The Mighty Angel
As there was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, so there is also an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets. All creation is holding its breath in anticipation of what is about to come.
The purpose of this interlude is fourfold:
1. To emphasize the certain nearness of the end and the completing of God’s plan for mankind. Chapter ten, verses one through eight
2. To validate prophecies throughout history. Chapter ten, verses eight through eleven
3. To demonstrate again the security of the church.
Revelation chapter eleven, verses one and two
4. To demonstrate the power of the church’s witness during the reign of Antichrist.
Revelation chapter eleven, verses three through thirteen
Revelation 10
1 “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.”
According to Daniel 12:1-10, this angel is Michael, the Archangel. Michael is the one responsible for watching over God’s people and making sure His plans for mankind are carried out. Notice the parallel between Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 10:5-6.
The kingdom of God has a very pronounced corporate structure. God Himself ( ̀Ělôhîym, the Godhead) is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer). Jesus the Son as part of the Godhead will take over control of the corporation upon His return to earth to rule and reign.
The managerial staff is made up of a number of archangels. The word archangel is from the Greek archaggelos, which means “chief angel.” According to Jewish teaching, there are seven archangels. In our cannon of scripture, Michael and Gabriel are the only two mentioned by name. The Apocrypha adds two: Raphael (Tobit 9:1), Uriel (Esdras 4:36). Rabbinical writings and Christian Orthodox tradition add three more: Camuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel. Lucifer was also an archangel before his fall.
Michael was the archangel who led the heavenly armies against Satan and his armies in Daniel 10:13. Said to have fought Satan for Moses’ body, Michael was the chariot driver who picked up Elijah, and will be the one in charge of the church’s catching away. 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Scripture is unclear as to Gabriel’s job description. But we know he plays a mean trumpet. Gabriel seems to be the “court herald” who announces glad tidings as God’s heavenly messenger. He announced the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:19), Mary’s virgin conception (Luke 1:26-28), and the annunciation to the shepherds. Gabriel was also the angel who interpreted Daniel’s vision of the future. Daniel 8:15-27
Satan was an archangel before his envy, jealousy, and arrogance caused his downfall. He was “the anointed cherub that covereth.” (Ezekiel 28:14-19 KJV) His job was to be in charge of all heavenly worship and praise. That job is passed down to us, the saints of God, the church.
The angel was “clothed in a cloud.” The cloud is God’s Shekinah glory. “Shekinah” is Hebrew. The word is not mentioned directly in our bible translations, but is alluded to in several places. (Isaiah 60:2, Matthew 17:5, Luke 2:9, Romans 9:4, and the Talmud) It means that which dwells, to dwell alongside, with. The word most often translated as God’s “Glory” in the Old Testament is the Hebrew kâbôd kâbôd: glory, honor, splendor.
Michael stands in the presence of God and His glory. When Moses came down from the mountain and in the presence of God, “Aaron and all the children of God saw Moses, (and) behold, the skin on his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.” (Exodus 34:30) Also in Exodus, when the tabernacle was completed the Glory of God filled the tent to the extent Moses could not enter to talk to God. This is the glory cloud that surrounds Michael the archangel. The cloud is also symbolic of multitudes of glorified saints and witnesses. Hebrews 12:1
The angel wore a rainbow on his head. A rainbow is symbolic for God’s covenant with the earth. (Genesis 9:13) “His face was like the sun.” Again, from being in God’s presence. Exodus 34:30
The angel had “feet like pillars of fire.”
Feet are symbolic of our walk and conduct, also of formal possession.
Pillars represent strength and firmness.
Fire is symbolic of judgement and purification.
Angels are God’s work force. This angel, in power and strength, is about to carry out the cleansing and purification of the earth. The decision is firm and settled; he will not be deterred. Unlike man, once angels are given a command, they carry it out. Nothing can stop them; only slow them down, as in Daniel 10:13. There, it took Michael, the most powerful angel in creation, twenty-one days to overcome the prince of Persia. We, too, have angels sent to us to serve us. They stand, waiting for our command, spoken in faith. It may take a while, but they will perform what is required as long as we keep up our faith and continue to fight.
2 “He (the angel) had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars. And when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.”
The angel had one foot on the land, and one on the sea. This is symbolic for possession of the whole earth, and strengthens the picture of power in firm control of the judgement about to strike the earth and all people. Born again believers, those who come to Christ after the rapture and still on the earth, will be here for the judgement. However, they have already been judged and acquitted of any guilt by the blood of Jesus, found righteous and “sealed.” They will not be judged with the rest of the world.
This does not mean that the redeemed remaining on earth will not see loss or death of the body. But death has no power over the redeemed. “O death, where is thy sting?” And loss is irrelevant since “God shall supply all our needs.”
The angel’s voice was like the roar of a lion. In Africa, a lion’s roar can be heard for five miles. It is the male lion that roars. The females, the ones who hunt, are silent. A lion roars, and all the prey animals run away from him in fear, right into the claws of the waiting lionesses.
Our Creator set this in motion as a type of the church. When the angel roars, the ungodly will flee in terror. We, the church must be ready to take them into captivity for Christ.
Seven thunders uttered their voices. The number seven is symbolic of completion and perfection. Thunders represent the voice of God, or the secret sayings of God. The angel speaks God’s commands with the power and authority of God. It is the power of the words that thunder. God’s words will accomplish that for which they were sent. Isaiah 55:11, Revelation 19:13
4 “Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.””
Some secrets God whispers to us are too wonderful and powerful to be shared. One reason John may have been stopped from writing the words, is this: Thunders represent the secret mysteries of God. It is not yet time for us to know the answers to all of God’s mysteries. “For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) The just shall live by faith. God does not want us to have a road map of the end times. We are to pray daily and receive new inspiration and direction. (John 8:12, 2 Corinthians 5:7) Through prayer, those who are born again and filled with the spirit may know the secrets of God. This information is not for the ungodly. Daniel 12:10
Many have made a living dissecting Biblical prophecies, saying they can pinpoint exactly when events of the end times will take place. So far, they have all been wrong.
I was having coffee recently with a professor at a large local theological University. He told me, of all the students on the pastoral training track, sixty percent were unsaved.
God wants us to have enough information to know the times and seasons. The rest we must get by daily walking close to Him.
5 “The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, Who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.”
The angel lifted up his hand and swore an oath before God. We are not to swear an oath by God, or anything else for that matter, because we have no power in ourselves to do anything. (James 5:1, Matthew 5:33-37) This angel swears by God because he has authority to do so, and the power to bring it to pass. Hebrews 6:13
Remember. This is Michael whose assignment is to oversee the events of the end times. Michael’s message is, “delay no longer.” The time is up. No more delay. The end is here.
Verse seven refers to God’s servants, the prophets. Here is confirmation of the prophetic ministry throughout the ages. The second coming of Christ has been prophesied all through the bible from Genesis to Revelation, as was His first coming. Mankind ignored the prophets and didn’t accept the Messiah the first time. This time there will be no choice.
8 “Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” 9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.”
The little book is symbolic of the Word of God. Eating the book represents taking the Word of God into our heart and spirit. Jesus is the Word of God, Manna from heaven, and the Bread of Life. We eat of His spiritual body each time we take communion. Matthew 26:26, John 6:48-58
The book was sweet tasting, but bitter to the stomach. The Word of God is sweet to the mouth, sweet to take in, sweet to speak, but contains bitterness of judgement and punishment.
Many people pick and choose from the Word of God like children picking at their food. They say God is love, sweetness, and light. This is true. Through the covenant we have with God through Abraham, many blessings are ours.
If we are obedient to His Word, these blessings are ours: supplying our needs, preserving our health, protection from attacks of the enemy, and peace.
But if we are disobedient or reject His Word, He lifts his hand of protection from us, and we open ourselves up to all the curses that result: poverty, sickness, harassment from the enemy, and want in every area of our lives. Deuteronomy 28
God is also the bitterness of justice, judgement, and punishment. “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens . . .” (Hebrews 12:6) Anyone who takes the Word of God down into their hearts and not just into their heads will recognize the fact that the Lord is both love, and justice. You can’t have one without the other.
11 “And he (the angel) said to me, “You must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.””
Here, John’s commission is confirmed. Notice that before he can prophecy the Word, he must first take it in. We cannot hope to be used of God in the last days if we have not taken in as much of the Word as we can hold. And we must take in the bitter with the sweet. No picking and choosing.