Revelation 1:13 - Exposition

In the midst of the candlesticks . "For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them". Like unto the Son of man . Here and in Revelation 14:14 we have simply υἱὸς ἀνθωώπου , as also in John 5:27 and Daniel 7:13 ; not ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου , as in Acts 7:56 and everywhere else in all four Gospels. It is not certain that the absence of the articles forbids us to render the phrase, "the Son of man;" but it is safer to render, "a son of man." The glorified Messiah still wears that human form by which the beloved disciple had known him before the Ascension ( John 21:7 ). With the exception of Acts 7:56 , the full form, "the Son of man," is used only by the Christ of himself. A garment down to the feet. The word ποδηρής , sc. χιτών ( vestis talaris ) , though frequent in the LXX . ( Ezekiel 9:2 , Ezekiel 9:3 , Ezekiel 9:11 ; Zechariah 3:4 , etc.), occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The robe is an official one. The Rhemish renders it "a priestly garment down to the foote." Compare Joseph's "coat of many colours," which literally means a "coat reaching to the extremities." In Exodus 28:31 "the robe of the ephod" of the high priest is ὑποδύτης ποδήρης . The angel in Daniel 10:5 , Daniel 10:6 is described in similar language: "whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz" (comp. Isaiah 22:21 , "I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand"). "Enough is said to indicate that the Son of man claims and fulfils the office which was assigned to the children of Aaron; that he blesses the people in God's Name; that he stands as their Representative before his Father" (F.D. Maurice).