Revelation 1 (WK) - Bible Truth Library

• He sees what characterized the Ancient of days. Dan. 7:9,13. In Daniel, the Son of Man is led to the Ancient of days, and receives the dominion. In Revelation 1:14, Jesus, the Son of Man, has the character of the Ancient of days. (“Notes on Revelation 1” by J.N. Darby)

• As Son of Man He executes judgment, because God will have Him honored in the very nature in which man outraged Him. (“Lectures on Revelation 1: Part 1” by W. Kelly)

• The "garment down to the foot," with which He was clothed, indicates not activity of work, but rather dignified priestly judgment. "Gold," as here in the girdle, is the symbol of divine righteousness; linen is explained to be what is saintly and displayed before men. (“Lectures on Revelation 1: Part 1” by W. Kelly)

• Garment Down to the Foot: Garb of priestly discrimination, not now in service, but judging. (“Revelation 1 Symbols” by A.H. Burton)

• Golden Girdle: Divine righteousness and faithfulness (Isa. 11:5). (“Revelation 1 Symbols” by A.H. Burton)

J. N. Darby Translation

and in the midst of the seven lamps one like thed Son of man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle:

JND Translation Notes

Or "a Son of man." See Dan. 7.13, also without the article. It is not likeness to a person John knew, but to the character known by this title in scripture. To have seen angels in heaven would have been no wonder, but to see one as "Son of man" was. This chapter corresponds to Dan. 7. only now he was seen on earth. It was the title the Lord habitually took. This made it personal; but in Daniel, though surely the same person, it was characteristic. Here, too, it is characteristic. Still the person designated is now known, and it is difficult to say "a Son of man," because of excluding this. "Son-of-man-like" is feeble, it might only mean a manner. see ch. 14.14.

W. Kelly Translation

and in the midst of the [seven] lamp-stands one like the Sona of man, clad in a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the paps with a golden girdle:

WK Translation Notes

Or, "a Son."The article is not in the Greek text to indicate the character in which Christ was seen; therefore, "a son of man" is too vague and not the sense. If the article had been inserted, it would have conveyed the idea of Him as the known person whom John loved and followed on earth, rather than the character in which he appeared now. The Greek, like the Chaldee of {vi 121935}{/vi}, has not the article as is notorious, because the aim is to describe the human character of the glorious person that was seen, rather than to point to Him as a known object. Our language fails to reflect this characterizing force of the anarthrous phrase; for if we say "the," it makes the person as such more prominent than the original warrants; if we say "a," it excludes Him who was well understood to be seen in the character of Son of man, which we can express better in the Gospel than here. The Father gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is Son of man, though He is also Son of God and as such gives life to every one that believes. Here, in John’s great prophecy, it is more difficult to set it out adequately in English, and one can hardly avoid saying "the" Son of man, though in italics or brackets or some such expedient, to show that it is not in Greek but due to the exigencies of our tongue.

WK Verse Note

(Note: Words in italics have been inserted from the J. N. Darby translation where the W. Kelly translation doesn’t exist.)