In Revelation 4 we look into heaven with the apostle John. It was a picture of rest. A throne, one sitting on the throne, 24 seats with elders surrounding the throne. Verse 5a then very suddenly paints a different picture. From rest we switch to turmoil: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunders and voices.” From the throne, despite its tranquility, one and all Divine activity emanates.
“Lightning, thunder and voices.” This description reminds us of what happens at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:18-19, Deuteronomy 4:4). Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, there was the voice of the trumpet, fire, clouds and darkness. God descends on that mountain with His glory. We are also reminded of what happened at Pentecost. The same image is used when describing what happens at Pentecost (Acts 2). We read of a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, cleft tongues as of fire, and Peter quotes the famous words of Joel that speak of blood and fire and vapors of smoke.
The issue here is the two sides of God's holiness. On the one hand, the wrath of God over all injustice and sin. The wrath of ignored love and refused mercy. How will it be to meet God in this way, if we pass by His love and grace shown in His Son, the Lord Jesus, here on earth.... Let us not forget that everything moves inexorably toward the great judgment day. On that day all of us, dead and living, will meet God in His awesome holiness. But on the other hand, this description of God's holiness points to His redemptive power and might. In His own Son, His punishing justice has been satisfied. On Golgotha below, Jesus bore the wrath of God for sin. He hung there in threefold darkness and cried with a loud voice. This Jesus is the Savior. In short, from God's throne come both His judgment and His redemption. And how important it is that we are connected by faith to the Savior and know of redemption for us personally.
It is also striking that we do not read of John here that He is afraid and fearful. You can notice that He cannot grasp it, is full of wonder and full of reverence, but there is no fear. Why not? John may know of Christ's atoning death, of God's redeeming holiness. To Him the sounds of God's lightning, thunders and voices have the sounds of Golgotha, yes of redemption, yes of Exodus.
So speaks everything in heaven of God who is so willing to save a sinner in His Son.