A Sweet-And-Bitter Message

The second woe has been devastating. It has plagued Christendom and her leaders, "a third of the men," who are thus exposed as being spiritually dead. (Revelation 9;15) John must have wondered after that what the third woe could possibly bring. But wait! The second woe is not yet finished-not until we reach the point recorded at Revelation 11:14. Before then, John is to witness a turn of events in which he himself take an active part. it begins with an awe-inspiring sight: "And I saw another strong angel descending from heaven, arrayed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet were as fiery pillars." - Revelation 10:1.

Who is this "strong angel"? It is evidently the glorified Jesus Christ in another role. He is arrayed with a cloud of invisibility, which reminds us of John's earlier words about Jesus: "Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him." (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 17:2-5) The rainbow upon his head reminds us of John's earlier vision of Jehovah's throne, with its "rainbow like an emerald in appearance." (Revelation 4:3, Compare Ezekiel 1:28) That rainbow suggested the serenity and peace surrounding God's throne. In the same way, this rainbow on the angel's head would identify him as a special peace messenger, Jehovah's foretold "Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6, 7.

The face of the strong angel was "as the sun." Earlier, in his vision of Jesus at the divine temple, John had noted that Jesus' countenance was "as the sun when it shines in its power." (Revelation 1:16) Jesus, as "the sun of righteousness, shines forth with healing in its wings for the benefit of those who fear Jehovah's name. (Malachi 4:2) Not only the face but also the feet of this angel are glorious, "as the fiery pillars." His firm stance is that of the One to whom Jehovah has given all authority. . . in heaven and on the earth." -Matthew 28:18; Revelation 1:14, 15.

John observes further: "And he had in his hand a little scroll opened. And he set his right foot upon the sea, but his left one upon the earth." (Revelation 10:2) Another scroll? Yes, but this time it is not sealed. With John, we can expect soon to see further thrilling disclosures. First, though, we are given the setting for what is to follow.

Let us return to the description of Jesus. His fiery feet are upon the earth and the sea, over which he now exercises full authority. It is just as stated in the prophetic psalm: "You [Jehovah] also proceeded to make him [Jesus] a little less than godlike ones, and with glory and splendor you then crowned him. You make him dominate over the works of your hands, everything you have put under his feet: small and oxen, all of them, and also the beasts of the open field, the birds of the heaven and the fish of the sea, anything passing through the paths of the seas." (Psalm 8:5-8; see also Hebrews 2:5-9.) This psalm was completely fulfilled in 1914, when Jesus was installed as King of God's Kingdom and the time of the end began. Thus, what John sees here in vision applies since that year. -Psalm 110:1-6; Acts 2:34-36; Daniel 12:4.

Next time: The Seven Thunders