TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ 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:
KJV (with Strong's)
And G2532 I saw G1492 another G243 mighty G2478 angel G32 come down G2597 from G1537 heaven G3772, clothed G4016 with a cloud G3507: and G2532 a rainbow G2463 was upon G1909 his G846 head G2776, and G2532 his G846 face G4383 was as it were G5613 the sun G2246, and G2532 his G846 feet G4228 as G5613 pillars G4769 of fire G4442:
Complete Jewish Bible
Next I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was dressed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, his legs like columns of fire;
Berean Standard Bible
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.
American Standard Version
And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire;
World English Bible Messianic
I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And I sawe another mightie Angel come downe from heauen, clothed with a cloude, and the raine bowe vpon his head, and his face was as the sunne, and his feete as pillars of fire.
Young's Literal Translation
And I saw another strong messenger coming down out of the heaven, arrayed with a cloud, and a rainbow upon the head, and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire,
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Commentary on Revelation 10 verses 1–7
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:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Here we have an account of another vision the apostle was favoured with, between the sounding of the sixth trumpet and that of the seventh. And we observe,
I. The person who was principally concerned in communicating this discovery to John - an angel from heaven, another mighty angel, who is so set forth as would induce one to think it could be no other than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 1. He was clothed with a cloud: he veils his glory, which is too great for mortality to behold; and he throws a veil upon his dispensations. Clouds and darkness are round about him. 2. A rainbow was upon his head; he is always mindful of his covenant, and, when his conduct is most mysterious, yet it is perfectly just and faithful. 3. His face was as the sun, all bright, and full of lustre and majesty, Rev 1:16. 4. His feet were as pillars of fire; all his ways, both of grace and providence, are pure and steady.
II. His station and posture: He set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth, to show the absolute power and dominion he had over the world. And he held in his hand a little book opened, probably the same that was before sealed, but was now opened, and gradually fulfilled by him.
III. His awful voice: He cried aloud, as when a lion roareth (Rev 10:3), and his awful voice was echoed by seven thunders, seven solemn and terrible ways of discovering the mind of God.
IV. The prohibition given to the apostle, that he should not publish, but conceal what he had learned from the seven thunders, Rev 10:4. The apostle was for preserving and publishing every thing he saw and heard in these visions, but the time had not yet come.
V. The solemn oath taken by this mighty angel. 1. The manner of his swearing: He lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever, by himself, as God often has done, or by God as God, to whom he, as Lord, Redeemer, and ruler of the world, now appeals. 2. The matter of the oath: that there shall be time no longer; either, (1.) That there shall be now no longer delay in fulfilling the predictions of this book than till the last angel should sound; then every thing should be put into speedy execution: the mystery of God shall be finished, Rev 10:7. Or, (2.) That when this mystery of God is finished time itself shall be no more, as being the measure of things that are in a mutable changing state; but all things shall be at length for ever fixed, and so time itself swallowed up in eternity.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
De Corona
The angel also, as he goes forth on a white horse, conquering and to conquer, receives a crown of victory; and another is adorned with an encircling rainbow (as it were in its fair colours)-a celestial meadow.
Victorinus of PettauAD 304
Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
"I saw another mighty angel coming 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: and he had in his hand an open book: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth." He signifies that that mighty angel who, he says, descended from heaven, clothed with a cloud, is our Lord, as we have above narrated.
"His face was as it were the sun." That is, with respect to the resurrection.
"Upon his head was a rainbow." He points to the judgment which is executed by Him, of shall be.
"An open book." A revelation of works in the future judgment, or the Apocalypse which John received.
"His feet," as we have said above, are the apostles. For that both things in sea and land are trodden under foot by Him, signifies that all things are placed under His feet. Moreover, he calls Him an angel, that is, a messenger, to wit, of the Father; for He is called the Messenger of great counsel. He says also that He cried with a loud voice. The great voice is to tell the words of the Omnipotent God of heaven to men, and to bear witness that after penitence is closed there will be no hope subsequently.
TiconiusAD 390
COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10:1
In this angel the person of our Savior is indicated. On his body he wears the church as though she were a cloud. For the church was constituted in the body of Christ and is often described in diverse manners. At times we read of her as a cloud, as a robe, as the sun, as the moon and as clothes white as snow. And even the saints are compared with clouds, as we read in the prophet Isaiah, “These are they who will fly as the clouds.” To be sure, the cloud with which he is clothed is his body, which was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The “rainbow over his head” indicates the promise and the perseverance of his church. “His face was like the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.” There is here a great and marvelous plan, so that at the beginning of this book he might show the fire of the last persecution and afterward might indicate the future brightness of the saints as a fire. For at first he spoke of “his feet as refined in a furnace,” and afterward he describes his face “as the shining in full strength.” That he might show how great is the brightness of the church, he now mentions the face before the feet, which are refined, and afterward compares his feet with pillars of fire.
Primasius of HadrumetumAD 560
COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10:1
He sees the Lord Christ coming down from heaven dressed in a cloud, which is the church. Or, he is clothed by the cloud of his flesh, which is elsewhere said to be a new bride who descends from heaven, or as Daniel says, the Son of man has come on the clouds of the heavens. The arc above his head represents the promise of propitiation, which remains among those who are good, but it signifies also those who will be decorated with martyrdom before the advent of the Lord, as Abel and others.… And his face was as the sun, since the Lord Jesus Christ was made manifest through the glory of the resurrection, of which we read, “In the sun he has set his tabernacle,” that is, where he is revealed so that he might no longer be hidden. For by his face is indicated the revelation of the present, which the prophet awaited and said, “Show your face, and we shall be saved.” His feet are the apostles who were enflamed by the words of God and by the Holy Spirit and were sent out to preach. As it says, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road and opened to us the Scriptures?” They are called “pillars” on account of the stability of the church, and of them the prophet said, “I have strengthened its pillars,” and “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet which announce and declare peace.” Finally, the apostle said, “Who [Peter, James, John] were reputed to be pillars of the church.”
Andreas of CaesareaAD 614
COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 10:1
The cloud, the rainbow and the light like the sun show how we are to understand this holy angel. For through these [symbols] the manifold character of its virtues and the brightness of the angelic nature and understanding is revealed.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Revelation
And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. The Lord, the angel of great counsel, descended from heaven, clothed with the cloud of flesh. As Isaiah also says: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and will come to Egypt (Isaiah XIX), and a rainbow was upon his head. Around the good, the promise of propitiation remains.
BedeAD 735
Commentary on Revelation
And his face was like the sun, etc. With the face of the Lord shining, that is, his knowledge manifested through the glory of the resurrection, his feet are prepared to evangelize and proclaim peace on the mountains (Romans X), illuminated by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and established like pillars. For James, Cephas, and John seemed to be pillars of the Church.
Alcuin of YorkAD 804
COMMENTARY ON REVELATION
And I heard another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. It is right for him to be called an angel, because he appeared to men as the new messenger of eternal life, about whom we read, angel of great counsel; and to be called strong, because it is demonstrated that he overcame the aerial powers when he died, whence this: the Lord mighty in battle. [Ps. 23:8] When he says another, it does not mean that he is actually talking about something different, but it is the habit of recapitulation: he saw another angel because he repeated another vision. The angel appeared clothed with a cloud because it was clothed in the flesh that the Lord was seen among men, and his descent from heaven was precisely his adoption of the flesh. And a rainbow was on his head. The head of Christ, as the apostle says, is the divinity itself. [1 Cor. 11:3] By the rainbow is symbolized the reconciliation of the world that was achieved by the plan of the Word incarnate; its mystery was explained earlier. Note also that, having described the last struggle, and passing over the seventh seal, with which both the end of the consummation and the Lord's coming are expected to take place, he comes back to the beginning of Christ's incarnation, which has just been spoken about, and describes his preaching. Once this narration is finished, he comes back to the things he had left aside for a while. Let us however remember that when he has brought this narration to its end, the end needs to be joined to the broken order; for the passage where it is said, in the following, The second woe is past, [Rev. 11:14] implicitly refers to the one where, in the end of the previous book, we spoke of the destruction of the wicked horses and Gentiles. Note also that he behaves in an unusual manner in this narration, and delimits both narrations not with one end, but with two, because he distinguishes the interrupted order and the recapitulation separately, as will become apparent a bit later. And his face was as the sun. The angel's face is Christ's incarnation, by means of which he became known to mortals, and concerning which the Psalmist says, Shew us thy face, and we shall be saved. [Ps. 79:4] This face is not compared to the sun because of its brightness, in which it is incomparably greater than the sun, but because, like the sun, it had a rising in being born, a setting in dying, and again a rising in being resurrected; whence Solomon, The sun riseth, and goeth down, etc. [Eccles. 1:5] The face may also be understood to mean the saints. And his foot as a pillar of fire. The angel's feet are the preachers, thanks to whom God's wisdom incarnate has, so to speak, walked through the whole world. It is fitting for them to be compared to a pillar and to fire because they both bear the Church's edifice, which is laid upon them, and, kindled by the Holy Spirit, set the hearts of their listeners on fire to the love of God by their preaching.
OecumeniusAD 990
Commentary on Revelation
Moreover, John, the divine narrator in the present discourse, recounts the events that occurred when the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, which I have not yet fully explained all at once, since the fifth discourse is so long, I therefore did not reveal it in full. But what else does he write that has happened?
Therefore, those who, while still alive, having heard or even seen the punishments inflicted upon the wrongdoers, did not repent, but remained wicked as previously stated, John says that I saw an angel descending from heaven, bringing images of punishments.
He says that his vision and form were as follows: he was clothed with a cloud. The cloud symbolizes the eternal and invisible nature of the holy angels; for the cloud is a symbol of the unseen. The prophet, indicating the invisible nature of God, describes "clouds and thick darkness are round about him." (Ps. 97:2)
And a rainbow was upon his head; as if the head and the foremost among the good angels were saying, it is brightness; for angels are beings of light. (2 Cor. 11:14)
And his face is said to be like the sun; and this too is an appearance of pure brightness. But the rainbow is the brightness of a created nature, signifying virtue; therefore, the brightness of the rainbow is not uniform, but varied, indicating all the virtues of the angels. The sun, indeed, signifies their natural brilliance by a gleaming light. Therefore, it was surrounded by a rainbow, for virtues are around us; but its face resembled the sun, for in us all natural excellence is present in abundance.
And his feet were like pillars of fire. The fire signifies the punishment that he came to bring upon the impious.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Revelation 10:1 introduces a profoundly majestic and powerful angel descending from heaven, whose appearance is laden with rich symbolic imagery. This dramatic interlude, positioned between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, serves to pause the unfolding narrative of divine wrath, preparing John and the reader for a new phase of revelation concerning God's unwavering faithfulness, the ultimate triumph of His kingdom, and the significance of a divine message yet to be delivered. The angel's awe-inspiring presence underscores the gravity and divine authority of the events that are about to transpire.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Revelation 10:1 is rich in Symbolism and Imagery, painting a vivid picture of a powerful divine messenger. The cloud enveloping the angel symbolizes God's mysterious presence and glory, reminiscent of Old Testament theophanies. The rainbow upon his head is a potent symbol of God's covenant faithfulness and mercy, reassuring the reader of divine promises even amidst judgment. His face shining like the sun employs Simile to convey overwhelming divine radiance, purity, and authority, echoing descriptions of the glorified Christ. Similarly, his feet like pillars of fire use Simile to depict stability, immense power, and a connection to divine judgment and holiness. The entire description is a form of Anthropomorphic Representation (or Theomorphic Representation), attributing human-like features to a divine being but with exaggerated, supernatural qualities to convey his extraordinary nature and divine commission. The verse also utilizes Intertextuality, drawing on established biblical motifs to enrich its meaning and connect the current vision to the broader narrative of God's interaction with humanity.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The appearance of this mighty angel in Revelation 10:1 profoundly underscores the theological truth of God's active involvement and sovereign control over all creation and history. Even in the midst of escalating judgments and apocalyptic turmoil, God does not abandon His creation but sends powerful emissaries to carry out His will and communicate His unfolding plan. The angel's majestic and symbolic appearance serves as a divine affirmation of God's faithfulness (the rainbow) and His ultimate power (sun-like face, fiery feet), reminding believers that His purposes will prevail, and His covenant promises endure, regardless of the chaos depicted. This interlude offers a moment of divine reassurance and a renewed focus on the divine source of all revelation and authority.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Revelation 10:1 offers profound encouragement and a call to steadfast faith for believers navigating uncertain times. The majestic appearance of this mighty angel, clothed in divine glory and bearing symbols of God's unwavering faithfulness, reminds us that no matter how chaotic or overwhelming the circumstances of life or the world may seem, God remains sovereignly enthroned and actively engaged. The rainbow upon the angel's head is a powerful visual sermon: even amidst the darkest judgments, God's covenant promises of mercy and preservation stand firm. This should inspire us to trust in His ultimate plan, knowing that His character is immutable, and His word is true. We are called to look beyond the immediate trials and fix our gaze on the divine power and faithfulness that undergird all reality, finding peace and assurance in His control.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is this mighty angel, and is he Christ?
Answer: While the text does not explicitly name this "mighty angel," his description shares striking similarities with the glorified Christ Himself, particularly as described in Revelation 1:13-16, with a face like the sun and feet like burnished bronze (fire). However, the angel is consistently presented as "another" and a messenger, distinct from God or Christ. The imagery likely emphasizes his divine commission and authority, indicating that he is an extremely high-ranking celestial being, perhaps even an archangel, who embodies aspects of God's glory and power to fulfill a specific, crucial role in the unfolding prophecy. He acts as God's representative, delivering a message and performing actions on God's behalf, rather than being God or Christ in person.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The majestic "mighty angel" of Revelation 10:1, though not Christ Himself, serves as a powerful prefigurement and reflection of Christ's own glorious attributes, authority, and redemptive work. His descent from heaven, clothed with a cloud, echoes Christ's ascension and future return in glory, as seen in Acts 1:9-11. The rainbow upon the angel's head, a symbol of God's covenant faithfulness, ultimately finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is the mediator of a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:6) and the embodiment of God's steadfast love and mercy. The angel's face shining like the sun directly parallels the description of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:16 and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2), signifying Christ's divine nature, purity, and illuminating truth. Furthermore, his feet as pillars of fire speak to Christ's unwavering authority, His righteous judgment, and His purifying presence, as He is the one who "walks among the seven golden lampstands" (Revelation 2:1) and whose eyes are like a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14). Thus, this mighty angel's appearance points beyond himself to the supreme majesty, covenant faithfulness, and ultimate authority of Jesus Christ, who is the true and final revealer of God's plan and the victorious Lamb who will bring all things to their appointed end.