Read with Me
Revelation 11:15-19 (NET)
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 forever and ever.”
Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down and worshiped God 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.
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.
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.
Listen with Me
Instead of the seventh trumpet itself causing the third woe to occur, it began a series of visions, and it opened the door for the bowls of God’s wrath which were being prepared.
The first thing that happens is a loud angelic choir begins to chant a victory song. The song declares that God has been victorious and that His heavenly kingdom has overcome and supplanted all earthly kingdoms.
Some might scoff at this. After all, had his been 2000 years and the kingdom of the world seems to still be going strong. But it must be remembered that all times exist at once to God since He lives outside space and time. Therefore, this is God’s declaration that whenever and wherever a kingdom or ruler rises up that defies Him, resists His rule, and persecutes His people, their downfall and utter ruin are guaranteed. And it also looks forward to the end of time when God’s kingdom will replace all earthly kingdoms once and for all.
This angelic declaration is seconded and reinforced by the twenty-four elders before God’s throne. They declare that God has begun to reign and is starting to exercise His divine power over all the kings and kingdoms of the Earth. Those who rise against God will be crushed, completely defeated.
At the same time, those who closely follow God will be rewarded. Many disciples had died under the persecution up to that point. But they did not miss out on the reward for their faithfulness. And those who had not given their lives but who had remained faithful would receive blessings as well, as God pushed back their enemies and crushed the emperor.
God’s temple in heaven is representative of His presence and the divine worship that takes place, not only in heaven, but on earth as well. There are no burnt offerings that take place in this heavenly temple, because the once-for-all sacrifice of the Son of God has already been offered and accepted. But the opening of the temple doors symbolizes not only God’s presence being brought to bear in the world in unprecedented ways, but it also shows that God’s people in the world have free and unrestricted access to His presence and His power as they stand firm against those who would silence and even destroy them.
Pray with Me
Father, I think that the vast majority of Your people understand that You will be victorious at the end of the age when all earthly kingdoms will be defeated and destroyed and only Your kingdom will remain. But it is easy to overlook the fact that You have been fighting for Your people for millennia. You have raised up nations and kingdoms and rulers. But whenever they have turned away from You, rebelling against Your sovereignty, and persecuting Your people, You have swept them away, leaving only research materials for archeologists. Lord, helped me to live my life each day knowing that You are completely in control, and that with each victory You achieve, You are bringing Your people that much closer to the absolute victory that is just over the horizon. Amen.