Another angel: this one is in addition to the three angels of verses 6, 8, 9. It should be quite clear in translation that the phrase another angel does not imply that “the one like a son of man” is also an angel.

The temple: this is the temple in heaven, as in verse 17, below. It will be helpful in many languages to make this information explicit and say “the temple in heaven,” as this is the first mention of this temple since 11.19.

Calling with a loud voice: this angel is announcing God’s command to the Messiah. As the New Testament makes clear, only God knows the time of the final Judgment (see Mark 13.32). In certain languages translators will prefer to say “and shouted” or similar language.

Put in your sickle, and reap: the most natural way of saying this may be “Start working with your sickle and reap,” “Start reaping with your sickle,” or “Take your sickle and begin to cut.”

The harvest of the earth is fully ripe: there may be some trouble in making the meaning of this clear. Here the earth stands for humanity, so that “the earth” itself is the harvest. The translation should try to keep the figure of reaping the harvest with a sickle. However, if the word for reap in a language means literally to “cut and collect” or “gather” crops, alternative ways of translating the command would be “Get to work with your sickle! The harvest on earth is now completely ripe, and the time has come to reap the harvest” or “Start cutting with your sickle (or, knife, or machete for reaping). What is to be gathered on the earth is now ripe (or, ready), and it is now the time to gather them.”

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 .