And I saw another mighty angel coming down out of heaven dressed in a cloud, and there was a rainbow upon his head, his face was like the sun, his feet were like pillars of fire, and he had a scroll in his hand which had been previously opened. He placed his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the land, and he cried out with a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices. Rev 10:1-3.
Many commentators see this mighty angel as a reference to Jesus. There are strong parallels to the one "like a son of man" in Rev 1:12-20. The angel seems to be the same figure who appeared to John on Patmos. Like the Old Testament Yahweh, he makes the clouds His chariot (Psalm 104:3). His appearance is also reminiscent of the way Jesus looked at His transfiguration in Matt 17:2. So this mighty angel represents Jesus Christ. As the Lamb, Jesus held the sealed scroll in Revelation 5, as a mighty angel here He holds an open scroll. He is the most admirable person who has ever walked this earth.
As I write, the pro golfer Tiger Woods has excited considerable admiration. He spent three days of intense military training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He woke early for four-mile jogs, fired weapons, even jumped twice from a place. Why? Because he wanted to appreciate the kind of sacrifice and service his father had contributed to his country while in the military. People were amazed that a multi-millionaire celebrity would put himself through so much agony in order to experience how life looks in someone else's shoes.
But then another news headline put the admiration for Woods into perspective. Pat Tillman, a former NFL defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract to join the army. When he made his decision, he refused media requests to cover his enlistment, basic training or deployment. He wanted no special consideration or attention, preferring to be treated like any other soldier. Tillman was serving along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan when his Rangers patrol was attacked. At just 27 years of age, Tillman was killed.1
These two stories put fame and heroism into perspective. We often glorify celebrities for their great success in matters that are relatively trivial. The real heroes risk their lives in support of causes far greater than themselves. The greatest hero of all is the One who died that all of us might live. He deserves the highest place in our admiration and affection.
