---
title: Revelation 1:13
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/revelation-1-13/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/revelation-1-13.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Revelation 1:13
testament: NT
section: Prophecy
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Revelation 1:13

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "and in the midst of the lampstands someone like a son of man, clothed in a garment that reached down to the feet and wearing a golden sash around his chest."

## JW Usage

Identified as the glorified Jesus in heaven, which Christians agree with. The Watchtower reads the vision as depicting Christ in his exalted spirit form — impressive, but a creature raised to high office. The verbal links back to Daniel 7 are read as establishing him as the son of man of that prophecy, understood as Jehovah's appointed king.

## Protestant Usage

Read the next verse with this one, because that is where the argument is. John sees "someone like a son of man" — Daniel's phrase, lifted intact — and then describes his head and hair as white like wool, white as snow. Turn back to Daniel 7:9. That is the description of the Ancient of Days: clothing white like snow, hair like clean wool. In Daniel these are two distinct figures, and the son of man approaches the Ancient of Days. John takes the appearance of the second and gives it to the first. This is not a coincidence of imagery. John quotes Daniel 7:13 six verses earlier at Revelation 1:7 and applies it to Jesus. He knows exactly which chapter he is working in. Having established that the son of man is Jesus, he then paints Jesus in the Ancient of Days' colours. Ask a Witness to read Daniel 7:9 and Revelation 1:13-14 side by side and simply describe what they see. The observation makes itself. Compare Daniel 7:9, Revelation 1:11, Daniel 7:27.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [The Son of Man on the Clouds — A Divine Prerogative](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/daniel7-son-of-man-deity.md) — Daniel 7:13-14 [Deity of Christ]
- ["Nor the Son" — and "You Are Aware of All Things"](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/jesus-knowledge-mark-13-32.md) — Mark 13:32 / Revelation 1:1 / Revelation 14:14-16 — what the Son didn't know, and what he did [Deity of Christ]