low/Medium) — a canonical-closure warning (echoing Deut. 4:2)	do not add to or take away from the words of this prophecy	Affirms the completeness, sufficiency, and closed authority of the given revelation — supports the doctrine of the inspiration/sufficiency of Scripture (baseline-adjacent to inspiration_of_scripture, High)	不可加添…不可删去 (bùkě jiātiān…bùkě shānqù), reuses [BASELINE REUSE] 预言. Risk: Medium. Reinforces the baseline’s caution (under inspiration_of_scripture) distinguishing Scripture’s fixed, God-given authority from the Chinese classical canon’s sage-wisdom authority (经): this is a specific closing seal on a completed, verbally-given revelation, not an invitation to ongoing supplementary “revelation” through other channels.

End of chapter-by-chapter study. All 22 chapters of Revelation have been reviewed; every chapter contributing new load-bearing theological vocabulary is documented above, and Chapter 18 is explicitly noted as introducing no new vocabulary beyond terms already treated in Chapter 17 and earlier judgment vocabulary from Chapter 6.

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