“The Seventh Trumpet”
Revelation 11:15-19
“The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. 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!” [Rev 11:14-15]
If this were a first reading of Revelation, one would think that the Return of Christ is at hand, just around the corner, about to be described in the next chapter. However, while it is true that His return is near, it will not be described until Chapter 19; eight whole chapters from this point in our text.
The reason is twofold. Firstly, there are yet several more personages of the Tribulation to be introduced. These include “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars” [Rev 12:1]; “a great fiery red dragon” [Rev 12:2]; the Beast out of the sea and the Beast from the earth [Rev 13]; another reference to the 144,000 of Israel [Rev 14]; the Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast [Rev 17]; and then a reference to the fall of “Babylon the great” [Rev 18:2].
Secondly, as we will see in Rev 15-16, the Seventh Trumpet [the “third woe”] consists of Seven Bowls of judgment to be poured out upon the earth. In Rev 15:1 John writes, “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.” These “seven last plagues” will complete the purging of sin from this earth and usher in Christ’s return.
Let us remember, though, that it is the Seventh Seal that contains the seven trumpet judgments. And now the Seventh Trumpet, when it is sounded, will launch these last seven bowls of judgment to prepare for Christ’s Return and the setting up of the Millennium [i.e., Christ’s physical rule upon this earth].
Therefore, there is much packed into the Seventh Seal that finally opens the scroll in Rev 5, which many believe is the Title Deed to the earth.
There will be a day when Jesus reclaims His physical and rightful rule upon this earth. Today, however, He continues to wait [in mercy] for repentance. May we not confuse God’s mercy with thinking He will not return. A fact in the Scriptures is that He will return, and probably sooner than we think.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” [2 Pet 3:9].
