And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light
— 1 Corinthians 11:14
In Revelation 5:2, the first of three “Mighty Angels” appears before the throne of God and preaches in a great voice, asking, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” John’s response to this message is “loud weeping,” for nobody was found able to open the book. Who is this mighty angel? Why is his message so distressing to John?
Revelation is chock-full of angels. At first blush, it isn’t surprising or concerning to have an unidentified angel playing the role of preacher in the heavenly courtroom. In his commentary, Peter Leithart compares this angel to John the Baptist, preparing the way for the Lion of Judah who is about to appear.1 James Jordan describes this angel as a “priestly guardian” of the book.2
Most commentaries do not consider the question at all. After all, an angel is an angel. What does it matter? I want to suggest an identity for the angel that may, at first, seem shocking and out of place. It is both of those things (which is exactly the point)! I believe that the angel is Satan, standing exactly where he doesn’t belong, doing what he always does; namely, mocking and accusing mankind.
Satan’s Slippery Schemes
Satan’s role is always a bit slippery in the Bible. In Genesis 3, he just emerges onto the scene: a talking serpent. He has no name. He has no origin story. He certainly does not seem to belong. Something very similar occurs in Job, when the sons of God assemble together, “and Satan also came among them” (Job 1:7). God responds as if to say, “why are you here?” His answer? He came to accuse Job (likely the most righteous king on the earth back then) of being unworthy. The story repeats almost verbatim in Job 2, and then Satan is never explicitly mentioned again in the book. He slips away because the story is not about him. It never is.
Satan mainly appears to do two things—tempt and accuse. When he is done, he goes on his not-so-merry-way, always disappearing from the story. He tempted Eve in the garden, and we witness him in the gospels repeating the same attempt with Christ in the wilderness.
In Zechariah 3, we again meet Satan in a vision of a courtroom scene, not unlike Revelation 5. Satan is accusing Joshua the high Priest, in a scene that is strikingly similar to Revelation 5 in numerous ways:
- Both scenes are before the throne of Yahweh;
- Joshua is promised rule in Zechariah; Christ is given rule in Revelation;
- A “stone” with seven eyes is set before Joshua; Christ, our cornerstone, is seen as a lamb with seven eyes (Zechariah 3:9; 4:10b).
Surely, it is not hard to see how this vision in Zechariah foreshadows the scene in Revelation 5, and here Satan clearly plays a prominent role in accusing Joshua of being unworthy.
Despite being such an important Bible character, these are the full extent of Satan’s appearances. We see him in the garden, in Job, in Zechariah’s vision of heaven, in the wilderness with Jesus, and throughout the book of Revelation. He prefers the wilderness and is always “going to and fro on the earth, and walking up and down on it” (Job 1:7; 2:2).
6 Clues in Revelation
But what about Revelation 5? What are the clues within the text itself? Consider the message again preached by this angel, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” Is this a message of adoration? Is it an announcement of good news? Or is it accusing mockery? The question itself is ambiguous and requires an examination of the context. The question goes unanswered, at least at first. We know this because there is a search that is made (v. 3), and at least enough time elapses for John to begin to weep loudly.
Interpreting this angel’s question as a herald of good news does not result in any dire problems for understanding the heavenly scene. It certainly could be an announcement of good news by a holy angel in service to Yahweh. And yet I’m afraid this is often simply assumed. Let’s consider an alternative. Here are six clues that point toward this angel being Satan, masquerading (for us, at least) as an angel of light.
1. The little horn speaking “great things” interrupts the courtroom scene of Daniel 7.
Revelation 5 is not the first picture of the ascension of Christ. The first glimpse of this heavenly scene occurs in Daniel 7:9–14. In the midst of this heavenly scene, but somewhat distinct from it, is the vision of the fourth beast with four horns (vv. 1–8; 11–12). Regardless of the identity placed on the little horn, it is universally considered to be a Satanic agent. The heavenly scene is described in verses 8–10 but is then jarringly interrupted by “the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking” (Daniel 7:11; cf. 7:8). The beast is killed, and then the vision continues, describing the coming of the son of Man and the presenting of the kingdom.
This “interruption” of the ascension by a “great voice” is mirrored structurally in Revelation 4–5, which describes to us the same throne room scene, introduces a great voice, and then presents Christ as receiving a kingdom. They are the same picture. Yet in Daniel, the little horn speaks “a counterfeit gospel” full of “Satanic accusation.”3
Daniel 7
1–8 Vision of the four beasts
9–10 Heavenly scene is set
11–12 The horn speaks “great words” and the beast killed
13–14 Son of Man receives the kingdom
Revelation 4–5
4:1–11 Heavenly scene is set
5:1–4 The mighty angel speaks with “great voice” and disappears
5:5–14 Lamb of God receives the kingdom
2. Satan accuses the brethren “day and night before our God”
In chapter 12 of Revelation, the fall of Satan from heaven is narrated in detail. One detail that must not go unnoticed is the declaration that Satan falls from heaven seemingly just before authority is given to Christ, almost as if these events follow one another. Even more clear is the fact that prior to his being cast out of heaven, Satan is described as one who is “night and day before our God” (Revelation 12:10). If the great voice in 5:2 speaks prior to the giving of the kingdom and authority to Christ and prior to the casting out of Satan, this verse would seem to imply that Satan would likely be present as accuser.
3. Satan is directly called an angel in Revelation 9:11
Just in case the concept of referring to Satan directly as an angel is of some concern, this verse should alleviate that concern. Satan is clearly a fallen angel, the “angel of the bottomless pit.”
4. Satan is the strong man
In Luke 11:14–23, Jesus gives us a glimpse into the future. He describes Satan as a “strong man” (ισχυρος) who is defending what is his. Jesus is referring to the entire world. He then describes his own actions as “one stronger” who attacks and overcomes Satan. If my interpretation is correct, it is extraordinarily fitting for Satan to be described as a ισχυρον αγγελον just before the lamb appears to take what belongs to him by ascending the heavenly throne destined for the true human king. Christ’s description in Luke of what was happening on Earth during Jesus’ ministry is now pictured for us here in heaven.
5. Satan is all alone
These two chapters of Revelation are both highly numbered and highly ordered. Here are the characters:
1 seated on the throne
24 elders on thrones
4 living creatures
7 spirits of God
1 mighty angel
1 lamb of God
1m+ all angels
This mighty angel does not seem to belong. Every other being who is present has a very intentional place centered at the throne and moving outward in concentric circles. The living creatures surround the throne, followed by the twenty-four elders, followed by the myriads of myriads of angels. Everything is in its proper place. The lamb is placed “in the midst” of the throne and living creatures and elders, yet the mighty angel is never placed. He has no “position.” He has no group. The angel that speaks to John is “one of the elders,” yet we are never told who this mighty angel is or why he is there. This is the heavenly court of God, after all! Everyone must know their place. Yet, for this single, isolated creature, we are never told. The contrast is astounding.
6. The coming of “another” mighty angel
After the appearance of the first mighty angel, the next mighty angel is not introduced until chapter 10:1–2b: “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand.”
The fact that there are only three mighty angels in the book bears repeating. G. K. Beale argues that this mention of a second strong angel with a loud voice is the “first among a number of references which deliberately link this chapter in a significant manner with ch. 5.”4 For numerous reasons, this angel must be one of the members of the Godhead (typically either Christ or the Spirit), especially because he is shown taking dominion over the entire cosmos in this scene by placing his feet on both land and sea.
The multitude of links to chapter 5 imply that the “another” in the opening verse is contrasting this Christ angel with the mighty angel from chapter 5. But why? If this were just an ordinary angel, what is there to contrast? But if the first angel is a mocking Satan, then it makes perfect sense.
Here was one who claimed authority over the earth, even offering it to Christ as a gift in the wilderness as a temptation. Here was one who could not open the scroll himself but gloried in the fact that no one else could either. Chapter 10 shatters Satan’s arrogance to pieces. Christ is the true “mighty angel” and he shows it by exerting his authority over the cosmos and staking his claim to what is rightfully his.
Conclusion
It is far too easy to overlook the incredible nature of John’s tears in this scene. How can one stand, gazing upon the Most High on His throne, and weep? It is remarkable. Something, not only on Earth but even in heaven, was deeply wrong. Yet this lack was not the focus of the four living creatures. Day and Night, they never ceased to worship the Most High. This lack was not the focus of the twenty-four elders. They were falling down and casting their crowns before the Most High, singing his worthiness. There was only one single creature, daring to cry, “Unworthy!” in his presence. The cry was not simply that man had failed, but it was that God had failed to accomplish what he set out to achieve; namely, produce Godly offspring (cf. Malachi 2:15). What utter horror this must have been for John to witness!
We are given glimpses of Satan’s direct treachery from Genesis on, but only a few. Now we see the horror of Satan’s Day and Night accusation for what it truly is. The enthronement of the Lamb was the only solution to this treacherous refusal to bow down and worship. The one true Godly offspring has come. What Christ achieved not only changed the Earth forever, but it also changed the heavens. He brought a new heavens and new earth to bear in the middle of history. He quieted the final, desperate cries of the serpent. This is great news.
Ryan Spencer is a former Theopolis Fellow (2024-2025) and an instructor of Math, Science, and Logic for The Augustine School in Jackson, TN.
NOTES
- Peter J. Leithart, Revelation, ed. Michael Allen and Scott R. Swain, The International Theological Commentary on the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments (London: Bloomsbury, 2018), 1.255. ↩︎
- Leithart, Revelation 1.231. ↩︎
- James B. Jordan, The Handwriting on the Wall: A Commentary on the Book of Daniel(Powder Springs, GA: American Vision Press, 2007), 385. ↩︎
- G. K. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015), 200. ↩︎