Scripture: 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.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 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. 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.”
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.
Revelation 11:15-19 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Friday’s Daily Focus, John hears the heavenly voice commanding him to calculate the dimensions of the temple of God, excluding the outer court, which God will permit the nations to overrun for forty-two months. During this time frame, God will grant two beings who draw near to him authority to prophesy. Their words will incinerate those who seek them harm, control rainfall, contaminate water with blood, and spread plagues.
When they finish testifying, the beast from the bottomless pit will kill them and display their corpses in a street of Jerusalem (a symbolic locale representing rebellious people) for three and half days. People from all nations will gather and revel over their dead bodies, refusing their burial. And people worldwide will celebrate the prophets’ demise. But after this time frame, God will breathe life into the prophets, who will stand to their feet, invoking terror in those who had gawked at their dead bodies. Then, God will call the two to himself in a cloud under the watchful eye of their enemies. Simultaneously, a tremendous earthquake will collapse a significant area of Jerusalem, resulting in a large number of deaths. Those who survive will give glory to God.
Today’s reading continues the divine revelation of our Triune God with the seventh and last trumpet blast. With the seventh angel sounding his trumpet, voices boom from heaven, declaring the fulfillment of God’s eternal kingdom on earth. In response, the twenty-four elders worshipfully prostrate and thank the Lord, praising him for exerting his all-powerful reign with forthcoming wrath and judgment on the raging nations—irradicating the destroyers of the earth (i.e., evil and those who perpetrate evil). Lastly, they thank God for rewarding those great and small who revere his name and faithfully serve him as prophets and saints. In response, God opens his heavenly temple, revealing the ark of the covenant, which sparks thundering lightning, hail, and an earthquake.
Takeaway: Verses 15-18 harken to Psalm 2 and demonstrate the continuity of God’s word. Its psalmist asks, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? (ESV) The psalmist then observes how kings and rulers take counsel against the Lord and his Anointed (v.2). Still, the Lord speaks his wrath on them (v.5) and sets his King on Zion, his holy hill (v.6) to dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel (v.9). So, rulers of the earth, be forewarned and wisely serve the Lord with fear, rejoicing with trembling (v.11).
Given that the previous earthquake spurred survivors to give glory to God (v.13), who are the last to repent in John’s Revelation, our text signals that the window that leads to repentance has passed. Kings and rulers will now face the Lord’s full wrath. But those saints who remain faithful, who keep serving God and pronouncing his prophetic words, will not falter, for they have his Covenant Assurance (v.19): Christ, our Great High Priest, who through his death, resurrection, and ascension has entered into the holy of holies and opened the way for his people to draw near the altar of God with uninterrupted access (Hebrews 9:11-12; 10:19-22).
Our takeaway? Like the twenty-four elders, we humble ourselves before our Lord out of gratitude and worship him, expressing our thanks and praise. And as we behold Christ, our Covenant Assurance, like the saints of the last days, we faithfully serve him and prophesy his words, speaking and living out the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) to spur others to join us onward and upward.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, our Covenant Assurance, and our means to an intimate relationship with you and the Holy Spirit. So please help us gratefully serve others and speak your words that bring life fueled by our heartfelt worship of you and your Son. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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