Chapter 10 is the final prophecy of Revelation, the prophecy that ends with the blessed hope of all mankind, all angels, and every created being, the new heavens and the new earth.
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. 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,
Here is a mighty angel with the open scroll in his hand. In chapter 4 we know the only one who is worthy to open the scroll is Jesus, so here is another depiction of him. He comes, not as a lamb, but as a mighty messenger angel. In chapter 1 part of the description of Jesus was that of a messenger angel. Jesus has a final work to do as written in Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. The kingdom of God is at hand, and when this prophecy is complete, there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and the kingdom will come in the fullness of it's power.
Arrayed, or wrapped, is the same word for clothed. Here the angel is clothed with a cloud, in 11:3 the two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, and in 12:1 the woman is clothed with the sun. Also in 17:4 the Woman on the beast is clothed in purple, in 18:16, the great city was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls. In 19:8 the Bride was clothed in fine linen and finally, in 19:13 the one on the white horse was clothed in a robe dipped in blood. These examples show how clothing identifies the status and purpose of the wearer.
The reference to his face like a sun is also referenced in chapter 1. His legs, rather his feet, are pillars of fire. The final stages of this prophecy involve the return of the Jews back to the promised land. Feet represent the good news of a messenger, and the pillar represents the strong foundational support of the church as in 1 Timothy 3:15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. We also see a pillar of fire in Exodus, the presence of God leading his people to the promised land, and this definition fits well with the description of feet. Be comforted in the thought that the exodus back to the land of promise is just a short time away!
The rainbow was a sign of the covenant as seen in Genesis 9:12-17 and again in Isaiah 54:9-10. Here the covenant covers the head of the prophetic, mighty angel, in the place where a crown would sit. We know that God will not judge the land with water, and the rainbow is that promise. Rather, our judgement will come in fire. The fire will burn the wicked like chaff in Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” But this is not the way of the righteous. They are like gold, who are not consumed, instead they are refined in fire. See the Laodicean church for the supporting verses.
The little scroll is a different word than the one used for scroll in chapter 4, see Strong's biblaridion: Little book, small scroll. In chapter 12 we will see how the printing press changed Christianity. This angel puts his feet - his message - on the land and sea - In Revelation 17:15, the sea is a multitude of people, nations, languages. The word land in Revelation means many things, but if we see this as the counter to the sea, then it describes all others that are not in the sea. If we jump ahead to the description in 17:5 where the sea refers to the Holy Roman Empire, this angel's right foot is in eastern Europe. The left foot would then be on the land, in the western half of Europe. This interpretation proves itself out later on in chapter 12.
3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to put it in writing. 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 voice of the angel is the roar of the lion, and in Revelation 5:5 the lion of Judah opened the scroll. In that chapter we covered how the lion devoured it's prey as Assyria and Babylon devoured Israel before the captivity.
The seven thunders are a bit mysterious. Thunders are the rumblings that preceed a strong storm as covered in chapter 8. These thunders carry the prophecies of the Old Testament. We know that God will bring back his tribes to the land, and the imagery of the angel and the sound of the roar of the lion prompts the thunders to speak their prophecy. The voice of God called out and ordered this to be sealed until the time of the 7th trumpet which are the plague judgements, and also their words were not written down so we will have to look these prophecies up ourselves. There are dozens of prophecies in the Old Testament and spoken by Jesus that shows how God will bring his mystery to pass.
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
Ezekiel 3:1-11 has the same words as above. It would be easy for him to prophecy to his own people, but their hard forehead and stubborn heart makes the word bitter. Ezekiel 3:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.” 12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!” 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.
We must not get discouraged as we try to present this prophecy to others. Those that already ignore the Most High, as well as the words of Jesus, will also ignore your plea to repent.
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