Revelation: The Hope of Glory: The Life of the Christian and the Coming of the Kingdom [Revelation 8-11]

Turn with me to Revelation 8-11. I hope you made time to read these chapters this past week in preparation for this morning. I urge you to read ahead. Read 10-11 for next week. We’ll only look at 8 and 9 this morning but 8-11 really go together.

Read Revelation 8-9. stand

[pray]

I want to start this morning with looking at the purpose of the book of Revelation so we don’t miss the point of the book.

The purpose of Revelation...

The purpose of Revelation is not to promote speculation about the future. When we read about these trumpets in chapters 8 and 9, the purpose is not to get us thinking about what this image or that symbol might mean in our day and wondering on what date this or that is going to happen. I know most studies in Revelation today focus on that stuff… but, That is not the point.

Think about it with me. What are these trumpets? Last week, we talked about how these visions in Revelation are not necessarily arranged chronologically, but cyclically. Together, they’re like a spiraling story, or a symphony, repeating one another and building toward a climax.

In Chapters 6–7, we saw seven seals, and now here in Chapters 8–11, we see seven trumpets, and soon we’ll see seven bowls. These seals and trumpets and bowls are repeating symbols of God’s judgment upon a world full of sin, and they’re progressing in intensification, all leading up to the final judgment and the return of Christ for His people.

Now the specific symbolism of these trumpets is significant. Throughout Scripture, trumpets were blown to warn of coming judgment or to announce victorious salvation, and Jesus specifically says in the Gospels that with a trumpet He will gather together all people for judgment or salvation at His return. Trumpets symbolize judgment and salvation all throughout Scripture.

Most scholars see a deliberate reference here in Revelation 8–11 to two stories in the Old Testament. One is the plagues that God poured out upon Egypt. Most of the images there (hail and blood and darkness) recall God’s judgments on Pharaoh and the Egyptians for holding His people in captivity. God sent those plagues as judgments for the sin of Egypt and the rebellion of Pharaoh.

The other Old Testament story behind these trumpets is Joshua and the battle of Jericho. You’ll remember that God commanded seven priests to sound seven trumpets for seven days, at the end of which they would shout, the walls of Jericho would come down, and the Israelites would officially enter the Promised Land.

The imagery here is eerily similar as seven trumpet blasts progressively and ultimately pronounce judgment upon sinners and victory for God’s people as they enter into heaven.

When you put this Old Testament background together with Revelation 8, you see the first four trumpet blasts depicting systematic physical judgments across creation. Here we have a figurative picture of everything in all creation—from the land to the ocean to the rivers to the sky—systematically being destroyed.

You can sense the awe in verse 1 as there is silence in heaven for about half an hour. There is always silence in anticipation of God’s judgment. So suspense is building.

In the first trumpet [8:7], you have hail and fire coming from heaven, burning up the earth and the trees and the grass.

In the second trumpet [8:8], a mountain is hurled into the sea, destroying a third of the world’s oceans and all of its life and trade as the waters turn into blood. See the parallels here with the Egyptian plagues, with hail in the first trumpet and now water turning to blood in the second.

In the third trumpet [8:10], a meteor-like star falls from heaven, inflicting the earth’s rivers with poison and causing death to those who drink from them.

The name of the meteor is Wormwood [8:11] A leafy plant that causes water to become bitter. Though wormwood is not poisonous, it can be combined with other elements that are (e.g., Deut 29:18, where “poisonous and bitter fruit” is actually “gall and wormwood”; Lam 3:19). The object from the sky makes the waters bitter.

And then, in the fourth trumpet [8:12], a third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck so that they provided a third less light taking us back to the plague of darkness in the book of Exodus, the last Egyptian plague before the Passover. The picture is clear here of coming darkness upon the earth.

And again, you see this imagery intensifying as it repeats itself. With the opening of the fourth seal last week, the pale horse whose rider’s name was Death was given authority over a fourth of the earth. Now here, with the fourth trumpet, judgment comes to a third of the earth. See the cyclical building or intensifying?

And the overall point of these first four trumpet judgments is clear: do not put your ultimate hope in created things. All things—even what you think are the most secure things like the light of the sun—all things in heaven and on earth are passing away.

So we have systematic physical judgments across creation then, in the fifth and sixth trumpets in chapter 9, we see terrifying personal judgments for idolatry and immorality. And terrifying is the right word. The imagery here is frightening. It’s not just judgment on physical creation anymore; this is judgment upon people.

Look at Revelation 8:13, and read there with me. John writes, “Then I looked and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth’ ” (Rev. 8:13). If you’ll remember from last week, that phrase—“those who dwell on the earth”—is used to describe unbelievers who have turned from God and are living for this world. This is a threefold pronouncement of woe and misery upon all who turn from God to live for this world.

Then in Chapter 9, we begin to see demons torturing such unbelievers in a violent depiction of God’s judgment. With the fifth trumpet [9:1], the sun again is darkened [v.2], a picture of the spiritual darkness of men’s hearts, and for five months locusts [v.5] (again, remember the plagues in Egypt) from the pits of hell terrorize unbelievers.

Smoke rises from the abyss as the bottomless pit of hell is unlocked. [9:7-8] Legions of hell are unleashed upon the earth in the form of locusts that look like horses prepared for battle with human faces and lion-like teeth and breastplates of iron [9:7-8].

They come with the speed of chariots, and they sting with tails like scorpions. They torment unbelievers for a set period of time under the direct authority of Satan or one of his lieutenants, and all of this takes place under the ultimate authority of God. These demonic locusts are fierce and horrific. They cause people to long for death [9:6].

Then the second woe is introduced in the form of the sixth trumpet [9:13] as a third of mankind is wiped out across the earth.[v.15] (Again, this doesn’t mean that chronologically this happens next; the imagery is just building in intensity.)

In this bloodcurdling vision, we see a cavalry of, get this, 200 million demonic warhorses released across the earth [v.16]. With breastplates like fire and heads like lions and tails like serpents and smoke coming from their mouths, they come to kill and destroy. [.17-19]

Now look at Revelation 9:20–21. Don’t miss this. This is important. Even in light of all of this, even in light of all of these judgments upon physical creation and horrific judgment upon people, John writes:

“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Rev. 9:20–21).

That’s what I mean by terrifying personal judgments for idolatry and immorality. Despite the harmful, destructive effects of idolatry and immorality upon people’s lives in this world, people continue to trust in the things of this world!

Unbelievers here are depicted like Pharaoh in Egypt, who despite judgment after judgment, plague after plague, continue to harden his heart and resist God in sinful rebellion.

This is the picture of mankind. Men and women who know and see and feel the effects of sin, and yet go running back to sin time and time again. They refuse to repent. Sin kills and they see it, yet men and women do not turn from it.

Now all of this leads to the seventh trumpet, which I’ve not included here because it actually doesn’t come until the end of Chapter 11:15. Most scholars agree that these six trumpets are ultimately setting up the seventh trumpet, which is the final judgment of God upon a sinful world.

We’ll talk about that more about this next week, but at this point, in light of our quest not to miss the point, let’s ask the question: Why do we have these trumpets? And the answer, in light of all that we’ve seen, seems clear.

On one hand, God is giving the world warning. In God’s judgments upon sin in the world today, God is warning us to turn from sin. In physical destruction, spiritual deception, and natural death all around us, we are seeing the effects of sin.

We see the effects of sin in the world—whether it’s terror or tumors, personal disease or physical destruction or painful death—see the effects of sin and repent and be reconciled to God today before it is too late.

God is giving the world warning in His judgments, and at the same time God is calling the church to war. Now I want to be careful here not to imply in any way that this is a call to war like in the Christian Crusaders from the past.

No, absolutely not. But the picture is clear in Revelation 8–9 that there are spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, and we are not in peacetime in this world. We are in wartime spiritually. Just like the imagery we talked about with Joshua and the battle of Jericho, each passing trumpet announces a new stage in the battle for God’s people to enter into His promise. So here it is.

The purpose of Revelation is to compel action in the present. The effect of these trumpet judgments is not to cause us to sit here and debate what the lion’s head and the locust’s tail mean and how that relates to the political future of Iran and Israel.

No, the effect of these trumpet judgments is to cause us to turn from our sin and to spend our lives fighting against demonic deception and destruction around us in two particular ways, based on Revelation 8–11.

We’re going to unpack both of these one this week and the other next week, but let me go ahead and put them out there. Two particular ways that Revelation 8–11 is beckoning us to act. Number one, Revelation 8–11 is beckoning us to fervently pray for God’s kingdom to come. After reading Revelation 8–11, the first thing we should do is fervently pray for God’s kingdom to come. And then, the second thing we should do after reading these four chapters is to fearlessly proclaim God’s gospel to all.

Fervently pray for God’s kingdom to come

Our battle is fierce

Think about both of this with me. First, in light of Revelation 8–11, let’s fervently pray for God’s kingdom to come. As we’ve already seen, our battle is fierce.

Don’t miss the point of all this imagery. There are demons who want to destroy you. There are demons who are working to deceive you into thinking that sin satisfies, and their aim is to kill your soul.

There are forces that are fighting you. Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that are organized, powerful, terrifying, and destructive. They will use idolatry in all its forms, whether it’s false gods made of metal, wood, and clay that is a reality in places like India or the idolatry of money, possessions, power, pleasure, sex, success, and sports here. And subtly, almost unknowingly, demons are warring against you and me and the people around us and the peoples around the world.

When we confront these powers of darkness, particularly through the proclamation of the light of Christ, we will be met with the force of hell. It will not be easy, and it will be costly.

Our prayers are effective

Our battle is fierce and can sometimes seem overwhelming. Don’t forget that all of these trumpet judgments that we’ve just read about in Chapters 8 and 9 are actually a response to the prayers of God’s people described at the beginning of all this. Our prayers are effective. Look back at Revelation 8:2. John writes,

“Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them” (Rev. 8:2–6).

See the connection here. All of these divine judgments that are ultimately bringing about the consummation of God’s kingdom in the world are coming about in response to the prayers of God’s people. One writer said, “These chapters are an astonishing tribute to the enormous historical importance of prayer.”

Get the picture here in Revelation 8. Our cries go up. like smoke from incense rising is the image. “Your Kingdom come, O God! Your just will be done. Hallowed be Your name in all the earth! Fill the earth, O God, with the knowledge of Your glory like the waters cover the seas. Bring an end to sin and suffering around us. Usher in redemption and restoration and full and final reconciliation.” These are the cries of the church.

And as our cries go up, Revelation 8 teaches us that His kingdom comes down progressively, in the hearts of men and women who trust in Christ and live out the life of Christ in this world. Oh, Church, as you have pray for people, the kingdom of God breaks into and transforms their lives.

Our cries go up, and His kingdom comes down progressively, and then ultimately, in the day to come when Christ will return for His people. Every time you and I cry out to God, “Your kingdom come,” every one of those prayers is taken, figuratively, to a heavenly throne room. And one day, all of them collectively are going to usher in the consummation of God’s kingdom in this world.

One commentator said:

“What are the real master-powers behind the world and what are the deeper secrets of our destiny? Here is the astonishing answer [from this text]: the prayers of the saints and the fire of God. That means that more potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in [this] world, more powerful than anything else, is the power of prayer set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth.”

Our God is faithful

We fight the battle against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms first and foremost from our knees knowing that our battle is fierce, our prayers are effective, and our God is faithful in response to the prayers of His people. This is what we’ve seen in all of these trumpet judgments.

God will demonstrate His power over the gods of this world. Remember, that was part of the purpose of the plagues in Egypt—to show God’s power over the gods and idols of Egypt. The same is true here. As we pray, God will show the gods of this world as utterly unworthy of worship.

He will demonstrate His power over the gods of this world, and He will vindicate His people amid opposition in this world. It was communicated to the Brothers and sisters in Rome in the first century and to us in the twenty-first century, keep praying! God will vindicate your trust in Him. If you’ll remember, that was the thrust of the prayers of the saints in Chapter 6—that God would vindicate His people and show His trustworthiness to those who trusted in Him.

God will demonstrate His power over the gods of this world, He will vindicate His people amid opposition in this world, and He will extend His mercy to sinners around this world. Revelation 9:20–21 (the verses we read earlier) makes clear that amidst all these judgments, God is urging people to repent of sin and trust in Him.

If you are not a Christian today, see the effects of sin within and all around you. We live in a world where we have turned from our Creator and we have worshiped created things ultimately that center around ourselves and our sin leads to pain and hurt and emptiness and ultimately death.

See the effects of sin in and around you, but know that God, being rich in mercy, has sent His Son to experience His judgment in our place. Though He Himself was completely innocent of sin, Jesus died on a cross for our sin, and anyone and everyone who turns from their sin and trusts in Him will be saved from God’s judgment and safe in God’s grace forever.

I urge you today, in view of the effects of sin in and around you, repent! Turn from your sin and trust in Jesus. Know that today, God is extending mercy to you, and at the same time, know that this opportunity to repent will not last forever.

Repent in your heart now, and trust in Jesus as God, Savior, Lord, and King. For one day, God will fully and finally uphold His justice amid sin in this world. If Revelation 8 and 9 are teaching us anything, they are teaching us that God will fully and finally judge everyone who lives for this world and refuses to give Him the worship He alone is due.

Let’s pray. God, demonstrate your power over all the gods that are being worshiped right now in America and all around the world.

God, vindicate your people’s trust in You as they live contrary to the ways of this world.

O God, extend your mercy to sinners around the world, drawing men, women, boys, and girls among all the peoples of the earth to faith in Christ.

And God, we long for the day when You will assert your supremacy as the righteous Judge of all, and You will make everything right.

Amen

END part 1

Fearlessly proclaim God’s gospel to all

Let’s fervently pray for God’s kingdom to come, and let’s fearlessly proclaim God’s gospel to all. So Chapters 8–9 portray the first six trumpet judgments, but then, much like we had in Chapter 7 in between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals, here we have an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets that shows all of this from the perspective of God’s people who have trusted in Him.

The key word in Chapters 10–11 is “prophet” or “prophesy.” It’s mentioned six different times. You might circle them, if you want. I want to show them to you.

Revelation 10:7, “… But that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets” (Rev. 10:7). Then you get down to verse 11, “And I was told, ‘You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings’ ” (Rev. 10:11).

Revelation 11:3, “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth” (Rev. 11:3). Verse 6, “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying …” (Rev. 11:6).

Verse 10, “… And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 11:10). Then the last time, verse 18, “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 …” (Rev. 11:18).

Now this emphasis on “prophets” and “prophesying” highlights the role of God’s people in the middle of all these judgments. In the middle of these judgments in the world, what do God’s people do? They speak God’s Word to the world. Now remember that to prophesy is not just to make pronouncements about the future.

To prophecy is to proclaim truth in the present in light of what is coming in the future. Revelation 10:6 refers to “no more delay,” highlighting the fact that God’s judgment and kingdom is indeed coming in the near future, signified by the seventh trumpet, and that has huge implications for the immediate present.

So first we see John depicted as a prophet. Chapter 10 recounts, in a sense, God’s commission of John to write these revelations, or visions, down. Interestingly, there’s one vision he’s not supposed to write down—[10:4] the voice of the seven thunders—which is a good reminder to us that Revelation is not intended to be an exhaustive account of every single thing that will happen in the coming of God’s kingdom.

But in imagery that’s very similar to Old Testament prophecy, God tells John to digest/eat this message—this message that is both bitter and sweet at the same time.

It’s bitter because it’s a message of judgment and condemnation, and it brings suffering to all who proclaim it.

But it’s sweet because it is a message of salvation for all who believe and stake their lives on it.

Verse 7 of chapter 10 is actually the only time in the entire book of Revelation where we see the world euangelion, which means to announce the gospel, it’s where we get the word evangelism and the picture is God announcing to and through his prophets the good news of God’s grace in the midst of God’s judgment.

And then, when you get to Chapter 11, John describes the ministry of “two witnesses” and there has been a variety of debate about who these “two witnesses” are. Are they literally two specific people that God will raise up in the last days as His witnesses to be His prophets like Moses or Elijah or John the Baptist? Or are these “two witnesses” a figurative representation of the entire church? My inclination is to lean toward the latter—that these two witnesses are a figurative representation of the entire church. That’s how we’re going to look at it.

The picture we’ve seen throughout Revelation, and all of Scripture for that matter, is of every follower of Christ in the church testifying to the word of God and the gospel. This is why the Spirit of God is in Christians. No longer, like we had in the Old Testament, is the Spirit in a few prophets, but according to Joel 2 and Acts 2, the Spirit is upon all God’s people for the purpose of prophesying, proclaiming God’s Word.

This is the primary function of the church—to be a witness in the world. It’s the primary thrust of the book of Revelation—to compel all Christians to proclaim Christ, even when it costs them their lives.

Every follower of Christ (without exception!) has been given the Spirit of Christ to testify to the gospel of Christ in the world. Even the imagery in Revelation 11:4 of two lampstands, which we’ve already seen as imagery for the church, seems to indicate this. And much like two witnesses in the first century world would be used to establish a particular matter [Deut.], this symbolism would certainly make sense here.

So the picture that Chapter 11 gives us is of God’s people, His church, witnesses in a world full of God’s judgment upon sin, testifying to the gospel of God’s grace in the gospel. This is not just first century Christians. This is you and me. We are witnesses in a world that is under the judgment of God, and we fearlessly proclaim God’s gospel to all.

Our lives are secure

And as we do this, as we witness, Revelation 11 tells us … This is so wonderful! Listen to this in your life. The book of Revelation says to us and to those first century Christians, first and foremost, that our lives are secure.

The first part of Chapter 11 can be really confusing, and like various parts of Revelation, there’s some disagreement over exactly what is meant by the temple or the 42 months and the 1,260 days.

You may or may not remember that God called Ezekiel to do a similar thing to this—to measure out the temple—and this action in Ezekiel was a symbolic depiction of God’s protection of His people. Ezekiel prophesied that in the rebuilding of the temple, God would restore His presence to the people of Israel, and God would once again show Himself as their provider and protector.

So in the picture here, John is not measuring off a physical temple, but a spiritual temple, His church, and God is promising to be with His witnessing people, to protect and provide for them. He will never leave them or forsake them, and they will always and ultimately be safe and secure in Him. God’s people have no reason to fear.

Our suffering is expected

Yet at the same time, you’ll notice in Revelation 11:2 that the outer court of the temple, the court of the Gentiles, is left vulnerable and open to be trampled for a particular period of time (42 months), and the message seems to be that yes, while are lives are ultimately secure, our suffering is expected for a time.

This 42 months, which is also referred to as 1,260 days or three-and-a-half years, was prophesied way back in Daniel and is now signified here in Revelation as a time of tribulation in which God’s people experience suffering and persecution as His witnesses in this world.

Again, some people view this as a literal three-and-a-half-year time of tribulation. But in light of understanding these witnesses as the church and in light of the context we’ve seen already here in Revelation, this seems to be a symbolic portrayal of a time of suffering that the church will endure before the final judgment.

Not only does this seem to fit Daniel’s prophecies, but not by coincidence, this also reflects symbolically the approximate length of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

So the witnesses reflect the True and Faithful Witness, who for a time suffered in His testimony to the Word of God. And just like Christ, on one hand, these Christians are absolutely and eternally secure in the presence of God, yet on the other hand, they are vulnerable to attack, suffering, and persecution in this world as they witness. This is us.

Our task is prophetic

Our lives are secure, our suffering is expected, and our task is prophetic. We “prophesy … clothed in sackcloth” (Rev. 11:3). Brothers and sisters, this is what we are here to do in this world. This is why God has not immediately brought you and me up to heaven from this world.

He has saved us from our sins, filled us with His Spirit, and commissioned us by His Son to be His witnesses in this world. We are here to fearlessly proclaim the truth of Christ.

This is what a prophet does: he speaks. You and I know how things are going to end in the future. You and I know that has huge implications for our lives and the lives of every single person around us in the present. So we don’t stay silent.

You know that the people you live with, the people you go to school with, the people you work with, the people on your ball teams and in your clubs or whatever else you do, they will all face the judgment of God one day perhaps soon.

And God has put you in their lives to proclaim his truth—His good news of mercy and grace to all who will receive it and repent of their sin and run to him. Our task is to tell them. Our task is prophetic.

Our message is clear

Our message is clear. This picture of witnesses clothed in sackcloth represents the message we proclaim, and just like we saw with John, it is bittersweet.

It is bitter because it speaks of the coming judgment of God upon sin, and that is cause for mourning and weeping.

At the same time, it is sweet because it speaks of the mercy of God to save from sin, and that is cause for rejoicing and celebrating.

God is the coming King, righteous Judge, and merciful Lord, and He will save all who turn from their sin and trust in him. When was the last time you told someone that? Would you pray even now that God would use you to tell someone that this week? Our task is prophetic and our message is clear.

Our light is unquenchable

Our light is unquenchable. Verse 4, we are “lampstands,” brothers and sisters, with light and fire that cannot be quenched.

Our souls are untouchable

Our light is unquenchable. Our souls are untouchable. Verse 5 says, “If anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed” (Rev. 11:5). Talk about divine protection against demonic forces. We dwell with God, God dwells in us, and nothing can touch us.

Our power is invincible

Verse 6, “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying” (Rev. 11:6). This is an allusion to Elijah, and it reminds us that when we speak the Word of God, nothing can stop that Word of God from going forth and carrying out its intended effect.

But then, things take a turn in verse 7 as John describes how our days of prophesying in this world will come to an end. He writes,

“And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11:7–8).

John describes how God’s witnesses will eventually be struck down in this world. This could be a specific reference to literal martyrdom for proclaiming the gospel, or it could be a more general reference to every Christian who proclaims the gospel amid a world of sin and suffering. For until Jesus returns, every one of them will die in this world of sin and suffering. It will likely look like their lives, whether as martyrs or simply Christians who proclaimed Christ, were wasted from the perspective of this world.

“For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth” (Rev. 11:9–10).

The picture is of worldly people who will laugh at how professing Christians lived and died, and those who have rejected God’s mercy will think for a minute that they have been vindicated in their rejection. “Look at those Christians,” they’ll say, “who proclaimed judgment coming for us. Look what happened to them.”

Our death will be temporary

But Revelation 11:11 says our death will be temporary. “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them” (Rev. 11:11). Ironically, after a time that seems to symbolically represent Jesus’ days in a tomb, we will rise as His witnesses, and God will vindicate our testimony.

Our resurrection will be sure

Our death will be temporary, and our resurrection will be sure. “Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them” (Rev. 11:12). We will rise to meet our Lord as He reigns down ultimate and final judgment on the earth, which leads right into verses 14 and 15, where the third woe is pronounced and the seventh trumpet is blown. Read it with me. Revelation 11:15–19, what some might say is the central passage of the entire book of Revelation:

“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” (Rev. 11:15–19).

Our mission will be complete

Brothers and sisters, one day our mission will be complete. The task of witnessing in the world will be done. Just as Jesus said in Matthew 24, “this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). There is coming a day when witnessing will be no more; on that day, it will only be worship.

Our God will be glorified

Our mission will be complete, and our God will be glorified. The best part of this closing passage comes in verse 17 as the 24 elders begin to sing. Listen to how they start and see if you can notice what’s so significant here. Verse 17, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign” (Rev. 11:17). Do you see it?

Over and over again up to this point in Revelation, we have seen God glorified as the One who is, and who was, and who is—what?—who is to come. But now, in this scene, He is not glorified anymore as the One who is to come. He is glorified as the One who has come, fully and finally, to assert His reign and His rule over His kingdom forever. Today, we worship God as the One who was, and is, and is to come. But on that day, never again will those words come out of our mouths, for He will have come.

And we will behold His majesty. Notice how worship and judgment are intertwined together here, and all throughout the book of Revelation for that matter. God will one day be glorified in majesty for His judgments, as a result of His judgments. His justice and mercy and holiness and grace will altogether be put on display for all to see.

I can’t wait until next week as we see this unpacked more in depth, but let me pause at this point and just give you a summary of the entire book of Revelation in three words. Are you ready? These words are not in your notes, but if you are going to sum up the message of Revelation in three words, here it is: OUR GOD WINS.

So let’s fearlessly proclaim this message to all.