Revelation 10:4 - Exposition

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write; and when the seven thunders spoke, I was, etc. It seems that St. John, in his vision, thought himself to be writing down the incidents as they were displayed before him. This he supposed himself to be doing in obedience to the command in Revelation 1:11 , Revelation 1:19 . He accordingly is proceeding to do so here, when he is stopped by the angel. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me. Omit "unto me," with א , A, B, C, P, all the versions, Andreas, Arethas, Primasius, etc. Throughout the Apocalypse we find frequent mention of a voice, without any definite statement as to the possessor. In Revelation 1:11 , Revelation 1:12 , Revelation 1:13 ; Revelation 4:1 ; Revelation 18:4 ; Revelation 21:5 , Revelation 21:15 , the voice appears to be that of Christ or God the Father. In Revelation 14:13 it may be that of Christ or an angel; in Revelation 19:9 it seems to be the angel's voice; and in Revelation 6:6 it apparently proceeds from the four living beings; while in Revelation 9:13 , although the command appears to be the command of God, the locality from which the voice issues appears to bear reference to the souls of the saints, and their cry for vengeance. Here it seems best to identify the "voice from heaven" with that of Revelation 1:1-20 ., where it is probably Christ himself (see on Revelation 1:10 ). Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not (cf. Daniel 12:4 , "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end;" also Acts 1:7 , "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power;" also Revelation 22:10 , "And he saith unto me. Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand"). As stated in the note on Revelation 1:2 , not all God's purposes are revealed. Here we have a positive indication that some truths are withheld. It is useless to speculate on the nature of that which is purposely concealed from us. The probable conclusions which we may deduce are well put by Alford: "From the very character of thunder, that the utterances were of fearful import; from the place which they hold, that they relate to the Church; from the command to conceal them, first, encouragement, that God in his tender mercy to his own does not reveal all his terrors; secondly, godly fear, seeing that the arrows of his quiver are not exhausted, but besides things expressly foretold, there are more behind not revealed to us."