Revelation 11:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.”

NIV: The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.'

NASB: Then the seventh angel sounded; 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.'

CSB: 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.

NLT: Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: 'The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.'

KJV: And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

NKJV: 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!”

When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, spontaneous worship breaks out in heaven. Loud voices proclaim the good news that the kingdom of the world is now the kingdom of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Although Jesus does not return to earth at this time or establish His kingdom on earth at this time, both events are anticipated and will take place at the end of the tribulation when Jesus comes to earth in glory, defeats His enemies, and casts the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:11–21).

Christians anticipate the rapture but also Christ's earthly kingdom. When He rules the world, there will be no more crime, warfare, corruption, poverty, injustice, or blasphemy. Nor will despots be in the kingdom. Jesus will be king over all the earth, and He will reign during the millennium, and forever and ever after it, with peace, justice, and righteousness (Isaiah 9:7). While the millennial kingdom will have some level of dissent (Revelation 20:7–10), the new heaven and new earth will be entirely redeemed (Revelation 21:22–27).

Revelation 11:15–19 ends the parenthesis between the sixth and seventh trumpets. Christ is ready to take possession of the kingdoms of the world. This expectation causes the twenty-four elders to lie prostate and give thanks to the eternal Lord. Soon He will judge the dead and reward His servants. The elders' praise is reminiscent of their praise in Revelation 5:8–10. The imminent judgment is executed in Revelation 20:10–15, and the rewarding of the Lord's faithful servants is described in 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. The apostle Paul associated the giving of rewards with Jesus' prophesied appearing.

This chapter continues the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. John received a measuring rod and was told to measure the temple, the altar, and the worshipers. However, he was told not to measure the court outside the temple, because the Gentiles would overrun it for three and a half years. During that time, two divinely authorized witnesses would prophesy. They would have power to summon fire from heaven and to strike the earth with plagues. At the end of their testimony the beast from the pit will kill them and leave their bodies in a street in Jerusalem. But, three and a half days later, God will resurrect their bodies and draw them up to heaven. At that time a powerful earthquake will level a tenth of Jerusalem and kill seven thousand people. When the seventh trumpet sounds, loud voices in heaven proclaim Jesus as the possessor of the world's kingdoms, and the twenty-four elders praise Jesus as the Lord God Almighty who will begin to reign. He will judge the dead but reward His servants. The chapter ends with the opening of the temple in heaven.

The eleventh chapter of Revelation provides information about an event that transpires between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets. It involves two powerful witnesses that God raises up in the middle of the tribulation. These two witnesses minister throughout the second half of the tribulation. They are martyred, but God raises them up and lifts them to heaven. Concurrent with their ascension a mighty earthquake destroys one tenth of Jerusalem and kills seven thousand people. This is the second woe. The first woe is described in chapter 9 as an invading army of locusts.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''