Revelation 10:1-6

(Rev 10:1 KJV)
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Now the scene shifts as John is back on the earth. He now sees another mighty angel which now comes done from heaven. This angel differs from the one in Revelation 5:2 by means of the description given here. This angel can compare to the angel of the Lord as found in many instances in the Old Testament. First, we see that this angel was clothed with a cloud. One of the Old testament allusions to this would be found in Daniel 7:13. (Dan 7:13 KJV) I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Daniel sees the Son of Man coming with clouds in one of his visions and we also see this portrayed in the new Testament. (Mat 26:64 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. When the Lord Jesus will return to Earth on the last day, he will also be clothed with clouds. (Acts 1:9 KJV) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. When the Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven, a cloud received Him up.

Then we are told that he had a rainbow upon his head. Ezekiel had seen this in his vision. (Ezek 1:26-28 KJV) And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. {27} And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. {28} As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. Ezekiel had a parallel vision since in the vision of Ezekiel 1-3, there is also mention of Ezekiel eating a book which was sweet in his mouth as John will experience that same thing in this vision. The rainbow also represents the fact that God stated to Noah that He would never again flood the earth. The rainbow represents the Noahic covenant.

Then we are told that his face was as the sun. This means that his face had a tremendous brightness. We saw this description of Christ back in Revelation 1:16: (Rev 1:16 KJV) And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Then finally we are told that his feet were as pillars of fire. In Revelation 1:5 we are told that the feet of Christ were as brass burned in a furnace. Here is a reference to the pillar of fire which led Israel in the desert for forty years. His feet as pillars of fire shows that He guides His people through the wilderness of this earth until He returns on the last day. Therefore, based upon this information given in the description, this mighty angel is the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Greek, the word “angelos” may also be translated as “messenger.” Christ is referred to as the messenger of the Covenant in Malachi 3:1. (Mal 3:1 KJV) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. This title of “mighty angel” given to Christ in Revelation 10:1 in no way gives any credence to the false belief that Christ was a created being. He is eternal God and always will be. John uses much apocalyptic language in his descriptions and they must be interpreted as such.

(Rev 10:2 KJV)
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

In his hand was a small scroll but this one seems different than the one we saw in Revelation 5 as this scroll has no seals nor is it closed. However, this little book is definitely identifiable with the book of Revelation 5. In Revelation 5, Christ had already opened that book and here John is seeing this from an earthly perspective. In Revelation 5, he saw it from the heavenly perspective. Both of the scrolls have an allusion to the scroll in Ezekiel 2. Revelation 5:2 speaks of a strong angel seeking to find someone worthy to open the book and here we have the book opened in the hands of another angel but this mighty angel is Christ Himself as divine attributes are given to make a clear distinction between the angel of Revelation 5 and the angel of the Lord in Revelation 10. Both of these scrolls have prophetic value to them. The book of Revelation 5 and the small book of Revelation 10 will allow a certain harmony of the entire prophetic picture from chapters 4-11. The judgments which were pronounced on the world in the book in Revelation 5, is probably enhanced by the book of Revelation 10 which may be an intensifying of the mysteries soon to be revealed on the earth as we will see in Revelation 10:7. Then John sees Christ as a very large angel. This angel was so big that one foot was in the sea and one on dry earth. This may also symbolize that Christ has authority over the entire earth. It also shows us that the demons which were released from the abyss would be no match for Christ who has total authority over everything in heaven and on earth and in the spiritual realm.

(Rev 10:3 KJV)
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

The angel roared with a mighty voice. If an angel can stand on the earth with one foot on land and one foot on the sea, then when he utters his voice it would be a mighty call. This roar would definitely be one which could be like a lion. When he cried (called or screamed) seven thunders uttered their voices. (Psa 29:3 KJV) The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. (Hosea 11:10 KJV) They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. Here again we are introduced to seven thunders. These seven thunders are associated with some sequence of coming judgments. Revelation 8:5; 11:19; and 16:18. The thunderings are all associated with voices. The seven thunders in Revelation 10:3 must have been some type of revealing of judgments since we see that the number seven is mentioned. The number seven is the divine number of perfection, so whatever is about to happen will be done perfectly and completely.

(Rev 10:4 KJV)
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

In the beginning of the book of Revelation, John was given the command to write the things which he shall see that shall happen hereafter. However, after these seven thunders had uttered their voices, he was about to write what he heard but he was told that he was not to write them. In other words, at this time these judgments have been sealed up until an appointed time. Daniel was also told to seal up the words which he was given until the appointed time of the end.

(Dan 12:4 KJV) But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

(Dan 12:9 KJV) And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Whatever these seven thunders were, it is significant to know that something will happen in the end times which is not being revealed to the people at present.

(Deu 29:29 KJV) The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

The Lord reserves the right to reveal to His people whatever He believes is necessary for them to know and at the right time.

(Rev 10:5 KJV)
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

John then abandons the attempt to write the contents of the seven thunders and then turns his attention back to Christ as the mighty messenger or angel. He sees Him lift His hand toward Heaven.

(Rev 10:6 KJV)
And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Now here the mighty angel makes a tremendous prophecy that time should be no longer and He swore by God the Father that this would be so. Now many believe that this angel is not speaking of Christ because the angel is taking some kind of oath. This type of action is not strange to Scripture. In Hebrews 6:13, we read in the account of Abraham that God swore to Abraham by Himself.

(Heb 6:13 KJV) For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

(Gen 22:16 KJV) And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

So it would not be out of character for the Lord Jesus Christ to do the same thing as He swears by God the Father. This should not be a stumbling block in understanding this passage because there is much in apocalyptic language and imagery that may seem convoluted to us but is proper in the ways of God. The prophecy made in this verse concerning the end of time would definitely speak to the earth. Heaven is a place of eternity and eternity would not be measured in time as we know it. This prophecy refers to a point in time on this earth when time will have reached its final end and then God is going to completely bring to an end the history of man and then beyond that will come eternity where the true believers will be in Heaven and the unbelievers in Hell. This verse shows that the Lord Jesus Christ has a sovereign control over the universe as it will be He who will end time as we know it.