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Rev_10:3-4. At a mighty call of the angel, seven voices of thunder sounded what John, however, was forbidden to write.
καὶ ἔκραξε
μυκᾶται . What the angel called, the text in no way indicates; at any rate, Beng. is incorrect in saying that what is described in Rev_10:6 may have been expressed by this cry. Only in general, the threatening character[2712] of this cry is to be recognized already from the fact that the mighty voice belonging to the strong angel[2713] is compared expressly with the roar of the lion,[2714] as in the immediately succeeding and, as it were, responsive voices of thunder.
The word μυκᾶσθαι properly expresses the bellowing of the bull,[2715] yet in Theocritus[2716] there is also found ΜΎΚΗΜΑ ΛΕΑΊΝΗς . [See Note LXIV., p. 308.] ΑἹ ἙΠΤᾺ ΒΡΟΝΤΑῚ . The art., which suggests some particular thunder, cannot refer to Rev_4:5.[2717] Ewald’s explanation, “All seven thunders of the heavens seem to intimate that the whole heaven must be considered as having exclaimed with an unheard-of and terrible clamor,” has no biblical foundation, and proceeds from the later Jewish conception of seven heavens, as it ascribes to each heaven a special thunder. Heinr. says, too indefinitely: “Seven mightier thunders,” but is correct in making a comparison with the seven spirits of God,[2718] and the seven angels;[2719] for here, where the question is concerning a definite manifestation by thunder, this occurs not only in the concrete number seven,—to which, besides, a certain outward occasion may have been given in the sevenfold description of the Divine voices of thunder, Psalms 29,[2720]—but their sound is regarded also by John as a significant speech ( ἘΛΆΛΗΣΑΝ ), as each thunder uttered its special voice ( Τ . ἙΑΥΤῶΝ ΦΩΝΆς ) which brought an intelligible revelation to the prophet.
In accordance with the command, Rev_1:11, John wanted to write down what the thunder had said; the ἬΜΕΛΛΟΝ ΓΡ ., I was on the point of writing,[2721] which does not suit the standpoint of proper vision, since within this any writing is inconceivable,[2722] is explained from the standpoint of the composition of the book; but the exchange of these two standpoints is without difficulty, when considered as referring to the prophet now writing out his vision, and as based, indeed, upon the essential identity of the Divine revelation, which guides the writing, as well as the gazing, prophet, when he receives, in respect to this revelation, another command: καὶ ἤκουσα , κ . τ . λ . The ΚΑῚ has neither here, nor anywhere else, an adversative meaning, but simply connects the new point, whose inner opposition to the preceding is not precisely marked.[2723]
ΦΩΝῊΝ ἘΚ ΤΟῦ ΟὐΡΑΝΟῦ . The expression does not compel us to regard John no longer in heaven;[2724] also from the standpoint which John occupies from Rev_4:1 (cf. Rev_10:1), he could designate a voice sounding from the depth of heaven as a ΦΩΝ . ἘΚ Τ . ΟὐΡ . That the voice belonged to Christ,—as Beng. infers from the command, Rev_1:11, which here suffers an exception,—remains an ingenious conjecture. Ew. ii. proposes the angel-attendant of Rev_1:1. See in loc.
The heavenly voice demands a complete silence concerning all that the thunders had uttered: σφοάγισον
καὶ μὴ αὐτὰ γράψῃς . The sealing is to occur just by the not writing; compare the reverse relation, Rev_22:10. Contrary to the text, therefore, is every explanation that finds[2725] in this passage a sealing that is in any way conditional,[2726] and entirely improper is the question as to what were the contents of the voices of the thunders. Beda regarded them identical with the seven trumpets; Zeg., as the oracles of all the prophets—before Christ; Hengstenb.[2727] thinks: “what is announced later concerning the destruction of the enemies of the kingdom of God, and the final victory, must be essentially identical with what is here previously kept secret.” Others have tried to conjecture from the context, if not the contents, yet the subject and character, of the utterance of the thunders. Hofm. has offered what is, in every respect, the strangest suggestion, when he imagines how the seven thunders had expressed the blessed mystery of the new world. Beng. considered the voices of thunder as those which mightily proclaim the praise of God. The other expositors have more correctly maintained the threatening significance of the voices of thunder; but their relation to the call of the angel is arbitrarily stated by Herd.: “The thunders declared their curses, but John was forbidden to write them, as they are not to disturb the angel’s glad message;” and by Eichh.: “The thunders had announced the sad contents of the little book, in order that the glad message might remain for the angel.”[2728] The seven thunders are referred to definite individual facts by Vitr., who understands the seven crusades; and by Ebrard, who thinks of the seven acts of God which will occur before the beginning of the seventh trumpet, and whereby God obtains for his people rest, and for himself glory before his enemies. Better than all the exegetes who have even attempted to discover something concerning the contents of the voices of thunder, did S. Brigitta esteem the text, of whom the legend says, that she wanted to know what the voices of thunder announced to John; she therefore prayed for a special revelation from God, and received it, whereby it was revealed to her that the thunder prophesied terrible judgments upon the persecutors of the Church.[2729]
The question has also been asked, why John did not dare write the utterance of the thunders. Incorrectly, Züll.: “Because unbelievers would not be converted;” but it is neither certain that the thunder-voices had any such tendency, nor is the presumption in itself correct.[2730] Ew. mentions the contents of the voices of the thunder as “exceeding human comprehension;”[2731] but John not only understood that declaration, but also regarded it intelligible to others, as he wanted to write it. De Wette says only, that thereby the mysteriousness is to be increased. Volkm. recognizes only a literary reason: for writing, or rather for announcing, there is no longer time, as now the second part, the realization, comes.[2732] Yet there is still time sufficient to refer to new announcements (Rev_10:6; Rev_10:11); for they follow as such, and not as realizations. It is well simply to acknowledge what is most obvious; viz., that the holy wisdom of God has given no account as to why this special revelation has not been made universal[2733]
[2712] In so far, Ew. 2. decides not incorrectly (“Rome, thou fallest”); but the threatening of the angel in his cry, as in his significant manifestation, is directed first to Jerusalem, and afterwards to Rome.
[2713] Cf. Rev_6:1, Rev_7:2.
[2714] Cf. Hos_11:10; Amo_3:8.
[2715] Phavorinus: βρυχᾶσθαι ἐπὶ λέοντος · μυχᾶσθαι ἐπὶ βοός . Cf. Wetst.
[2716] Id. xxvi. 21.
[2717] Against Beng.
[2718] Rev_1:4, Rev_4:5.
[2719] Rev_8:2.
[2720] Züll., Hengstenb., Ebrard.
[2721] Cf. Rev_12:4.
[2722] From an entirely mechanical idea of inspiration, the writing within an ecstasy of course appears inconceivable. Thus, e.g., even Lämmert (Babel, p. 27 sq.) thinks: John, who in his writing had actually proceeded as far as the close of ch. 9, would have written even further.
[2723] Cf. Winer, p. 407 sqq.
[2724] De Wette.
[2725] Cf. Dan_12:4; Dan_12:9.
[2726] Beda: “Do not display the mysteries of the Christian faith to all everywhere, lest they grow common, neither conceal them from the good, lest they be altogether hidden.” Hengstenb., who justifies Brightmann’s paraphrase: “Do not insert these utterances in this, but reserve them for another, more appropriate place.” Cf. also Ew. ii.
[2727] Cf. also Stern.
[2728] Cf. Rev_10:9 sq., πικρανεῖ and γλυκύ .
[2729] Cf. C. a Lap.
[2730] Cf. Rev_11:13.
[2731] Cf. Beng., who refers to 2Co_12:4.
[2732] See on p. 25.
[2733] Cf. Act_1:7.
LXIV. Rev_10:3. μυκᾶται
“ μὴ φρένας ὑμῶν ἠλιθιώσῃ
βροντῆς μύκημʼ ἀτέραμνον .”
“Quickly from hence depart,
Lest the relentless roar
Of thunder stun your soul.”
PLUMPTRE’S Translation.