another mighty angel (see Revelation 5:2; 7:2; compare 1:12–16): This angel looks like the large bronze Colossus that stood as a symbol of human power in the harbor of Rhodes for several decades before an earthquake toppled it in the late 200s BC. The statue was still broken when John wrote Revelation. It was about 100 feet tall and represented the sun god, Helios.
The angel was surrounded by a cloud, suggesting he was larger than the Rhodes statue and, by implication, all idols.
The rainbow over his head reminds us that the enthroned God is encircled by a rainbow (Revelation 4:3), a biblical symbol of God’s covenant with humanity (Genesis 9:8–17).