Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and (glory) triumph in your praise. (Psalm 106:47)

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
(Psalm 47:1-2)

They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars [His cry will be loud], His children will come trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Flying like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again, says the LORD.
(Hosea 11:10-11)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
(Psalm 111:10)

A Mighty Thunderous Roar
by Karen Holland

The Lion of Judah aroused
Hear His mighty call
Living waters rushing, flowing
Peals of thunder
A sound from heaven
Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns –Revelation 19:6
Deep calling out to deep
The sound of waterfalls. –Psalm 42:7

Shout! Clap you hands
Sound the trumpet
Praise the Lord
Awake the dawn
Sing His praise before the nations –Psalm 57:8-9
With the voice of triumph
For it is written
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess
Giving praise to the Lord God Almighty! –Romans 14:11

Lift up your heads, O you gates
Be lifted up, you ancient doors –Pssalm 24:7
Behold, the King of glory quickly comes –Revelation 3:11
His glory fills the temple
Hold fast
The Lion of Judah in victory reigns.

All in His temple cry aloud “GLORY!” –Psalm 29:9
Join the mighty thunderous roar
Awake the dawn!

Jesus is described as the Lion of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, the conquering, triumphant King, the only one worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals (Revelation 5:5). Jesus is also the Lamb of God (John 1:29). He is the Passover Lamb, without spot or blemish (Exodus 12:3-6; 1Peter 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 5:7); a sinless Lamb, suitable to be offered up as the sacrifice for our sins so we could be redeemed and reconciled with God. The first time Jesus came, he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). He did not seek to defend himself (Matthew 26:63; Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:8-9) or escape from Calvary because He was the obedient Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He could have called legions of angels in His defense – but He chose to die for you and me (Matthew 26:53-54).

Contrast this to when Jesus returns; He will roar as the victorious Lion of Judah. His roar will be loud; filled with the power and authority of the King of kings, Lord of lords. This roar, the voice of God is often associated with a sound like that of loud thunder.

Job 37:2-5
Listen! Listen to the roar of His voice,
… to the *rumbling that comes from his mouth.
He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole heaven
… and sends it to the ends of the earth.

After that comes the sound of His roar;

He thunders with his majestic voice.
When His voice resounds,

He holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
He does great things beyond our understanding.

The word rumbling here refers to the low building of the thunder as it rumbles in the sky. The thunder is the voice of God.

The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
(Joel 3:6)

Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; against them He will thunder in the heavens, the LORD will judge the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to His king, and will exalt the horn of His anointed.
(1 Samuel 2:10)

All will tremble at the roar of the Lion of Judah (Amos 3:8). To those who contend with the Lord, His roar will show His wrath (Proverbs 19:12, 20:2). They will tremble in terror. But to those who belong to the Lord it will be protection. They will tremble in awe and respect gathered like protected children around Him. When Jesus returns as the Lion of Judah, all nations and tongues will be gathered to see His glory (Isaiah 66:18). Every knee will bow, every tongue confess and give praise to the glory of God (Romans 14:11) that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:11).

The Lion of Judah aroused, protecting His children, what a wonderful, fearsome, humbling image. Is there anything fiercer than a lion aroused protecting its young (Hosea 13:7-8; Psalm 50:22)? You can just imagine the loud roar, the rage, the tearing and gnashing of teeth, the crushing of bones (Numbers 24:8). The Lord’s judgment, a lion fierce and swift; no one can be rescued from this wrath. There will be no escape for the enemies of the Lord (Isaiah 15:9, 31:4; Hosea 5:14). But for the children of the Lord, this wrath means salvation, protection, and deliverance. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

David’s Song of Praise (2 Samuel 22) and Psalm 18 are examples describing the Lord’s wrath as protection/ deliverance. David sang these songs to the Lord when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. Notice how the Lord responds to David’s cry for help {Psalm 18 is very similar}.

2 Samuel 22:7-10, 14, 18, 50-51
In my distress I called upon the LORD,
… Yes, I cried to my God;
… And from His temple He heard my voice,
… And my cry for help came into His ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked,
… The foundations of heaven were trembling
… And were shaken, because He was angry.
Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
… Fire from His mouth devoured;
… Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
… With thick darkness under His feet.
The LORD thundered from heaven,
… And the Most High uttered His voice.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
… From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations,
… And I will sing praises to Your name.
He is a tower of deliverance to His king,
… And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
… To David and his descendants forever.

It’s the Lion of Judah aroused, roaring His protection over David at David’s cry for help. The last two verses 50-51 promise this same protection to all His children. This protection was available to the Lord’s children in the past, is available in the present and will be available in the future. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Just think of it — the Lion of Judah aroused and roaring protection and deliverance at the cry of His children! You can’t help but give God praise. For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is the great King over all the earth. You can’t help but shout to God with the voice of triumph in anticipation.

As I was contemplating this, my article The Triumph of Praise came to mind and this thought. When we engage in loud triumph or victory praise, we invite the Lord into the situation. During a battle or trial this intimidates the opponent and looks forward to God’s intervention on behalf of His people. The sound of the Lord’s children praising like this, is described at the wedding supper of the Lamb. This also is described as a roar: then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting (Revelation 19:6). David writes that this type of praise ‘awakes the dawn’ (Psalm 57:8). **”Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise. It opens the door for the King of kings, Lord of lords.

Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:7-8)

It invites the Lion of Judah to roar on behalf of His children; a mighty thunderous roar. Just think when we praise with the bold voice of triumph, when our loud voices rise as one, like mighty rushing waters, the Lion of Judah responds. The triumphant victorious roar of the Lion of Judah mingled together with our praise. What a wonderful proclamation!

There is coming a time when HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together (Isaiah 40:5). Everyone together will hear the King of kings roar. I pray you will be on His side.

Prepare your heart, anticipate His coming, eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed (1 Corinthians 1:7). Join the mighty thunderous roar; let the triumph of praise be heard!

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.
(Psalm 29:1-11)