the seven thunders prophecy why was it hidden in the book of Revelation John hears a voice from heaven seven mighty thunders and just as he reaches for his pen to write a voice from heaven stops him seal up the things which the seven peels of thunder have spoken and do not write them down revelation 10:4 Amplified Bible something was revealed but then immediately hidden like a weapon too dangerous to name why would heaven let John hear it but stop the world from reading it let's uncover the mystery of the seven thunders we find this mystery in Revelation 10 the scene opens with something breathtaking i saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed in a cloud with a rainbow halo over his head and his face was like the sun and his feet legs like columns of fire this angel isn't like the others he holds a small scroll one foot stands on the sea the other on the land it's a stance of ownership heaven's authority touching all of creation then he lifts his hand to heaven and shouts with a loud voice and then it happens when he shouted out "The seven peels of thunder spoke with their own voices." Revelation 10:3 when thunder speaks like voices it's not just sound it's verdict if the voice of thunder speaks what could it possibly be warning us about seven thunders seven warnings seven instructions but then a voice from heaven said "Seal up the things which the seven peels of thunder have spoken and do not write them down." When God withholds a message it's never random it's restraint on divine terms what if the words John heard were too dangerous for a world not ready to face them can you imagine you're standing in front of a great mystery you hear heaven speak you know it's important and you're told "Don't share it." Truth withheld is often truth too heavy to bear heaven doesn't waste words if it was spoken it was meant to do something why would God reveal something only to hide it some messages are keys that open either mercy or destruction and we don't know which how terrible was this message we read about beasts we read about war judgment and plagues but this one thing God says "Not yet seal it." Sometimes God holds back sometimes he keeps things hidden not to hurt us but to protect us or prepare us the secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever deuteronomy 29 29 god isn't hiding truth from us he's holding it for us until the right time the right time could also be the most terrifying one we may be closer to that moment than we've ever realized imagine a message so terrifying and filled with bloodshed that it goes beyond everything already spoken or if that's not it imagine a message so incredibly powerful that it had to be hidden from our fragile minds until the time of the tribulation when it would finally be revealed the prophecy occurs in the middle of chapter 6 to 16 of Revelation these chapters of Revelation focus on Satan's presence on Earth this part of the book can be challenging to understand and apply unfortunately this is the bleak section things will get significantly worse before they get better however it's important to note that the scenarios in these chapters represent the worst possible outcomes nevertheless the depicted events are distressing enough the prophecy occurs during the judgments of the tribulation the first of these judgments is the seven seals the first seals introduces the four horsemen when the lamb of God breaks the sixth seal a great earthquake strikes inflicting massive destruction and extraordinary astronomical phenomena the sun goes black the moon changes blood red and the heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up and every mountain and island was displaced from its place when the seven seal judgments are completed one of the worst and the second phase of the tribulation will begin this is called the seven trumpets although trumpets are used in fantastic celebrations these trumpets are not the same this is like a trumpet before a catastrophic war you hear the trumpets and you know that trouble is coming and all the trumpets do not all come at once each trumpet heralds the arrival of a new round of judgment on the people of the earth no human will blow these trumpets this responsibility will be given to another creature angels seven angels who stand in God's presence are given seven trumpets which will be used to unleash these round of judgments when the angel plays the first trumpet a plague destroys onethird of the world's trees and consumes all grass the second trumpet results in something like a huge mountain all ablaze was thrown into the sea a third of the sea turns to blood a third of the ships sink and a third of the ocean's creatures die verse 9 this judgment reminds us of the first plague God sent on Egypt the third trumpet judgment is like the second one but it affects the world's fresh water instead of the oceans the Bible says "A great star blazing like a torch falls from the sky and makes a third of the water supply poisonous." Revelation 8:10 the fourth trumpet brings changes to the skies the Bible says "A third of the sun was struck a third of the moon and a third of the stars so that a third of them turned dark a third of the day was without light and also a third of the night." Revelation 8:12 the fifth trumpet the angel of the abyss serves as the king of these demonic locusts revelation 9:11 in Hebrew he is known as Abaden and in Greek he is known as Apalon which means destroyer these beings will be given the authority to torture anyone who does not bear God's seal the pain they cause will be so excruciating that sufferers will wish to die abaden Apollon is the abyss's ruler and the king of these demonic locusts the sixth trumpet heralds the arrival of yet another demonic horde when the sixth trumpet blows a voice from God's altar requests the release of the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates it is in between the sixth and seventh trumpet that this hidden prophecy is revealed the seven thunders are not just regular thunder but thunderlike voices sharing a message the Greek word for thunder means to roar in the Bible thunder often shows God's judgment like in 1st Samuel 2 and Revelation 11 these seven powerful voices are calling for God to bring judgment on the sinful earth the thunder stands for the voice of God psalm 18:13 says "The Lord thundered from heaven the voice of the most high resounded we see more proof that the seven thunders are God's voice in Revelation 4:5 which says "From the throne came flashes of lightning rumblings and peels of thunder before the throne seven lamps were blazing these are the seven spirits of God." Once again God's voice is shown as thunder showing his power greatness and glory in this verse John saw a glimpse of the punishment God would send to the earth as fully described in Revelation 6 to9 in all the apocalyptic movies I've seen related to the tribulation they are consistently sanitized in other words the horrific reality of the tribulation as depicted in the Bible's book of Revelation is visually softened this is akin to the difference between cellophane wrapped hamburger meat at a grocery store and the blood filth and messiness of a budget butchery even that comparison does not truly reflect the severity of what is to come at the beginning of these marvelous visions John was commanded to write in a book what he saw and heard past present and future but when the thunders spoke John was given another command the seven thunders must have delivered a dire message before us are already the signs of blood tears famine heartache and heartbreak killing misery hail fire burning mountains demon monstrosities and men begging to die yet unable to do so what John was forbidden to write must have been beyond human imagination and understanding there is no need to speculate on the content of the thunders your guess is as good as mine however you can be certain that the message concerned God's final tremendous and indescribable judgment when God lowers the boom in total destruction imagine a message that surpasses the terror and bloodshed of everything that has been previously spoken or if that's not the case envision a message so immensely powerful that it must remain sealed from our sensitive minds until the moment it is revealed during the tribulation prophecy is meant to inspire us to witness yet the reality of the judgments faced by souls in rebellion against God is often neglected in the good news message it is profoundly troubling that this critical aspect is frequently overlooked these days especially considering the times that are approaching and the reality many will soon experience however it could be very true that the seven thunders serve as a delay of all the the judgments being released on the world of course this upsets many people who comment on the Bible and gets them wondering all kinds of things what did they say that John wasn't allowed to share with us if John wasn't allowed to tell us what they said why did he even mention it one reason could be to remind us that there are things in God's plan that remain a mystery these secrets should make us careful and humble when we try to explain or predict what will happen this illustrates the principle that while God has revealed much there are secrets which God has not seen fit to reveal to man at this time however we know that this prophecy will come to pass isaiah 55:10-11 says "As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void." KJV the word void means empty the remainder of verse 11 explains what it means to not return void saying that God's word will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it when God says that his word will not return to him void we can know that he has a purpose for every word he speaks god's word comes from heaven he breathed out his words to us and they were written down in the Bible 2 Timothy 3:16 every word God gave to people has a meaning and a plan behind it just like rain and snow help plants grow God's words bring life john 6:63 and grow good things in our hearts through his word we learn that God loves us and that Jesus died to save us from sin and death we also learn how to live in a way that shows we believe those truths when God says that his word will not return to him void we are encouraged to stay close to his word we need to let it sink deep into our lives like the ground soaks up rain and snow the truth won't come back empty when our hearts are changed god's word corrects us and shows us when we are wrong it helps us grow and live the way he wants second Timothy 3:16-17 his word is a light that helps us walk through this dark world psalm 11:9 it helps with every big and small problem god's word will always do what he wants it may teach correct guide lead us to him show us our sin or do some other good work when God says that his word will not return to him void we learn that God is in charge the promise is that his word will do what he wants not always what we want sometimes we share God's word hoping it will change someone's heart and nothing changes does that mean God's word failed number it means that our goals might not be the same as God's like the wind that blows wherever it pleases the Holy Spirit works in ways we don't always understand john 3:8 god may use his word in ways we never expected at times we didn't think of and in people we never imagined we can't fully know how God will use his word just like weather experts can't always say how much rain or snow will fall God's word will not return void it's too strong for that when God said "Let there be light," the result was there was light genesis 1:3 when Jesus said "Peace be still." The wind stopped and the sea became calm Mark 4:39 god's word will always succeed god will win and those who believe his word will win with him too 1 John 5:4 right after the seven thunders are silenced something else happens the angel lifts his hand to heaven and swears by the God who created all things "There will be no more delay." Revelation 10:6 this is serious the ceiling of the seven thunders marks the end of waiting from that moment something shifts god's mystery moves from hidden to revealed something big is about to unfold after the seven thunders go silent the angel tells John to do something strange he says "Take the scroll." Then he says "Take it and eat it it will make your stomach bitter but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." Revelation 10:9 john eats it it tastes sweet like hope but it turns bitter like sorrow it brings truth but truth isn't always easy sometimes it's sweet to hear but bitter to carry so what about us if the thunders were sealed why do we even know they exist maybe to remind us there are things beyond our understanding there are battles in the spiritual realm there are warnings waiting and just because something is hidden now doesn't mean it always will be every seal has a moment it was designed to break the closer we get the thinner that seal becomes however John was not the only prophet that witnessed this sealed prophecy the sealed book in Daniel what secrets are yet to be revealed imagine discovering a book so powerful so mysterious that even the prophet who wrote it was told to seal it up a book filled with secrets meant only for a future generation that's exactly what happened in the book of Daniel 12:4 but thou oh 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 a sealed book hidden knowledge a divine message locked away for thousands of years what could be inside and more importantly could it be opening right now what if Daniel's book was sealed because the world wasn't ready for the truth the Bible is a history book but it is unlike any other history book available in any public library the history of the Bible starts with the creation of the earth and ends with the end of the world no other history book has ever been published that covers such a broad range of events on planet Earth partially because no one was present at the start to witness and document it and therefore no one can write the beginning of our world authoritatively the Bible is a book full of predictions its pages contain 735 predictions about the future a prediction can be found in one quarter of the Bible's chapters from beginning to end it is basically a prophetic text though some books focus more on predictions than others 596 of the 735 predictions have indeed occurred and have literally come true according to the scripture prediction so 81% of all Bible prophecies have already come true and some of those prophecies were made centuries before the case it doesn't take much confidence to believe that the remaining 19% will happen as well that's a very high score but what about the 19% that remains could the final events be happening right now our story begins in ancient Babylon daniel a young Hebrew captive was taken from Jerusalem when the mighty Empire of Babylon conquered his homeland and soon we'll reveal how Daniel's visions could be more relevant today than ever before but Daniel wasn't just any prisoner he had a gift and this gift may hold the key to unlocking the most terrifying truth about where we are today a gift so powerful that it not only saved his life but it may save ours too a gift to interpret dreams and to see the future something unbelievable was about to happen a vision unlike any other was about to shake Daniel to his core could Daniel's vision reveal something too terrifying for us to accept in Daniel 10 he describes seeing a heavenly being many believe this was none other than the pre-incarnate Christ or possibly the angel Gabriel sent to deliver an urgent message and what he was about to say would change Daniel's life forever we have reached a chapter that is different from all the other prophecies in the Bible god is so wise that he knows how much of the future we can handle how much to tell us and how much to keep secret i thank him that he has kept so much of the future hidden if he had told us everything I don't think we could handle it but what he has shown us is important and is exactly what we need to know let me remind you that prophecy is a miracle the Bible itself is a miracle only God has the power to write history before it happens that's why some people don't believe it's possible if you don't believe in God and if you don't believe in a God of miracles then you won't believe that the future can be told in such detail since God can know and reveal the future how can a man learn it from God how could a man like Daniel write about things that had not happened yet daniel felt the same way many of us do today you look at the world you read the newspaper you watch the news on TV and you wonder what on earth is going on where is this all leading it seems like the world is out of control what is God doing and where is he daniel was determined to get an answer from God and now we know that the very first day he prayed God heard him god sent an angel with the answer but there was a battle in the spiritual world a good angel was bringing the answer to Daniel but a bad angel tried to stop him the forces that fought against Daniel's revelation are still fighting today 3 weeks after Daniel started praying the angel arrived to tell him the future we see that at that time Michael shall stand up the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation the angel Michael is known for fighting spiritual battles as the archangel he is seen as the true enemy of Satan it is important to understand that Satan is not the opposite of Jesus instead he fights against Michael who is a highranking angel besides being a warrior Michael has a special job of protecting Israel god chose Michael to be the spiritual guardian of this nation the Bible talks about a time of great trouble this means there will be suffering for Israel and a terrible time for the whole world this is called the great tribulation it is also known as the time of Jacob's trouble just as it says in Jeremiah 30 what is the time of trouble that is coming and could it be closer than we think but then the angel does something unexpected instead of explaining the vision fully he tells Daniel to seal up the prophecy but you Daniel shut up the words and sealed the book until the time of the end daniel 12:4 why why would God hide this prophecy until the time of the end now there are some important instructions daniel is told "The words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end." It wasn't time for people to fully understand this prophecy yet this is amazing many parts of the Bible weren't written just for the people of that time they were written for us so we could read them and be encouraged some parts of the Bible come alive in certain situations could we be the generation this was written for it's an exciting thought isn't it daniel was told to seal up the words "But a seal doesn't stay closed forever." It also means that this prophecy is complete and must not be changed no one should add to it or take away from it sadly there are some Bibles that have tampered with the book of Daniel they've added extra chapters that don't belong did you know that some Bibles have a Daniel chapter 13 but it's not real if you ever see a Bible with a Daniel 13 you have the wrong Bible the Jerusalem Bible has it some versions of the New English Bible have it the Common Bible of the Revised Standard Version includes it too but I tell you that extra chapter is not part of the true word of God if you're interested in those books buy them separately but don't get a Bible with them added in daniel's prophecy was important in his own time but one day at the time of the end his prophecy would matter even more that is why it was important to shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end in the book of Daniel we are given a picture of what the time of the end will look like many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase some people believe this means that in the last days people will travel all over the world run to and fro and that information will grow quickly knowledge shall increase the idea is that people will search everywhere for answers to important questions especially about what will happen in the future daniel has already told us enough so that his book can be sealed from Daniel 11 to Daniel 12 we learn about a world ruler who will fight against God a world religion that is built on the abomination of desolation a world war that will bring down the ruler a time of great trouble for Israel that will last 3 and 1/2 years god's people will be saved after the time of trouble there will be a resurrection and judgment the righteous will be rewarded so Daniel closed the book and the angels were confused too remember there were three of them in chapter 10 here they are again one in the middle standing above the river and one on each side they didn't understand everything and they started asking questions then I Daniel looked and there before me stood two others one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank six one of them said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river how long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and I heard him swear by him who lives forever saying "It will be for a time times and half a time when the power of the holy people has been finally broken all these things will be completed." The angel told another angel in Daniel that these things would happen over 3 and 1/2 years a time times and half a time this 3 and 1/2 year period is mentioned in many other Bible prophecies first Peter 1:21 says "Even the angels long to look into these prophecies and decide what they are all meaning." That means even the angels study God's prophecies just like we do one angel asked "How long will this last how long will Daniel's people suffer how much longer must they go through this daniel 7 says "This is when God's people will be under the Antichrist's power." Could the Antichrist already be among us keep watching because in just a few moments everything will come together daniel 9 says "This is the time between the Antichrist breaking his promise with Israel setting up the evil thing in the temple and when Jesus comes to rule." Daniel 12:7 calls this the time of trouble for Israel revelation 11:2 says "This is when unbelievers will take over God's holy city." Revelation 11:3 says "This is when God's two witnesses will preach." Revelation 12 6 and 14 say this is when God will keep Israel safe in the wilderness when we put all of these together we see this is the second half of Daniel's 70th week also known as the great tribulation but we don't know much about the first half did you know that the Bible tells us six different times that this period of trouble will last 3 and 1/2 years that's 42 months or 1,260 days god couldn't have made it clearer jesus himself said that if God didn't shorten that time nobody would survive but God has set a limit just 3 and 1/2 years the people of Israel may seem completely crushed as these events conclude but at that time the Messiah in whom they will place their trust before his return will come back to rescue them at this point Daniel had a question he wanted to understand more he didn't quite get what the 3 and 1/2 years meant what was going to happen what would it all lead to but the angel told Daniel "That's all you need to know." Daniel didn't understand everything either even though he heard it himself he said "What shall be the end of these things?" Maybe Daniel asked this because he was worried he knew how awful the time of trouble would be the angel did give two little hints first 1,290 days after the trouble starts then 1,335 days what will happen in the 1,290 days and 1,335 days mentioned at the end of Daniel what's about to happen next is so important it could change everything that means after the 3 and 1/2 years something will happen in another month then after that something else in another month and a half and he said "Go your way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end many shall be purified made white and refined but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand." The command to go your way simply means to go but it doesn't mean to walk away the angel told Daniel to stop worrying and questioning more answers would come later but for now Daniel needed to trust what God had already shown him daniel needed to stop questioning because the full meaning of these things would not be known till the time of the end until then these prophecies would remain closed up and sealed that doesn't mean these words had no lesson no blessing or no purpose for people before the time of the end but when that time comes these prophecies will make more sense today there is great interest in prophecy and in the last 150 years people have gained an amazing understanding of what the Bible says about the future this should show us that we truly are in the time of the