The Weekend Word

Revelation 11:15-19

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 

• The 7^th trumpet is to be the final trumpet and then you would expect the 3^rd woe — but we must wait. Similar to the 7^th seal which opened to heavenly worship, we see the same.
• Not that the world has won, but that the kingdom of the world would be consumed and is now the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.
• This scene of heavenly worship again reminds us of what is taking place in the divine worship service as the church is gathered around the Lamb, around his word and around his sacraments – he reigns.
• He reigned from the cross and he is reigning now on the earth distributing the benefits of his Good Friday dying.
• When we are in the divine service, the curtain is drawn back and we see what John was seeing and hearing what John was hearing. Keep this is mind – what we read in Revelation is not always a future event but is in many cases a likely present day reality — for each generation.
• An example – Judgment Day comes ahead of time or it comes in miniature or we get a foretaste. When the gospel is preached, that is a judgment – the result being that you are acquitted / forgiven in Christ Jesus who died for you.
• This is precisely the judgment you will hear on the last day.
• Baptism is the same thing – so is the Lord’s Supper. These are all little judgment days wrapped up in the divine service – or put this way, the last day’s verdict is announced ahead of time when you are at church and you hear god speak to you in his word.
• We pray “they kingdom come…” – it has come in Christ, in his incarnation, his death and resurrection along with his ascension. It continues to come as he reigns over us. Listen to the words of absolution, it changes everything and to the words here ‘forever and ever’.

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 

¹⁷ saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

• Words of worship and praise. Who is the God Almighty? = Jesus.
• When this says “you have taken your great power and begun to reign.” What time period do we place this – now, since the cross or at some later date when Jesus returns? How you answer this question dictates how you will interpret this book.
• Contrary to popular novels, movies and even our own experience – even what we see with our eyes, the kingdom of this world does really belong to God and the Lamb who was slain.
• We are continually falsely taught that it still belongs to Satan and his little beasties – but this is not so. Satan may be able to fool us, but Satan cannot fool Jesus as he tried in Matt 4 where he proclaimed that the kingdoms of this world belong to him. In the end, who dismisses who? See Matt4:10. Who is the boss here? Read Psalm 47.
• Paul asserts in Col 2:15 that Jesus had disarmed the rulers and authorities.

¹⁸ The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

• The nations are angry. Not only does salvation come but wrath comes also. God destroys the destroyers. Through this reign of Jesus Christ has come the time to reward his people – Rev 2:10 language.

¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

• Verses 18 & 19 are stating the end has come.
• Where is God’s temple? In heaven. The temple on earth was divided by the curtain to the holy of holies which was designed from God’s temple in heaven. It is opened to reveal.
• The Ark of the Covenant = God’s throne.
• The presence of God is represented by the thunder, lightning and earthquake. See how it is described on Mt Sinai.
• The worship scene will prepare us for the events to be seen in chapters 12-14.