Revelation 1:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

John the Forerunner, according to the Law of Moses, was girded with a leather belt, because the Jews regard as sin only what is done in act.

Our Lord Jesus, who appears in the Revelation of John in the midst of the seven lampstands, was girded with a golden belt, not about the loins, but about the chest.

The Law is girded about the loins. But Christ is the Gospel, and the monastic struggle is judged not only for the lust of the body, but also for that of the mind.

It is good not even to think anything evil, for every adulterer is condemned. “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28).

He says: “Walking in the midst of the golden lampstands, like the Son of Man.” He says “like” after death had been conquered.

In heaven, when He ascended there, having united His body with the Spirit of glory which He received from the Father, He can now be called like the Son of God, and not the Son of Man.

In the garment of the high priest, that is, clothed in the long robe, it is clearly shown that this is the flesh, not destroyed by death, and possessing eternal priesthood through suffering.

The golden belt girding the chest is the kindled knowledge and pure spiritual understanding handed down to the churches.

Having turned, he says further, he saw seven golden lampstands, which below he calls churches. Among them he saw Christ, "like the Son of Man." He is also God, not a mere man.

He was clothed in a podērēs, as the Most High High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Ps 109:4).

He was girded with a golden belt, not around the thigh, as men do to restrain desires. The divine flesh has no share in them.

He was girded around the breast, near the paps. This shows that even the final measures of divine wrath are restrained by love for mankind.

It also shows that truth girds these Masterly paps of the covenant, by which the faithful are nourished.

To signify supreme excellence, purity, and undefilement, the belt is called golden.

The breasts of the Lord are the holy teaching of the Law and the Gospel.

This girding is a sign of the passions, of which He Himself says to Peter: "When you are old, another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish" (Jn 21:18).

The golden belt is His eternal power, sprinkled with the blood of the Lord's suffering.

The variegation of this belt is the diversity of virtues and the one power of many miracles.

The same can be understood otherwise: the belt is the choir of the saints, like gold tested in fire.

Or else, the golden belt around the breast is the burning mind and pure spiritual perception thus given to the churches.

John says: "girded about the breasts with a golden belt." That is, the girded one depicted Christ the Lord.

Understand the breasts as the two Testaments, which men receive from the breast of the Lord Savior. They are like an eternal spring nourishing the Christian people unto eternal life.

He calls Christ the Son of Man because He humbled Himself for our sake to the form of a servant. According to the divine psalmist, He became “the fruit of the womb” (Ps 126:3), namely, the womb of Mary, the ever-virgin who knew no marriage.

Since Mary is human and our sister, it is natural that the One brought forth by her without seed, God the Word according to the flesh, should be named Son of Man.

The Apostle speaks cautiously, saying not “the Son of Man,” but “One like the Son of Man.” He does this also because He is Emmanuel, God and Lord of all things together.

Emmanuel in Hebrew means “God with us.” It first occurs in Isa 7:14 in connection with the prophecy of the Savior’s birth from the Virgin.

This took place on the Lord’s Day, the day of rest and repose, the day of stillness and peace. The voice speaking to John was the voice of the Son of God, whose word is heard to the ends of the universe.

The seven lamps signify the seven churches. In their midst stands the majestic Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, clothed in a long robe, the garment of the Jewish high priests and kings, and girded about the chest with a golden belt.

The whiteness of His head and hair signified holy wisdom. It expressed the simplicity and purity of His thoughts and the antiquity of His years.

“I saw in the midst of the seven lampstands,” more precisely, candlestands, “One like the Son of Man.” According to the explanation given below (Rev 1:20), the seven lampstands signify the seven churches.

At that time these churches served as the place where the light of Christ’s teaching shone most brightly. The image is taken from the seven-branched lampstand of the tabernacle.

It stood before the veil, directly opposite the ark of the covenant, which served as the throne of God.

The name “Son of Man,” applied by the Jews to the Messiah, was used preeminently by Jesus Christ during His earthly life.

Here the Apostle calls Him “like the Son of Man,” thereby showing the caution with which he recognized the Son of God in the One who appeared.

The podērēs is the long garment of the Jewish high priests and kings (Ex 28:4-8). The golden belt also belonged to royal attire (Job 12:18).

These signs revealed the royal and high-priestly dignity of the Son of Man who appeared to John.

Turning toward the voice, John saw Christ standing in the midst of the seven lampstands. They served as the symbol of the whole Church, in whose midst Christ abides.

In Christ’s outward appearance the Apostle noticed a great change in comparison with Christ’s former appearance. Since through the Resurrection Christ received a glorified body, He now appears not as the Son of Man simply, but only as one like Him.

He wears the long high-priestly garment, ποδήρης; compare Ex 18:4. He also wears the golden belt of a king. It is not properly for girding oneself for work or travel, but only for adornment, since it is fastened on the chest.