The Angel, the Book, and the Seven Thunders (verses 1-4)

The scene here opens up with John going back, or being back, upon the earth. Although he doesn’t speak of that transition, it is apparent in what he expresses here in his vision. He “saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven,” similar, perhaps, to the mighty angel that is mentioned in chapter 5 and verse 2, who was calling out, who was uttering throughout the entire world, throughout the entire universe, seeking one who was worthy to open the seals of the scroll, which was closed [“Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’” Revelation 5:2].

This mighty angel that John sees here is distinctive in several ways, none the least of these would be his size, and we’ll mention that in just a moment. This angel is clothed in a cloud and had a rainbow over his head [“I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head…,” verse 1a]. The rainbow is suggestive of a specific connection, a direct connection, with God Himself, with the One Who sits on the throne. You recall back in chapter 4 and verse 3 the description that John gave us of the throne room of heaven. We saw there that among all of the things John saw, he saw a rainbow there over the throne [“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He Who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald,” Revelation 4:2-3]. This gives indication of where this angel has come from, the authority that he has, and so on.

The mighty angel’s face, John says, shone like the sun; his feet were like flaming pillars of fire [“…his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire,” verse 1b].

Who was this angel? Well, we don’t know. Some understand and would suggest that, perhaps, it is Christ Himself, but that would hardly be consistent with what we see in the rest of the New Testament, because Christ is nowhere in the rest of the New Testament referred to as an “angel.” Angels are created beings of a particular spiritual rank, while Christ is the Son of God; He is not a created being, and He shares the full nature of the God-Head, and He is eternal. Surely, it would be inappropriate to refer to Jesus Christ, to the Son of God, to a member of the God-Head, as “another mighty angel.”

However, I don’t think, and don’t believe, that this is Christ. It is, nonetheless, an angel—a messenger (that is what the word “messenger” means) a messenger, who is from God, thus closely associated with the presence of God and of Christ. Therefore, what he has to say and the actions that he takes are tremendously important and of great significance.

Sometimes when we read Revelation, they can just be “words on a page.” In a writing like this, in this apocalyptic language, which is maybe a little bit difficult to understand and follow, we read the words, but the meaning isn’t there for us. But always keep in mind that we are seeing through the eyes of John what he saw on that occasion. Think about that. It’s as if we were there! We have “a bird’s eye view”; we have an eye-witness account. So, what John saw, we are seeing as well.

In the hand of this angel is a little book; and this book is opened [“He had a little book open in his hand,” verse 2a]. This is in contrast to the scroll in chapter 5, which was sealed with the seven seals. No, this book is not closed; this book is open, which indicates that it will show, that it will reveal, that it will demonstrate, a part of God’s great purposes. Because it is “a little book,” the suggestion is, the indication is, perhaps, that it will not contain ALL of the divine purposes of the universe. There is more to come. This is not an all-inclusive document, and we’ll see, when we get to the end of this chapter, that, indeed, there is more to be revealed; there is more to be written; there is more to be said.

The picture, the vision, is of this angel planting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth [“And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land…,” verse 2b]. He stands astride the world. Obviously, clearly, we are looking at something that is figurative. We know that as we read through all of the things that we are encountering here; but clearly, because of this great size, this would have to be figurative. Not that an angel couldn’t be that size, but could John possibly see if it were in actuality?

The angel is standing there, one foot on the sea, one foot on the earth, and he’s standing astride the world; and his great voice utters forth like the roaring of a lion and he cries out to all the universe [“…and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars,” verse 3a]. In Joel, chapter 3 and verse 16, there is a reference there that is similar to this: “The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.” The idea of this loud, roaring voice is not something that is entirely unique. Then there is the idea that the lion’s roar is a symbol of God’s Message; that idea is portrayed in the Old Testament. Amos, chapter 3 and verse 8 is an example: “A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” Again, imagine this image, this idea, of this mighty voice coming forth like a roar, and even like the roar of a lion. Indeed, the Message that this angel has is coming down from on high, coming from the heavenly places, representing a revelation from God Himself.