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 would 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 blessed himself takes 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  in 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; compare 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 angels' head would identify him as a special peace messenger, Jehovah's  foretold "Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6, 7.

Next time: Conclusion of A Sweet-and-Bitter Message

From the Book of Revelation