I want to present to you today the topic of loud voices and shouting in the Kingdom of God. As you read through the verses below, please note how prevalent this pattern is, and ask yourself (and the Lord) why this pattern exists in the Bible. Ask why it is important or necessary, and I will provide a few closing words at the end, but the Scriptures will speak for themselves:
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first.” (1Th 4:16).
"On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet..." (Rev 1:10)
"And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to break the seals and open the
scroll?'" (Rev 5:2)
In a loud voice they were
saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Rev 5:12)
They called out in a loud
voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the
inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" (Rev 6:10)
Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the
living God. He called out in a loud
voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
(Rev 7:2)
And they cried out in a loud
voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb." (Rev 7:10)
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by
the other three angels!" (Rev 8:13)
and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven
thunders spoke. (Rev 10:3)
Then they heard a loud voice
from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven
in a cloud, while their enemies
looked on. (Rev 11:12)
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his
Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." (Rev 11:15)
Then I heard a loud voice in
heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of
our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and
sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (Rev
12:10)
And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like
a loud peal of thunder. The sound I
heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. (Rev 14:2)
He said in a loud voice,
"Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.
Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of
water." (Rev 14:7)
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and
receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb." (Rev 14:9-10)
Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on
the cloud, "Take your sickle
and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is
ripe." (Rev 14:15)
Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and
called in a loud voice to him who
had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of
grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." (Rev 14:18)
Then I heard a loud voice
from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls
of God's wrath on the earth." (Rev 16:1)
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the
temple came a loud voice from the
throne, saying, "It is done!" (Rev 16:17)
With a mighty voice he shouted:
"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven
shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our
God, (Rev 19:1)
And again they shouted:
"Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." (Rev
19:3)
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of
rushing waters and like loud peals
of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. (Rev 19:6)
And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in
midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, (Rev 19:17)
And I heard a loud voice from
the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people,
and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be
with them and be their God. (Rev 21:3)
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of
David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest heaven!" (Mat 21:9)
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful
things he did and the children shouting
in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were
indignant. (Mat 21:15)
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (which means
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). (Mat 27:46)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Mat 27:50)
Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord!" (Mar 11:9)
And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (which means
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"). (Mar 15:34)
In a loud voice she
exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will
bear! (Luk 1:42)
and called out in a loud
voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Luk 17:13)
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. (Luk 17:15)
Jesus called out with a loud
voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said
this, he breathed his last. (Luk 23:46)
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is
thirsty come to me and drink. (Joh 7:37)
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" (Joh 11:43)
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the king of Israel
"May we shout for joy over
your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant
all your requests." (Psa 20:5)
"Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (Psa 33:3)
May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, "The LORD be
exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant." (Psa 35:27)
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. "Clap your
hands, all you nations; shout to God
with cries of joy." (Psa 47:1)
"The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with
grain; they shout for joy and sing." (Psa
65:13)
Shout for joy to God,
all the earth! (Psa 66:1)
My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you -- I whom you have delivered. (Psa 71:23)
Sing for joy to God our strength; shout
aloud to the God of Jacob! (Psa
81:1)
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock
of our salvation. (Psa 95:1)
Shout for joy to the
LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; (Psa 98:4)
with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn -- shout for joy before the LORD, the King. (Psa 98:6)
A psalm. For giving grateful praise. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. (Psa 100:1)
"In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there
before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim
off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals
flee from under it and the birds from its branches. (Dan 4:13-14)
Shout aloud and sing for
joy, people of Zion
"No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel
“Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout
to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.” (Isa 13:2)
“They raise their voices,
they shout for joy; from the west
they acclaim the LORD's majesty.” (Isa 24:14)
But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise -- let those who
dwell in the dust wake up and shout
for joy -- your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth
to her dead. (Isa 26:19)
it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon
Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in
the wilderness and streams in the desert. (Isa 35:6)
You who bring good news to Zion Jerusalem ,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah
Let the wilderness and its towns raise
their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people
of Sela sing for joy; let them shout
from the mountaintops. (Isa 42:11)
The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up
his zeal; with a shout he will raise
the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. (Isa 42:13)
Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst
into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has
redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel
Shout for joy, you
heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD
comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. (Isa 49:13)
Listen! Your watchmen lift up
their voices; together they shout
for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion
"Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in
labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has
a husband," says the LORD. (Isa 54:1)
"Shout it aloud, do not
hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their
rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.” (Isa 58:1)
"Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
"'The LORD will roar from on
high; he will thunder from his holy
dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth. (Jer 25:30)
This is what the LORD says: "Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say, 'LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel
They will come and shout for
joy on the heights of Zion
Shout against her on
every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since
this is the vengeance of the LORD, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has
done to others. (Jer 50:15)
The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with
troops, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you. (Jer 51:14)
Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon
The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his sanctuary. He has
given the walls of her palaces into the hands of the enemy; they have raised a shout in the house of the LORD as on
the day of an appointed festival. (Lam 2:7)
Sing, Daughter of Zion; shout
aloud, Israel
"Shout and
be glad, Daughter of Zion
Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem
As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
(Exo 19:19)
These are the commandments the LORD proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there
on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he
added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to
me. (Deu 5:22)
The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel
“When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have
the whole army give a loud shout;
then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone
straight in." (Jos 6:5)
But Joshua had commanded the army, "Do not give a war
cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" (Jos 6:10)
The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet
blast, Joshua commanded the army, "Shout!
For the LORD has given you the city! (Jos 6:16)
When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone
charged straight in, and they took the city. (Jos 6:20)
When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from
all around the camp blow yours and shout,
'For the LORD and for Gideon.'" (Jdg 7:18)
The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars.
Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the
trumpets they were to blow, they shouted,
"A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" (Jdg 7:20)
When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of
Mount Gerizim
When the ark of the LORD's covenant came into the camp, all Israel
Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the
LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then the
people shouted, "Long live the
king!" (1Sa 10:24)
Then the men of Israel
and Judah surged forward
with a shout and pursued the
Philistines to the entrance of Gath Gath
while he and all Israel
There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint
him king over Israel
Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent
and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"
(1Ki 1:39)
He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel
So all Israel
The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise
and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments,
the singers raised their voices in
praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever."
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, (2Ch 5:13)
They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns.
(2Ch 15:14)
Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up
and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. (2Ch 20:19)
With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He
is good; his love toward Israel
But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads,
who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this
temple being laid, while many others shouted
for joy. (Ezr 3:12)
No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of
weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far
away. (Ezr 3:13)
Standing on the stairs of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani,
Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the LORD
their God. (Neh 9:4)
"In the days of [Jesus'] flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety." (Heb 5:7, NASB)
"When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. 'Sovereign Lord,' they said, 'you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one." Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.' After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Act 4:24-31)
Closing Words
As we have seen in God's Word, shouting and loud voices are a normal part of God's Kingdom. It is seen all throughout Scripture, and seems to have great significance. There is definitely a reason for it, as it is not without meaning. Everything in God's Kingdom has a definite purpose and meaning.
I believe that the reason for the shouting and loud voices is because it represents the enormous power and authority of God behind the words being spoken. And when we speak or pray this way over a situation, our words have more power in the spirit realm than if they are spoken softly, silently, whispered, or said in normal tones or volume. Let me encourage you to incorporate this practice into your worship, prayer lives, and ministry to others, and you will see the difference it makes.
Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NASB taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission.
Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following: Crying Out to God Loudly, Taking Heaven by Force, The Link Between Two Realms, Changing the Atmosphere, and The Authority of the Believer. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
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