<p>10:1 <i>And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, his face was as the sun and his feet as pillars of fire- </i>It is quite possible that the Angel of Rev. 10:1 who descends from Heaven in a cloud with a face like the sun, holding the books of judgement is referring to Christ's second coming in person. He is called &quot;The messenger (Heb. 'malak', the Angel) of the covenant&quot; (Mal. 3:1). It could be argued that this chapter is a continuation of the sixth trumpet- Alf Norris makes a reasonable case for this.</p><p>The same words &quot;mighty Angel&quot; are used in 5:2, where &quot;a strong Angel&quot; (AV) offers the book, and Jesus the Lamb opens it. Now John, representative of the latter day believers, is asked to follow the role of the Lord Jesus and take the book. The connection with chapter 5 is intentional- hence we read of &quot;<i>another</i> mighty Angel&quot;. Perhaps this is the same &quot;mighty Angel&quot; who judges Babylon (18:21 s.w.), crying &quot;mightily&quot; (18:2 s.w.); that Angel also &quot;comes down&quot; from Heaven in judgment (18:1 s.w. 10:1 &quot;come down from Heaven&quot;). </p><p>The Angel arrayed with a cloud represents the Lord Jesus, who comes with clouds (1:7; Lk. 21:27; 1 Thess. 4:17), sitting upon a cloud (14:14). An Angel coming down clothed with a cloud is very much alluding to what happened after Israel left Egypt; although Moses alone saw this. John, despised and imprisoned on Patmos, is therefore being encouraged that he is in no less an awesome position than was Moses- who was seen in Judaism as the epitome of human spirituality, and whose experience on Sinai was&nbsp;presented as the highest a man has ever gone to God. The idea is that now the tribulation of Israel is completed, and instead of the coming down of the Angel clothed with cloud on Sinai, there will be the literal return of Christ to earth.</p><p>The rainbow about His head is another connection with the opening vision of a rainbow around the throne of the Lord Jesus (4:3). Cloud, rainbow and sun are all part of the same process which results in rainbows becoming visible. From the point of observation, the rain has ceased but the cloud suggests there is still water around. We can maybe infer that this is a picture of some judgments the rain having ended, but others still ongoing. And this is in chronological terms about where we are up to in the book- the remaining judgments described in the book are upon the beast systems, judging them as they had previously judged Israel / God&rsquo;s people. </p><p>His face as the sun is the very description of Jesus in 1:16. And &quot;feet as pillars of fire&quot; is just like the Lord Jesus in 1:17; 2:18. After all the allusions to Joel in Revelation 9, it's not surprising that this too alludes to Joel, this time to Joel 2:30- pillars of fire, smoke and blood are to be seen in the land in the last days. The context there would require that this is judgment coming upon the land. And yet this image of judgment is presented along with that of the rainbow, the cessation of judgment- in the kaleidoscope of images which forms the apocalyptic genre. That kaleidoscope of images means we should not be unduly concerned about whether the Angel here is an Angel or the Lord Jesus personally.</p><p>Harry Whittaker makes a good case for this Angel being that of Daniel 10. And yet, as he also points out, the connections with the Lord Jesus personally are undeniable:</p><div align=center><table border=0 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=0>    <tbody>        <tr>            <td width=603 valign=top>            <p>The detailed parallel between Revelation 10, 11   and Daniel 10, 12 set out below requires that John understood the being he   saw to be the angel who revealed so much to Daniel.</p>            </td>        </tr>    </tbody></table><table border=0 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=0>    <tbody>        <tr>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <div align=center><i>Revelation</i></div            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <div align=center><i>Daniel</i></div>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:1</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>A mighty angel.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>10:5, 12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>A man clothed in linen.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:2</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Right foot on the sea, left foot on the land.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Standing on the waters of the river.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:1</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Face like the sun.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>10:6</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Face like lightning.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:1</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Feet as pillars of fire.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>10:6</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Feet like polished brass.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:2</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Open book in his hand.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>10:21</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;I will shew thee that which is noted in the   Scripture of truth (the heavenly prototype).&rdquo;</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:3</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Voice as a lion.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>10:6</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Voice like a multitude.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:5</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Lifts right hand to heaven. (The left hand holds   the book.)</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Lifts both hands to heaven.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:6</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Swears by Him that liveth for ever.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Swears by Him that liveth for ever.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>10:7</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Mystery of God to be finished as declared to the   prophet.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;All these things shall be finished.&rdquo;</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>11:2</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Temple court &ldquo;cast out,&rdquo; given to Gentiles.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:11</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Daily sacrifice taken away, abomination set up.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>11:2</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>Holy city trodden under foot.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Power of the holy people scattered.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>11:2</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>42 months.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:7</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Time, times and an half.</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=38 valign=top>            <p>11:18</p>            </td>            <td width=248 valign=top>            <p>The time of the dead that they should be judged.</p>            </td>            <td width=37 valign=top>            <p>12:2</p>            </td>            <td width=319 valign=top>            <p>Many that sleep awake, to everlasting life or to   contempt.</p>            </td>        </tr>    </tbody></table></div><p>And yet the similarities between this Angel and the Lord Jesus cannot be denied:</p><div align=center><table border=0 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=0>    <tbody>        <tr>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <div align=center><i>The Angel of Revelation 10</i></div>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <div align=center><i>Christ</i></div>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=27 valign=top>            <p>(a)</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>Clothed with a cloud.</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;A cloud received him out of their sight ...   shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven&rdquo; (Acts   1:10,11). &ldquo;Behold he cometh with clouds&rdquo; (Revelation 1:7 and 14:14).</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=27 valign=top>            <p>(b)</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>His face as the sun</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;His countenance was as the sun shineth in his   strength&rdquo; (1:16).</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=27 valign=top>            <p>(c)</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>His feet as pillars of fire (contrast the   kingdoms of men - feet of iron and clay).</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned   in a furnace&rdquo; (1:15)</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=27 valign=top>            <p>(d)</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;Cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth.&rdquo;</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to   open the seals&rdquo; (5:5).</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=27 valign=top>            <p>(e)</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;A rainbow was upon his head.&rdquo;</p>            </td>            <td width=282 valign=top>            <p>&ldquo;There was a rainbow round about the throne (4:3)   ... a Lamb in the midst of the throne&rdquo; (5:6)</p>            </td>        </tr>    </tbody></table></div>