The same subject, “one like a son of man,” continues in this verse, and the simple repetition of his throughout verses 13-16 should be adequate. However, in certain languages it will be helpful to reintroduce the subject, “one who looked like a human being,” of verse 13 and say “The one who looked like a human being held….”

In his right hand he held seven stars: the regular word for “star” should be used without any attempt to designate an object in the shape of a star. As verse 20 explains, these stars represent the “angels” of the seven churches.

From his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword: where sword is not known, something like “knife,” “large knife,” “war knife,” or even “a large knife like a machete,” will be used; but a knife that has been sharpened on both sides may be a strange item to speak of, unless something like “a sharp knife that cuts on both sides” can be said. This sword represents the word, the message, of the glorified Christ (see Eph 6.17; Heb 4.12). Where Revised Standard Version has issued Good News Translation says “came out (of).” The image is that of a sword that extends from Christ’s mouth, pointing straight out. It seems that only the blade of the sword protruded from Christ’s mouth, and in languages where this information needs to be made explicit, one may say “the blade of a sharp two-edged sword (or, knife) protruded from…,” otherwise readers may get the picture that a complete sword—handle and blade—was extending out of Christ’s mouth.

His face was like the sun shining in full strength: this simile should offer no great difficulty: “shone as bright as the noonday sun.” See Translator’s New Testament “shone like the sun at mid-day”; Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “his face was shining like the noonday sun.” In certain languages one does not speak about “mid-day” or “noon,” but rather, like the Greek, refers to the “sun in full force” or “the sun at its highest point in the sky.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The one who looked like a human being held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp large knife (or, sword) that cuts on both sides protruded from his mouth. His face shone as bright as the sun when it reaches its highest point in the sky.

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 .