The Seven Trumpets of Revelation

Chapter 11

An Interlude with Jesus

-- A Thunderous Pause --

“And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth:” (Revelation 10:3a).

The loud voice (noted elsewhere in 1:10; 5:2, 12; 6:10; 7:2, 10; 8:13; 11:12, 15; 12:10; 14:7, 9, 15; 18:2) focuses on a time when the whole world hears a special message with power. The description “as when a lion roareth” means it is given with unusual distinctness and force.

God “roars” like a lion in the Old Testament (Hosea 11:10, Isaiah 3:4, Amos 3:8). Here Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, is heard so loudly, it activates thunders, which in turn heralds specific messages!

“The controversy had waxed stronger and more determined from age to age, and will continue to do so, to the concluding scenes when the masterly working of the powers of darkness shall reach their height. Satan, united with evil men, will deceive the whole world and the churches who receive not the love of the truth. But the mighty angel demands attention. He cries with a loud voice. He is to show the power and authority of His voice to those who have united with Satan to oppose the truth. [MS59 (1900)]”¹

John does not share with us what the loud voice said. But one can almost shudder imagining a majestic Being, clothed with a cloud, whose head is encircled with a rainbow, with feet like giant columns of fire and His face as bright as the sun suddenly roaring like a lion! His mission is clearly to instill fear. There is something that man must quickly respond to. God’s authority and power must now materialize. That will unfold in the next chapter during the last gospel cry to the whole world.

This is the only place in Revelation where Jesus is actually “shouting” like a lion. It conveys His omnipotent power to defend His chosen ones.² It concomitantly reveals His terrible justice against the rejecters of His grace.³

“... and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not” (Revelation 10:3b-4).

The first phrase, “and when he had cried” (kai hote ekraxen), sets what follows in a timing sequence. While Jesus holds the open (unsealed) portion of Daniel, He shouts with power and authority worldwide and then comes the thunders.

There is a graphic portrayal elsewhere in Revelation where such imagery is alluded to. It is the white horse of the first Seal. That represents God’s purified people with Jesus as the rider holding a crown of victory. They are going out conquering and to conquer. God is beginning to show His power and authority.

 What are those seven thunders? Is it possible they are messages that God’s people are to bring to the world right at the end?

It is good to sit back for a moment and remind ourselves of where we are.

“Setting his right foot on the sea, and His left upon the dry land, shows the part which He is acting in the closing scenes of the great controversy with Satan.”⁴

The open book is the unsealed portion of Daniel.⁵ That book contains prophetic periods that would go to the very eve of the consummation.⁶

Those messages contain instructions regarding the closing scenes of earth’s history that are to be given at the appointed time the Loud Cry is given.⁷

It is at the Loud Cry that “Daniel will stand in his lot.” That means it is then that those messages will be applicable to the world.⁸

When Daniel stands in his lot, it will be the time when the three angels’ messages go to all the world [MS59 (1900)].⁹

How do those seven thunders fit in? They can be none other than the messages that were sealed in Daniel. The article “the” before the seven thunders means that they are specific and familiar. Did Jesus speak before in language of the time of the end in the sealed portion of Daniel? It was in the chazown portion – Daniel 8–12! That’s amazing – absolutely stunning! We can know what those seven thunders say by looking into that open book!

“These [thunders] relate to future events which will be disclosed in their order. Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days” [MS59 (1900)].¹⁰

It is at this hour that the messages of this open book are to be shouted like a roaring lion so that everyone will hear. God gave us a little clue as to when this message is to be given. When the white horse Seal was opened, it thundered. That is the time and the group of people who are to go out and bear Daniel’s message to the world.

There is an amazing message that comes through this verse. John heard what the seven thunders spoke. But he was told not to write it down. In fact, they were to be sealed, just like a portion of Daniel’s was. Thus we have an open book and seven sealed messages!

What could that mean? The book was open and ready to be understood. But the seven thunders, which spoke, must wait until a later time to be grasped! That little book once was the sealed portion of Daniel.

“The book that was sealed was not the book of Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel which related to the last days. The Scripture says, ‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased’ (Dan. 12:4). When the book was opened, the proclamation was made, ‘Time shall be no longer.’ (See Revelation 10:6.) The book of Daniel is now unsealed, and the revelation made by Christ to John is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth. By the increase of knowledge a people are to be prepared to stand in the latter days.”¹¹

When was the book unsealed? “Since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed.”¹² When will the seven thunder messages be unsealed?

“After these seven thunders uttered their voices, the injunction comes to John as to Daniel in regard to the little book: ‘Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered.’ These relate to future events which will be disclosed in their order. Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days. John sees the little book unsealed. Then Daniel’s prophecies have their proper place in the first, second, and third angels’ messages to be given to the world. The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to time.”¹³

From the Biblical setting of sealing in Daniel 12 and the expressions in this verse, we can see the seven thunders and Daniel’s sealed portion are the same. E. G. White’s allusions are similar, but she is more specific when she ties the wording from Daniel 12 to those thunders. As we’ve noted previously, this is to be proclaimed to the world with the three angels’ messages.

A  Problem

There is an interesting problem that we must discuss.

“John heard the mysteries which the thunders uttered, but he was commanded not to write them.

“The special light given to John which was expressed in the seven thunders was a delineation of events which would transpire under the first and second angels’ messages. It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested.”¹⁴

Many conclude that this relates to the 1844 era, which confuses one’s understanding of these verses. Preceding this thought, E. G. White already said that they were related to the three angels’ messages. The proclamation to fear God and give Him glory for the hour of His judgment has come and Babylon is fallen have a distinct end-time application. When the judgment of the living begins, it will be time to fear God and give Him glory. Why? Daniel’s prophetic periods give notice that “time is no longer delayed.” The end is truly near.

For the advent pioneers who did proclaim the initial application of the first two messages: “It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested.”¹⁵ She also had some very pointed words relative to the 1843 prophetic chart used by many early advent evangelists.

“I saw that the figures of the chart were as God would have them, and that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none should see it till His hand was removed.”¹⁶

“I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the Lord, and that it should not be altered; that the figures were as He wanted them; that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none could see it, until His hand was removed.”¹⁷

“His hand covered a mistake in the reckoning of the prophetic periods.”¹⁸

What mistake? The chart was redone in 1850. All the figures related to Daniel 12 and what the pioneers originally tried to compute from those three periods were removed. Why? Their faith had to be tested in the great disappointment of 1844.

If they had understood those figures, there never would have been an Advent Movement. In God’s great mercy and foreknowledge, He withheld understanding of the seven thunders and the prophetic periods of Daniel. Though the “little book” was open, when it was studied, God permitted a mistake in their understanding of its figures so a great Advent Movement would occur. He reserved the true understanding for the final generation, who would need to apply those incredible messages to the Loud Cry¹⁹ and three angels’ messages.

What Do the Seven Thunder Voices Say?

What are those seven “future events” to 1900? Prophecy is event driven. We must look at those prophecies that were related “to time” [MS59 (1990)].²⁰ As we begin to dig deeper, remember that this imagery of Jesus, the open book and the thunders all relate to “the closing scenes of the great controversy with Satan.”²¹

The 144,000, represented by the white horse or first Seal of Revelation 6, are the loud voices for Jesus in proclaiming these messages to the world. They come on the scene after the 2300-year prophecy of Daniel 8:14 as living saints to finish the work. The timed prophecies that were sealed include:

1.   The Hebrew portion of the chazown vision of Daniel 8–12: “As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. ‘Son of man,’ he said to me, ‘understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.’ ... He said: ‘I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.” Daniel 8:17, 19 (NIV).

2.   The 1260-day prophecy of Daniel 12:7: “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Daniel 12:8-9.

3.   The 1290- and 1335-day prophecies which wouldn’t be understood (figuratively sealed) until the time Daniel would “stand in thy lot:” “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” Daniel 12:13.

What does thunder symbolize? In the Old Testament when God spoke, it was often portrayed as the sound of thunder (Job 26:14, 37:5; Psalm 18:13; I Samuel 7:10). Before the crucifixion, God’s voice was heard by the crowd as thunder (John 12:28-29). In Revelation the times thunder is noted forewarns or announces that divine judgment comes. This is seen as a prelude to the breaking of the Seals (4:5, 6:1) when hot coals were cast to the ground (8:5), related to the moment when all sin issues of this world will have ceased (11:15, 16:18).

1.   Daniel 8:14 states that there would be a time after the 2300 atonement evenings and mornings that God’s people would become holy (qodesh nisdak). That begins to be fulfilled at the first Seal when the 144,000 are declared eternally secure through the image of the white horse. This is a time of thunder. The judgment of the living has begun (Revelation 11:1).

2.   The next event begins a tie to one of the Daniel 12 periods. It is when the “daily” or God’s Sabbath rest is taken away by an abomination, the Sunday law. This will lead to desolation. A 1290-day period commences. It ends with the close of probation.

3.   The next declaration comes with Jesus’ words that “Time would be no longer” (10:6). This commences the 1260-day prophecy of persecution (Daniel 12:7) and begins the “appointed time” of Daniel 8:19 and ends the tarrying time of Habakkuk 2:2-3. It is during this period that God’s wrath occurs. At the end of the three and a half years persecution ceases.

4.   The 1335 days begin with the abomination and end with two more precious and wonderful events: the deliverance of God’s people and the special resurrection (Daniel 12:1-2). The deliverance of the saints (Daniel 12:1-2) and the time of the seventh Trumpet or third woe on the earth’s inhabitants coincide with the end of the 1260 days of Daniel 12:7. God’s voice declares, “It is done” (Revelation 16:17, 22:11). It is when God’s people are delivered (Daniel 12:1).

The voice of restraint not to write what he heard is likely God the Father’s command since Jesus is there with the open book. If it was He, John would undoubtedly have referred to the “angel.” Why was he not to write that part of his revelation? It wasn’t to be understood contextually till later. But, there is another overriding reason: It was already recorded by Daniel. Could that voice have been an angel? Likely not. John had been advised to write what he saw and heard. Only God could counter that divine command.

[see the PDF format for graphs that accompany this chapter]

References:

¹The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 971.

²The Home Missionary, 11/1/1893.

³Acts of the Apostles, p. 589.

⁴The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 971 (emphasis added).

⁵Selected Messages, bk 2, p. 105.

⁶Review and Herald, 09/25/1883.

⁷Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, p. 437 (1906).

⁸Ibid.

⁹The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 971.

¹⁰Ibid.

¹¹Selected Messages, bk 2, p. 105.

¹²The Great Controversy, p. 356.

¹³The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 971 (emphasis added).

¹⁴Ibid.

¹⁵Ibid.

¹⁶Spalding and Magan Collection, p. 1.

¹⁷Early Writings, p. 74.

¹⁸The Great Controversy, p. 373.

¹⁹Letter 54, (1906), Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, p. 20.

²⁰The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 971.

²¹Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, p. 99; Ibid., vol. 19, p. 320 (1900).