Revelation 10:4: “Don't write this down…?” (Catholic perspective)

Question

Reading into the book of Revelation, there seems to be some mystery behind it.

Particularly:

When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down." - Revelation 10:4 (NLT)

Why wasn't John (assuming he actually wrote the book of Revelation) allowed to write down what he heard? Was it to prevent false interpretation and/or claims of the end times? What was the purpose of keeping what the "seven thunders" said a secret according to a Catholic perspective?

Answer 1

Fr. Herman Kramer's commentary The Book of Destiny says this regarding Revelation 10:4:

Verse 4

According to this verse, St. John had been taking notes all the way through the visions and narratives. He is about to dip his pen into the ink and write what the Thunders had spoken. He therefore understood their message clearly and knew its import. But a voice came forth from the Church ordering him to seal up what the thunders had revealed by not writing it. Through the Seven Thunders, God gave him a special revelation of great importance, indicating what would immediately precede the coming of Antichrist, but it was to remain a secret to the Church. It was as with the revelation made to Daniel concerning the most savage persecutor of the Jews, Antiochus. The length of time he would oppress God's people was to be revealed through Daniel, 2300 days, but the time of his arrival was not to be revealed, was to be "sealed up" (Dan. VIII. 26; XII. 4 & 9). St. Paul likewise heard secret revelations which he was not allowed to communicate to the Church [2 Cor. 12:4]. The Thunders do reveal this: there will be special decisions made by the Church and these will complete the work of her magisterial office before the culmination of evil is due to arrive. The decisions may be the "reed" by which the wicked are separated from the good and expelled from the Church. This scene of the Seven Thunders is a scene within a scene leaving the Church at sea as to the time of Antichrist but foreshowing her preparedness for the attack. No creature will know his time until the Church has enacted what the Seven Thunders have spoken.