The term translated as “wrapped” literally means to “throw around”—as a person might throw a blanket around her shoulders to keep herself warm. This angel has a cloud thrown around him. A cloud hides a person. When the Lord God led Israel out of Egypt, he presented himself “in a pillar of cloud”—and so his overwhelming presence was hidden from the Israelites lest they perish (Exodus 13:21). When the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, he was hidden from the people by a “thick cloud” on the mountain (Exodus 19:16). God also came to speak to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in a cloud (Luke 9:34–35). The fact that this mighty angel came “wrapped in cloud” clearly demonstrates his God‑given authority; he speaks and acts on God’s behalf.
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.