Revelation 10:1 - The Mighty Angel

“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.” Yesterday in our Pastor’s Chat we did a brief review of the first three and a half years of the Tribulation in preparation for studying this chapter. If you missed it, please go back and listen to it, or read the blog that goes with it. Revelation 10-14 describes the events that will occur at the middle of the seven-year Tribulation. This explains John's repeated mention of the three-and-a-half-year time segment in one form or another (Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6, 14; 13:5). At the beginning of this period, the Antichrist began to make his conquest by promising to protect the Jews and assist in their rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. But after three-and-a-half-years, according to Dan. 9:27, he will break his agreement, invade the temple, and begin to persecute the Jewish people, and reveals himself in his satanic fury. Note also that the two witnesses minister during the first three and one-half years (11:3); the Jewish remnant is protected by God during the last three and one-half years (12:6, 14); the Beast has worldwide authority the last three and one-half years (13:5); Satan is cast to earth for three and one-half years of awful persecution against believers (12:12); and Jerusalem is trodden down by the Gentiles for three and one-half years (11:2). We note a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh trumpets (10:1-11:14). The seventh trumpet will introduce the seven vials of the wrath of God, and the last three and one-half years of tribulation ("the wrath of God") will get underway. However depressing the events of this middle segment of the Tribulation may be, God is not without His witness to the world. In Revelation 10-11 are three important testimonies: from a mighty angel (Rev. 10:1-11), from the two special witnesses (Rev. 11:1-14), and from the elders in heaven (Rev. 11:15-19). The first witness we meet in Rev. 10:1-11 is a “mighty angel from heaven”. In the first verses of this chapter, we are given a vivid description of him that seems to compare closely with the same description given of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 1. In studying several commentaries in preparation for talking about this chapter, I found it interesting that some very good and reliable authors, very strongly believe that this “mighty angel” is none other than an appearance of the Lord Jesus. But other, very good and just as reliable commentators, believe strongly that this is an angel of high ranking authority in heaven who brings this message to John. Honestly, after reading several of these commentaries and thinking about it, I probably lean to think that this angel is not the Lord Jesus. Though all angels are the servants of Christ, in this final book of the Bible, this is evidently the special envoy of Christ, bearing all the credentials of His exalted position. He comes down out of heaven from the presence of Christ, the One who is in the midst of the throne. He is "clothed with a cloud." This is his uniform as a special envoy from Christ. The clouds of glory are associated with the second coming of Christ, but the angel described here is not coming in clouds of glory, but he is clothed with a cloud. Furthermore, this is not the second coming of Christ to the earth to establish His Kingdom; rather, this angel makes the announcement that He is coming soon. Angels, you recall, announced His first coming, and they will announce His second coming to the earth, as we will see later in this chapter. The rainbow with which the angel is crowned will reassure God's people of His mercy in the midst of coming judgments. Today, would be a good time to rejoice in the mercy of the Lord and be prepared to meet the Lord when He comes for His church at the rapture! God bless!