The Kingdom Proclaimed
May 30, 2022
Commentary
1. Victory is Proclaimed (v. 15) – The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
2. The Twenty-Four Elders Worship God (vv. 16-18) – The elders fell on their faces and worshiped God giving thanks to the Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come. As the seventh trumpet is sounded loud voices are heard in heaven but no judgment is immediately announced. Instead, predictions of the thousand-year Millennial Reign are made. From this fact we can see how the seventh trumpet stretches to Christ’s second coming. The loud voices in Heaven have this vital declaration to make before the details of the last trumpet are revealed and the seven bowls of wrath are poured out in chapter 16. In other words, the seventh trumpet does not bring in the kingdom but shows that the time is very near. Four significant factors are fulfilled at this time (v. 18). (1) The wrath of God has arrived. (2) The judgement of the dead has come. (3) The rewarding of the godly will take place. (4) The destruction of the wicked.
3. The Temple of God is Opened in Heaven (v. 19) – The temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. There was thunder and lightning, noises, an earthquake, and great hail
Application
Am I continually thanking God that as a Christian I will not have to go through the Tribulation? Lord, help me to be more concerned about those who do not know the Lord and will be in the Tribulation.
Revelation 11:15– 19 (NET)
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 will reign for ever and ever.”
16 Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God 17 with these words: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
18 The nations were enraged, but your wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
Illustration: Chapman People brought to Jesus by friends
Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, famous evangelist, said that the New Testament records tell of forty people, each suffering from the same disease, who were healed by Jesus. Of this number, thirty-four were either brought to Jesus by friends, or He was taken to them. In only six cases out of forty did the sufferers find the way to Jesus without assistance. Of the vast number of people who find their way to Jesus today, most of them reach Him because the friends of Jesus are concerned about the welfare of their souls. (Lou Nicholes – Author and Missionary).