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Hi, James —
This isn't my expertise area, but I would say the
golden girdle suggests the priestly attire of our
Heavenly High Priest, Jesus.
I found this piece on the Catholic Answers website
that may help clarify things. It's by Scott Hahn.
In the article, Scott says that the golden girdle
is what the high priest wore in the Jerusalem Temple.
For what it's worth, I scanned this from the Revelation 1:12-13 section of my 1954
Catholic Commentary on Holy Scriptures:
Revelation 1:12-13 says:
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking
to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lamp stands, 13 and in the midst of the lamp stands one like
a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with
a golden girdle round his breast;
Revelation 1:12-13
My Commentary on these verses in Revelation says:
He turns to look at the Voice. The
Vision, the Hearing, are expressed in terms recalling
Daniel (Esp. Chapter 7) and later apocalyptic writings
e.g. Enoch 46:14ff, where the Seer beholds:
One
who had his head of days (i.e. was aged; i.e. here
[it means], eternal) and his head was like wool.
With him was one whose face was like a man. This
is the Son of Man who reveals all the treasures
of that which is hidden because the Lord has chosen
him and he will arouse the Kings and the Mighty
from their couches and the strong from their thrones.
Before the sun and the constellations were created
. . . his Name was named before the Lord of Spirits (48:3 ff.)
John uses Old Testament symbols
proper to God alone, transferring them to Christ, pre-existing and everlasting. The Figure is definitely
human (Daniel 7:17; and our Lord's use of the expression Son
of Man): in long priestly robe (Exodus 25:4;
cf. Zechariah 3:4) and royal golden girdle (Daniel
10:5): for the flaming eyes his piercing gaze,
reading the heart's secrets, cf. of an angel (Daniel
10:6, 14) |
Hope this helps,
Mike
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