Revelation of John 10:4 · Bible study
Revelation 10:4 Commentary: The Sealed Thunders
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did God command John not to record the seven thunders? Explore the meaning of sealed revelation and its implications for faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: John is commanded to seal up the words of the seven thunders and not write them, emphasizing that God withholds some revelation.
- Key words: σφραγίσον (seal), aorist imperative, commanding a permanent closure; γράφειν/γράψῃς (to write), the act of recording revelation is prohibited.
- Main debate: Why were the thunders sealed? Various guesses (historical events, eschatological terror, mercy in concealment), no consensus.
- Theological theme: the sovereignty of God over the scope of revelation; the human limits of knowing.
- Best use: Teaching humility before Scripture, God has revealed enough for salvation; speculating beyond that is not required.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to put it in writing. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and when the seven thunders spake their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice out of the heaven saying to me, `Seal the things that the seven thunders spake,' and, `Thou mayest not write these things.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write: and I heard a voice out of the heaven saying, Seal the things which the seven thunders have spoken, and write them not.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write. And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Seal up the things which the seven thunders have spoken. And write them not.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y cuando los siete truenos hubieron hablado sus voces, yo iba á escribir, y oí una voz del cielo|strong="G1537, G3772" que me decía: Sella las cosas que los siete truenos han hablado, y no las escribas.
E quando os sete trovões falaram suas vozes, eu estava a pondo de escrevê -las ; mas eu ouvi uma voz do céu me dizer: Sela as coisas que os sete trovões falaram, e não as escrevas.
Et quand les sept tonnerres eurent fait entendre leurs voix, j’ allais écrire; et j’ entendis du ciel une voix qui disait: Scelle ce qu’ ont dit les sept tonnerres, et ne l’ écris pas.
Und da die sieben Donner ihre Stimmen geredet hatten, wollte ich sie schreiben. Da hörte ich eine Stimme vom Himmel sagen zu mir: Versiegle, was die sieben Donner geredet haben; schreibe es nicht!
En toen de zeven donderslagen hun stemmen gesproken hadden, zo zou ik ze geschreven hebben; en ik hoorde een stem uit den hemel, die tot mij zeide: Verzegel, hetgeen de zeven donderslagen gesproken hebben, en schrijf dat niet.
E quando i sette tuoni ebbero fatto udire le loro voci, io stavo per scrivere; ma udii una voce dal cielo che mi disse: Suggella le cose che i sette tuoni hanno proferite, e non le scrivere.
A gdy odmówiło siedm gromów głosy swoje, miałem pisać; alem usłyszał głos z nieba, mówiący do mnie: Zapieczętuj to, co mówiło siedm gromów, a nie pisz tego.
И когда семь громов проговорили голосами своими, я хотел было писать; но услышал голос с неба, говорящий мне: скрой, что говорили семь громов, и не пиши сего.
七 雷 發 聲之後，我正要 寫出來，就 聽見 從 天上 有聲音 說：「七 雷 所說的，你要封上， 不可 寫出來。」
And when the seven thunders had given out their voices, I was about to put their words down: and a voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Keep secret the things which the seven thunders said, and do not put them in writing.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Revelation of John 10:4
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the basic event: John heard the seven thunders, began to write, and was directly commanded by a voice from heaven to seal them and write nothing. Barnes notes that John ‘was about to write’ because he assumed the thunders contained intelligible words that could be recorded, these were not mere noise, but articulate speech. The Cambridge Bible judges it ‘useless to speculate what the seven thunders said’ and ‘worse than idle to guess what they were.’ Most agree the command echoes Daniel 8:26 and 12:4, where the prophet is told to seal the vision for a future time. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown point out the contrast with Revelation 22:10, where the book is not to be sealed, here the order is reversed. The reason for concealment is left unstated; commentators offer tentative explanations but hold no consensus. The shared conclusion is that God retains sovereign freedom to reveal or withhold, and that John’s obedience models submission to that authority.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical referent view: Some (Vitringa, Daubuz) identify the thunders as specific historical events (e.g., Crusades, Reformation kingdoms) based on the context of the sixth trumpet.
- Eschatological terror view: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and others see the sealing as an act of mercy, sparing the church from pondering horrors too great, supported by the surrounding judgment imagery.
- Narrative-structuring view: Modern commentators treat the thunders as an apocalyptic motif that heightens the drama and reinforces the theme that not all heavenly speech is for public record.
What is clear: John was commanded not to write the content of the seven thunders, demonstrating that God retains authority over the extent of written revelation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the seven thunders | They produced articulate voices that John could understand and potentially record. | Some commentators (e.g., Vitringa, Daubuz) identify them with specific historical events (Crusades, Reformation kingdoms); others say they are entirely symbolic judgments; most modern scholars treat them as an unidentifiable apocalyptic motif. |
| Reason for sealing | The reason is not stated in the text, and all agree it is speculative. | Barnes mentions Vitringa’s view (Crusades not worth recording) and Stuart’s view (a summary method). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown suggests mercy: to avoid driving the godly to despair or the ungodly to recklessness. Others (Hengstenberg) say it simply means the content is not part of this book. |
| Relation to Daniel’s sealing | Both involve a command to seal a prophetic revelation. | In Daniel, the book is written then sealed for future understanding; here the command is not to write at all. Some see a direct borrowing, others a conscious inversion (Cambridge Bible: ‘in the impassioned style of this book it is forgotten that what is not written cannot and need not be sealed’). |
| Whether the thunders represent a separate category of revelation | They are part of the vision John experienced but were excluded from the written record. | Some traditions (e.g., Wesley) emphasize that this shows ‘something peculiarly secret was revealed to the beloved John’ beyond the book. Others say the thunders are simply not to be equated with the judgments of the trumpets, and their omission is part of the narrative structure. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Revelation 10 stands between the sixth and seventh trumpets, a dramatic pause before the final judgments. Apocalyptic literature of the Second Temple period often used thunder as a vehicle for divine speech, Psalm 29:3-4 hears the voice of the Lord in the thunder, and Exodus 19:16 associates thunder with God’s presence at Sinai. John’s readers would recognize thunder as a sign of God’s power and warning. The command to ‘seal up’ the words draws directly on Daniel 12:4, where Daniel is told ‘shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end.’ In Daniel, the sealing implies a delay of understanding until the appointed era. Here, John is ordered not to write at all, a stronger prohibition. The surrounding narrative includes a ‘little open book’ (Revelation 10:2) which John is later commanded to take and eat (v.9). This stands in contrast: some revelation is to be internalized and proclaimed, other parts are withheld. The mighty angel’s oath in v.6 that ‘there will no longer be delay’ sets the sealed thunders within an eschatological framework, the concealment is temporary, tied to the unfolding timeline. The voice from heaven in v.4 comes with the same authority as the command to write in Revelation 1:11; it is Christ’s directive. John’s impulse to write, then his obedience to stop, shows that even the beloved disciple does not control the flow of revelation. This passage reminds readers that apocalyptic visions are not comprehensive, they are selective disclosures for faith and endurance.
Textual Notes
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that the phrase ‘their voices’ is omitted in several early manuscripts (Aleph, A, B, C), with the text reading simply ‘when the seven thunders had spoken.’ The same source notes that ‘unto me’ is omitted in the same manuscripts. The Aleph manuscript reads ‘Whatsoever things’ instead of ‘when.’ These variants do not alter the core meaning: John heard the thunders, prepared to write, and was commanded to seal and not write. The textual base remains stable across traditions.
Reception History
Early Christian writers offered little comment on this verse, perhaps respecting its mystery. By the medieval period, interpreters often sought historical referents: the seven thunders were sometimes linked to the seven trumpets or to specific divine judgments. During the Reformation, Protestant commentators (Geneva Bible, Matthew Henry) stressed the general lesson that not all knowledge is for public disclosure; Daubuz (mentioned by Gill) allegorized the thunders as Reformation kingdoms. In more recent scholarship, the emphasis has shifted to the literary structure of Revelation and the ideological function of withheld revelation as a trope to heighten suspense and underscore divine sovereignty. The verse is read less as a cipher for historical events and more as a theological statement about the limits of apocalyptic disclosure. Across all eras, the passage has served as a caution against speculative curiosity and a call to humble trust in the sufficiency of what God has chosen to reveal.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The impulse to record: John was about to write, like a reporter catching every detail. We want to know everything God is doing.
- The command to seal: The voice from heaven overrules John. God limits what is revealed. Not all knowledge is good for us.
- The trust required: John obeys without explanation. We are called to trust God’s wisdom in what He shows and what He hides.
Five-point outline
- Thunders speak: God’s judgment is real and articulate, not random noise.
- John’s reflex: The disciple naturally wants to capture divine speech.
- Heaven’s veto: A voice from above commands silence.
- Sealed, not lost: The content is preserved for God’s purposes, not for human curiosity.
- Worship in uncertainty: We rest in what God has told us, trusting His hidden counsels.
Illustration hooks
- A doctor withholds a test result until the right moment, not to harm, but to protect. God withholds some truths for their proper season.
- A sealed letter in a family heirloom, its contents are real and important, but the owner chooses when it will be opened.
- A child asks why they cannot know every plan their parent makes. The parent’s love is shown in their choice to share at the right time.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean there are lost books of the Bible? No, it shows God gave John specific revelation for a specific purpose, and chose not to record these particular words.
- Why would God show John something and then tell him not to share it? To teach that God’s judgments are deeper than we can grasp, and that trust in His character matters more than complete knowledge.
- How can I trust God when I don’t understand what He is doing? The same way John did, by obeying the clear command and leaving the mystery to God.
Leading a Discussion
This small-group guide invites you to sit with the tension of Revelation 10:4. John hears something remarkable, prepares to record it, and is directly stopped. What does this moment teach us about how God reveals, and hides, His purposes? Read the verse aloud, then let the questions guide your conversation.
Discussion questions
- What stands out to you about John’s immediate reaction to the thunders? He was ‘about to write’, what does that tell us about his role as a prophet?
- The voice from heaven says ‘seal up’ and ‘do not write.’ Why do you think a command to withhold revelation might be necessary?
- Compare this with Daniel 12:4 and 12:9, where the prophet is told to seal the book until the end. What similarities and differences do you see?
- How does the contrast between the ‘little open book’ (v.8-10) and the sealed thunders shape your understanding of revelation? Some things are to be eaten and proclaimed, others hidden.
- Barnes suggests the thunders were ‘intelligible words’ but that their content is unknown. Does it bother you that we can’t know what they said? Why or why not?
- What does this passage reveal about God’s character? Is He stingy with truth, or wise in its distribution?
- How might you apply the principle of trusting God’s hidden purposes to a situation in your own life right now? Are there mysteries you need to release to Him?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 29:29 | The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. |
| Isaiah 8:1 | Yahweh said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man’s pen, ‘For Maher Shalal Hash Baz’; |
| Isaiah 8:16 | Wrap up the covenant. Seal the law among my disciples. |
| Isaiah 29:11 | All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t, for it is sealed;” |
| Daniel 8:26 | “The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it belongs to many days to come.” |
| Daniel 12:4 | But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.” |
| Daniel 12:9 | He said, “Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. |
| Habakkuk 2:2 | Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes interprets the seven thunders as the papal anathemas that opposed the Reformation. The command not to record them means these pronouncements had no divine authority and nothing worth preserving. He draws a parallel to Luther’s early reverence for the pope, showing how even godly reformers could mistake human decrees for God’s voice.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the command to seal up what was not to be written borrows from Daniel's more logical usage, but here the impassioned style forgets that unwritten words cannot be sealed. He dismisses speculation about the thunders' voices as worse than idle.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And cried with a loude voyce, as when a lyon roareth: and when he had cried, seuen thunders vttered their voyces.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains John was told to seal up the seven thunders because the Reformation era represented by them was not the final fulfillment of God's mystery. The reformers' desire to complete the work was stopped by divine will, as that glorious state belongs to the seventh trumpet, not the sixth.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights a deliberate contrast: John is told to seal up these thunder-voices, while Daniel was told to seal his prophecies only until the end. God mercifully withholds these terrors to keep believers from anxious brooding and the ungodly from reckless despair, demonstrating that still more judgments remain unrevealed.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the seven thunders represent a series of seven holy reforms in the church, deliberately sealed because writing them would hinder the free development of New Testament times. The angel is not Christ himself but his angelic image preceding the second coming, combining features of Michael and the dispensation of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry identifies the mighty angel as none other than Christ himself, reading the cloud, rainbow, sun-like face and fiery feet as signs of his veiled glory, covenant faithfulness and royal majesty. For Henry, these details deliberately echo how John described Jesus earlier in the book.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
To write. According to the injunction in ch. 1 11.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that of all the revelations John received, only the seven thunders' words were commanded to be kept secret and not written. This indicates that something uniquely hidden was disclosed to John, and believers are not to inquire further into what was not recorded.