In the Greek text verses 12-16 are one sentence (so Revised Standard Version but not New Revised Standard Version); but the break between verses is quite natural, so that the following discussion will proceed one verse at a time.

I turned to see the voice: this is what the Greek text says, but it is clear that the meaning is “to see the person” or “to see who was speaking to me” (New Jerusalem Bible). New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised, and Revised English Bible “to see whose voice it was that spoke to me” is unnecessarily wordy.

And on turning I saw: again Revised Standard Version follows literally the Greek form, which began the verse with the finite verb “I turned (to see),” followed here by the aorist participle “having turned (I saw).”

Seven golden lampstands: the lamp in these lampstands was an oil lamp, which consisted of a shallow clay bowl full of olive oil, with a wick lying in the oil; one end of the wick extended onto a lip of the bowl, where the oil in the wick burned so that its flame provided light. A translation must avoid giving the impression that electric light bulbs or wax candles were the source of light. The lampstands themselves were either made of gold or, more likely, were gold plated. Each lampstand, it is assumed, had several lamps on it. Lampstands may in certain languages be rendered as “lamp holders,” “things on which lamps are placed,” or even “poles that have lamps on top.”

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 .