Apocalypse Revealed #236
236. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. (4:5) This symbolizes enlightenment, perception, and instruction from the Lord.
Because of the flash of light that strikes the eyes, lightnings symbolize enlightenment, and because of the crash that strikes the ears, thunderings symbolize perception. And since these two together symbolize enlightenment and perception, voices then symbolize instruction.
These phenomena were seen to proceed from the throne because they emanated from the Son of Man or from the Lord in relation to the Word, and all enlightenment, perception and instruction comes from the Lord by means of the Word.
Lightnings, thunderings and voices have similar symbolic meanings elsewhere in the Word, as in the following places:
You have with Your arm redeemed Your people...; the skies sent out a voice... The voice of Your thunder was into the world; the lightnings lit up the world... (Psalms 77:15, 17-18)
(Jehovah's) lightnings light the world... (Psalms 97:4)
In distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder... (Psalms 81:7)
I heard... the voice of a great multitude..., as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty has taken the kingdom. (Revelation 19:6)
[2] Because lightnings, thunderings and voices symbolize enlightenment, perception and instruction, therefore when Jehovah descended on Mount Sinai and promulgated the Law, "there were thunderings and lightnings" (Exodus 19:16). Moreover, when a voice issued from heaven to the Lord, it sounded like thunder (John 12:28-29). And because James and John represented charity and its works, and from these spring every perception of truth and good, the Lord called them "Boanerges, that is, 'Sons of Thunder'" (Mark 3:17).
It is apparent from this that lightnings, thunderings and voices have similar symbolic meanings in the following places in the book of Revelation:
I heard one of the four living creatures... with a voice like thunder... (Revelation 6:1)
I heard a voice from heaven... like the voice of loud thunder. (Revelation 14:2)
(When) the angel... threw (the censer) to the earth..., there were thunderings, voices, and lightnings... (Revelation 8:5)
When (the angel) cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. (Revelation 10:3-4)
(When) the temple of God was opened in heaven... there were lightnings, voices, and thunderings... (Revelation 11:19)
So likewise elsewhere.
Revelation 9
1
The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him.
2
He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
3
Then out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4
They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don't have God's seal on their foreheads.
5
They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a person.
6
In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
7
The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people's faces.
8
They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.
9
They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war.
10
They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months.
11
They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is "Abaddon," but in Greek, he has the name "Apollyon."
12
The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.
13
The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14
saying to the sixth angel who had one trumpet, "Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!"
15
The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.
16
The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.
17
Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of lions. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.
18
By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths.
19
For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm.
20
The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn't repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn't worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk.
21
They didn't repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.
