The Last Days
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Lesson 46 | 11/09/25
Revelation 11:15-19 | The 7th Trumpet
Having finished the interlude between the 6th and 7th Trumpet, from Revelation 10:1-11:14, we find ourselves in verse 15, as our attention is directed toward heaven as the 7th angel is about to sound, ushering in the 7th Trumpet blast, releasing the 3rd woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Let’s read, Revelation 11:15-19.
John is taken in the Spirit back up to the balconies of heaven where the 7th angel sounds his trumpet and there is great rejoicing in heaven as God is redeeming His purchased possession and ushering in His everlasting Kingdom on the earth.
These Tribulation Judgements are coming in waves of 7’s; 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Bowls, and there is a commonality with all the 7’s, a sort of majesty that comes from heaven with the releasing of the 7th. The attention is always directed toward heaven on the 7th of the Judgements.
7th Seal
Revelation 8:1, 5- 1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
7th Trumpet
Revelation 11:15, 19- 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven... 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
7th Bowl
Revelation 16:17-18- 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
This 7th Trumpet is vitally important because it is within this time period that the mystery of God would be finished,
Revelation 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared (preached the Gospel) to His servants the prophets.
It is in the days of this 7th Trumpet, 1,260 days, the last 3-1/2 years, that the mystery of the plan of redemption, which is the mystery of the reconciliation of God and man, the mystery of the Church, would be finished. This 7th Trumpet begins the middle of the week and ushers in the finality of God’s Wrath in the 7 Bowl Judgements, Revelation 15:1- Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
This is why this 7th Trumpet is the final woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Because within the days of this Trumpet, the kingdoms of this world will be destroyed. This 7th Trumpet is the announcement of final Judgement and procession of our King.
Let’s look at verse 15...
11:15) Then the seventh angel sounded: 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!”
Remember, when the 7th Seal was opened, there was silence in heaven. Now that silence has been broken as all of heaven erupts proclaiming the victory of our Lord. This was foreshadowed in the battle of Jericho on the 7th day as Jericho fell, Joshua 6:15-16.
Notice the verb tense of this song of praise. They don’t say, the kingdoms of this world will become in the future... but rather, Ἐγένοντο, aorist indicative, the kingdoms of this world have become, past tense. It is done. Jesus has possession of this earth. Glance down to verse 17... Because you have taken Your great power and reigned.
When did He take His great power? When He took the scroll out of the right hand of the Father, Rev 5:7, and since then, for 7 years God has been taking possession of His Kingdom, evicting the wicked tenants out of His Kingdom. So why does it need to take so long? Why not destroy the kingdoms of this world in a second? Because He has people in this world He doesn’t want to destroy. He has His hand of mercy stretched out to His chosen people drawing them back to Him. These 7 years is like an evacuation process of gathering the wicked tenants for destruction and leading His people out to safety. Jesus told us about this plan in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30. Jesus is gathering the tares, the wicked tenants to burn, but leading the wheat into His barn, which is heaven, through the rapture and the death of faithful martyrs. Jesus also gave us clues in certain parables to how He will handle these last days and ushering in His Kingdom, Matthew 21:33-44; Luke 19:11-15, 27. This is Jesus’ inheritance, to rule God’s Kingdom in glory with all those who love Him FOREVER!
Genesis 22:17-18LXX-17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your SEED (Jesus) He will inherit the cities of those in opposition. 18 AND in your SEED (Jesus) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed...”
Notice the two-fold ministry of Jesus as King and Priest,
Daniel 7:13–14-13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and the kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
Luke 1:31–33-31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Next we see the exultation of the 24 Elders in response to this 7th Trumpet blast...
11:16) And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
What will Jesus do with His reward? He tells us in verse 18...
The Bible is replete with prophecies about God taking possession of His Kingdom. Another example is...
Psalm 110- A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! 3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.
Jesus is both King and Priest
Zechariah 6:13- Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord (His Church) He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
The 24 Elders are praising Jesus, falling on their faces worshipping our Lord and Savior and King Jesus... then John sees something astonishing in heaven...
11:19) Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
The windows of heaven are open, and God is revealing His Righteousness to an unbelieving world in wrath and Judgement as the 7 Bowls of Wrath are being poured out, Rev 15-16; Romans 1:18; 3:21.
Ushering in His Everlasting Righteousness
PREVIOUS LESSON 45 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 47
John is taken in the Spirit back up to the balconies of heaven where the 7th angel sounds his trumpet and there is great rejoicing in heaven as God is redeeming His purchased possession and ushering in His everlasting Kingdom on the earth.
These Tribulation Judgements are coming in waves of 7’s; 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Bowls, and there is a commonality with all the 7’s, a sort of majesty that comes from heaven with the releasing of the 7th. The attention is always directed toward heaven on the 7th of the Judgements.
7th Seal
Revelation 8:1, 5- 1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
7th Trumpet
Revelation 11:15, 19- 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven... 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
7th Bowl
Revelation 16:17-18- 17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
This 7th Trumpet is vitally important because it is within this time period that the mystery of God would be finished,
Revelation 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared (preached the Gospel) to His servants the prophets.
It is in the days of this 7th Trumpet, 1,260 days, the last 3-1/2 years, that the mystery of the plan of redemption, which is the mystery of the reconciliation of God and man, the mystery of the Church, would be finished. This 7th Trumpet begins the middle of the week and ushers in the finality of God’s Wrath in the 7 Bowl Judgements, Revelation 15:1- Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
This is why this 7th Trumpet is the final woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Because within the days of this Trumpet, the kingdoms of this world will be destroyed. This 7th Trumpet is the announcement of final Judgement and procession of our King.
Let’s look at verse 15...
11:15) Then the seventh angel sounded: 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!”
Remember, when the 7th Seal was opened, there was silence in heaven. Now that silence has been broken as all of heaven erupts proclaiming the victory of our Lord. This was foreshadowed in the battle of Jericho on the 7th day as Jericho fell, Joshua 6:15-16.
Notice the verb tense of this song of praise. They don’t say, the kingdoms of this world will become in the future... but rather, Ἐγένοντο, aorist indicative, the kingdoms of this world have become, past tense. It is done. Jesus has possession of this earth. Glance down to verse 17... Because you have taken Your great power and reigned.
When did He take His great power? When He took the scroll out of the right hand of the Father, Rev 5:7, and since then, for 7 years God has been taking possession of His Kingdom, evicting the wicked tenants out of His Kingdom. So why does it need to take so long? Why not destroy the kingdoms of this world in a second? Because He has people in this world He doesn’t want to destroy. He has His hand of mercy stretched out to His chosen people drawing them back to Him. These 7 years is like an evacuation process of gathering the wicked tenants for destruction and leading His people out to safety. Jesus told us about this plan in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30. Jesus is gathering the tares, the wicked tenants to burn, but leading the wheat into His barn, which is heaven, through the rapture and the death of faithful martyrs. Jesus also gave us clues in certain parables to how He will handle these last days and ushering in His Kingdom, Matthew 21:33-44; Luke 19:11-15, 27. This is Jesus’ inheritance, to rule God’s Kingdom in glory with all those who love Him FOREVER!
Genesis 22:17-18LXX-17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your SEED (Jesus) He will inherit the cities of those in opposition. 18 AND in your SEED (Jesus) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed...”
Notice the two-fold ministry of Jesus as King and Priest,
- King of God’s Kingdom to rule
- High Priest to bless all those who believe in Him.
- (εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων) unto the forever of the forever!
Daniel 7:13–14-13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and the kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.
Luke 1:31–33-31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Next we see the exultation of the 24 Elders in response to this 7th Trumpet blast...
11:16) And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
- The 24 Elders, who represent the raptured Bride of Christ, fall off their thrones, onto their faces worshipping God and rejoicing because our God reigns.
- We will be watching our King enact His right of inheritance in Judgement and Vengeance on His enemies, and Mercy and Grace on those who believe.
- The 24 Elders are thanking God for being the Righteous Judge and completing our Salvation.
- This is undoubtedly Jesus Christ... notice the title, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come.
- These are all titles of Jesus Christ... The Existing One, The Was One, and the Coming One.
- The same exact titles as Revelation 1:8-“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- The 24 Elders are drawing from the promise of Psalm 2.
- This is His inheritance, and blessed are those who put their trust in Jesus.
- He is coming with His reward. Revelation 22:12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
- Jesus was given a reward, μισθός, wages for something earned.
- What is Jesus being rewarded for?
- For being our Savior and suffering the cross and purchasing redemption by His blood.
- Jesus was given a reward, μισθός, wages for something earned.
What will Jesus do with His reward? He tells us in verse 18...
- To those who love Him... You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great
- He will reward His saints by sharing His inheritance with the faithful, Rev 2:26-27; 3:21; Isaiah 53:12; Luke 19:15-18; Matt 25:21, 34; 2 Tim 2:12
- To those who hate Him... Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged,...
- He will Judge and condemn those who do not want Jesus to reign over them as King, Psalm 10:15; Luke 19:27; Matt 25:41-46 (Sheep/Goat Judgement); Rev 20:11-15 (Great White Throne Judgement)
- Notice these last words in verse 18, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.
- God leased His vineyard, which is the earth and His Kingdom, to man, and they were unfaithful stewards to His Kingdom. They destroyed His land, and it is not producing fruit.
The Bible is replete with prophecies about God taking possession of His Kingdom. Another example is...
Psalm 110- A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! 3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.
Jesus is both King and Priest
Zechariah 6:13- Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord (His Church) He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”
The 24 Elders are praising Jesus, falling on their faces worshipping our Lord and Savior and King Jesus... then John sees something astonishing in heaven...
11:19) Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
- In contrast to the 3rd temple on the earth that John was told to measure, Rev 11:1-2, this is the temple of God in heaven.
- God is pulling back the curtains of heaven revealing His Temple and His Throne
- This is the true Holy of Holies, where the 24 Elders and all the saints are gathered around with myriads of angels.
- Notice again there is no veil separating this space, Hebrews 10:20.
- This is the true Holy of Holies, where the 24 Elders and all the saints are gathered around with myriads of angels.
- John specifically sees the ark of His covenant.
- This is the only place in Revelation the ark of the covenant is mentioned.
- This is not Moses’ ark, this is the true supernatural ark that Moses saw on Mount Sinai when God gave Him the blueprints to build the Tabernacle and all the furniture in it, Heb 8:5-6, Exodus 25:40.
- I believe the ark, specifically the lid to the ark called the Mercy Seat, ἱλαστήριον, the place of Mercy, is the throne of God.
- God told Moses this is where I will meet with you and speak with you, Exodus 25:22.
- Paul tells us that Jesus is our ἱλαστήριον, our place of Mercy, Romans 3:25
- God’s throne is the ark of His Covenant.
- Not the covenant He made with Moses, but the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus.
- This heavenly ark of the Covenant is where Jesus presented His blood to the Father when He was raised from the dead, Heb 9:11-12.
- This is an Everlasting Covenant of which Jesus is the Mediator and the surety of this covenant, Heb 7:22; 8:6; 13:20.
- This is an unbreakable covenant between the Father and Jesus. And then Jesus, in His Mercy, allows us to partake of this Covenant by faith in Him, Gal 3:17; Acts 3:25; Heb 9:15; Col 1:12.
- Not the covenant He made with Moses, but the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus.
- Will the Temple of God be opened to the world?
- I believe so. God is showing the world His Glory and the Judgements that will follow
- The fullness of the Covenant is being revealed.
- It is in the days of the 7th Trumpet that the Mystery of God would be finished, Rev 10:7
The windows of heaven are open, and God is revealing His Righteousness to an unbelieving world in wrath and Judgement as the 7 Bowls of Wrath are being poured out, Rev 15-16; Romans 1:18; 3:21.
Ushering in His Everlasting Righteousness
PREVIOUS LESSON 45 ← GO TO → NEXT LESSON 47