The book of Revelation is not a sealed book! (Rev 1:11; 22:10) Yet, it is interesting to note as we look into the throne room vision (Rev 4 & 5), that the One who is sitting on the throne, —our Heavenly Father, has a sealed book in His right hand. We praise God with John that it is only by the blood of the Lamb that the book can be taken from the Father’s hand. (Rev 5:5-7) We then see the book’s seven seals unsealed (Rev 6), the trumpets are blown (Rev 8 & 9) in preparation for its reading, and it appears that most of the book is read by the Angel (Rev 5:3, 4) and understood by John (for he writes what he sees), —except for a smaller portion (Rev 10:2) of the book which is presented to him in Revelation 10. But here in the first few verses of Revelation 10 we see that even though John understands and is about to write, he is asked to “seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” Rev 10:4
      This has caused a strange reaction among those who read about the little book of seven thunders. When we come to Revelation 10, we understand the words “seal up” to be “closed up,” “shut up,” “impeded,” “blocked.” But, how much clearer this passage would be if we understood the meaning to be, “validate,” “certify,” “authenticate,” “ratify,” which are also found in a Thesaurus for the word seal. We also find: “As to mark with an indication of official sanction. A stamp affixed to a document (as to attest to its authenticity).”
      That which is sealed in Revelation 10 is only that portion of Scripture which deals with explaining the seven thunders from the little book of Daniel; and so they are to be understood by the last generation, for it is the last generation which takes part in those thunderous last-day events. (Rev 10:7 “finished”; see also Dan 12:9, 13, 4 “till the time of the end,” “and stand in thy lot at the end of the days,” “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.”) So then, if the book of Revelation is not sealed (Rev 22:10), then we must conclude that the words “seal up” (Rev 10:4), which deals with the little book of seven thunders, is giving us clues as to what the little book is, what the seven thunders are, and where to find them! —And that is the reason John was asked not to write the seven thunders, —they had already been written in the little book of Daniel! “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro (in the Scriptures), and (spiritual) (prophetic) knowledge shall be increased.” (Dan 12:4). In the Revelation we find the “official sanction,” the “authenticity,” or the real reason for the existence and fulfillment of the prophecies in the little book of Daniel. It is not until the last generation comes upon the scene that the Revelation which John wrote (90 AD) would be used to unseal the prophecies of Daniel (written BC 606-534), and then, of course, because most of Daniel’s prophecies have had a historical fulfillment, then we conclude that the prophecies of Daniel are to be repeated as the last-day events. That is the very reason John (as a symbol of the last generation) is asked to eat the little book of seven thunders, —and then told,

“Thou must prophesy again
before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”
Rev 10:11
 
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God,
and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.”
Isa 46:9-10, 12, 13

 
The Mighty Angel and the Little Book Open—
      The Mighty Angel of Revelation 10 is Jesus Christ (Rev 1:15; Matt 17:2) who paid for the little book open with His blood as the slain Lamb (Rev 5). (Thought Question: Did Jesus die for a book, or the names in that book? Rev 21:27) What is the worth of this book that it would require the death of the Son of God? It must be a very important book if the only way to acquire the book from the Father’s right hand is by the blood of the Lamb, the price paid for our sin! The book is written within and on the backside (Rev 5:1); there is no more room to write the history of the world, its empires and nations, to record the history of every soul who ever lived —the book is nearly complete. (Therefore the 7 churches, the 7 seals, the 7 trumpets, and the 7 thunders of Revelation have their more direct, complete fulfillment in earth’s end-time events! They take their place at the end of the book, both before and continuing with the 7 plagues!) As the 7 seals of the book are unsealed (Rev 6), and as the 7 trumpets blow their warning judgments (Rev 8 & 9), a smaller portion of the book (Rev 10:2), “a little book open,” is now read (Rev 5:4) by the Mighty Angel (Rev 10:3), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5); and there is heard the sound of thunder. (Thunder will get the attention of all; for we well know that where there is thunder there is a great storm.)
      The seven thunders are seemingly sealed (Rev 10:4), —as is that portion of the book of Daniel which relates specifically to the time of the end, —the last-day events (Dan 12:9, 13). (Therefore, it is true that the seven thunders, Daniel’s repeated last-day fulfillment, has been sealed prior to this last generation.)

What are the Seven Thunders?
      —The seven thunders are seven events which relate to and are encapsulated in the seven times of the little book of Daniel. (2300, 49, 434, 7, 1260, 1290, 1335; FS.) The seven thundering events are identified by the beginning and/or the ending events of these seven times. The seven thunders are explained by these fulfilled prophetic history events (in the type–years), as they specifically relate to the repeated last-day events (in the antitype–literal days)! The proper location of the seven thundering events is dependent on God’s choosing and in His appointed time(s) —not man’s, and their placement in last-day events is understood by their relationships and explanation in fulfilled prophetic history! These seven major last-day events (with many other events) will be so Guided by the Mighty Angel of Revelation 10 in their placement and explanation, that there will be no argument, —only decision!  PDF
      “And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again”. . . from the “little book open” —which is the book of Daniel (Rev 10:11; 10:2). Thus, the seven thunders are based on their prophetic fulfilled counterparts in history. Who, but God alone, could make such a grand design, thus showing who the true God is, and who are His true followers? We must join in with Heaven’s praise, “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Rev 5:9, 10) (Further Study: What does Ellen White write about the seven thunders?)

What are the Seven Events of Prophetic History, —the Type?

      As the seven thunders are based on Daniel’s fulfilled prophetic events of the past, those events would then be: (In order of time, symbolic years.) (Note the corresponding numbers (1-7) on the top half of the Mirror Chart.) (The following is only a basic explanation of the type and antitype of the seven thunders and doesn’t offer a detailed explanation at this time.) (FS1 & FS2)
      1. BC 457 —The decree to rebuild Jerusalem. “The transgression of desolation” set-up; the daily taken away; and the place of his sanctuary cast down. The beginning of the longest time period in Daniel, spanning 2300 symbolic days or 2300 years, ending October 22, 1844. Dan 8:13, 14; 9:25.  (FS3 & FS4)
      2. BC 408 —Jerusalem is finished; specifically the wall of protection, —70 “weeks of years” (490 years) later. Dan 9:25.  (FS)
      3. 31 AD —Christ’s sacrifice in the midst of the seventieth week, —490 “weeks of years” later. The valley of decision, seven years, for the professed church. The events on each side of the cross are important, but the focus is on the “midst of the week”, —where the Lamb of God demonstrates the importance of the Law by giving His life for the repentant sinner. Dan 9:24-27; Strong’s #H7620.  (FS)
      4. 508 AD —King Clovis of the Franks (c. 466–511) converts to Catholicism and makes preparations for the setting up of the “abomination of desolation” (the Papacy) by the removal of three horn powers. Dan 7:8; 11:29-35; 12:11.  (FS)
      5. 538 AD —“The abomination of desolation” is set-up; the daily taken away; the Papacy rules for 1260 years, the era of papal supremacy and oppression ending in 1798. Dan 7:25; 12:7.  (FS)
      6. 1798 —The French Revolution, which began in 1789, abruptly cast off the Roman Catholic yoke. On February 20, 1798, Pius VI was dethroned, exiled, imprisoned, his private library confiscated, his estate given up to plunder, and his subjects placed under the military control of the French General Berthier. (But his wound was not a wound unto death, and was healed in later years under the Lateran Treaty of February 11, 1929.) Dan 7:25; 12:7.  (FS)
      7. October 22, 1844 —‘Prophetic time’ ends (a-day-for-a-year, Rev 10:6); The Sanctuary is NOT cleansed because the historical fulfillment is only the type! But it is the beginning of the Great Day of Atonement; the judgment of the dead begins and continues until the starting of the repeated thundering last-day events, when the last great day of judgment begins for the living. Dan 8:14; Rev 11:1, 2.  (FS)

What are the Seven Thundering Events of the Last Days, —the Antitype?

      So then we conclude that Daniel’s historically fulfilled prophecies and events are the template for their repeated events, which are understood as the seven thundering last-day events:
(In order of time, literal days. Rev 10:6)  (Note the corresponding numbers (1-7) on the bottom half of the Mirror Chart.)
          1. The First Thunder  —“The transgression of desolation” is set-up (A National Sunday Law in the United States; FS); the daily taken away; the place of His sanctuary is cast down; and the decree to rebuild spiritual Jerusalem, the spiritual temple, and specifically to repair the breach made in the wall (of God’s Law). The beginning of the longest time period in Daniel, reaches 2300 literal days to the final act of redemption, the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary. Dan 8:14 During this entire time, the wise will be watching and acting their parts in the events on earth, —but their main focus will be on the final acts of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary and the obliteration of their sins!!!  (FS5 & FS6)
          2. The Second Thunder  —The wall of protection is symbolic of the Law of God, the whole Law of God. The Mighty Angel now steps out in a compelling stance and brings forth the Law of His Father to show the world that the judgment of the living has started! (My personal belief is that the Ark of the Covenant will be revealed at this time; FS pdf book.) The last great controversy is centered on Who is to be worshipped and on what Holy Days (or unholy days) —the seventh-day Sabbath or Sunday. For the wicked, this is a terrifying act as of a mighty earthquake with lightning, thundering voices, and judgment (Rev 11:19); but the righteous rejoice in Jesus’ guidance and protection, and reflect His righteousness. Seven weeks have passed, and the saints begin to see a great storm of opposition gathering against them. Drawing warmth from the coldness of others, they use their energies and finances to teach all who will listen to prepare for what is coming next.  (FS7 & FS8)
          3. The Third Thunder  —In the midst of the seventieth week the professed church of God turns against its Saviour. Could this be so? Ancient Israel turned against its Saviour! Are we better than they, or is our transgression worse than theirs? Surely, in the light of this repeated prophecy, the last-day professed people of God will not make the very same mistake that ancient Israel made! Surely, thunder and an earthquake will not be repeated! And what mistake was that? The rejection of Christ, His character, His Law, His Sabbath day of creative and redemptive rest! God forbid that anyone should prophesy the details of this repeated prophecy; oh, how could these events come true under such explicit warning?
      There are many who are professed Christians, but they are not born of the Holy Spirit, and are the greatest enemies of the saints. Dan 11:30-31 Scripture calls them the “synagogue of Satan” and they trouble the saints throughout the last-day events until Christ comes in the clouds. Just before Jesus comes these professed Christians “worship before [the saints] feet, and know that I [Jesus] have loved thee.” Rev 2:9; 3:9.
      But not all is lost; for as a new, stronger church emerged out of the shaking of ancient Israel, so also will those who follow their Saviour in teaching the Sabbath more fully, and this time, they will take advantage of completing the seven-fold covenant (Dan 9:24) with their Creator, and with the early and latter rain of the Holy Spirit working in and through them —completing the harvest.  (FS)
          4. The Fourth Thunder  —Sunday agitation and enforcement now reach world-wide proportions in a universal Sunday law (a One-World Government Law) with two phases;  1) The fourth thunder is an enactment phase; and  2) the fifth thunder is an enforcement phase. This thirty day, two-phase law, will be used as a time for the nations of the world to decide, not if they want to join, but to in fact join the New World Order of nations. Daniel wrote the prophecy of the abomination of desolation and Jesus placed it as the main crisis during the last-day events. Matt 24:15; FS  This law is called the abomination of desolation for good reason, and in reality, there will NOT be a free choice given, —to any nation or individual! Force will be the end result used by the right arm of the Papacy, —the U.S. Preparation for setting up the Papacy and its image (Universal Sunday Worship Law) will require the liquidation of three nations (and the absorption and reorganization of others) (Dan 7). (See also Rev 13.)  (FS9 & FS10)
          5. The Fifth Thunder  —This is the enforcement phase of “the abomination of desolation;” a Universal Sunday Law is set up. The sign which the Papacy has from early ages claimed to prove her authority is Sunday worship. This law will require of every nation and every person, no matter what rank, nationality, status, allegiance, or citizenship, not only to acknowledge the authority of the law, but to honor the worship aspect of the law. This act of image worship is illustrated in Daniel 3 and will be repeated in every detail, in every nation, for every person alive on the planet. This is the final and last great test to come upon man! The coming storm will be a controversy over who, how, and when to worship. There will be many other issues, but the main subject of the thundering storm will be the Law of God, focused on worship on the seventh-day Sabbath, —or on Sunday which is based in paganism.
      Everything that was fulfilled in prophetic history will be repeated in the last-day events, even more explicitly than before. The horrific pictures written in Fox’s Book of Martyrs don’t adequately describe what will happen during this last rule of the anti-Christ through the Papacy and the United States. 666 will be clearly identifiable at that time. Dan 7:7, 8; Rev 13:1-18.
      This anti-Christ power rules the world for 3½ years or 1260 literal days. Dan 7:25; 12:7 Its goals will not be apparent at first, but it will place itself against the daily ministration of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary, deceiving the majority of Christians, “and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” Dan 12:7.
      It’s hard for us, at this time, to understand that the U.S. would do anything the Papacy wishes, for our prejudices block our view. But this prophecy will be fulfilled in every detail! Unfortunately, the United States started down this one-way road back when she passed the transgression of desolation, a National Sunday Law, at the beginning of the 2300 literal days, and there is no turning back!  (FS11 & FS12)
          6. The Sixth Thunder  —The Papacy comes to its end. This is not a wound that the Papacy can recover from; it is a wound unto eternal death! There is no second chance during the 1,000 years!
      Mankind has sinned and has been given a probationary time to choose redemption through belief in Jesus Christ as their Saviour from sin. This probationary time, 6000 years, will soon come to an end. Probationary time ends when Jesus says, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Rev 22:11) After this the seven last plagues will be poured out, ending with the seventh plague and the Second Coming of Jesus. The angel of the fifth plague specifically pours “out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (Rev 16:10, 11) It is this fifth plague which ends the 3½ year (1260 day) desolating rule of the Papacy. She will never be worshipped again!  (FS)
          7. The Seventh Thunder  —The cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary; the great, anti-typical Day of Atonement, when the confessed sins of the saints will be forever cleansed and blotted out. Hallelujah! The cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary. This is NOT the Second Coming of Christ, neither is it the close of probationary time. Daniel was told, “Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.” “Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.” “How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” (Dan 8:17, 19, 13, 14; See Strong’s Hebrew meaning for days –‘ereb boqer [H6153-H1242], —evening-morning —literal twenty-four hour creation days taken from Gen 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.)
      The final acts of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary are typified by the priest of ancient Israel. There are many events which lead up to this event, more than we can mention here, and so we will need to study deeper. We will want to take careful note of just when probation closed for the individual Israelite; when and how the High Priest carried the sins of all Israel into the Holy Place of the sanctuary; what exactly happened in the Most Holy Place with the blood; and what was the final act of the High Priest which cleansed the sanctuary of all sin. Understanding all these things will help us follow along with the last redemptive acts of Jesus as our High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary. (Another consideration is that the last day of the 1335 days is one day short of the last day of the 2300 days (one year in the historical fulfillment).  Is there a message here?)  (FS)
 
The Seven Thunders are NOT. . . .
      Although the following events are included in the last-day events, it should be obvious that they cannot be one of the seven thunders, for none of the following events are associated with the events of prophetic time in the fulfillment of the 2300 year prophecy!
*** None of the seven thunders show the time for the early or latter rain of the Holy Spirit.
*** None of the seven thunders show the time of the close of the world’s probation.
*** None of the seven thunders show the time of the Second Coming of Jesus.
 
      Again: —The seven thunders are seven events which relate to and are encapsulated in the seven times of the little book of Daniel. (2300, 49, 434, 7, 1260, 1290, 1335; FS.) The seven thundering events are identified by the beginning and/or the ending events of these seven times. The seven thunders are explained by these fulfilled prophetic history events (in the type–years), as they specifically relate to the repeated last-day events (in the antitype–literal days)! The proper location of the seven thundering events is dependent on God’s choosing and in His appointed time(s) —not man’s, and their placement in last-day events is understood by their relationships and explanation in fulfilled prophetic history! These seven major last-day events (with many other events) will be so Guided by the Mighty Angel of Revelation 10 in their placement and explanation, that there will be no argument, —only decision!  PDF  (Further Study: What does Ellen White write about the seven thunders?)

Why will there be seven thunders? As the thunders rolled on Mount Sinai in the giving of the Law, so must thunder roll again in the last days —to bring men again to the importance of His Law— a transcript of His character.

Prophetic Type Explains Prophetic Antitype—
      The stance of Jesus, with one foot on the sea and the other on the earth, shows that God the Father (who is on the throne; Rev 4-5:1) places His Son in charge of the last-day events of earth’s history (Also Ezekiel chapters 1-9). His voice will be heard as each of the seven last-day thundering events follows the exact same pattern of correctly fulfilled prophetic history! Type meets antitype! Prophetic history reveals the past, the present, and the future! God’s people will give the last messages as seen in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, because they correctly understand the types in prophetic history, and how the antitype of those same prophecies is to be more directly fulfilled in the last-day events of earth’s history. (In other words, the people who give the correct last-day message of Christ and His Righteousness as shown in the seven thundering events will also have the correct prophetic message throughout history, for it is their template!)
      The Mirror Chart is made to specifically show that the fulfilled historical prophecies from the book of Daniel (the top half) are to be repeated as the seven thunders (the bottom half), “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev 10:11. “Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.” Dan 8:17; Hab 2:1-4.
 
      “At the ending of the days,” at the seventh event will be the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary (Dan 8:14; Rev 10:7), —the cleansing of all the sins of the faithful down through the 6,000-year controversy. This must be the greatest event of all Salvation, for as ancient Israel waited breathlessly once a year for the finishing of the Day of Atonement, so also do we wait for the Last Great Day of Atonement, when Jesus is seen coming out of the Heavenly Sanctuary (Rev 11:15-19) announcing that all sins recorded against those who have asked forgiveness are forgiven forever. These sins are then placed upon Satan as he is led into the 1,000-year desolate wilderness of this earth to meet his end. (Rev 20:2-4)
      John was told to “write the things which thou hast seen” (Rev 1:19), but when we come to Revelation 10, we see that John is told NOT to write the contents of the little book, the seven thunders, YET he is encouraged (actually commanded) by the Angel to take the little book into his hands and eat it (Rev 10:8, 9). What could this mean? It appears that we are to view John as the type of the last generation! Eating a book of prophecy would be symbolic of actually taking part in the giving of its message and the development/fulfillment of its prophecy, and as it was with Ezekiel, it becomes a living part of his life! (Eze 2:8-10; 3:1) When is the last generation going to take the little book of Daniel and eat it? We read the answer from Rev 10:7, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel (the 7th trumpet; Rev 11:14-19), when he shall begin to sound (the message from the Heavenly Sanctuary), the mystery of God should be finished (1Tim 3:16; Col 1:27, 28), as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” (Lev 23:27, 28; 25:9; Neh 10:33)
      “Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” (1335 days—Dan 12:12) “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” “And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Dan 12:3, 1, 10)
      The book of Revelation gives the words to the song, and Daniel is the music and tempo.
      Daniel was a sealed book (Dan 12:9, 13); but Revelation is an open book (Rev 22:10), and it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which unseals and explains the seven thundering events of the book of Daniel as taking place during the last great controversy between Christ and Satan (Rev 12). Who will this last generation worship? Will we worship the Creator (Rev 10:6; 14:6, 7) or the destroyer? (Rev 12:7-9; Dan 12:7).
      Do we desire to understand what will be the last great test of worship for this last generation? (Matt 24:15; Dan 12:11) Will we make it our priority to study and know the wisdom of these things and be saved? (2Tim 2:15) Will the prophecy come true that half of those who profess to be Christians will have the door shut, that they would not know His coming? (Matt 25:1-12) It would do us well to pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare our lives for eating the little book of seven thunders from Daniel, and according to God’s will, allow it to become a living part of our lives in these last days, that we may be found worthy to take part in these last great events of salvation!  Rev 10:8-10.
      Surely, the events of these times will be trying, and we may cry out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Rev 6:10; Dan 8:13; 12:6) But we can be encouraged and walk in the Lord’s Guiding Spirit, for “many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Dan 12:10).

—May God Bless—