Voice, Angel, Thunders

Revelation 10 opens with a vision of an angel coming down from heaven. If the angel isn’t Jesus, he is Jesus’ doppelganger: Clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow crown, voice like a lion, carrying a book, like the one the Lamb opened (Revelation 5-7).

When the angel speaks, seven thunders peal out their voices. 

John is about to write what the thunders said, but a voice from heaven stops him. 

Angel, Thunders, Voice.

Then the angel swears that there will be no more delay in the coming of new creation. 

And then we go through the same three characters, but in a different order. The heavenly voice tells John to ask for the book (10:8). Then the angel tells him to “Take, eat” (10:9). Then “they” commission John as a prophet (10:11) – and they must be the thunders.

Schematically:

A. Angel descends.

B. Thunders roar.

C. Heavenly voice speaks.

A’. Angel swears an oath.

C’. Heavenly voice speaks.

A”. Angel says “Take, eat.”

B’. Thunders commission.

When it’s all over, John has been commissioned as a prophet. That’s what it takes to be a prophet: An angel, a heavenly voice, thunder. It’s like Jesus Himself, commissioned as a prophet at his baptism by a voice from heaven and the descent of a dove, like Jesus answered with thunder from heaven.

It’s a Triune commissioning. The Angel is Jesus; the voice from heaven is the Father; the thunders are the voices of the seven Spirits of God that are before the throne. The Father commissions by voice; the Spirit commissions by thunder; the Angel-Son commissions by offering an edible book. John becomes a prophet by the voice of the Father, the book of the Son, and the thunder of the Spirit.