Sermon:
That’s Him!
Revelation 10:1-11

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/ThatsHim.html

It’s the darkest time the world has ever known—the Great Tribulation. It’s that 7 yr. period of time after the rapture of the church when hell goes on holiday, demon spirits infest the earth, the antichrist takes rule, and people are tortured and die by the billions.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be here! And I won’t! And you don’t have to be either.

But as humanity’s darkest hour looms large a bright beacon appears at the mid point, after 3.5 years. Call it a ‘survey trip’ if you will. This is not just another angel; it’s none other than Jesus Christ Himself executing a divine ‘touchdown’ in the end zone of this life.

I believe that’s Him! Don’t let it bother you that He’s called an angel…many times the Bible refers to Christ as the “angel of the Lord”…though He exists on a completely different level than the created angel beings, for He is their Creator! The Great I Am! Alpha and Omega! He is God!
Remember, “angel” means, simply, messenger…and Jesus Christ is the messenger of the new covenant. He is the gospel, but He also brought that good news to earth.

Gen. 22:15
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven…
That’s Him!
Is. 63:9 / Judges 2, 6, 21, 22…we see Jesus in these passages in pre-incarnate appearances / II Sam. 24, as well.

A. Because of His Magnificence.
This angel possesses many characteristics which belong exclusively to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice 4 things:

1. Clothed with a cloud
v. 1 In scripture, clouds are the symbol, often, of deity.
Like Ex. 16:10, when God led Israel thru the desert in a pillar of cloud
Ex. 19—dark clouds covered Sinai when the Lord gave Moses the 10 commandments…and the voice of God thundered from the clouds.
Ex. 24 and 34—God appeared unto Moses again in a cloud of glory.
Ps. 104:3—He (God) maketh the clouds His chariot.
In the NT, on the mount of transfiguration…
Mt. 17:5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased…

In Acts 1, Jesus ascended back to heaven, clothed w/ a cloud.
And Rev. 1:7 says “behold, he cometh with clouds…”

And so I say, That’s Him!

2. Crowned with a rainbow
v. 1 The rainbow is God’s sign to man that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood.
Well, this rainbow also appeared in Rev. 4, when John was called up to heaven, the first thing he saw was the throne of God, encircled by a rainbow.
And here in ch. 10, could it be that though hell is broken loose on earth, Jesus Christ appears w/ clouds, and w/ a rainbow, a reminder that He is the only possible peace in the midst of the storm? I believe so! That’s Him!

3. Countenance like the sun
v. 1 That’s the signature of the glorified Christ
Rev. 1:16—His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength
Mt. Of Transfiguration, Mt. 17:2—His face did shine as the sun
Paul on road to Damascus, saw Jesus as a light of the brightness of the noonday sun
The Prophet Malachi called Jesus the ‘sun of righteousness’
He is the bright and morning star / described as bright and radiant in splendor / the shekinah glory of God Almighty / streets of gold may glimmer, the gates of pearl may radiate, but Jesus will outshine them all! / later