His attention is arrested by a new vision. The Son of man himself comes forth to close the scene, and to wind up the affairs of the world. This, too, is of the nature of an episode, and the design is the same as the previous visions -- to support the mind in the prospect of the trials that the church was to experience, by the assurance that it would be finally triumphant, and that every enemy would be destroyed.

And behold a white cloud. Bright, splendid, dazzling -- appropriate to be the seat of the Son of God. Compare See Barnes "Mt 17:5"; See Barnes "Re 1:7".

See also Mt 24:30; 26:64; Lu 20:27; Ac 1:9

1 Th 4:17; Re 10:1.

And upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man. Compare See Barnes "Re 1:13; Da 7:13".

It is probable that there is here a designed reference to the passage in Daniel (Da 7:13). The meaning is, that one appeared on the cloud in a human form, whom John at once recognised as he to whom the appellation of "the Son of man" peculiarly belonged -- the Lord Jesus. The meaning of that term had not been fixed in the time of Daniel, (Da 7:13;) subsequently it was appropriated by the Saviour, and was the favourite term by which he chose to speak of himself, Mt 8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8,32,40, et al.

Having on his head a golden crown. Appropriate to him as king. It was mainly in virtue of his kingly power and office that the work was to be done which John is now about to describe.

And in his hand a sharp sickle. The word sickle here -- drepanon -- means a crooked knife or scythe for gathering the harvest, or vintage, by cutting off the clusters of grapes. See Re 14:17. The image of a harvest is often employed in the New Testament to describe moral subjects, Mt 9:37-38; 13:30,39; Mr 4:29

Lu 10:2; Joh 4:35. Here the reference is to the consummation of all things, when the great harvest of the world will be reaped, and when all the enemies of the church will be cut off -- for that is the grand idea which is kept before the mind in this chapter. In various forms, and by various images, that idea had already been presented to the mind, but here it is introduced in a grand closing image, as if the grain of the harvest-field were gathered in -- illustrating the reception of the righteous into the kingdom -- and the fruit of the vineyard were thrown into the wine-press, representing the manner in which the wicked would be crushed, Re 14:19-20.

{a} "like unto the Son" Eze 1:26; Da 7:13