Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Revelation 1–22
English → Somali | Term Reference Table
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, spanning Revelation 1–22. Terms marked [Romans TM reuse] are carried forward exactly from the baseline translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json and must not be altered. All other terms are new to this curriculum and are proposed here for addition to the Language Package’s translation memory (pending theologian sign-off per the escalation rules in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md).
Risk tier definitions follow the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json exactly: Critical (theologian review, every occurrence), High (theologian review), Medium (native speaker review), Low (automated review).
A. Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline
| English term | Somali rendering | Risk | Doctrine link in Revelation | Key Revelation passages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | Ilaah | Critical | Sovereignty of God over History | throughout |
| Lord | Rabbiga | Critical | Return and Reign of Christ | 1:8; 4:8; 10:9 cf.; 11:15; 17:14; 19:16; 22:20-21 |
| Jesus (always with Masiixa) | Ciise (Masiixa) | Critical | Return and Reign of Christ | 1:1,5,9; 12:17; 19:10; 22:16,21 |
| Christ / Messiah | Masiixa | Critical | Return and Reign of Christ | 1:1,2,5; 11:15; 12:10; 20:4,6 |
| Holy Spirit | Ruuxa Quduuska ah | Critical | Sovereignty of God; Worship | 1:4; 2:7 etc.; 14:13; 22:17 |
| Father | Aabbe | Critical | Adoption / Sonship | 1:6; 14:1 |
| Saints | Quduusiinta | High | Vindication of the Saints; Perseverance | 5:8; 8:3-4; 11:18; 13:7,10; 14:12; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:8; 20:9 |
| Holy | Quduus | High | Worship; Sanctification | 4:8 (Trisagion); throughout |
| Church | Kiniisadda | Medium | Church as Bride of Christ | 1:4,11,20; 2-3; 22:16 |
| Kingdom of God | Boqortooyada Ilaah | Medium | Return and Reign of Christ | 1:6,9; 5:10; 11:15; 12:10 |
| Gentiles / Nations | Quruumaha | Medium | Sovereignty over History; Vindication | 2:26; 5:9; 7:9; 11:2,9,18; 12:5; 13:7; 14:6,8; 15:3-4; 16:19; 17:15; 18:3,23; 19:15; 20:3,8; 21:24,26; 22:2 |
| Glory | Ammaan | High | Deity of Christ; Worship | 1:6; 4:9,11; 5:12-13; 7:12; 21:11,23,24,26 |
| Gospel | Injiilka | High | Assurance of Final Victory | 14:6 (eternal gospel) |
| Grace | Nimco | High | Grace vs. Judgment | 1:4; 22:21 |
| Faith | Iimaan | High | Perseverance; negated at 21:8 (apistois) | 2:13,19; 13:10; 14:12; 21:8 |
| Righteousness | Xaqnimo | Critical | Vindication of the Saints | 19:8 (“righteous deeds of the saints” — evidence, not ground, of standing) |
| Salvation | Badbaado | Critical | Judgment / Vindication | 7:10; 12:10; 19:1 |
| Resurrection | Sarakicidda | Critical | Return and Reign; Judgment | 20:5-6,12-13 |
| Prophet | Nabi | High | Faithful Witness; false-prophet contrast | 10:7; 11:10,18; 16:6; 18:20,24; 22:6,9 |
| Prophecy | Wax sii sheegidda | Medium | Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation | 1:3; 19:10; 22:7,10,18-19 |
| Covenant | Axdiga | Medium | Sovereignty over History (covenant formula 21:3) | 21:3 |
| David | Daa’uud | Low | Return and Reign; Davidic authority | 3:7; 5:5; 22:16 |
| Seed/Root of David | Farcanka Daa’uud (adapted: Xididka Daa’uud) | Medium | Return and Reign of Christ | 5:5; 22:16 |
| Israel | Israa’iil | Medium | Church as continuation/fulfillment | 2:14; 7:4; 21:12 |
| Apostle | Diray | Medium | Church as God’s People | 18:20; 21:14 |
| Power of God | Awoodda Ilaah | High | Sovereignty of God over History | 4:11; 5:12; 7:12; 11:17; 12:10; 15:8; 19:1 |
| Intercession | Dhexdhexaadinta | High | (contrast) Accuser vs. Christ’s mediating role | 12:10 (accuser) implicit contrast |
| Providence | Daryeelka Ilaah | High | Sovereignty of God over History | throughout apocalyptic sequences |
| Election / Called | Doorashada Ilaah / Loo yeedhay | High | ”called and chosen and faithful” | 17:14 |
| Son of God | Wiilka Ilaah | Critical | Deity of Christ (distinguished from “Son of Man”) | 2:18 |
| Hallelujah | Halleeluuya | Low | Worship of the Lamb | 19:1,3,4,6 |
| Amen | Aamiin | Medium | Faithful and True Witness | 1:6-7; 3:14; 5:14; 7:12; 19:4; 22:20-21 |
B. New Terms Introduced by This Curriculum
| English term | Original (Greek) | Somali rendering | Transliteration | Risk | Doctrine category | Chapters | Alternatives rejected & reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revelation / Apocalypse (genre & title) | ἀποκάλυψις | Muujin | moo-JEEN | High | Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation | 1 | Left generic (“buug la sheegay”) — loses the specific “unveiling” sense central to the genre |
| Lamb (title for Christ) | ἀρνίον | Wanka | WAHN-kah | Critical | Worship of the Lamb; Deity of Christ; Return and Reign | 5, 6, 7, 12-15, 17, 19, 21-22 | ”neef la gawracay” (generic sacrificed animal) — strips the title/personal-name function |
| Worship | προσκυνέω | Caabudid | kah-boo-DEED | Critical | Worship of the Lamb | 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13-15, 19, 22 | ”ixtiraam/maamuus” (honor/respect) — dangerously weakens the term below its intended force; the collision with tawhid must be confronted, not evaded |
| Almighty | παντοκράτωρ | Qaadirka (Ilaaha Qaadirka ah) | kah-DIR-kah | High | Sovereignty of God over History | 1, 4, 11, 15, 16, 19, 21 | Bare “awood badan” (very powerful) — loses the specific, recognizable divine-attribute-title force |
| Alpha and Omega | Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ | Alfa iyo Omeega | AHL-fah ee-yoh oh-MEH-gah | Critical | Deity of Christ; Sovereignty over History | 1, 21, 22 | ”kii hore ee dambe” alone (paraphrase without retaining letters) — loses the self-existence title function |
| First and Last / Beginning and End | ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος | Bilowga iyo Dhammaadka | bee-LOW-gah ee-yoh dham-MAHD-kah | Critical | Deity of Christ | 1, 21, 22 | — |
| Son of Man | υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου | Wiilka Aadanaha | WEEL-kah ah-dah-NAH-hah | High | Return and Reign of Christ | 1, 14 | Conflating with “Wiilka Ilaah” — obscures the distinct Daniel-7 judgment-authority claim |
| Seven Spirits (of God) | ἑπτὰ πνεύματα | Toddobada Ruux | toh-doh-BAH-dah ROOKH | High | Sovereignty of God; Holy Spirit | 1, 3, 4, 5 | Rendering as seven distinct beings — imports a multiplied-spirit-being category resembling jinn/angelic multiplicities |
| Witness / Martyr | μάρτυς | Markhaati | mahr-KHAH-tee | High | Perseverance and Faithful Witness | 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 17 | Flattening to bare legal “witness” in martyrdom contexts loses the costly-testimony sense |
| Lord’s Day | κυριακὴ ἡμέρα | Maalinta Rabbiga | MAH-lin-tah RAHB-bee-gah | Medium | (setting) | 1 | — |
| Repent | μετανοέω | Toobad keen | TOH-bahd keen | High | Perseverance; Obedience of Faith | 2, 3, 9, 16 | Left unqualified — risks assimilation to Islamic tawbah as a merit-restoring ritual act rather than grace-rooted turning |
| Overcomer / Conqueror | ὁ νικῶν | Kan Adkaada | kahn ahd-KAH-dah | High | Perseverance and Faithful Witness | 2, 3, 12, 15, 17, 21 | ”kan xoogga badan” (the strong one) — loses the victory-through-endurance-under-persecution sense |
| Tree of Life | ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς | Geedka Nolosha | GAYD-kah noh-LOH-shah | Medium | New Heaven and New Earth | 2, 22 | — |
| Crown of Life | στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς | Taajka Nolosha | TAHJ-kah noh-LOH-shah | Low-Medium | Perseverance | 2 | — |
| Morning Star | ἀστὴρ ὁ πρωϊνός | Xiddigta Waaberiga | khid-DIG-tah wah-beh-REE-gah | Medium | Return and Reign of Christ | 2, 22 | — |
| Key of David | κλεῖς Δαυίδ | Furaha Daa’uud | foo-RAH-hah dah-OOD | Medium-High | Davidic Covenant; Return and Reign | 3 | — |
| Synagogue of Satan | συναγωγὴ τοῦ Σατανᾶ | Sunagogga Shaydaanka | soo-nah-GOHG-gah shay-DAHN-kah | Medium | (pastoral caution) | 2, 3 | Requires teaching note restricting to specific first-century local referent |
| Lukewarm | χλιαρός | Kulayl dhexdhexaad ah | koo-LAYL dheh-dheh-KHAHD ah | Low | Perseverance | 3 | — |
| Amen, the Faithful and True Witness | ὁ ἀμὴν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός | Aamiin, Markhaatiga Aamin ah ee Runta ah | — | High | Return and Reign of Christ | 3, 19, 21 | — |
| Throne | θρόνος | Carshiga | KAHR-shee-gah | High | Sovereignty of God over History; Deity of Christ | 4, 5, 21, 22 | — |
| Four Living Creatures | τέσσαρα ζῷα | Afarta Xayawaan Nool | ah-FAHR-tah khah-yah-WAHN nohl | Medium | Worship of the Lamb | 4 | Must be lexically distinguished from Bahalka (beast, chs. 13/17) |
| Twenty-Four Elders | πρεσβύτεροι | Afar iyo Labaatanka Oday | — | Medium | Worship; Symbolic Interpretation | 4, 5, 7, 11, 14, 19 | — |
| Scroll / Seal | βιβλίον / σφραγίς | Kitaabka la shaabadeeyay / Shaabadaha | — | Medium | Sovereignty over History | 5, 6, 8 | — |
| Worthy | ἄξιος | Istaahil | ees-TAH-hil | High | Deity of Christ; Grace | 4, 5 | — |
| New Song | ᾿ωδὴ καινή | Heesta Cusub | HAY-stah koo-SOOB | Low | Worship of the Lamb | 5, 14 | — |
| Souls under the Altar | ψυχαὶ ὑποκάτω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου | Naftii ka hoosaysay meesha allabariga | — | High | Vindication of the Saints | 6 | — |
| Wrath of the Lamb | ὀργὴ τοῦ ἀρνίου | Cadhada Wanka | kah-DHAH-dah WAHN-kah | High | Judgment of the Wicked | 6 | Must not smooth over the deliberate Lamb+wrath juxtaposition |
| 144,000 | ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες | Boqol iyo Afar iyo Afartan Kun | — | Medium | Symbolic Interpretation; Vindication | 7, 14 | Requires teaching note against literalistic-exclusive-headcount reading |
| Sealed (God’s mark) | σφραγίζω | La shaabadeeyay | lah shah-bah-deh-YAY | High | Vindication of the Saints | 7 | Must be distinguished from mark of the beast |
| Tribulation / the Great Tribulation | θλῖψις | Dhibaatada Weyn | dhee-BAH-tah-dah WAYN | High | Perseverance under Persecution | 1, 2, 7 | — |
| Washed in the Blood of the Lamb | πλύνω ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ἀρνίου | Khamiisyadoodii ku maydhay dhiigga Wanka | — | Critical | Vindication of the Saints; Atonement | 7 | Never soften to “made pure” without blood-atonement content |
| Trumpet | σάλπιγξ | Buunka | BOON-kah | Low | Sovereignty over History | 8-9, 11 | — |
| Incense / Prayers of the Saints | θυμίαμα / προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων | Fooxa / Ducooyinka Quduusiinta | — | Medium | Prayer and Intercession | 8 | — |
| Wormwood | ἄψινθος | Ceyriin (dacar) | — | Low | Judgment of the Wicked | 8 | — |
| Abyss | ἄβυσσος | Yamayska | yah-MAYS-kah | High | Sovereignty over History | 9, 11, 17, 20 | — |
| Abaddon / Apollyon | Ἀβαδδὼν / Ἀπολλύων | Abadoon / Aboluyoon | — | Medium | Judgment of the Wicked | 9 | — |
| Demons | δαιμόνια | Jinniyo | jin-NEE-yoh | High | Sovereignty over History; Assurance of Victory | 9, 16, 18 | Must be distinguished from the broader, morally-mixed Islamic jinn category |
| Mystery of God | μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ | Qarsoodiga Ilaah | qar-SOH-dee-gah ee-LAHH | Medium | Sovereignty over History | 10 | Distinguish from Islamic al-ghayb (permanently sealed unseen) |
| Two Witnesses | οἱ δύο μάρτυρες | Labada Markhaati | — | High | Perseverance; Resurrection | 11 | — |
| Temple | ναός | Macbudka Ilaah | mahk-BOOD-kah ee-LAHH | Medium | Church as God’s People | 11, 21 | — |
| Woman (clothed with sun) | γυνή | Naagta | NAHG-tah | Medium | Church as Bride of Christ (background) | 12 | Must not be equated with Mary without qualification |
| Dragon | δράκων | Mas Weynaha | mahs WAY-nah-hah | Critical | Assurance of Final Victory over Evil | 12, 13, 16, 20 | Generic loanword “daraggo” — loses explicit Genesis-serpent identification |
| Satan / the Devil | Σατανᾶς / Διάβολος | Shaydaanka / Ibliiska | — | High | Assurance of Final Victory over Evil | 2, 12, 20 | Distinguish jinn-origin Iblīs narrative from angelic-rebellion biblical narrative |
| War in Heaven | πόλεμος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ | Dagaalkii Samada | — | Medium | Assurance of Final Victory | 12 | — |
| Michael | Μιχαήλ | Mikaa’iil | mee-kah-EEL | Medium | (angelology, resonance point) | 12 | — |
| Accuser | κατήγορος | Ashtakeeyaha | — | Medium | (contrast with Christ’s intercession) | 12 | — |
| Overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of Testimony | διὰ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς μαρτυρίας | Dhiigga Wanka iyo Ereyga Markhaatigooda | — | Critical | Perseverance; Vindication | 12 | Interpretive key to the whole Perseverance doctrine |
| Beast | θηρίον | Bahalka | bah-HAHL-kah | Critical | Judgment; Persecution; Symbolic Interpretation | 13, 16, 17, 19, 20 | Do not assert one-to-one identification with the Islamic Dajjāl tradition |
| Mark of the Beast | χάραγμα | Calaamadda Bahalka | — | Critical | Persecution; Judgment | 13, 14, 16, 19, 20 | Keep distinct from God’s seal (ch. 7) |
| 666 | ἀριθμός ἑξήκοντα ἕξ | Lix Boqol iyo Lix iyo Lixdan | — | High | Symbolic Interpretation | 13 | Flag interpretive debate; avoid asserting single confident identification |
| Image (of the beast) | εἰκών | Sanamka Bahalka | sah-NAHM-kah bah-HAHL-kah | High | Worship (false) | 13 | Resonance with Islamic anti-idol (shirk) polemic — genuine teaching bridge |
| Eternal Gospel | εὐαγγέλιον αἰώνιον | Injiilka Weligiisa ah | — | High | Assurance of Final Victory | 14 | — |
| Perseverance / Patient Endurance | ὑπομονή | Dulqaadasho | dool-qah-DAH-shoh | High | Perseverance and Faithful Witness | 1, 2, 3, 13, 14 | Must not overlap with fatalistic qaddar-adjacent resignation idiom |
| Harvest | θερισμός | Beero la gurtay / Canabka Cadhada | — | Medium | Judgment; Vindication | 14 | — |
| Song of Moses and of the Lamb | ᾿ωδὴ Μωυσέως καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου | Gabayga Muuse iyo Wanka | — | Medium | Sovereignty over History | 15 | — |
| Bowls (of wrath) | φιάλαι | Weelasha | — | Medium | Judgment of the Wicked | 15, 16 | — |
| Armageddon | Ἁρμαγεδδών | Armagedoon | ar-mah-geh-DOHN | High | Sovereignty over History; Final Victory | 16 | Must not be mapped onto Islamic Dajjāl/Gog-Magog battle traditions |
| Blaspheme | βλασφημέω | Cay/Caayid | — | Medium | Judgment of the Wicked | 13, 16 | — |
| Great Prostitute / Babylon (system) | πόρνη ἡ μεγάλη | Dhillada Weyn | dheel-LAH-dah WAYN | High | Judgment of the Wicked | 17 | Requires teaching note: symbolic system, never applied to women generally |
| Scarlet Beast | θηρίον κόκκινον | Bahalka Casaanka ah | — | Medium | Judgment of the Wicked | 17 | — |
| Babylon | Βαβυλών | Baabuloon | bah-boo-LOHN | High | Sovereignty over History; Judgment | 14, 16-18 | Teach as symbolic of any/every God-opposing system, not a single modern nation |
| ”Come out of her, my people” | Ἐξέλθατε ἐξ αὐτῆς | Kaalay, dadkaygiiyow, ka soo bax | — | High | Christian Identity in Christ | 18 | — |
| Marriage Supper of the Lamb | γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου | Casharka Arooska ee Wanka | — | High | Church as Bride of Christ | 19 | Corporate/covenantal — not individual sensory-reward imagery |
| King of Kings and Lord of Lords | βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυρίων | Boqorka Boqorrada iyo Sayidka Sayidyada | — | Critical | Return and Reign of Christ; Deity of Christ | 17, 19 | Use Rabbiga-family vocabulary throughout, never weakened sayidka-alone sense |
| Word of God (title) | ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ | Ereyga Ilaah | — | Critical | Deity of Christ; Incarnation | 19 | Cross-reference Jidh qaadasho [Romans TM reuse] |
| Thousand Years / Millennium | χίλια ἔτη | Kun Sano | koon SAH-noh | High | Return and Reign of Christ | 20 | No Islamic-eschatology counterpart; requires ground-up explanation |
| First Resurrection | πρώτη ἀνάστασις | Sarakicidda Kowaad | sah-rah-kee-CID-dah koh-WAHD | Critical | Return and Reign; Resurrection | 20 | Two-stage resurrection structure absent from single-resurrection Islamic framework |
| Gog and Magog | Γὼγ καὶ Μαγώγ | Juuj iyo Maajuuj | jooj ee-yoh mah-JOOJ | Critical | Assurance of Final Victory over Evil | 20 | Direct Qur’anic parallel term (Yaʾjūj-Maʾjūj) with substantially divergent narrative; must be explicitly distinguished, not assumed equivalent |
| Great White Throne | θρόνος λευκὸς μέγας | Carshiga Cad ee Weyn | — | Critical | Judgment of the Wicked | 20 | — |
| Book of Life | βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς | Kitaabka Nolosha | kee-TAHB-kah noh-LOH-shah | Critical | Judgment; Grace vs. Deeds | 3, 13, 17, 20, 21 | Contrast explicitly with Islamic deeds-recording-angels framework |
| Second Death | δεύτερος θάνατος | Dhimashada Labaad | dhee-mah-SHAH-dah lah-BAHD | Critical | Judgment of the Wicked | 2, 20, 21 | Keep distinct from ordinary death (v.4); no purgatorial/temporary softening |
| Lake of Fire | λίμνη τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ θείου | Harada Dabka (iyo Baaruudda) | hah-RAH-dah DAHB-kah | Critical | Judgment of the Wicked | 19, 20, 21 | Not a simple one-to-one equivalent of Islamic Jahannam imagery |
| New (qualitative) | καινός | Cusub | koo-SOOB | High | New Heaven and New Earth | 21 (also 2-3, 5) | Qualitative-newness sense must be carried by teaching text, not the adjective alone |
| Holy City / New Jerusalem | ἁγία πόλις / Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινή | Magaalada Quduuska ah / Yeruusaalem Cusub | — | Critical | New Heaven and New Earth | 21 | Never a present-day political/geographic claim |
| Bride | νύμφη | Aroosad | ah-ROH-sahd | High | Church as Bride of Christ | 19, 21, 22 | Corporate Church, not individual paradise-reward imagery |
| Dwelling / Tabernacling (of God) | σκηνή / σκηνώσει | Rugta Ilaah / wuu la degganaan doonaa | — | Critical | Sovereignty of God; Incarnation echo | 21 | Requires dedicated teaching note (no Somali lexical equivalent carries the tabernacle/Shekinah echo alone) |
| God’s People (covenant formula) | λαός | Dadkiisa | — | Medium | Covenant fulfillment | 21 | Cross-reference Axdiga [Romans TM reuse] |
| It is Done | γέγοναν | Waa dhammaatay | — | High | Assurance of Final Victory | 16, 21 | Echo whatever rendering is used for John 19:30 |
| Trustworthy and True | πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί | Aamin ah oo run ah | — | High | Assurance of Final Victory | 21, 19, 3 | Consistency across 3:14, 19:11, 21:5 |
| Freely / Without Payment | δωρεάν | Bilaash | bee-LAHSH | High | Grace | 21, 22 | Cross-reference Romans 3:24/4:4-5 grace-vs-merit validation rule |
| Overcomer’s Inheritance | κληρονομήσει | Dhaxli doonaa | — | Medium | Adoption | 21 | Cross-reference Sheegasho carruurnimo [Romans TM reuse] |
| Cowardly | δειλοῖς | Fulayaasha | — | Medium | Perseverance (negative) | 21 | Teach as apostasy-under-pressure, not personality trait |
| Faithless | ἀπίστοις | Rumaysad-la’aanta | — | High | Faith (negated) | 21 | Must visibly negate Iimaan word-family |
| Sorcerers | φαρμακοῖς | Sixirlayaal | see-KHEER-lah-yahl | High | Judgment of the Wicked | 9, 18, 21 | Distinguish from ordinary folk/herbal medicine |
| Idolaters | εἰδωλολάτραις | Sanam-caabudayaal | sah-NAHM kah-boo-dah-YAHL | High | Judgment of the Wicked; Worship | 21 | Genuine resonance with anti-shirk teaching; address the worship-of-the-Lamb tension directly |
| River / Tree of Life (ch.22) | ποταμὸς / ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς | Webiga Nolosha / Geedka Nolosha | — | Medium | New Heaven and New Earth | 22 | — |
| No More Curse | κατάρα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι | Habaar mar dambe ma jiri doono | — | Medium | New Heaven and New Earth | 22 | — |
| Throne of God and of the Lamb | θρόνος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου | Carshiga Ilaah iyo Wanka | — | Critical | Deity of Christ; Worship of the Lamb | 21, 22 | Preserve single shared throne grammatically |
| I Am Coming Soon | ἔρχομαι ταχύ | Dhaqso ayaan u imanayaa | — | High | Return and Reign of Christ | 22 | Requires teaching note on prophetic “soon” idiom |
| Do Not Add / Take Away | μὴ ἐπιθῇς / μὴ ἀφέλῃς | Yaan lagu darin / yaan laga qaadin | — | High | Inspiration of Scripture | 22 | Natural anchor for addressing tahrīf claim |
| Come, Lord Jesus | Ἔρχου, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ | Kaalay, Rabbi Ciisow | — | Critical | Deity of Christ; Worship | 22 | Reuse Rabbiga at full force, matching Romans 10:9 |
C. Risk Distribution Summary (New Terms Only)
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 20 | Human theologian, every occurrence |
| High | 30 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 22 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 6 | Automated review |
Note: This distribution is markedly weighted toward Critical/High compared to the Romans baseline, reflecting Revelation’s concentration of direct deity-of-Christ, worship, and end-times material — the exact categories of highest doctrinal sensitivity in a Somali Muslim-majority context. This should directly inform review-capacity planning in Phase 2.
This glossary must be merged into translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json as part of Step 2 (Requirements) before any Phase 2 segment translation of Revelation content begins. All Critical and High risk new terms require theologian sign-off before entering the enforced glossary, per the escalation rules in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Critical Risk Terms
Righteousness
Approved rendering: Xaqnimo
Transliteration: khahk-NEE-moh
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: camal wanaagsan (good deeds, as the ground itself)
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Revelation 19:8 speaks of the saints’ ‘righteous deeds’ (fine linen) as evidence, not the ground, of a standing already granted by the Lamb — must not be re-read as camal wanaagsan functioning as the basis of acceptance.
Salvation
Approved rendering: Badbaado
Transliteration: bahd-BAH-doh
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: jannada gelid (entering paradise, as the whole content)
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Sung as a present-tense worship refrain in Revelation’s throne-room scenes (7:10; 12:10; 19:1) — a secured, celebrated present reality, not an outcome deferred to Qiyaamah.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: Sarakicidda
Transliteration: sah-rah-kee-CID-dah
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: kor loo qaaday (being raised up to heaven, without dying)
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. Base term only; Revelation 20:5-6,12-13 introduces a two-stage structure requiring the qualified compound Sarakicidda Kowaad (First Resurrection, see below). Do not use this base term loosely for both stages.
Lord
Approved rendering: Rabbiga
Transliteration: RAHB-bee-gah
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: sayidka (master/boss, non-divine)
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Anchors Revelation’s climactic closing invocation ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ (22:20) and the title cluster ‘Lord of lords’ (17:14; 19:16) at full, unqualified force.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Wiilka Ilaah
Transliteration: WEEL-kah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: addoonka jecel ee Ilaah (God’s beloved servant)
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Explicit at 2:18; must be kept visually and doctrinally distinct from ‘Wiilka Aadanaha’ (Son of Man, see below), which answers a different Christological question in Revelation.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: Jidh qaadasho
Transliteration: JID kah-dah-SHOH
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: Ilaah oo u ekaaday nin (God merely appearing to look like a man)
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies 19:13’s ‘Word of God’ title (Ereyga Ilaah, see below), echoing John 1:14’s Logos-made-flesh doctrine; cross-reference at every occurrence of that title.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Masiixa
Transliteration: mah-SEE-khah
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: nabi kaliya (merely a prophet)
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Revelation applies the title to Christ as reigning judge and king (11:15; 20:4,6), not merely a past-tense atoning figure.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Ciise
Transliteration: SEE-say
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘Nabi Ciise’ (Prophet Jesus, without Masiixa)
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Always paired with Masiixa. Revelation closes on a direct invocation, ‘Rabbi Ciisow’ (22:20), which must carry the same doctrinal weight as Romans 10:9.
God
Approved rendering: Ilaah
Transliteration: ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Eebe (a warmly familiar, invocation-style Somali term), Alle (the direct Arabic loan)
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. In Revelation, God’s identity as sole sovereign is repeatedly and deliberately shared with the Lamb (5:13-14; 21:22; 22:1,3) — teaching must make this joint sovereignty explicit at every throne-room scene.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Ruuxa Quduuska ah
Transliteration: ROO-khah koo-DOOS-kah ah
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: Jibriil (the archangel Gabriel)
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Revelation’s ‘seven spirits’ formula (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) must be taught as referring to this same one Holy Spirit in his complete, sevenfold fullness of operation; see seven_spirits entry below.
Father
Approved rendering: Aabbe
Transliteration: AH-beh
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: Abuure (Creator, as a substitute to avoid relational language)
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs at 1:6 and 14:1 (144,000 bearing the Lamb’s and the Father’s name) — ties the Father-Son relational vocabulary to the sealed-people motif.
Mission
Approved rendering: Warka wanaagsan faafinta
Transliteration: WAR-kah wah-NAHG-sahn fah-ah-FIN-tah
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Rejected alternatives: wacdinta (preaching/proselytizing, an especially dangerous word given the lethal risk of open evangelism in much of Somalia)
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies Revelation’s ‘eternal gospel’ proclamation (14:6-7) to every nation, tribe, language, and people; route with the same evangelism/physical-safety awareness as the baseline mandates.
Lamb
Approved rendering: Wanka
Transliteration: WAHN-kah
Doctrine: Worship of the Lamb
Rejected alternatives: neef la gawracay (generic sacrificed animal, strips the title/personal-name function)
Original: ἀρνίον
Category: Christology
The book’s central, 28-times-used Christological title, combining real sacrificial death with reception of worship due to God alone (5:13-14). Must be capitalized/marked as a fixed proper title, as with Ciise Masiixa, and always taught with both inseparable truths intact.
Worship
Approved rendering: Caabudid
Transliteration: kah-boo-DEED
Doctrine: Worship of the Lamb
Rejected alternatives: ixtiraam/maamuus (honor/respect — dangerously weakens the term below its intended force)
Original: προσκυνέω
Category: Worship
Direct Somali equivalent of Arabic ʿibadah, the term at the heart of tawhid, where worship of any created being is shirk. Revelation’s repeated depiction of the Lamb receiving this exact caabudid (5:14; 7:11; 11:16; 14:7; 15:4; 19:4,10; 22:8-9) is the sharpest doctrinal collision in the curriculum; never soften. Note 19:10/22:8-9, where an angel refuses this same worship, as internal textual evidence distinguishing worship-worthy divine Persons from all created beings.
Alpha And Omega
Approved rendering: Alfa iyo Omeega
Transliteration: AHL-fah ee-yoh oh-MEH-gah
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: kii hore ee dambe alone (paraphrase without retaining the letters, loses the self-existence title function)
Original: Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ
Category: Christology
Applied to God (1:8; 21:6) and to Christ (22:13) — an unambiguous claim of shared, co-equal eternal deity and a direct collision with tawhid’s insistence on Allah’s absolutely unique, undivided eternality (Qur’an 112). Retain the transliterated Greek letters; never soften, hedge, or explain away.
Beginning And End
Approved rendering: Bilowga iyo Dhammaadka
Transliteration: bee-LOW-gah ee-yoh dham-MAHD-kah
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος
Category: Christology
Restates the Alpha/Omega eternity claim in ordinary vocabulary, doubling the emphasis; rendered with identical doctrinal weight on identical grounds.
Washed In Blood Of The Lamb
Approved rendering: Khamiisyadoodii ku maydhay dhiigga Wanka
Transliteration: khah-mees-yah-doh-DEE koo may-DHAY dhee-gah WAHN-kah
Doctrine: Vindication of the Saints; Atonement and the Blood of the Lamb
Rejected alternatives: ‘made pure’ without the blood-atonement content rejected — strips substitutionary meaning
Original: πλύνω ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ ἀρνίου
Category: Salvation
7:14 — cleansed through the Lamb’s atoning blood; a direct atonement claim with no parallel mechanism in Islamic soteriology. Never soften to a general moral-improvement metaphor.
Dragon
Approved rendering: Mas Weynaha
Transliteration: mahs WAY-nah-hah
Doctrine: Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil
Rejected alternatives: generic mythological-creature loanword (‘daraggo’) rejected — loses the explicit Genesis-serpent identification
Original: δράκων
Category: Evil
12:9 — ‘that ancient serpent, the Devil and Satan’; rendered as ‘the Great Serpent’ to preserve the text’s own Genesis identification. Always pair with Shaydaanka/Ibliiska.
Overcame By Blood And Testimony
Approved rendering: Dhiigga Wanka iyo Ereyga Markhaatigooda
Transliteration: DHEE-gah WAHN-kah ee-yoh eh-RAY-gah mahr-khah-TEE-goh-dah
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution; Atonement and the Blood of the Lamb
Original: διὰ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτῶν
Category: Perseverance
12:11 — the book’s own definition of how the overcomer conquers: atonement plus faithful witness, not military or political power. Must visibly combine Wanka and Markhaati vocabulary.
Beast
Approved rendering: Bahalka
Transliteration: bah-HAHL-kah
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked; Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Rejected alternatives: asserting one-to-one identification with al-Dajjaal rejected
Original: θηρίον
Category: Evil
13:1,11; 16:13; 19:20 — a persecuting political-religious power in league with the dragon. Must be lexically distinct from Xayawaan (ch. 4). Structural role overlaps with the Islamic Dajjaal tradition but details, sequence, and resolution differ substantially; teach as Revelation’s own self-contained figure.
Mark Of The Beast
Approved rendering: Calaamadda Bahalka
Transliteration: kah-lah-mah-DAH bah-HAHL-kah
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: χάραγμα
Category: Judgment
13:16-17 — the beast’s mark denoting allegiance, the negative counterpart to God’s seal (ch. 7). Keep lexically distinct from La shaabadeeyay.
King Of Kings Lord Of Lords
Approved rendering: Boqorka Boqorrada iyo Sayidka Sayidyada
Transliteration: boh-KOR-kah boh-kohr-RAH-dah ee-yoh SAI-yid-kah sai-yid-YAH-dah
Doctrine: Return and Reign of Christ; Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: sayidka alone rejected — weakens the full, exclusive divine claim
Original: βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυρίων
Category: Christology
17:14; 19:16 — an unqualified, universal sovereignty title directly paralleling (and, confessionally, exceeding) exclusivist Islamic sovereignty titles for Allah (al-Malik, Rabb al-‘alamin). Use Rabbiga-family vocabulary throughout.
Word Of God Title
Approved rendering: Ereyga Ilaah
Transliteration: eh-RAY-gah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Deity of Christ; Incarnation
Original: ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
19:13 — a divine title for the returning Christ echoing John 1:1’s Logos doctrine underlying the Incarnation. Cross-reference Jidh qaadasho.
First Resurrection
Approved rendering: Sarakicidda Kowaad
Transliteration: sah-rah-kee-CID-dah koh-WAHD
Doctrine: The First Resurrection and the General Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: flattening to ‘the resurrection’ alone rejected — erases the two-stage structure
Original: πρώτη ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
20:5-6 — a resurrection of martyrs/the faithful prior to the general resurrection. Must retain the numeral qualifier precisely; this structure has no counterpart in the single-resurrection Islamic framework.
Gog And Magog
Approved rendering: Juuj iyo Maajuuj
Transliteration: jooj ee-yoh mah-JOOJ
Doctrine: Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil; Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Original: Γὼγ καὶ Μαγώγ
Category: Eschatology
20:7-10 — a symbolic name (Ezekiel 38-39 background) for the final, futile gathering of hostile nations. Direct Qur’anic parallel term (Ya’juj wa Ma’juj) with a substantially divergent narrative placement and resolution; must be explicitly distinguished, never assumed equivalent.
Great White Throne
Approved rendering: Carshiga Cad ee Weyn
Transliteration: KAHR-shee-gah cahd ee WAYN
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: θρόνος λευκὸς μέγας
Category: Judgment
20:11-15 — the final judgment throne. Must be distinguished from every earlier throne reference as the specific, final judicial setting.
Book Of Life
Approved rendering: Kitaabka Nolosha
Transliteration: kee-TAHB-kah noh-LOH-shah
Doctrine: Grace versus Works: The Book of Life
Original: βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Judgment
3:5; 13:8; 20:12,15; 21:27 — the divine record of those belonging to God/the Lamb, contrasted with ‘the books’ of deeds. Must be taught in explicit contrast to the Islamic recording-angels/deeds-weighing framework; inclusion in this book, not a favorable deeds balance, is decisive.
Second Death
Approved rendering: Dhimashada Labaad
Transliteration: dhee-mah-SHAH-dah lah-BAHD
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Rejected alternatives: temporary/purgatorial or annihilation-without-consciousness softening rejected unless explicitly specified by theologian review
Original: δεύτερος θάνατος
Category: Judgment
2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8 — final, ultimate exclusion from God’s presence, distinct from ordinary physical death. Must remain terminologically distinct from Dhimasho at every occurrence.
Lake Of Fire
Approved rendering: Harada Dabka iyo Baaruudda
Transliteration: hah-RAH-dah DAHB-kah ee-yoh bah-ROOD-dah
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Rejected alternatives: simple one-to-one equivalence with Jahannam rejected
Original: λίμνη τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ θείου
Category: Judgment
19:20; 20:10,14-15; 21:8 — a specific apocalyptic image for final, conscious, ongoing judgment. Requires dedicated theological explanation distinguishing it from Jahannam’s own distinct textual descriptions.
Holy City New Jerusalem
Approved rendering: Magaalada Quduuska ah / Yeruusaalem Cusub
Transliteration: mah-GAH-lah-dah koo-DOOS-kah ah / yeh-roo-sah-LEHM koo-SOOB
Doctrine: The New Heaven and New Earth
Original: ἁγία πόλις / Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινή
Category: Eschatology
21:2,10 — the eschatological city-symbol of God’s consummated people, the final counterpart to Babylon. Never a present-day political/geographic claim about any earthly city or nation-state.
Tabernacling Of God
Approved rendering: Rugta Ilaah
Transliteration: ROOG-tah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: The Tabernacling Presence of God
Rejected alternatives: flat ‘house’ or ‘presence’ rendering rejected — loses the OT-tabernacle/Shekinah/Incarnation resonance
Original: σκηνή / σκηνώσει
Category: Sovereignty
21:3 (cf. 7:15; 21:22) — no existing Somali Bible-tradition rendering carries the OT tabernacle/Shekinah-presence echo and John 1:14’s Incarnation resonance. Requires a dedicated theologian-authored teaching note at first occurrence.
Throne Of God And Of The Lamb
Approved rendering: Carshiga Ilaah iyo Wanka
Transliteration: KAHR-shee-gah ee-LAHH ee-yoh WAHN-kah
Doctrine: Deity of Christ; Worship of the Lamb
Rejected alternatives: splitting into two separate thrones rejected — the singular, shared throne is the theological point
Original: θρόνος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου
Category: Christology
21:22; 22:1,3 — the single, shared throne, joint occupants. The grammatical singularity must be preserved without exception.
Come Lord Jesus
Approved rendering: Kaalay, Rabbi Ciisow
Transliteration: KAH-lay, RAHB-bee SEE-sohw
Doctrine: Deity of Christ; Worship of the Lamb
Rejected alternatives: a weaker vocative than Rabbiga rejected
Original: Ἔρχου, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ
Category: Christology
22:20 — the book’s final prayer, a direct invocation of Christ himself. Must reuse Rabbiga at full force, matching Romans 10:9’s doctrinal weight exactly.
High Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: Injiilka
Transliteration: in-JEEL-kah
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: war wanaagsan (generic ‘good news’, without the proclamation weight)
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. In Revelation, paired with ‘weligiisa ah’ (eternal) at 14:6 — proclamation continuing to the very end of history alongside judgment; see eternal_gospel entry below.
Grace
Approved rendering: Nimco
Transliteration: NIM-koh
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: naxariis (mercy/compassion), barako (blessing, often tied to a sheekh’s or saint’s spiritual potency)
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Revelation opens (1:4) and closes (22:21) on grace exactly as Romans does; this deliberate bracketing should be preserved in teaching notes.
Faith
Approved rendering: Iimaan
Transliteration: ee-MAHN
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: rumaysad (generic belief/conviction)
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Negated at 21:8 by ‘apistois’ (the faithless); see faithless entry — the Iimaan root must remain visible in that negation.
Apostle
Approved rendering: Diray
Transliteration: dee-RYE
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: Rasuul (the specific Islamic title for Muhammad, ‘the Messenger of God’)
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Appears at 18:20 and 21:14 (the twelve apostles’ names on the New Jerusalem’s foundations). Rasuul remains forbidden.
Called
Approved rendering: Loo yeedhay
Transliteration: loh yeh-DHAI
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: la casuumay (invited, as to a social event)
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Appears alongside ‘chosen and faithful’ at 17:14 (‘called and chosen and faithful’).
Holy
Approved rendering: Quduus
Transliteration: koo-DOOS
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: nadiif (ritually/physically clean)
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Central to the Trisagion worship-cry (4:8, ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ echoing Isaiah 6:3) and to ‘holy city’ (21:2,10); moral-relational sense, not ritual cleanliness, must be preserved.
Saints
Approved rendering: Quduusiinta
Transliteration: koo-doo-SEEN-tah
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: awliyada / wadaaddada (Sufi saints/sheekhs venerated at tombs during siyaaro pilgrimage)
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. The persecuted, praying, finally vindicated corporate people of God throughout Revelation (5:8; 8:3-4; 11:18; 13:7,10; 14:12; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:8; 20:9).
Glory
Approved rendering: Ammaan
Transliteration: ah-MAHN
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: nuur (divine light, associated with Sufi Nuurka Muxammed pre-existent-light devotion)
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Light-imagery is unusually concentrated in Revelation 21-22 (the city’s glory as its own light source, 21:23-24); the baseline’s caution against nuur applies with heightened force in these chapters.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: Awoodda Ilaah
Transliteration: ah-WOHD-dah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: xoogga Ilaah (raw force, less precise for saving power)
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs as a worship-refrain (4:11; 5:12; 7:12; 11:17; 12:10; 15:8; 19:1) attributed jointly to God and the Lamb, reinforcing shared divine sovereignty.
Prophet
Approved rendering: Nabi
Transliteration: NAH-bee
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: faaliye (fortune-teller/diviner)
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Used for genuine OT/NT prophets and John himself (1:3; 22:9). The antagonist title ‘the false prophet’ (16:13; 19:20; 20:10) is a distinct compound concept tied to the second beast of ch. 13 and must not be rendered as a modified form of this base term; see beast entry.
Election
Approved rendering: Doorashada Ilaah
Transliteration: doh-rah-SHAH-dah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: qaddar (fate/decree), nasiib (luck/fortune)
Original: ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies 17:14, ‘called and chosen and faithful’ — must not be rendered with qaddar/nasiib fatalism.
Intercession
Approved rendering: Dhexdhexaadinta
Transliteration: dheh-dheh-KHAH-din-tah
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: shafeeco (intercession sought through a Sufi sheekh or wali, often at a grave during siyaaro pilgrimage)
Original: ἔντευξις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. In Revelation the concept appears by contrast: Satan is ‘the accuser’ (12:10) opposed to Christ’s/the saints’ standing before God; shafeeco remains forbidden.
Providence
Approved rendering: Daryeelka Ilaah
Transliteration: dar-YEHL-kah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: qaddar (fate/decree), waa la iga qoray-style fatalistic idiom (‘it was written for me’)
Original: πρόνοια
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the entire seal/trumpet/bowl judgment sequence: history unfolds only within God’s sovereign permission, not impersonal qaddar-style fate.
Revelation Apocalypse
Approved rendering: Muujin
Transliteration: moo-JEEN
Doctrine: Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Rejected alternatives: buug la sheegay (generic ‘a book that was told’, loses the specific ‘unveiling’ sense central to the genre)
Original: ἀποκάλυψις
Category: Scripture and Genre
The book’s own title and genre-marker (1:1). Risks assimilation into the Sufi devotional category of kashf (mystical unveiling) or the Qur’anic category of wahy (ongoing revelation); this specific, closed apostolic vision must be distinguished from an open-ended category of continuing mystical disclosure.
Almighty
Approved rendering: Qaadirka
Transliteration: kah-DIR-kah
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History
Rejected alternatives: awood badan (bare ‘very powerful’, loses the recognizable divine-attribute-title force)
Original: παντοκράτωρ
Category: God
Applied to God throughout (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7,14; 19:6,15; 21:22). Shares surface form with Al-Qadir, one of the 99 names of Allah — genuine resonance, but must be paired in teaching with explicit acknowledgment that this sovereignty is shared with the Lamb (5:13; 7:10).
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: Wiilka Aadanaha
Transliteration: WEEL-kah ah-dah-NAH-hah
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ and the Son of Man Title
Rejected alternatives: conflating with Wiilka Ilaah — obscures the distinct Daniel-7 judgment-authority claim
Original: υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
Christ’s self-designation drawn from Daniel 7:13’s exalted, enthroned figure (1:13; 14:14). Must be kept visually and doctrinally distinct from Wiilka Ilaah (Son of God); the two titles answer different theological questions.
Seven Spirits
Approved rendering: Toddobada Ruux
Transliteration: toh-doh-BAH-dah ROOKH
Doctrine: Holy Spirit as the Seven Spirits of God
Rejected alternatives: rendering as seven distinct beings — imports a multiplied-spirit-being category resembling jinn/angelic multiplicities
Original: ἑπτὰ πνεύματα
Category: God
A symbolic naming (Isaiah 11:2 background) of the one Holy Spirit’s fullness before God’s throne (1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). Must never be read as seven separate spirit-beings.
Witness Martyr
Approved rendering: Markhaati
Transliteration: mahr-KHAH-tee
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Rejected alternatives: flattening to bare legal ‘witness’ in martyrdom contexts — loses the costly-testimony sense
Original: μάρτυς
Category: Perseverance
Applied to Christ (1:5) and believers (2:13; 17:6); range stretches from ordinary testimony to fatal witness. Context-sensitive per occurrence; compound with blood/death language where martyrdom is meant.
Repent
Approved rendering: Toobad keen
Transliteration: TOH-bahd keen
Doctrine: Perseverance; Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: left unqualified — risks assimilation to Islamic tawbah as a merit-restoring ritual act
Original: μετανοέω
Category: Sanctification
The repeated call to each church (chs. 2-3, 9, 16). Genuine resonance with Islamic tawbah/istighfar, but must be taught as fruit of grace already given, not a merit-restoring act, consistent with the baseline’s Obedience-of-Faith caution.
Overcomer
Approved rendering: Kan Adkaada
Transliteration: kahn ahd-KAH-dah
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Rejected alternatives: kan xoogga badan (the strong/successful one) — loses the victory-through-endurance-under-persecution sense
Original: ὁ νικῶν
Category: Perseverance
The closing refrain of each of the seven letters (2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21) and recurring at 12:11; 15:2; 21:7. Must be rendered identically at every occurrence.
Root Of David
Approved rendering: Xididka Daa’uud
Transliteration: khee-DID-kah dah-OOD
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: ῥίζα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
5:5; 22:16 — Christ’s authoritative source within David’s line, related to but distinct from ‘seed of David’. Somali genealogical consciousness (abtirsiimo) gives this claim unusual cultural seriousness, a genuine teaching bridge.
Key Of David
Approved rendering: Furaha Daa’uud
Transliteration: foo-RAH-hah dah-OOD
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant; Return and Reign of Christ
Original: κλεῖς Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
3:7 — Christ’s exclusive authority to open/shut access to God’s kingdom (Isaiah 22:22 background); ties to the cultural resonance of lineage-authority claims (abtirsiimo).
Faithful And True Witness Title
Approved rendering: Aamiin, Markhaatiga Aamin ah ee Runta ah
Transliteration: ah-MEEN, mahr-KHAH-tee-gah AH-min ah ee ROON-tah ah
Doctrine: Return and Reign of Christ; Deity of Christ
Original: ὁ ἀμὴν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός
Category: Christology
A title of Christ (3:14) combining ‘Amen’ with ‘faithful and true witness,’ recurring at 19:11 and echoed at 21:5. Must be rendered consistently across all three occurrences.
Throne
Approved rendering: Carshiga
Transliteration: KAHR-shee-gah
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History; Deity of Christ
Original: θρόνος
Category: God
Shared with the Qur’anic al-‘Arsh (God’s Throne). Risk runs opposite to most terms in this package: readers may too readily assimilate this to the familiar Islamic image while missing that the Lamb comes to share this very throne (22:1,3) — a claim with no Islamic parallel.
Worthy
Approved rendering: Istaahil
Transliteration: ees-TAH-hil
Doctrine: Deity of Christ; Grace
Original: ἄξιος
Category: Christology
5:2-5,9 — the Lamb’s worthiness rests explicitly on his sacrificial death, not achievement or ability; must not be read as a camal wanaagsan deeds-ledger parallel.
Souls Under The Altar
Approved rendering: Naftii ka hoosaysay meesha allabariga
Transliteration: nahf-TEE kah hoh-oh-SAY-say MEE-shah ah-lah-bah-REE-gah
Doctrine: Vindication of the Saints
Original: ψυχαὶ ὑποκάτω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου
Category: Judgment
6:9-11 — martyrs’ souls crying out for justice; grounds the Vindication doctrine. Teach carefully so this is not read as a claim about a purgatorial waiting state.
Wrath Of The Lamb
Approved rendering: Cadhada Wanka
Transliteration: kah-DHAH-dah WAHN-kah
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: ὀργὴ τοῦ ἀρνίου
Category: Judgment
6:16 — the deliberate juxtaposition of ‘Lamb’ (sacrificial gentleness) and ‘wrath’ (judgment) is theologically intentional and must not be smoothed over.
Sealed
Approved rendering: La shaabadeeyay
Transliteration: lah shah-bah-deh-YAY
Doctrine: Vindication of the Saints
Original: σφραγίζω
Category: Vindication
7:3-4 — God’s own protective, ownership-marking seal on his people. Must be lexically distinguished from Calaamadda Bahalka (mark of the beast, ch. 13).
Tribulation
Approved rendering: Dhibaatada Weyn
Transliteration: dhee-BAH-tah-dah WAYN
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Original: θλῖψις
Category: Perseverance
1:9; 2:2-3,19; 3:10; 7:14 — intense, sustained affliction; direct anchor for the Perseverance-under-Persecution doctrine.
Abyss
Approved rendering: Yamayska
Transliteration: yah-MAYS-kah
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History
Original: ἄβυσσος
Category: Sovereignty
9:1-11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1-3 — the subterranean prison for demonic powers, released only within God’s sovereign permission; avoid a folk-religious autonomous-underworld reading.
Demons
Approved rendering: Jinniyo
Transliteration: jin-NEE-yoh
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History; Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil
Original: δαιμόνια
Category: Evil
9:20; 16:14; 18:2 — standard Somali vocabulary imports the broader, morally-mixed Islamic jinn category; must be taught as specifically fallen, malevolent spirits under Satan’s command in cosmic rebellion, not the wider folk-Islamic jinn category.
Two Witnesses
Approved rendering: Labada Markhaati
Transliteration: lah-BAH-dah mahr-KHAH-tee
Doctrine: Persecution and the Two Witnesses
Original: οἱ δύο μάρτυρες
Category: Perseverance
11:1-13 — two prophetic figures who testify, are killed, and are resurrected, drawing on Moses/Elijah imagery. Embodies Perseverance and Resurrection doctrines in miniature.
Satan Devil
Approved rendering: Shaydaanka / Ibliiska
Transliteration: shay-DAHN-kah / ib-LEES-kah
Doctrine: Defeat and Binding of Satan
Original: Σατανᾶς / Διάβολος
Category: Evil
12:9 — the dragon’s explicit identity. Ibliis carries the distinct Qur’anic origin narrative (refusal to bow to Adam, Q2:34); the biblical rebel-angel/heavenly-war narrative (12:7-9) must not be conflated with it.
Number 666
Approved rendering: Lix Boqol iyo Lix iyo Lixdan
Transliteration: likh boh-KOHL ee-yoh likh ee-yoh LIKH-dahn
Doctrine: Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Rejected alternatives: asserting a single confident historical identification rejected
Original: ἀριθμός ἑξήκοντα ἕξ
Category: Symbolic Interpretation
13:18 — a symbolic number via gematria representing the beast’s persistent, imperfect opposition to God’s perfect number, seven. Flag ongoing interpretive debate rather than resolve it.
Image Of The Beast
Approved rendering: Sanamka Bahalka
Transliteration: sah-NAHM-kah bah-HAHL-kah
Doctrine: False Worship: The Beast and Idolatry
Original: εἰκών
Category: Worship
13:14-15 — a crafted idol demanding worship. Genuine anti-idolatry teaching bridge (sanam is already condemned in Islamic vocabulary), provided the parallel with the Lamb receiving worship (ch. 5) is addressed directly.
Eternal Gospel
Approved rendering: Injiilka Weligiisa ah
Transliteration: in-JEEL-kah weh-lee-GEE-sah ah
Doctrine: Eternal Gospel and Final Proclamation
Original: εὐαγγέλιον αἰώνιον
Category: Salvation
14:6 — the enduring good news proclaimed even amid final judgment. Compounds Injiilka with weligiis (forever); route with the same evangelism/physical-safety awareness the baseline mandates for mission content.
Perseverance Patient Endurance
Approved rendering: Dulqaadasho
Transliteration: dool-qah-DAH-shoh
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Rejected alternatives: fatalistic qaddar-adjacent resignation idiom rejected (‘waa la iga qoray’ pattern)
Original: ὑπομονή
Category: Perseverance
1:9; 2:2-3,19; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12 — active, faith-and-obedience-rooted steadfastness under pressure, the book’s most explicit Perseverance summary term. Must never collapse into passive fatalism.
Armageddon
Approved rendering: Armagedoon
Transliteration: ar-mah-geh-DOHN
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History; Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Rejected alternatives: mapping onto the Islamic Dajjaal/Gog-Magog battle-tradition sequence rejected
Original: Ἁρμαγεδδών
Category: Symbolic Interpretation
16:16 — a symbolic place-name for the final gathering of hostile earthly powers against God. Must be taught strictly within Revelation’s own narrative sequence, not merged with parallel Islamic end-times battle traditions.
Great Prostitute
Approved rendering: Dhillada Weyn
Transliteration: dheel-LAH-dah WAYN
Doctrine: Babylon and Worldly Power
Original: πόρνη ἡ μεγάλη
Category: Judgment
Ch. 17 — a symbolic figure for a corrupt, seductive world-system/empire (identified as Babylon, 17:5), not a literal individual woman. Requires a teaching note that this names a system, never applied to stigmatize women generally.
Babylon
Approved rendering: Baabuloon
Transliteration: bah-boo-LOHN
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History; Babylon and Worldly Power
Original: Βαβυλών
Category: Judgment
Chs. 14, 16-18 — historically the empire that destroyed Jerusalem’s temple; here a symbolic name for any/every God-opposing world-system, not a prediction about the literal ancient site or any single contemporary nation.
Come Out Of Her
Approved rendering: Kaalay, dadkaygiiyow, ka soo bax
Transliteration: KAH-lay, dahd-kay-gee-YOHW, kah soh bahkh
Doctrine: Christian Identity in Christ
Original: Ἐξέλθατε ἐξ αὐτῆς
Category: Christian Identity
18:4 — a call to separate from Babylon’s sin, carrying real social cost in Somali society analogous to the clan-identity tension flagged in the Romans baseline.
Marriage Supper Of The Lamb
Approved rendering: Casharka Arooska ee Wanka
Transliteration: kah-SHAHR-kah ah-ROHS-kah ee WAHN-kah
Doctrine: Church as Bride of Christ
Original: γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου
Category: Church
19:7-9 — the consummation of Christ’s covenant union with his Bride, the Church. Must be taught as corporate/covenantal, not individual sensory reward (contrast with houri paradise-banquet imagery).
Millennium
Approved rendering: Kun Sano
Transliteration: koon SAH-noh
Doctrine: The Thousand-Year Reign
Original: χίλια ἔτη
Category: Eschatology
20:1-6 — a thousand-year period during which Satan is bound and the saints reign with Christ. No counterpart in standard Islamic eschatology; must be explained from scratch, with interpretive humility on secondary details among Christian traditions.
New Qualitative
Approved rendering: Cusub
Transliteration: koo-SOOB
Doctrine: The New Heaven and New Earth
Original: καινός
Category: Eschatology
2:17; 3:12; 5:9; 14:3; 21:1,2,5 — new in kind/quality, not merely in time. Somali cusub does not itself distinguish kainos from neos; the qualitative sense must be carried by accompanying teaching text at every recurrence.
Bride
Approved rendering: Aroosad
Transliteration: ah-ROH-sahd
Doctrine: Church as Bride of Christ
Original: νύμφη
Category: Church
19:7; 21:2,9; 22:17 — the covenant people in permanent union with Christ. Somali wedding imagery is a genuine bridge, but risks collapsing into individual houri-style paradise reward imagery; requires explicit corporate-Church framing.
It Is Done
Approved rendering: Waa dhammaatay
Transliteration: wah dhah-MAH-tay
Doctrine: Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil
Original: γέγοναν
Category: Assurance
16:17; 21:6 — an accomplished, irreversible fact, echoing John 19:30’s ‘It is finished.’ Should visibly echo the wider Somali Bible tradition’s rendering of that verse.
Trustworthy And True
Approved rendering: Aamin ah oo run ah
Transliteration: AH-min ah oh roon ah
Doctrine: Assurance of God’s Final Victory over Evil
Original: πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί
Category: Assurance
21:5 — God’s certifying formula for his own recreative speech-act, matching the title applied to Christ (19:11) and echoed at 3:14. Keep consistent across all three occurrences.
Freely Without Payment
Approved rendering: Bilaash
Transliteration: bee-LAHSH
Doctrine: Grace
Original: δωρεάν
Category: Salvation
21:6; 22:17 — given gratuitously, without cost or merit, the identical adverb Paul uses in Romans 3:24. Must visibly preserve the grace-not-merit contrast already established for that verse.
Faithless
Approved rendering: Rumaysad-la’aanta
Transliteration: roo-MAY-sahd lah-AHN-tah
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: a generic word for ‘disbelief’ disconnected from the Iimaan word-family rejected
Original: ἀπίστοις
Category: Faith
21:8 — the direct negation of pistis. Must visibly negate the established Iimaan/faith-root vocabulary so the deliberate wordplay is not lost.
Sorcerers
Approved rendering: Sixirlayaal
Transliteration: see-KHEER-lah-yahl
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: φαρμακοῖς
Category: Judgment
9:21; 18:23; 21:8 — practitioners of occult, potion-based sorcery. Requires a teaching note distinguishing biblical condemnation of occult practice from traditional Somali herbal/folk medicine as such.
Idolaters
Approved rendering: Sanam-caabudayaal
Transliteration: sah-NAHM kah-boo-dah-YAHL
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked; Worship of the Lamb
Original: εἰδωλολάτραις
Category: Judgment
21:8 — those who render worship to an image or false god. Genuine common ground with anti-shirk teaching, but the tension that Revelation’s own worship of the Lamb (ch. 5) is, by strict Islamic categories, liable to the very charge condemned here must be addressed directly.
Coming Soon
Approved rendering: Dhaqso ayaan u imanayaa
Transliteration: DHAHK-soh ah-YAHN oo ee-mah-nah-YAH
Doctrine: Return and Reign of Christ
Original: ἔρχομαι ταχύ
Category: Return and Reign
3:11; 22:7,12,20 — Christ’s repeated closing promise of imminent, certain return. Requires a teaching note on the prophetic ‘soon’ idiom; must match the 3:11 rendering exactly at every recurrence.
Do Not Add Or Take Away
Approved rendering: Yaan lagu darin / yaan laga qaadin
Transliteration: yahn LAH-goo DAH-rin / yahn LAH-gah KAH-din
Doctrine: Canon Closure and Prophetic Authority
Original: μὴ ἐπιθῇς… μὴ ἀφέλῃς
Category: Scripture and Genre
22:18-19 — a closing canonical-protection formula (echoing Deut 4:2); a natural, direct anchor for respectfully addressing the tahrif (textual corruption) claim in teaching material.
Medium Risk Terms
Church
Approved rendering: Kiniisadda
Transliteration: kee-nee-SAHD-dah
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: masjidka-shaped ‘jamaaco’ framing (mosque-congregation model)
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Applied to seven specific named local congregations (chs. 1-3) as representative of the whole Church across time.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Boqortooyada Ilaah
Transliteration: boh-kor-toh-YAH-dah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Rejected alternatives: dawladda Ilaah (God’s state/government)
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. Reaches its climactic declaration at 11:15, ‘the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ’ — must retain the non-political, non-territorial sense established in the baseline.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: Quruumaha
Transliteration: koo-roo-MAH-hah
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: gaalada (unbelievers/infidels, an Islamic religious-legal category with strong pejorative force in Somali usage)
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs across Revelation’s universal-scope refrains (‘every tribe, tongue, people, and nation,’ 5:9; 7:9; 14:6) and in judgment contexts (11:18; 18:23; 20:8); the ethnically neutral sense must be preserved in both.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: Wax sii sheegidda
Transliteration: wahkh see sheh-eh-GID-dah
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: faal (divination/fortune-telling)
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Revelation identifies itself as ‘this prophecy’ (1:3; 22:7,10,18-19), directly tying the term to the Inspiration-of-Scripture and canon-closure doctrines.
Covenant
Approved rendering: Axdiga
Transliteration: AKH-dee-gah
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: ballan kaliya (bare appointment/promise, without covenantal weight)
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the covenant-formula fulfillment of 21:3 (‘they will be his people, and God himself will be with them’) even though the word itself is not repeated there; cross-reference in teaching notes.
David
Approved rendering: Daa’uud
Transliteration: dah-OOD
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Appears at 3:7 (‘key of David’), 5:5, and 22:16 (‘root and descendant of David’).
Israel
Approved rendering: Israa’iil
Transliteration: is-rah-EEL
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Appears at 2:14; 7:4 (144,000 of the tribes of Israel); 21:12 (twelve tribes named on the city gates) — handle with the same pastoral, non-supersessionist care as the baseline.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: Farcanka Daa’uud
Transliteration: far-CAHN-kah dah-OOD
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Reused where Revelation’s phrasing matches Romans’ ‘seed’ language; Revelation 5:5 and 22:16 instead use ‘root of David’ (rhiza), a related but distinct image — see root_of_david entry below.
Lords Day
Approved rendering: Maalinta Rabbiga
Transliteration: MAH-lin-tah RAHB-bee-gah
Doctrine: Setting of the Vision
Original: κυριακὴ ἡμέρα
Category: Worship
1:10, establishes the setting of John’s vision (traditionally Sunday, resurrection day). Brief teaching note should distinguish from Somali readers’ Friday (Jimce) or Saturday-Sabbath calendar orientation.
Tree Of Life
Approved rendering: Geedka Nolosha
Transliteration: GAYD-kah noh-LOH-shah
Doctrine: New Heaven and New Earth
Original: ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Eschatology
The Edenic tree (2:7; 22:2,14,19), access restored to overcomers. Genuine resonance with Qur’anic Eden imagery; emphasize restored access, not prohibition.
Crown Of Life
Approved rendering: Taajka Nolosha
Transliteration: TAHJ-kah noh-LOH-shah
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Original: στέφανος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Perseverance
A victor’s wreath promised for faithful endurance unto death (2:10). Taaj is a familiar loanword; ties directly to the Perseverance doctrine.
Morning Star
Approved rendering: Xiddigta Waaberiga
Transliteration: khid-DIG-tah wah-beh-REE-gah
Doctrine: Return and Reign of Christ
Original: ἀστὴρ ὁ πρωϊνός
Category: Christology
A messianic self-designation of Christ (2:28; 22:16). Note for theologians: Isaiah 14:12 applies related language to the fallen Babylonian king in a very different, negative sense; Revelation’s usage is exclusively positive and must be taught as distinct.
Synagogue Of Satan
Approved rendering: Sunagogga Shaydaanka
Transliteration: soo-nah-GOHG-gah shay-DAHN-kah
Doctrine: Persecution and the Two Witnesses
Original: συναγωγὴ τοῦ Σατανᾶ
Category: Church
2:9; 3:9 — a specific, historically situated polemical phrase describing a local hostile community in Smyrna/Philadelphia. Requires a teaching note restricting this to its first-century local referent; never a general statement about the Jewish people.
Four Living Creatures
Approved rendering: Afarta Xayawaan Nool
Transliteration: ah-FAHR-tah khah-yah-WAHN nohl
Doctrine: Worship of the Lamb
Rejected alternatives: using ‘Bahalka’ (beast) — would conflate worshiping creatures with the persecuting antagonist figure of chs. 13, 17
Original: τέσσαρα ζῷα
Category: Worship
Composite, angelic-order beings surrounding God’s throne in ceaseless worship (ch. 4, drawing on Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6). Must be lexically distinguished from Bahalka.
Twenty Four Elders
Approved rendering: Afar iyo Labaatanka Oday
Transliteration: ah-FAHR ee-yoh lah-bah-TAHN-kah oh-DAY
Doctrine: Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Worship
Twenty-four senior figures surrounding God’s throne, likely representing the fullness of God’s covenant people (12+12). Teach as symbolic completeness, not a literal council.
Scroll And Seal
Approved rendering: Kitaabka la shaabadeeyay / Shaabadaha
Transliteration: kee-TAHB-kah lah shah-bah-deh-YAY / shah-bah-DAH-hah
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History
Original: βιβλίον / σφραγίς
Category: Sovereignty
The sealed scroll (5:1), opened progressively as the seals break (ch. 6), represents God’s sovereign plan for history, opened only by the Lamb who alone is worthy.
One Hundred Forty Four Thousand
Approved rendering: Boqol iyo Afar iyo Afartan Kun
Transliteration: boh-KOHL ee-yoh ah-FAHR ee-yoh ah-fahr-TAHN koon
Doctrine: Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation; Vindication of the Saints
Rejected alternatives: a literal, numerically-exclusive headcount reading rejected
Original: ἑκατὸν τεσσαράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες
Category: Symbolic Interpretation
12x12x1,000 — a symbolic number for the complete number of God’s sealed covenant people (7:4; 14:1). Requires a teaching note against literalistic reading.
Incense Prayers Of Saints
Approved rendering: Fooxa / Ducooyinka Quduusiinta
Transliteration: FOH-khah / doo-oh-YIN-kah koo-doo-SEEN-tah
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Original: θυμίαμα / προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων
Category: Prayer
8:3-4 — the saints’ prayers pictured as incense rising before God’s throne; kept distinct from shafeeco intercessory-mediation practice.
Abaddon Apollyon
Approved rendering: Abadoon / Aboluyoon
Transliteration: ah-bah-DOHN / ah-boh-loo-YOHN
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: Ἀβαδδὼν / Ἀπολλύων
Category: Judgment
9:11 — Hebrew ‘Destruction’ and its Greek gloss ‘Destroyer’, a proper title for the king of the abyss’s demonic locusts. Retain transliterated.
Mystery Of God
Approved rendering: Qarsoodiga Ilaah
Transliteration: qar-SOH-dee-gah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History
Original: μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Sovereignty
10:7 — God’s previously hidden redemptive plan, nearing disclosed completion. Distinguish from Islamic al-ghayb (the permanently sealed unseen); this mystery is progressively disclosed.
Temple
Approved rendering: Macbudka Ilaah
Transliteration: mahk-BOOD-kah ee-LAHH
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Original: ναός
Category: Church
11:1-2; 21:22 — the inner sanctuary of God’s dwelling; the temple ‘measured’ (11:1) symbolizes God’s protected, true worshiping people.
Woman Clothed With Sun
Approved rendering: Naagta
Transliteration: NAHG-tah
Doctrine: Symbolic and Apocalyptic Interpretation
Rejected alternatives: equation with Mary the mother of Jesus rejected — text does not identify her this way
Original: γυνή
Category: Symbolic Interpretation
Ch. 12 — a symbolic female figure most naturally read as the covenant people of God from whom the Messiah comes. Must not be equated with Maryam of Qur’an 19 without qualification.
War In Heaven
Approved rendering: Dagaalkii Samada
Transliteration: dah-GAHL-kee SAH-mah-dah
Doctrine: Defeat and Binding of Satan
Original: πόλεμος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ
Category: Sovereignty
12:7-9 — a cosmic angelic conflict resulting in Satan’s expulsion, led by Michael; establishes the cosmic-historical backdrop for earthly persecution.
Michael
Approved rendering: Mikaa’iil
Transliteration: mee-kah-EEL
Doctrine: Angelology and Spiritual Beings
Original: Μιχαήλ
Category: Angelology
12:7 — a genuine positive resonance point as a named Qur’anic angel (Q2:98), though the specific battle narrative differs from Islamic angelology’s textual detail.
Accuser
Approved rendering: Ashtakeeyaha
Transliteration: ash-tah-keh-YAH-hah
Doctrine: Defeat and Binding of Satan
Original: κατήγορος
Category: Evil
12:10 — Satan’s characteristic activity, contrasted explicitly with Christ’s intercession (Dhexdhexaadinta).
Harvest
Approved rendering: Beero la gurtay / Canabka Cadhada
Transliteration: BEH-roh lah goor-TAY / kah-NAHB-kah kah-DHAH-dah
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked; Vindication of the Saints
Original: θερισμός
Category: Judgment
14:14-20 — dual-edged symbolic imagery of final ingathering (redeemed) and judgment (the ‘grapes of wrath’).
Song Of Moses And Of The Lamb
Approved rendering: Gabayga Muuse iyo Wanka
Transliteration: gah-BAY-gah MOO-say ee-yoh WAHN-kah
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History
Original: ᾠδὴ Μωυσέως καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου
Category: Worship
15:3 — links the Exodus deliverance with the Lamb’s final deliverance of his people, tying redemptive history into one continuous story.
Bowls Of Wrath
Approved rendering: Weelasha
Transliteration: WEH-lah-shah
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: φιάλαι
Category: Judgment
Chs. 15-16 — shallow ceremonial vessels containing God’s wrath, the final judgment sequence before Babylon’s fall.
Blaspheme
Approved rendering: Cay/Caayid
Transliteration: kai / KAH-yid
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: βλασφημέω
Category: Judgment
16:9,11,21 — the unrepentant response of the wicked to judgment; standard descriptive vocabulary.
Scarlet Beast
Approved rendering: Bahalka Casaanka ah
Transliteration: bah-HAHL-kah kah-SAHN-kah ah
Doctrine: Babylon and Worldly Power
Original: θηρίον κόκκινον
Category: Judgment
Ch. 17 — the same category of persecuting power-beast, here allied with, then turning against, the prostitute/Babylon; illustrates the instability of worldly power opposed to God.
Gods People Covenant Formula
Approved rendering: Dadkiisa
Transliteration: dahd-KEE-sah
Doctrine: Covenant Fulfillment
Original: λαός
Category: Covenant
21:3 — ‘they will be his people, and God himself will be with them’ — the OT covenant formula (Jer 31:33; Ezek 37:27) reaching final fulfillment. Cross-reference Axdiga.
Overcomers Inheritance
Approved rendering: Dhaxli doonaa
Transliteration: DHAKH-lee doh-NAH
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: κληρονομήσει
Category: Adoption
21:7 — full, non-provisional inheritance rights for the overcomer. Cross-reference Sheegasho carruurnimo so this is understood as the same full inheritance already taught in Romans.
Cowardly
Approved rendering: Fulayaasha
Transliteration: foo-lah-YAH-shah
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Original: δειλοῖς
Category: Perseverance
21:8 — the direct negative counterpart to the overcomer. Must be taught as failure of faithful witness under persecution, not a personality trait.
River Of Life
Approved rendering: Webiga Biyaha Nolosha
Transliteration: WEH-bee-gah bee-YAH-hah noh-LOH-shah
Doctrine: The New Heaven and New Earth
Original: ποταμὸς ὕδατος ζωῆς
Category: Eschatology
22:1 — the river flowing from the shared throne of God and the Lamb, completing the water-of-life motif begun at 21:6.
No More Curse
Approved rendering: Habaar mar dambe ma jiri doono
Transliteration: hah-BAHR mahr DAHM-beh mah JEE-ree DOH-noh
Doctrine: The New Heaven and New Earth
Original: κατάρα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι
Category: Eschatology
22:3 — the reversal of the Genesis 3 curse; ties the book’s ending back to Genesis’s beginning.
Amen
Approved rendering: Aamiin
Transliteration: ah-MEEN
Doctrine: Doxology and Praise
Original: ἀμήν
Category: Worship
1:6-7; 3:14; 5:14; 7:12; 19:4; 22:20-21 — a term of solemn affirmation closing doxologies; shares its root with ‘Aamin’ (faithful/trustworthy), reinforcing the ‘Faithful and True’ title cluster.
Low Risk Terms
Lukewarm
Approved rendering: Kulayl dhexdhexaad ah
Transliteration: koo-LAYL dheh-dheh-KHAHD ah
Doctrine: Perseverance and Faithful Witness under Persecution
Original: χλιαρός
Category: Perseverance
3:16 — neither hot nor cold; a figure for half-hearted, compromised faith (Laodicea).
New Song
Approved rendering: Heesta Cusub
Transliteration: HAY-stah koo-SOOB
Doctrine: Worship of the Lamb
Original: ᾠδὴ καινή
Category: Worship
5:9-10; 14:3 — a fresh song of praise for a new, unprecedented act of God, echoing kainos (‘new’).
Trumpet
Approved rendering: Buunka
Transliteration: BOON-kah
Doctrine: Sovereignty of God over History
Original: σάλπιγξ
Category: Judgment
Chs. 8-9, 11 — signals each escalating stage of judgment.
Wormwood
Approved rendering: Ceyriin (dacar)
Transliteration: say-REEN (DAH-kar)
Doctrine: Judgment of the Wicked
Original: ἄψινθος
Category: Judgment
8:11 — a bitter plant naming a judgment-star that makes waters bitter and deadly.
Hallelujah
Approved rendering: Halleeluuya
Transliteration: hah-leh-loo-YAH
Doctrine: Doxology and Praise
Original: Ἁλληλουϊά
Category: Worship
19:1,3,4,6 — a worship-cry (‘Praise the LORD’) celebrating Babylon’s fall and God’s reign; a genuine point of shared devotional vocabulary.
Referenced passages