Stormcrow
Member
This is a reference to the mystery of the gospel that had yet to be revealed. It's a recap of the events leading to Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit: all things associated with His first coming. (He walks the reader back the same way in chapter 12, too.) The context for understanding this is in the next passage:
Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, but 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 10:5-7 (NASB)
Keep that phrase "mystery of God" in mind. So I know what you're thinking, "how do we really know for sure this is talking about the gospel?
The answer is here:
Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they *said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings." Revelation 10:8-11 (NASB)
(Follow the bread crumbs with me here.) This reference to eating the scroll and prophesying is taken directly from the book of Ezekiel:
Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. Then He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. Ezekiel 3:1-4 (NASB)
The clear allusion John is making in reference to Ezekiel is the preaching of the gospel to the House of Israel! What did Christ tell the twelve when He sent them out?
These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Matthew 10:5-7 (NASB)
John was one of the disciples/apostles sent with the great commission to proclaim the gospel first in Jerusalem, then in Judea (these comprising the "House of Israel"), then in Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth!
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NASB)
Seeing a pattern emerging here? The voice of the seven thunders was the gospel of Christ that was not yet ready to go out because the Holy Spirit had not yet come. But when it did, what happened?
The gospel was preached throughout the whole world bringing Jew and Gentile alike into His kingdom!
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. Romans 1:8 (NASB)
because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; Colossians 1:5-6 (NASB)
if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. Colossians 1:23 (NASB)
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NASB)
Finally, remember that phrase "mystery of God" John uses in Revelation 10? Paul uses it, too, in reference to...what?
The gospel!
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, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; Romans 16:25-26 (NASB)
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:8-11 (NASB)
In closing, the voice of the seven thunders is the mystery of the gospel which was being revealed through the apostles and their churches by the power of the Holy Spirit; work which was bringing thousands of Jews and Gentiles alike into the kingdom of Christ!
The seventh angel that was about to sound in Rev.10:7 signifying that Christ had made the ultimate sacrifice, sounds in Rev.11 showing us Christ on the throne of heaven at the right hand of the Father and at the head of His church!
Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." Revelation 11:15 (NASB)
That's what the voice of the seven thunders is all about, IMHO.
