Revelation 10:1; Angel or Christ?

Revelation 10:1 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: 

This angel is described as “another” angel. The word “another” or “allos” in Greek means “another of the same kind”. Another mighty angel translated “strong” is described in Revelation 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 

A number of favourable elements support saying this angel is Christ, yet, unless, this is an exception, Christ is never called an angel in Revelation, particularly “another of the same kind” and not unique. [Henry Barclay Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John (London: Macmillan, 1906), p. 123; Charles, Revelation, 1:259; Bullinger, Apocalypse, p136]

The description here is similar to that of Christ in Revelation 1:12-16 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 

However, the rainbow is that which encircles the throne in heaven given in Revelation 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 

It brings its association with divine majesty there into this context to add to the impressive stature of this angel. In Revelation 4:3, the rainbow, likened to an emerald, was a number of shades of green, but here a rainbow with its variegated colours and glories, caused by the sun shine of the angel’s face, was a kind of headdress [Swete, Scott, Ladd]. But the rainbow denotes more than just heavenly glory. It betokens mercy in the midst of judgment as it did in Noah’s day, the same significance as it had in the initial vision of the throne room [Alford].

Comparing the angel’s face recalls the depiction of Christ in heaven as given in Revelation 1:16 and invests the angel with glory and grant majesty. [Alford, Swete, Scott]. Being clothed in a cloud enhanced the glory of the angel’s appearance. The cloud does more than reinforce the angel’s dignity. It shows his mission to be related to judgment. This context falls into that category because of the angel’s function in relation to the trumpet judgments past and future [Walvoord].

This angel, however, was pictured dramatically as robed in a cloud, having a rainbow above his head, his face brilliant with glory like the sun, and with his legs … like fiery pillars. John added that the angel held a little scroll and stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. At the same time he shouted like the roar of a lion. The scene is certainly one to inspire awe, and when this angel shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. John was forbidden to record what the seven thunders said. While Revelation is primarily designed to reveal and not to conceal God’s purpose and future events, some revelation was kept hidden as illustrated by God’s prohibiting John to write what “the voices” of the seven thunders said.

In contrast with the seven-sealed scroll (biblion) held by the Lamb (5:1), this angel held a small scroll (biblaridion, also used in 10:9–10). This scroll apparently contained the angel’s written order for the mission he was about to fulfill.

 Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 954). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.