Chapter Twenty-Four -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 second woe could possibly bring. But wait!  The second woe is not 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 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 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 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 his 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 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. 

Next time: Chapter Twenty-Four -A Sweet-and-Bitter Message; Conclusion

From the book of Revelation