15. The Angel of Revelation

God sent His Angel to guide John

The Book of Revelation is the best place to understand Christ:  it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

In the first verse, we are told that God sent His Angel to guide John. His Angel is the Angel of YHVH.

We are actually told three times, that God sent His Angel, and there are three different descriptions of the Angel. But, we know they are all the Angel of YHVH, by the clues we are given.  This is like the puzzle of Zechariah, where the Angel of YHVH was identified as “the Angel who spoke with me.”

The Angel of God in Revelation 1 – 9

The first appearance of the Angel is in Chapter One.

Here, He told John to: “write down all that you see” (Revelation 1:11).

The Angel appeared in all of the manifestations of the Spirit of Christ in the LORD’s Day. He appeared as the Son of Man; and as the Archangel, WHO IS LIKE GOD (Michael), that was explained in Daniel 12. He appeared as the Ancient of Days, the image of the invisible God, from Daniel 7; and as the Body of Christ, the Rider on the White Horse.

The Angel also spoke from all these manifestations. First, He spoke as the Archangel, with a loud voice as a trumpet. Then as the body of Christ with the sound of many waters.  Then as the Word, the speaker for the invisible God, saying: “I am the first and the last.” And finally, He spoke as the Son of Man, saying “I was dead and behold now I am alive forevermore.”

The Angel of God in Revelation 10 -16

In Chapter 10, the Angel of God appeared again with His face shining as the sun, and as the cloud and pillar of fire with which He led the Israelites out of Egypt. The Angel asked John to eat the little Book, and John prophesied from this Book until the end of Chapter 16.

The Angel of God in Revelation 17-22

In Chapter 17, the Angel was described as one of the Angels with the Seven Bowls of wrath, who wore a golden sash. We suspect it was the seventh Angel, the Archangel, whose bowl sounded a loud voice from the throne, saying “it is done.”  He showed John the judgment of Babylon, by the Kings, and by the Rider on the White Horse, and by the Martyrs.

In Chapters 19, and 21, we are beyond the Lord’s Day, when Christ will submit to God. The Spirit of Christ appeared as the image of the invisible God, speaking from the throne. But He spoke as the Angel, asking John to “write.” When John tried to worship Him, He said “worship God, I am of your brethren” (Revelation 19:9,10; 21:5).

Then, in Chapter 21, the Angel, with one of the Seven Bowls of wrath, invited John to see the Lord’s wife in the New Heaven. In verse 15, we suspect this Angel maybe the YHVH who measured the temple for Ezekiel. In Revelation 22:7, the Angel spoke as Jesus, saying “I am coming quickly.” When John heard this, he tried to worship the Angel, who rebuked him again saying “worship God, I am your brother,” (Revelation 22:9). Here, we learn that after the Lord’s Day, when Christ is no longer our Lord, we will only worship God.

Finally, the Spirit of Christ reminded us that God sent His Angel to show John all these things (Revelation 22:6), and He spoke as God saying, “I am the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13). Then, the Angel spoke for God again, saying:

“I, Jesus, sent My Angel.”

Revelation 22:16

Here, God directly revealed His name as Jesus. This proved the words of Zechariah 14:9: “in that Day, it shall be the Lord one, and His name one.” After the Lord’s Day, Christ will submit to God, and they will share the name of Jesus.