Revelation 10:1-7 Series

Revelation 10

The Angel and the Little Scroll

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

The description ~ 1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.

John now sees an angel coming down from heaven, but it doesn't appear to be just an ordinary angel. This angel is different enough that there is a description about him. This angel was wrapped in a cloud. Some think this cloud could have been something divine, possible the presence of God himself or the Holy Spirit manifested as this cloud. It is an interesting thought but we are not told it is God so all we know is it is a cloud.

The next thing John mentions is that there appears to be a rainbow over this angels head. Now the first thing I thought of was God's covenant with Noah. Does this rainbow have something to do with the covenant? Possibly that the covenant has come to an end? We again are not told.

The angels face was like the sun, in other words it was bright. Was it hot as well? Possibly.

In Revelation 1:16 we had read ~ In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. This is Jesus here and there is good thought that this may be again Jesus with the presence of God or the Spirit surrounding Him.

It also says that the angel's legs were like pillars of fire. Pillars are a symbol of strength, great strength. As to the fire, Exodus 13:21 ~ And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they.

There is good reason to conclude that this angel may be God and Jesus coming to earth for some reason. Was it just to hand John over this little scroll? If it was God and Jesus, John it seems didn't understand that it was.

Some think the description better suits the angel Gabriel.

2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”

This angel came with enormous size to be able to have one foot on the sea and one foot on land. Notice though it does say one foot on the sea and not in the sea. Again another reference to Jesus possibly as Jesus walked on water? It says the scroll was little, to something of this size it would need to be little because as we read it was given to John and he needed to be able to handle it.

It then says that the angel called out with a loud voice like a lion roaring and then the seven thunders sounded.

We are not told anything about these seven thunders but it says - then a voice from heaven says to “seal up what the seven thunders said” so it must have been some form of language spoken by the seven thunders.