Revelation 7:2-3 reveals Christ as another Angel. Christ is called “another Angel” because He stands in the position of one who has been sent by God. As the unique, special Angel, Christ is the One sent by God to carry out His economy.
According to the revelation of the entire Bible, Christ was sent by the Triune God. This is unveiled in Exodus 3, where Moses, when he was called by God in the wilderness of Sinai, saw the Angel of Jehovah and heard His voice (vv. 1-4). Here the title the Angel of Jehovah refers mainly to Christ, the Son of God, as the One sent by God (cf. John 8:42) to save His people from their situation of suffering (cf. Judg. 6:12-22; 13:3-22). According to verses 2 and 6 of Exodus 3, the Angel of Jehovah, the sent One, was Jehovah Himself, the sending One (cf. Zech. 2:6-11), and Jehovah is the Triune God (Exo. 3:6, 15). This is confirmed by the words of Jehovah to Moses in Exodus 3:6: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Here Jehovah is revealed as the God of three generations—the God of the father, his son, and his grandson. That God is the God of three persons implies that He is the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Matt. 28:19). For the purpose of calling and sending Moses, God, the sending One, appeared to him as the sent One (cf. John 20:21).
In the Old Testament Christ was called “the Angel of Jehovah,” who is God Himself (Gen. 22:11-12; Zech. 1:11-12; 3:1-7). In Genesis the Angel of Jehovah spoke to Abraham. In Revelation He is again called the Angel (10:5, 9), and in 7:2 Christ is specifically revealed as another Angel. There are many angels in the air who serve God’s purpose, but above them is another Angel, the unique Angel.
In Revelation Christ is referred to as another Angel four times (7:2; 8:3; 10:1; 18:1). Revelation indicates that as another Angel Christ cares for God’s chosen people (the Israelites), executes the prayer of the saints concerning God’s economy, possesses the earth in the future, and appears in glory to make the whole earth the kingdom of God (7:2-8; 8:3-5; 10:1-5; 18:1; 11:15).
Revelation 7:2-8 indicates that this Angel takes care of God’s chosen people, Israel. Israel has been and still is under persecution. The entire world has been trying to diminish Israel, so Israel needs special care in order to be preserved. The little nation of Israel is surrounded by many Arab countries, yet it still survives. This is because another Angel is taking care of Israel.
While Christ is in the heavens carrying out God’s economy, which is mainly concerned with God’s judgment of the earth, He takes care of God’s people (vv. 1-3; 8:3-5). This is fully revealed in Revelation 7 and 8. God has two peoples—the children of Israel and the church composed of redeemed saints. No matter how much this earth is judged by Christ in God’s administration, He will take care of the chosen Israel and the redeemed church. We all are under Christ’s care in His administration. It does not matter what the other nations say or do, for the nation of Israel is under the care of Christ’s universal administration. The other countries may try to do certain things, but any attempt to frustrate Christ’s care will be in vain because of the watchful concern of the universal Administrator.
Revelation 7:2 speaks of Christ as “another Angel ascending from the rising of the sun.”
Verse 2 goes on to say that Christ as another Angel has “the seal of the living God.” In verses 4 through 8 we see that God will seal one hundred forty-four thousand “out of every tribe of the sons of Israel,” sealing twelve thousand out of each of the twelve tribes. These are the Israelites who will keep the commandments of God during the great tribulation (12:17; 14:12). Altogether, one hundred forty-four thousand faithful Israelites will be sealed on their foreheads. This seal will be a mark recognizable to the angels sent to judge the earth. This is God’s way of preserving His chosen Israelites while He is executing His judgment upon the earth.
In His work as another Angel, Christ not only takes care of Israel but also cares for the redeemed saints of the church. This is seen in Revelation 7:9-17, where we have a vision of the preservation of the redeemed ones throughout all the tribulations. The Lord’s way to preserve the remnant of Israel is to seal them and leave them on earth. His way to preserve the redeemed saints is to take them away by means of rapture. Eventually, all the redeemed saints will be raptured from earth to heaven.