Verse 1
John next saw another scene on earth (Gr. Meta tauta eidon, "After these things I saw," cf. Revelation 4:1). Another angel of the same kind as in Revelation 17:1 (i.e., one who descends from heaven to fulfill a special mission; cf. Revelation 10:1; Revelation 20:1) announced the next scene that John saw in his vision. This angel possessed great authority and glory, probably indicative of the importance of the judgment he announced. His description has led some interpreters to conclude that he is Jesus Christ. [Note: E.g., M. Robert Mulholland, Revelation, Holy Living in an Unholy World, p. 284; and Chilton, The Days . . ., pp. 445-46.] However his clear identification as an angel and the function he performs seem to mark him as an angel (cf. Revelation 14:8). [Note: Düsterdieck, p. 442; Beckwith, p. 712.] Evidently his task required great authority. [Note: Wilcock, p. 166.] His great glory, with which he illuminated the earth, probably suggests that he had just come from God’s presence (cf. Exodus 34:29-35; Ezekiel 43:2).
Be the first to react on this!
