Boanerges
The gift the Lord gave to John to write the Book of Revelation!

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When Jesus Christ called the brothers James and John to ministry, they left their father Zebedee in the boat and followed Jesus - 19.When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20.And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed Him - Mark 1:19-20

Thus, because they left behind their worldly identity as "Sons of Zebedee," the Lord gave them a new identity: "Sons of Thunder." - James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder” - Mark 3:17

In the early days, James and John did not grasp the true meaning of "Boanerges" or the grace the Lord had embedded in that name; because the Lord had called them "Sons of Thunder," they imagined they were born to incinerate, and thus asked if they should call down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village that had not welcomed the Lord - 51.Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52.and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53.But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54.And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”. 55.But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56.For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village - Luke 9:51-56


This voice has not come for My sake, but for yours

However, before He went to the cross, the Lord revealed the meaning of "Boanerges" to John; for on one occasion, when the God of heaven spoke with the sound of thunder, while everyone else—including the other disciples—heard only a thunderous roar, to John—who was called Boanerges—it came across as distinct words.

The Spirit of God interpreted the sound of the thunder and taught it to John, which is why its meaning is only stated in the book of John - 27.Now My soul has become troubled; and what am I to say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28.Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29.So the crowd who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him!” 30.Jesus responded and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for yours" - John 12:27-30

Moreover, in the Lord's statement, "This voice has come not for My sake but for yours," there was a specific meaning intended for John: it was as if the Lord were asking him, "Have you understood how to interpret the sound of the thunder?"

What is the reason for calling John "Boanerges"?

Why did the Lord bestow this gift upon John and train him to use it? It was because it was God's will for the Apostle John to hear the sound of thunder from the Isle of Patmos and write the Book of Revelation; that is why Jesus Christ named him "Boanerges" and taught him how to interpret the sound of thunder.

The Roman government, having failed in its repeated attempts to kill John, imprisoned him on the Isle of Patmos during his old age. Patmos was a vast prison, housing other inmates and guards as well. While John was there, God spoke to him with a voice like thunder; everyone present heard the sound, but to them, it seemed merely like the rumble of thunder accompanying rain. To John, however, it was a divine revelation; that voice filled him with the Holy Spirit and granted him the grace to behold visions - 1.After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2.Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. 3.And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4.Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. 5.From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God - Rev 4:1-5

Thus, this is one of the verses in the Book of Revelation that was written with the sound of thunder, and it still teaches us today that we can overcome the devil only through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and through the word of God - 10.Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11.And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12.Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” - Rev 12:10-12

Furthermore, that sound also reached John as a song of praise to Jesus Christ, teaching us that a holy life is essential to receive that blessing - 1.Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2.And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3.They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4.These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5.And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God - Rev 14:1-5

Thus, the Book of Revelation was written based on what was heard—sounds that appeared ordinary to people; it also teaches us that we must prepare for the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God - 6.Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7.Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” 8.It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9.Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” - Rev 19:6-9

That voice also instructed John on which of the things he had spoken should be written down and which should be sealed - 1.I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2.He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3.and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4.Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” - Rev 10:1-4

What is the reason for calling James "Boanerges"?

James and John were both born to the same mother and father, of the same race, who left the things of this world at the same time and came to the Lord's service, both were chosen as apostles at the same time, both were called Boanerges, both saw the glory of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, both saw the miracles and signs of Jesus Christ with their own eyes, and their mother prayed to the Lord for both of them. When all the things of these brothers were the same, how did John's ministry become a more fruitful ministry than James'? John wrote 5 books in the Holy Bible: John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. How did this happen?

Had the Lord not called Jacob "Boanerges," we would not have known this profound secret: that neither our lineage, tribe, calling, nor gifts transform us into fruit-bearing individuals; rather, it is solely the love we bear for Christ that enables us to bear fruit.

There was one distinct difference in John: he was one who loved Jesus and rested upon the Lord's bosom—and that is precisely what transformed him into a bearer of fruit -  23.Lying back on Jesus’ chest was one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24.Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25.Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” - John 13:23-25


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