I looked, and lo: see 4.1.

One like a son of man: see 1.13. This is the language of Dan 7.13 and is a way of referring to the Messiah.

A golden crown on his head: see 4.10. This shows he is a king.

A sharp sickle: a sickle is a blade, usually curved, that has a handle and is used to cut grain plants or grass. In some cultures the appropriate term is “a reaping knife” or “a reaping hook,” or “machete for reaping.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Then I looked, and saw a white cloud. Someone who looked like a human being was sitting on the cloud. He had a gold crown (or, king’s hat) on his head and held a sharp sickle (or, reaping knife, machete) in his hand.

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 .