SEVEN TRUMPETS (7) | 3RD WOE - GOD'S WRATH & THE ETERNAL KINGDOM (REVELATION 11:15-19)
1. Revelation
a) John wrote Revelation while a prisoner on the Island of Patmos, approximately 85-95 A.D. Its purpose is to give encouragement and hope for all Christians to continue watching for the return and triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also is to warn of the Final Judgment that nonbelievers will endure on that Last Day.
b) John wrote that Revelation is special because,“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
c) A brief view of the Book of Revelation. It gives you some basic understanding of the book of Revelation.
2. The Seventh Trumpet (3rd Woe - God's Wrath And The Eternal Kingdom)
Revelation 11:15-19
15 Then the seventh angel sounded; 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 will reign 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 You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
3. The Kingdom Of Heaven
Revelation 11:14-17
a) Kingdoms of the world
i) "The kingdoms of the world have become our Lord's and his Christ's and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15). On the day of judgment, all nations and peoples will be judged by Christ. On that same day, Christ will take his saints into his eternal kingdom.
b) Reign
i) The twenty four elders around God's throne (cf Revelation 4:4) worship God and give thanks to him, "because you have taken your great power, and you have reigned" (Revelation 11:16-17). This shows that whilst the kingdoms of the world are ruled by various kings, there is a King of kings. When he takes away ruler-ship from the kings of earth, he will not steal or usurp it —he will take back what is really his. He is "the Lord of the earth" (Revelation 11:4) as well as the Lord of Heaven.
ii) Whilst the kingdom of Heaven is here on earth, made up of all the churches of Jesus Christ world wide, it belongs in heaven because it is an eternal kingdom and its King lives forever to reign over it. So after the second coming of Christ, the kingdom of God will be no longer on earth but in heaven alone. No other kingdom on earth will exist after Judgment day —whether kingdoms of men, or the kingdom of Satan. No kingdom except the kingdom of heaven alone will exist after the end of the world. That's what this vision signifies.
4. Judgment And Joyful Fellowship
Revelation 11:18
a) Wrath has come
i) The last day is a day of wrath. Christ will be angry with those who were antichrist, and they will be angry with him because he "will destroy those who destroy the earth". (Revelation 11:18).
b) Give reward
i) On the other hand, God will welcome the prophets who served him, the saints, and all who were on the Lord's side both great and small. "You will give reward... to those who fear your name both small and great" (Revelation 11:18).
c) The temple
i) The opening of the temple also occurs in a later vision (Revelation 15:1-8). The temple signifies fellowship with God and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). Indeed God is the only temple we need (Revelation 21:22). The doors of the temple are opened to signify that we have a way into the Holy Place through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). The temple also signifies the church of Christ or kingdom of heaven (Ephesians 2:19-22), because the church is one body in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-7).
5. The Revelation Of The Mystery
Revelation 11:19
a) The ark of the covenant was seen
i) As we know, in Old Testament times the ark of the covenant was hidden in the Most Holy place behind a veil (Hebrews 9:2-5). In the vision, however, "the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple" The mystery of old has become the revelation of today. That Revelation is the gospel of Christ —his new covenant. Through this revelation we can know the way of escape from God's wrath and the way into eternal fellowship with God.
b) Lightning... thunderings
ii) The vision ends with a confusion of voices, lightning and thunder, earthquake, and big hailstones. This closes the vision of judgment day and ushers in a whole new set of amazing visions.
Revelation 11:15-19
15 Then the seventh angel sounded; 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 will reign 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 You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
3. The Kingdom Of Heaven
Revelation 11:14-17
a) Kingdoms of the world
i) "The kingdoms of the world have become our Lord's and his Christ's and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15). On the day of judgment, all nations and peoples will be judged by Christ. On that same day, Christ will take his saints into his eternal kingdom.
b) Reign
i) The twenty four elders around God's throne (cf Revelation 4:4) worship God and give thanks to him, "because you have taken your great power, and you have reigned" (Revelation 11:16-17). This shows that whilst the kingdoms of the world are ruled by various kings, there is a King of kings. When he takes away ruler-ship from the kings of earth, he will not steal or usurp it —he will take back what is really his. He is "the Lord of the earth" (Revelation 11:4) as well as the Lord of Heaven.
ii) Whilst the kingdom of Heaven is here on earth, made up of all the churches of Jesus Christ world wide, it belongs in heaven because it is an eternal kingdom and its King lives forever to reign over it. So after the second coming of Christ, the kingdom of God will be no longer on earth but in heaven alone. No other kingdom on earth will exist after Judgment day —whether kingdoms of men, or the kingdom of Satan. No kingdom except the kingdom of heaven alone will exist after the end of the world. That's what this vision signifies.
4. Judgment And Joyful Fellowship
Revelation 11:18
a) Wrath has come
i) The last day is a day of wrath. Christ will be angry with those who were antichrist, and they will be angry with him because he "will destroy those who destroy the earth". (Revelation 11:18).
b) Give reward
i) On the other hand, God will welcome the prophets who served him, the saints, and all who were on the Lord's side both great and small. "You will give reward... to those who fear your name both small and great" (Revelation 11:18).
c) The temple
i) The opening of the temple also occurs in a later vision (Revelation 15:1-8). The temple signifies fellowship with God and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). Indeed God is the only temple we need (Revelation 21:22). The doors of the temple are opened to signify that we have a way into the Holy Place through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22). The temple also signifies the church of Christ or kingdom of heaven (Ephesians 2:19-22), because the church is one body in the unity and fellowship of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3-7).
5. The Revelation Of The Mystery
Revelation 11:19
a) The ark of the covenant was seen
i) As we know, in Old Testament times the ark of the covenant was hidden in the Most Holy place behind a veil (Hebrews 9:2-5). In the vision, however, "the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple" The mystery of old has become the revelation of today. That Revelation is the gospel of Christ —his new covenant. Through this revelation we can know the way of escape from God's wrath and the way into eternal fellowship with God.
b) Lightning... thunderings
ii) The vision ends with a confusion of voices, lightning and thunder, earthquake, and big hailstones. This closes the vision of judgment day and ushers in a whole new set of amazing visions.
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