SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:1
¶ Y vi otro ngel fuerte descender del cielo, vestido de una nube, y el arco del cielo estaba en su cabeza; y su rostro era como el sol, y sus pies como columnas de fuego.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 10:1
Verse 1. Another mighty angel] Either Christ or his representative; clothed with a cloud; a symbol of the Divine majesty. A rainbow was upon his head] The token of God's merciful covenant with mankind.
His face was as it were the sun] So intensely glorious that it could not be looked on.
His feet as pillars of fire] To denote the rapidity and energy of his motions, and the stability of his counsels.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. And I saw another mighty angel , etc.] Not any mere man, as Justin the emperor, as some have thought, who sent letters abroad in favour of the orthodox doctrine, against the Arians, which they suppose is meant by the little book open in his right hand; and still less the pope of Rome, whether in the sense of Papists or Protestants, which latter represent him as a tyrant, treading upon men both in the islands and in the continent, and holding forth the book of canons and decrees; rather, as Mr. Daubuz thinks, Luther, with the rest of the reformers, is intended, and especially since the prophecy of this chapter respects the Reformation, which began before the end of the sixth trumpet; and the epithets given to this angel may denote his strength and courage, his divine authority, the protection of him, and the clear doctrine of peace and reconciliation he brought: however, a created angel is not intended: not the angel that made proclamation for the opening of the book, and unsealing it, ( Revelation 5:2); between which, and having the book in his right hand open, is a wide difference; nor any other, though the epithet mighty belongs to angels in common; and though this angel swears by the living God; and though it was an angel by whom Christ signified the things contained in this book to John; but the uncreated Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ, seems rather designed, as appears both by comparing this with ( Daniel 12:7 10:5,6); and from the power lie gave to the two witnesses, ( Revelation 11:3); which cannot agree with a created angel; and besides, who so proper to hold the book open as he who unloosed the seals, and opened it, and to whom the epithet mighty may be applied in the highest sense, as God; and who as man may be said to swear by the living God, and to whom the whole description well agrees? he is sometimes called an Angel simply, ( Genesis 48:16 Exodus 23:20 Acts 7:35,38); sometimes the Angel of the Lord, and who appears to be Jehovah himself, the second Person, ( Genesis 16:7,10 18:1,2), compared with ( Genesis 19:1 22:11,12); and sometimes the Angel of God's presence, ( Isaiah 63:9); and the Angel of the great council in the Septuagint on ( Isaiah 9:6); and the Angel, or messenger, of the covenant, ( Malachi 3:1); and may be so called, because he is a messenger from God as man and Mediator, being sent by him to declare his will and redeem his people: and he is a mighty one; not only as God, being the mighty God, the Almighty, which appears by his creation of all things, and upholding them in their beings; but as Mediator, having all power in heaven and in earth, and being far above all principality, power, and might; and, as man, made strong by God for himself, and for his people: he appears now as another angel, distinct from the seven angels who had trumpets given them to sound, and six of which had already sounded; and particularly from the angel of the sixth trumpet, who had just sounded; though some copies, and the Complutensian edition, leave out the word allon , another; and very opportunely does he appear for the comfort of his church, when the trumpets that had been blown had brought such desolations upon the empire, western and eastern, and when both the western and eastern antichrists had appeared, and before the seventh trumpet sounds, and brings in the last and greatest woe: and he is said to come down from heaven ; which does not design his incarnation, that was long before this time; nor his spiritual presence with his people, which is common to them in all ages; nor his second coming to judgment, which will be by a descent from heaven, and in the clouds of heaven, for that is yet future; but in a visionary way, his appearance to and for his church and people in the dark times of antichrist, when afflicted by the Turk on the one hand, and the pope on the other: clothed with a cloud f302 ; which is expressive not of the human nature of Christ, with which his divinity was veiled in his state of humiliation, so that few saw the glory of his divine Person and the greater part esteemed him a mere man; but rather of the obscurity of him, his person, offices, and grace, in those times of antichristian darkness, and even of the dim light and knowledge which his true and faithful followers had of him in those times; it was a dark and cloudy day with them, as well as the whole earth was covered with the gross darkness of Popery and Mahometanism; though it seems best of all to interpret this phrase of the majestic presence of Christ in his appearances to his people, who went before the people of Israel in a cloud by day in the wilderness, descended in one on Mount Sinai, dwelt in one both in the tabernacle and temple, was overshadowed by one on the Mount when transfigured, ascended in one to heaven, and will return in one, or more: moreover, the cloud may denote the power and protection of God attending the Reformation; (see Psalm 68:34 Isaiah 4:5); and a rainbow [was] upon his head ; which was a token of the covenant; (see Revelation 4:3); and the note there: this, with its blessings, is upon the head of Christ, the antitypical Joseph, and who is the head of his church and people; and Christ appearing in this form at this time when the world was overflowed with Popery and Mahometanism, shows that God was still mindful of his covenant, even in those worst of times, and would not suffer his church to be overwhelmed, and sunk in the general deluge of antichristianism, or the gates of hell to prevail against it; Christ, at such a tirade as this, very seasonably appeals with the rainbow of the covenant on his head, as a messenger of peace, and bringer of good tidings, to let his people know that ere long it would be halcyon days with them, and there would be times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, who was ever mindful of his covenant with them; and that the Gospel of peace and reconciliation would be preached unto them: and his face [was] as it were the sun ; or looked like the sun, as it did at the time of his transfiguration on the and as he is described in ( Revelation 1:16), and may denote clearness and purity of Christ; both as God, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express of his person; and as man, who is holy, harmless, up defiled; and is also expressive of that fight of nature, grace, and glory, which he imparts unto the sons of men; as well as of that beauty, loveliness, and amiableness in his person, which renders him as the sun, delightful to behold; and of the majesty of his person, and the manifestations of himself, to the great comfort, pleasure, and refreshment of his saints: and his feet as pillars of fire ; which may refer to the state of the church of Christ at this time, which was in the fire of afflictions, when many of its members were called to the stake, and burnt there for the sake of the Gospel, and yet were like pillars, firm and unshaken; the church was like the bush that Moses saw, which was on fire, but not consumed; Christ was with his people as they passed through it, that it could not kindle upon them so as to destroy them; and their faith, which was tried by it, was found to be much more precious than of gold that perisheth: or this may show what Christ then was, both to his people and to his enemies; to his people his feet were as pillars of brass and marble, to bear them up, and support them under all their trials and afflictions; his goings forth towards them in a way both of providence and grace, were in such a manner, as to strengthen and confirm them in the faith of him against all the powers of hell and earth; and they were like fire, to consume his and their enemies; with his feet he trod upon them, and subdued them under him, who were as stubble, briers and thorns, easily consumed by him, when at the same time be was a wall of fire to his people, and the glory in the midst of them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - The apostle saw another representation. The person communicating thi discovery probably was our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, or it was to show his glory. He veils his glory, which is too great for mortal eye to behold; and throws a veil upon his dispensations. A rainbow was upo his head; our Lord is always mindful of his covenant. His awful voic was echoed by seven thunders; solemn and terrible ways of discoverin the mind of God. We know not the subjects of the seven thunders, no the reasons for suppressing them. There are great events in history perhaps relating to the Christian church, which are not noticed in ope prophecy. The final salvation of the righteous, and the final succes of true religion on earth, are engaged for by the unfailing word of the Lord. Though the time may not be yet, it cannot be far distant. Ver soon, as to us, time will be no more; but if we are believers, a happ eternity will follow: we shall from heaven behold and rejoice in the triumphs of Christ, and his cause on earth.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 ειδον 1492 5627 αλλον 243 αγγελον 32 ισχυρον 2478 καταβαινοντα 2597 5723 εκ 1537 του 3588 ουρανου 3772 περιβεβλημενον 4016 5772 νεφελην 3507 και 2532 ιρις 2463 επι 1909 της 3588 κεφαλης 2776 και 2532 το 3588 προσωπον 4383 αυτου 846 ως 5613 ο 3588 ηλιος 2246 και 2532 οι 3588 ποδες 4228 αυτου 846 ως 5613 στυλοι 4769 πυρος 4442
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. A cloud. The expression occurs seven times in Revelation, and in all of them is connected with the Son of Man.
Rainbow. See on ch. iv. 3.
Pillars of fire. Compare ch. i. 15.
