I saw: this is a new vision. One may also say “I dreamed again and saw.”

Another mighty angel coming down from heaven: perhaps this is the angel of 5.2, who is also described as “a strong angel.” Heaven, or God’s dwelling place, is in focus here, not the sky.

Wrapped in a cloud: the verb “to wrap around” is used in the sense of “to clothe” (see 3.5, 18; 4.4; 7.9, 13), and this is how it should be translated here (as Translator’s New Testament, An American Translation, and Phillips do). The cloud was the garment, or robe, the angel was wearing. So in some languages this may be rendered as “the angel wore a cloud like clothes,” “the angel’s clothes were a cloud,” “the angel had a cloud around him as if he were wearing clothes,” or “the angel was clothed with a cloud.”

A rainbow over his head: for rainbow see 4.3. It is not certain what the Greek preposition (literally “on”) is meant to portray here, whether the rainbow forms a complete circle “around” the angel’s head, like a halo (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant), or is a semicircle “over” his head (Revised Standard Version). Some translations have simply “on” or “upon.”

His face was like the sun: his face shone like the sun (see 1.16).

His legs like pillars of fire: the Greek word translated legs ordinarily means “feet”; but the comparison “like columns of fire” makes it obvious that the writer is describing the angel’s legs. The word “pillars” appears in 3.12.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• I dreamed again and saw a mighty angel coming down out of heaven. He had a cloud around him like clothes, and a rainbow was around (or, encircling) his head; his face shone like the sun, and his legs looked like columns (or, pillars) of fire.

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 .