I saw another strong angel coming down
out of the heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon his
head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pilllars of
fire. Rev. 10:1
Wow. Now from the very start I will
tell you that I am not a scholar when it comes to the book of
Revelation, and I will not try to give you a theological view of this
verse. I will be digesting it from the point of view of a true novice
and from the “under the sun” view of things.
The trumpets have sounded, vials
poured, seals broken...all kinds of chaos are poured out upon the
earth. Judgments are being poured out upon the earth, and here comes
another angel, dressed in a cloud, shining brightly with a rainbow
like a crown or halo. This makes sense. Rainbows come from rain clouds
with light shining through them. The rainbow was the symbol
immediately after the flood given to Noah and his crew offered their
sacrifice upon stepping on the earth again, the sign that God would
not destroy the world with water again. It doesn't represent God
never judging the world again at all, just not by water.
This time, we are told, it would be by
fire.
So this beautiful angel in cloud and
rainbow comes and stands on the earth and on the water, but the storm
is not over. Think about it. When do you see a rainbow? It is after
the storm has passed. He roars and says something, but John is not
allowed to tell us what is said. Doesn't that make you curious? What
did he reveal to John that God would not want us to know before the
time? But he does continue to speak, and this we do hear. He “lifted
his right hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever,
WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS
IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT,that there will be delay no
longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is
about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached
to His servants the prophets. Rev 10:5-7
That's it, he says. God created all of
this and it is over. It's out with the old, and in with the new. The
promise of the flood is over, and we are starting over. New heaven,
new earth, and no more sea. The only lake will be the lake of fire.
A cloud is made of water, and this is
what the angel is dressed in. The water of the air. I read of smoke
filling the heavens around the throne, and there is thunder and
lightning coming from the throne of God. Rev. 4 gives us this image.
Voices of the angels thunder throughout heaven during the breaking of
the seals and other actions taken in heaven and earth. Maybe these
cease when the rainbow-clad angel comes to earth? The wrath of God
will no longer shake heaven? Maybe God is done with that stuff and is
moving on to another means of judgment? Like I said, I am no
prophetic interpreter, but we are given images we can understand to
some extent, and this would make sense to me. But then I read on and
in chapter 17 there is more thunder and lightning...more smoke of the
glory of God, so what do I know. I know that God has a symbol of
rainbow, currently stolen by a group that is taunting God, believing
their sin is not judgeable, but acceptable and needing to be accepted
by the world. I know that He will not be taunted and that His
patience does have an end. Over and over He delayed judgments on
nations. Their iniquity was not “full”. They start out evil and
get past the point of no return, and then He sent destroyers to clean
up the mess. Every generation accepts a little evil, thinking it is
harmless, and before they know it, the consequences come. The sin
produces problems, the problems create actions that multiply the
consequences, and the people who sin believe that more sins are
acceptable. When we are so full of sin that righteousness looks
foolish, there is nothing left for God to do but step in. The only
way to cure cancer is to cut it out, chemo it to hit where it has
spread, and radiate the immediate area where the cancer was
concentrated to make sure it is all gone and doesn't take root again.
It is a harrowing process. Sickness, burns, pain, and agony. But when
it is said and done, there is remission, and in some cases, healing.
Our rainbow-clad angel is telling us that this particular cancer has
spread so far that it cannot be cured. The treatment to kill off the
cancer cells will kill the patient. But it cannot be allowed to live
any longer. It's a sad deal, but the clean-up of the universe is
going to be put into action.
There is much to learn from our
rainbow-clad friend. He points to God, the creator, and says that He
did create all of this, and it is His to do with as He pleases,
including destroy it all for rebelling. He tells John and the time to
end all of evil has come. This is terrifying, but will result in
those of the kingdom seeing the Blessed Hope coming and all going
back to pre-rebellion. New heaven is coming, new earth, and a
wedding. With all that is happening in the world, the tension is
mounting. Who can do something about the mess we are getting
ourselves into? God will deal with it, so when the rainbow-clad angel
comes, know that it will be resolved quickly. Then we will be able to
rest and rejoice. Until that time, keep looking up.
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