Bible Strands
Revelation 10:3
Then he cried out in a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their voices.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The mighty angel described in Revelation 10:2 cries out after positioning his feet on the sea and the land. The seven thunders immediately respond to this sound, marking the moment just before the angel receives a command to seal their message.
The words — The Greek phrase φωνῇ μεγάλῃ (phōnē megalē) translates literally to "in a loud voice," and ὥσπερ λέων μυκᾶται (hōsper leōn mukatai) means "like a lion roaring." These terms establish the acoustic intensity and symbolic weight of the announcement.
The thread — The lion-roar imagery appears in Isaiah 31:4, Joel 3:16, and Amos 1:2, where the Lord’s voice from Zion signals sovereign judgment and cosmic tremor. The motif consistently marks divine authority breaking into human history to demand attention and obedience.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that God’s authoritative voice interrupts human recording and precedes all revealed mystery. It asks the reader to acknowledge that divine intervention governs what is spoken and what must remain sealed.
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The Greek words
King James Version
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 31:4 For this is what the LORD has said to me: “Like a lion roaring or a young lion over its prey—and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their clamor—so the LORD of Hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and its heights.
- Joel 3:16 The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
- Amos 1:2 He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.”
- Revelation 4:5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven spirits of God.
- Proverbs 19:12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Isaiah 5:29 Their roaring is like that of a lion; they roar like young lions. They growl and seize their prey; they carry it away, and no one can rescue it.
- Isaiah 42:13 The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:
- Jeremiah 25:30 So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Amos 3:8 The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who will not prophesy?
- Revelation 8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.