John had been shown in heaven seven angels ready to blow their seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6). So far six of these seven angels had blown their trumpets (Revelation 8:7–12; Revelation 9:1–21), with devastating consequences on the earth. The expectation would be that John now sees the seventh angel blow his trumpet. But Revelation 10:1–11 (with Revelation 11:1–14) forms a break in the account of the blowing of the trumpets. The reason for the break is to provide encouragement to John’s readers in the face of the “woes” (see Revelation 8:13; Revelation 9:12; Revelation 11:14) expressed by the last three trumpets. Revelation 10:1–11 is the first of two encouragement scenes before the seventh angel blows his trumpet in Revelation 11:15.
1 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.