Revelation 10, verses 1 to 4, his face as it were the sun

 

Revelation 10:1 ¶  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:

This angel descends from heaven in a cloud and has a rainbow on his head, a face glowing like the sun, and his feet looking like they are on fire. We have to ask ourselves what is the meaning of what John is seeing. What does this angel represent or is this angel a literal, physical being? Below are interesting cross-references.

God appearing in some form in a cloud;

Exodus16:10  And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

Leviticus 16:2  And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

Psalm 97:2  Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

The promise of the rainbow.

Genesis 9:13  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

A rainbow around the throne of God.

Revelation 4:3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

A face glowing like the sun.

Exodus 34:28 ¶  And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. 29  And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

Revelation 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Notice how the visions of heavenly beings are so profound and stark in contrast to the earthly.

Daniel 10:5  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6  His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Revelation 10:2  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.

Even if by some remote chance we would have all agreed on what the Seven Thunders said we aren’t going to get the chance to find out what they said. This angel has a small book open.