What does God sound like?

Often, we approach God's voice according to his guidance in our lives, but if he were to speak face to face to us, how would he sound to our ears? For many, this question appears rather unnecessary, but it is, in fact, critical to unlocking many mysteries within the scriptures.

God’s Voice: Many Waters

Many passages in the scriptures describe God's voice as sounding like “many waters.” These passages include Ezekiel 43:2, Revelation 1:15, 2 Esdras 6:17, and Revelation 14:2.

And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

Ezekiel 43:2

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And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, and hearkened, and, behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters.

2 Esdras 6:17

The immediate question is: Does this mean God’s voice sounds like many streams of running water?

The scriptures are often taken literally when much more is to be uncovered beneath the surface. Consequently, we must look deeper and see if the scriptures explain the meaning of “waters” to understand what is conveyed in the passages.

Understanding “Waters”

One of the main passages which give us an understanding of what “waters” means follows:

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Revelation 17:15

Thus, “waters” scripturally equates to peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. These words are defined as follows:

• “peoples” are the members of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group.
• “multitudes” are a large number of people or things.
• “nations” are a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.
• “tongues” are the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.

As shown in Revelation 17:15, waters mean peoples, a large number of people and nations and tongues regarding groups of peoples. The following reference associates the phrase "great multitude" with "voice of many waters", further solidifying the premise that "waters", as defined by Revelation 17:15, is the correct understanding.

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Revelation 19:6

Point of contention

One of the points of contention that often arises here is the definition of “tongues,” since the “speaking in tongues” doctrine is built on this being a heavenly language to justify speaking gibberish. One of the primary passages to justify the heavenly language is presented to address this concern.

^4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
^5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
^6. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Acts 2:4-6

Here, we see that speaking in tongues equates to understanding when someone speaks in their language.

The Voice of God

When heard, God is the voice of the thunderings of many people speaking simultaneously. This understanding makes the meaning of the passage below more evident.

^2. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
^3. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
^4. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Psalms 29:2-4

The LORD works with many nations—“upon many waters”. All peoples came from Adam, the son of God, and Noah, whose sons repopulated the earth after the flood. God works with all nations until they reach the point of Sodom and Gomorrah, Canaan, or even the world before the flood; then, they are destroyed.

The LORD is majestic and holy. His glory thunders, and he is powerful. His voice is full of majesty and thunders when he speaks.

Further Evidence

While two references are good, a third reference will provide a sturdy foundation for the argument presented.

And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

Ezekiel 1:24

Here, the voice of God, the Almighty, is paralleled with the noise of great waters and further paralleled with the voice of speech. The speech of a host: an army, a band or even a camp of people. A multitude.

Final Thoughts

The evidence presented provides a comprehensive understanding of the concept, which leaves the reader on a steady footing.

There is nothing better than indisputable evidence.

Understanding and wisdom come from worshipping God in holiness and truth and honouring his name by following his commands and following his ways.