Lesson Seven

Chapter 11:14-19

Seventh Trumpet

a) Third Woe Announced (11:14): This is continuing from the second woe mentioned in 9:13-21. These woes speak about God's judgment on the earth dwellers as a result of the persecution of the saints. The third woe is the finalization of the trumpet judgments.

b) Heavenly Voices (11:15): rather that reading about something terrible, the writer speaks about a heavenly choir. This is giving a statement of victory in comparison to the silent hush from the seventh seal. They are singing about good news in the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Just as the first advent was initiated with a heavenly choir (Luke 2:13-14), so is the second. It is most likely a blend of both angelic and human singers. The suffering of the people of God will result in their vindication.

c) “The Kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah” (11:15). This speaks of God the Father and God the Son and the oneness they would share in creation. The heavenly throne will become the earthly throne (22:1-2).

d) “Has become” (11:15): The kingdom of God has come. The dichotomy that divided this world from God’s world has ended. And the new heavenly kingdom has been replaced by the earthly as a true reality. The temporal reign of sin and nature of sinful life will be replaced by an eternal Godhead, an eternal kingdom and the eternal life in glory for the faithful children of God.

e) Title of God (11:17): The threefold title of God “Who is, who was and who is to come” (1:4, 8; 4:8) is not changed to “Who is and who was.” This stresses that God is in control of the present and the past. There is no more future, because it has already arrived. The eternal reign has begun. This speaks of the coming of the day of the Lord has arrived.

f) “Nations rage” (11:18): The nations are the earth dwellers who will receive God’s wrath and respond with anger against God and take it out on his people (12:7). They are the enemies of God and the saints (11:2, 12).

g) “Judging the dead” (11:18) God’s judgment will be on those who do evil and his salvation will be on those who live for righteousness. This speaks about how the multitudes who sleep (dead) will awake, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2; cf. Rev 20:11-14).

h) “Rewarding your servants” (11:18) In 1 Corinthians 3:5-15, Paul teaches that the final “fire” and the “day” of judgment will “test” each one’s work and determine whether there is any “reward.” This is important to the book of Revelation (2:23, 14:13; 18:6; 20:12, 13; 2:12). There are five terms for who are given rewards: God’s slaves, prophets, saints, those who fear God, and the small and great.

i) The Temple and Ark of the Covenant (11:19): The Ark of the Covenant with the temple is very important symbols in OT. The ark is the central symbol of Yahweh’s presence with Israel and the heart of their atonement and victory over their enemies. It represented that God is with is his people and lives with them. The symbol is made real for followers of Christ through His work of salvation that ripped the veil of the temple (Mark 15:38), giving us access to God (Heb 9:8-10, 12; 10:19-21).

j) Great earthquake with hail (11:19): This is the third of the four times the storm theophany (lightening, the roar of the storm, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and great hailstorm) appears in this book (4:5; 8:5; 11:19 and 16:18-21). This is the sign of the end, when judgment will be most intensified at the return of the Lord.