Readings in Revelation: Notes on the "loud voice" of Revelation 12.10-11
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. –Rev. 12.10, 11 ESV
12.10 “And I heard a loud voice…"
The first mention of a “loud" voice in Revelation is in 1.10, where this is clearly the voice of Jesus. At many other places it is the voice of an angel or “strong" angel. He speaks to Jesus, to other angels, or to the earth. In 14.2 it is described to be all at once like rolling thunder, many waters, and harpers playing on their harps. It is compared to the piercing cry of an eagle flying in the heavens (8.10) and to the growling, shaking rumble of a roaring lion (10.3). It also the sound of a great multitude, the sound of an unnumbered throng singing a swelling anthem of praise to God for their salvation. (7.10; 19.1).
The “loud" voice or voices, are said to come from several places. John hears it from or in the sanctuary in heaven (1.10; 5.2, 12; 11.12,15; 12.10; 16.1), from the “rising of the sun" which means from the east (7.2), from an angel standing with one foot on the land and the other on the sea (10.3), As the eagle like voice was from “mid-heaven", so is that of the three angles in ch. 14. The loud voice calling for the birds of the air to devour the wicked dead of earth is also from mid-heaven (19.17). These loud voices are heard closer to the earth or as the voices of messengers on the earth. In 14.15 an angel calls in a loud voice as he comes out of the heavenly temple; he calls to Christ seated on a cloud; he is coming to the earth with a symbolic sickle for reaping the harvest in his hand. “The hour to reap has come". This may be a message from the Father, by an angel, to the Son of God. It is a “loud voice" for all to hear.
The loud voices in Revelation proclaim the accomplished salvation of the saints, praise for their salvation, worship of God and the Lamb, and judgement on sinners, the worshippers of the beast. The beginning of the seven plagues are announced with a loud voice, as is the end of the plagues. The final loud voice declares, “the dwelling of God is with men…they shall be his people and God himself will be with them."
This is the voice of proclamation. It is represented as “loud" because everyone is meant to hear. What the voice says is essential and for everyone. An announcement is being made. It is the announcement of an event that has occurred. Such announcements are common in Revelation. John frequently sees and hears someone proclaim a message with a “loud" voice. We repeatedly see that the messages are meant to be known by those on the earth and those in heaven. How can we say God is distant from his people or his creation? How can we say that God has not made himself and his ways known to all the universe. Is it because He has not spoken or because we have refused to listen that humanity stumbles through time with “no direction known, like a rolling stone" (Dylan).
None will be able to say in the judgment that they did not, could not, or should not have known of God and his plan for their salvation. Loud voices have proclaimed the Way, the Truth, and the Life through endless ages. Each epoch, each generation of humanity has been told of heavenly things. Jesus said that if human voices were silenced, then even the rocks would cry out the praise of God.
The age we live in--the time of the three angels of Revelation 14--is the age of loud voices from heaven. Messages of heaven are to be sent around the globe, encircling the earth with the goods news of salvation from sin and the warning of a judgement already begun in the court of heaven. These messages all harmonize in their parts with the loud cry of Rev. 12.11. Salvation has been accomplished! Jesus has shed his blood, satisfying the justice of God’s law and providing mercy for its transgressors. Relieved of their guilt before God and their troubled hearts, they give testimony to the power of God and his Christ over the devil, the one who accused them day and night before the judgement bar of heaven.
“I heard…" That John repeatedly hears the voices of heaven, the voice of Jesus, that he sees and hears the things of God is evidence in itself that Revelation is just that, a revelation to humanity. It is to be heard by human beings, of John is representative. He was told to write these things out. The loud voice is heard in our behalf and then the messages are conveyed to us. It was for the seven churches of Asia in Johns’s and for the seven symbolic epochs of history after the cross coming day to our day, the last, the final, the culminating scene on history’s blood-soaked stage.
It is also important to note that these proclamations are called testimonies, even the “testimony of Jesus" 1.1-2; 19.30. The faithful are those who hold this testimony dear. 12.17; 14.12. The testimony from heaven is echoed in the testimony of those witnesses who believe in Him. The loud voices coming from the sanctuary announce decisions of heaven’s court. The temple is not only the place of worship, it is also the place of judgement, the place where decisions of God our revealed to his creation. We call such decisions the will of God, therefore, the loud voices testify to the will of the One who tests and judges “he thoughts and intentions of the heart" with his word (Heb. 4.12-13). The loud voice is always the voice of righteousness, righteous in what it justifies and righteous in what it condemns.
That which gives volume or loudness to the voice is in the nature of God’s word itself. He creates through what he speaks; he speaks through his Son. The Word is “God’s thought made audible" (White). There is no loud voice in Revelation that is wasted or superfluous. All that is said is done, all that is restrained is stopped. There exist perfect harmony between what is said and what is accomplished. When the loud voice cries, “It is finished", it is indeed finished. Whether believed or heard, the word proclaimed is always the word achieved. The voice is loud in the sense that it is ultimately absolute and irresistible in accomplishing the will of God. In it the Lord’s prayer is consummated by the covenant faithfulness of God: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on heaven as it is in earth". It is the voice of God to every soul, the eternal, majestic volume of merciful sovereignty.
Supplemental Reading
“At the death of Jesus the soldiers had beheld the earth wrapped in profound darkness at midday; but at the resurrection they saw the brightness of the angels illuminate the night, and heard the inhabitants of Heaven singing with great joy and triumph: Thou hast vanquished Satan and the powers of darkness! Thou hast swallowed up death in victory! "And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night."
The casting down of Satan as an accuser of the brethren in Heaven was accomplished by the great work of Christ in giving up his life. Notwithstanding Satan's persistent opposition, the plan of redemption was being carried out. Man was esteemed of sufficient value for Christ to sacrifice his life for him. Satan, knowing that the empire he had usurped would in the end be wrested from him, determined to spare no pains to destroy as many as possible of the creatures whom God had created in his image. He hated man because Christ had manifested for him such forgiving love and pity, and he now prepared to practice upon him every species of deception by which he might be lost; he pursued his course with more energy because of his own hopeless condition.
Christ came to earth to vindicate the claims of his Father's law, and his death shows the immutability of that law. But Satan thrusts upon man the fallacy, that the law of God was abolished by the death of Christ, and he thus leads many professed Christians to transgress the Father's commandments, while they assume devotion to his Son.
The Christian world is not sufficiently acquainted with the history of Satan, and the terrible power that he wields. Many look upon him as a mere imaginary being. Meanwhile he has crept into the popular mind; he sways the people --he assumes the character of an angel of light--he marshals his trained forces like a skilled general--he has gained profound knowledge of human nature, and can be logical, philosophical, or hypocritically religious. -E.G. White, Vol. 3, Spirit of Prophecy, 194, 195
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Could one sin have been found in Christ, had He in one particular yielded to Satan in order to escape the terrible torture, the enemy of God and man would have triumphed. Christ bowed His head and died, but He held fast His faith in God. "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."
No one need be overcome by Satan's assaults. Christ has conquered for every son and daughter of Adam. He came to cut every thread that binds human beings to Satan. His life of pure, unselfish service is our example. Let us study His work in our world. As we stand at the foot of the cross, and behold the infinite sacrifice made in our behalf, we shall be humbled and subdued. Our hearts will be filled with a desire to practise the self-denial and sacrifice seen in Christ's life. Self will sink out of sight. All worldly ambition, all desire for earthly gain, will be quenched. We shall count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Our highest aim will be to know Him, "and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. –EGW, Signs of the Times, Aug. 9, 1905 par. 12
(All Scripture is from the English Standard Version unless noted otherwise)
