Posted by Elana Janson on April 23, 2018 at 12:13:08:
The seven thunders
At this point in time, that I believe the total message of Revelation is coming together, the meaning of the words “thunder” and “thunders” in Revelation should be considered more closely.
Firstly, a few thoughts
What is the great revelation of the book Revelation?
I have analysed so much of the book Revelation, but what is the great message. I believe that the great message is that the book is a prophecy of God, given to His son Jesus Christ and then revealed to John on Patmos. It would ultimate only be fully understood in the years after 1996, once the history of the nations was known and man’s knowledge of the sciences would have progressed to understand history, the earth and sea, life on earth and in the sea and the universe.
The sign in the stars
Because it is now almost twenty-two years since the Divine intercession and we witnessed the sign in the stars on 23 September 2017, and to add to this the tensions between the nations of the earth, particularly the nations across the breadth of the earth (Rev 20:9) at the present time some great revelation may be at hand. The reason that God meant for this book to be understood now is to save some souls for the kingdom of heaven in the time that the forces of evil (the powers of the beast) are at their strongest. Also to strengthen the faith of believers at a time that faith is no longer a priority for many.
Rev 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.”
Place of prophecy a time of drought.
Rev 11:6 “These (“the two witnesses” – Rev 11:3 ) have the power to shut heaven, that it rain not, in the days of their prophecy.”
I have lived in Cape Town, South Africa, for most of my life. This year we are experiencing an unusual drought. This drought has been halted temporarily, by the odd rain shower, insufficient for the needs of the city. Of interest to me, at this point in time, before these rain showers there has been the sound of thunder for long periods of time, very unusual, for summers in Cape Town. Weather change seems to be the time of thunder.
I am sure that through the centuries, when Christians have read the Revelation of Jesus Christ, they must have wondered how would one ever know to which ‘thunders’ (considering how often some areas experience thunder storms), the words of Revelation relate.
Thunder: the voice of God
In the Bible the word “thunder” is called the voice of God. This is of the greatest significance. For surely whenever or wherever the loud noise of thunderstorms have occurred through the centuries, believers would ponder: is the sound of thunder there to remind me that God is at this moment in time harkening me to his Word ( God speaks to man through the Bible).
The purpose of this post is to inform readers how I understand the meaning of the word “voice” (also “voices”) and “thunder” or “thunders” in Revelation, but also how these meanings relates to Revelation as a whole.
Voice
Revelation 1:12-13 New International Version (NIV)
Rev 1:12 “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a Son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.”
Revelation 1:12-13 (and the following verses) confirm that the word “voice” relates to the voice of the Risen Christ.
Revelation 16:17 New International Version (NIV)
Rev 16:17 “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!””
In this verse “the voice of God” announces that when the seventh angel casts the seventh bowl of vile the last wrath of God is to come upon mankind.
The word “voice” in Revelation therefore indicates that Jesus Christ is giving the message of Revelation, from the beginning to the end of Revelation, but also from the Coming of the Christ to the Return.
The seven thunders
Rev 10:1-4 The Angel and the Little Scroll (New International Version)
10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
A little scroll
I believe that “a little scroll” (Rev 10:2) .refers to the book Revelation and that the “seven thunders” relate to the voice of God revealing the times of the opening of the seven seals of Revelation in the end time. The mighty angel is a messenger of God (“face was as the sun” see also Rev 1:16). He has the purpose of leading the nations (“fiery pillars”) in the end time. Remember a ‘pillar of fire’ led the Israelites through the night in the wilderness (Ex 14:24).
His right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.
The mighty angel has power to counteract the influence of the beast coming up out of the sea and the beast coming up out of the earth.
He gave a shout like the roar of a lion.
This angel is a messenger of God because his face was as the sun. Therefore the words “like the roar of a lion” does not relate to the beasts of Revelation. Lions are found in Africa. Therefore I believe this verse relates to Africa. God “voice from heaven” would not let John write about the seven thunders for, I believe, ultimately He would reveal the “seven thunders” in Africa in the end time.
Seal up the seven thunders
“thunders” connected to the opening of the seven seals of Revelation.
Rev 6:1 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:1 confirms that the opening of the seals of the book Revelation relate to the word “thunder”. Therefore, I believe, that the prophecy of the years, of the opening of the seven seals of the “little scroll” was what the mighty angel commanded John not to write down.
Seven thunders uttered their voices (Rev 10:3)
The times of the first four seals, are the first four “thunders” of the seven “thunders” spoken of in Revelation, chapter 10:3. These would only be made known by a Divine intercession in the end time. Once the end time was known, the times of the opening of the last three seals would be made known by the signs of the end time.
Revelation 10:5-10 New International Version (NIV)
Rev 10:5 “Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!”
7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
When the “seven thunders” are revealed in the end time, mankind will begin to understand “the mystery of God”. This means the greatness of God - for He knew from the time of the beginning of the formation of the universe and the planets what would take place at the turn of our millennium and the year 2018.
“my stomach turned sour”
When the nations understand the meaning of Revelation they will be happy that there is a great and loving God in control, but the reality of what is revealed in Revelation will make them nauseous.
What is of significance here is that one can at the present time, with the understanding of Revelation, relate to what is said in Revelation, chapter 10:9-10.
Voices
The words “voices” in Revelation relate to the power of the Holy Spirit that heralds to mankind the voice of God that the time of the final measure “seventh” is at hand.
Revelation 4:5 King James Version (KJV)
Rev 4:5 “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
It seems that we are in the time of the sounding of the sixth trumpet and in the days that the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet. (Rev 10:7).
We are understanding the mystery of God. He knew the history of the nations, the years of certain discoveries by man (Rev 13:13-18) at the time that John was on Patmos at the end of the first century AD. He knew man would understand black holes in the universe in 2018. He knew that we would understand the universe so that we could measure the tilt of the axis of the earth and understand the universe so well that we can know why He is “the morning star” (Rev 22:17).
To understand “the morning star” read my post “The Revelation of Jesus Christ and our increasing knowledge of the earth and the universe.” (3 August 2017). For millions of years God has kept our solar system steady through the position of the planet Venus. For this reason the earth and all the life that has developed could come about over millions of years.
We are so fortunate to have this knowledge at the present time.