Flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake: see 4.5; 8.5; 11.19. This great earthquake is described as the most destructive of all earthquakes in history. In certain languages this will be expressed as “and the earth shook frighteningly (or, in a frightening way).”

Since men were on the earth: this can be said, more naturally, “ever since the creation of humankind,” “ever since the human race has existed,” or “ever since humans have existed in the world.”

An alternative translation model for the final sentence of this verse is:

• Since humans have lived in the world, the earth has never shaken in such a destructive way.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .