Revelation's Talking Peals Of Thunder
“When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them." (Revelation 10:4)
I’ve never heard or read a satisfactory explanation of the “seven peals of thunder”. But some bible study and a little common sense helped me understand. I knew from experience that we SEE lightening before we HEAR the thunder. And we know the lightning is the events surrounding the second coming of Jesus to earth. Therefore, the "peals of thunder" are what follows the return of Jesus to earth.
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27)
Chapters 1 through 20 deal with what John was SEEING during the seven years leading up to the return of Jesus. Those Chapters end with the physical return of Jesus and His reign on this earth for 1000 years. In the first part of Revelation, when the lightening (return of Jesus) was a short distance away, he was only hearing about it, but in Chapters 21 and 22 he was SEEING what the seven peals of thunder had spoken about, the return of Jesus and the details of the New Heaven and New Earth.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the former heaven and the former earth pass away…and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God..God is with mankind...and He will be brushing away every tear from their eyes. And death will be no more, nor mourning, nor misery; they will be no more, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:1-4)
In Chapters 8 and 9 six angels had SHOWN John details of what will happen during the years just before the return of Jesus. Then in Chapter 10 he HEARD the "seven peals of thunder" tell him what would happen after the return of Jesus, but was not SHOWN at that time in his vision until the “the mystery of God is finished”.
“…in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished as He preached to His servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)
So, what is this “mystery of God” that was “preached” to “His servants and prophets”, and would be “finished” by the end of Chapter 20?
I’ve never heard or read a satisfactory explanation of the “seven peals of thunder”. But some bible study and a little common sense helped me understand. I knew from experience that we SEE lightening before we HEAR the thunder. And we know the lightning is the events surrounding the second coming of Jesus to earth. Therefore, the "peals of thunder" are what follows the return of Jesus to earth.
“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27)
Chapters 1 through 20 deal with what John was SEEING during the seven years leading up to the return of Jesus. Those Chapters end with the physical return of Jesus and His reign on this earth for 1000 years. In the first part of Revelation, when the lightening (return of Jesus) was a short distance away, he was only hearing about it, but in Chapters 21 and 22 he was SEEING what the seven peals of thunder had spoken about, the return of Jesus and the details of the New Heaven and New Earth.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the former heaven and the former earth pass away…and I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God..God is with mankind...and He will be brushing away every tear from their eyes. And death will be no more, nor mourning, nor misery; they will be no more, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:1-4)
In Chapters 8 and 9 six angels had SHOWN John details of what will happen during the years just before the return of Jesus. Then in Chapter 10 he HEARD the "seven peals of thunder" tell him what would happen after the return of Jesus, but was not SHOWN at that time in his vision until the “the mystery of God is finished”.
“…in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished as He preached to His servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7)
So, what is this “mystery of God” that was “preached” to “His servants and prophets”, and would be “finished” by the end of Chapter 20?
It was the salvation of all humanity and their reconciliation to God. The prophet Isaiah called it "that day" and “the time of the end” when he was told that humanity will “rejoice and be glad in His salvation”.
“And it will be said in THAT DAY, Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:9)
“And it will be said in THAT DAY, Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." (Isaiah 25:9)
Read for yourself the details of what John HEARD from the "peals of thunder" in Chapters 21 and 22 - the "salvation" of humanity and its entrance into the Kingdom of God - the New Heaven and New Earth.
The Apostle Paul tells us that the “gospel” given to him by the resurrected Jesus was the “mystery” that all humanity, not just the people of Israel, will "rejoice and be glad in His salvation"…
“When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:4-6)
Paul refers to this as “my gospel", which had been “kept secret” in the past.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to MY GOSPEL and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past…” (Romans 16:25-27)
Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, elaborates on what he calls “my gospel” in his New Testament letters. John, one of the twelve Apostles to Israel, and the writer of Revelation, himself recognized that Jesus not only atoned for the sins of Israel, but also for everyone else...
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
Paul explains in his letters that the “mystery” revealed to him, which had been “kept secret”, is the good news of the "grace of God" "bringing salvation" to all people, an age when God will "reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether things on earth or things in heaven".
The Apostle Paul tells us that the “gospel” given to him by the resurrected Jesus was the “mystery” that all humanity, not just the people of Israel, will "rejoice and be glad in His salvation"…
“When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:4-6)
Paul refers to this as “my gospel", which had been “kept secret” in the past.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to MY GOSPEL and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past…” (Romans 16:25-27)
Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, elaborates on what he calls “my gospel” in his New Testament letters. John, one of the twelve Apostles to Israel, and the writer of Revelation, himself recognized that Jesus not only atoned for the sins of Israel, but also for everyone else...
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
Paul explains in his letters that the “mystery” revealed to him, which had been “kept secret”, is the good news of the "grace of God" "bringing salvation" to all people, an age when God will "reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether things on earth or things in heaven".
“For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all people…God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself not counting their trespasses against them...and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross…" (Titus 2:11; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 1:19-20)
"Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence." (Colossians 1:21-22)
"…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God…in this hope we are saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:19-25)
Again - "Creation itself will be set free" and "in this we hope" - Yes I do!
The words of the "peals of thunder" that followed the "lightning" - is the really good news we HEAR about now, but can only SEE by faith. And what is "faith".
"Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence." (Colossians 1:21-22)
"…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God…in this hope we are saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:19-25)
Again - "Creation itself will be set free" and "in this we hope" - Yes I do!
The words of the "peals of thunder" that followed the "lightning" - is the really good news we HEAR about now, but can only SEE by faith. And what is "faith".
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not being seen." (Hebrews 11:1)