Revelation Chapter 11

The Seventh Trumpet

Verses 15-19 as explained by Brother Frank Shallieu in The Keys of Revelation

VERSE 15 “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!”

Pastor Russell, the last dispensational messenger or angel to the Church (Rev. 3:14), is associated with the initial sounding of this final trumpet. The seven trumpets of Revelation are all of divine appointment. In the type they correspond to the blowing of the trumpets at the appearance of the new moon in the beginning of each Hebrew month (Num. 10:10; Psa. 81:3). The last of the first seven trumpet blowing’s of the year—namely, that which sounded at the beginning of the seventh month—is sometimes called the Feast of Trumpets, a shabbathon rest and trumpet-blowing commemoration (Lev. 23:24). For the Israelites the Feast of Trumpets had a special significance in that it marked the month in which the Day of Atonement was to be observed, and also the month in which, every fiftieth year, the Jubilee trumpet was to be blown on the tenth day.

It appears that the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11, beginning in 1878, is of limited duration: 120 years. This trumpet should not be confused with the antitypical Jubilee trumpet, which is yet to sound. In the type, the seventh trumpet was blown on the first day of the seventh month, whereas that of Jubilee was sounded later, on the tenth day. When blown antitypically, the Jubilee trumpet, a universal message and proclamation of liberty, will be unmistakably heard, understood, enforced, and appreciated by all the inhabitants of earth. It is to be spiritually blown, with great force, and, as its name implies, will occasion great rejoicing and jubilation (Lev. 25:9,10).

 The bicentennial year of the United States’ declaration of independence from Britain commenced January 1, 1976, although the actual event being commemorated was not celebrated until the fourth of July of that year. In other words, the bicentennial year, beginning on the first calendrical day, received its name from the outstanding event that had occurred on the fourth day of the seventh month two centuries earlier. The same principle applies to the antitypical Jubilee trumpet. The Feast of Trumpets, marking the first day of the seventh month, will probably, in the future, be changed and seen as the first day of the first month of a civil year, thus corresponding to the present, scripturally unauthorized Rosh Hashanah.

Verse 15 should be more correctly rendered, “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our LORD, and of His Christ” (Sinaitic MS). This verse is often erroneously understood to signify that the kingdoms of this world are become those of “our Lord [Jesus]” and “of his Christ”—the latter phrase supposedly being a reference to the body members of Christ. But several lines of reasoning negate this thought. First, the context bears close scrutiny. The statement “our Lord” refers NOT to Jesus, but to Jehovah; and the following designation “of his Christ” applies primarily to Jesus (the head) and secondarily to the Church (his body). A paraphrase would be: “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of Jehovah, and of Jehovah’s Christ [head and body].”

Peter’s testimony substantiates this conclusion:

“The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ [the Anointed]. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.” (Acts 4:26, 27)

The Apostle was manifestly alluding to the Second Psalm:

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD [capitalized, signifying Jehovah], and against his Anointed.” (Psa. 2:2)

There are other interesting comparisons to be seen:

Psa

“Why do the heathen rage?” (Verse 1)

Rev 11

“The nations were angry.” (Verse 18)

Psa 2

“Then shall he [Jehovah] speak unto them in his wrath.” (Verse 5)

Rev 11

“Thy [Jehovah’s] wrath is come.” (Verse 18)

Psa 2

“Yet have I [Jehovah] set my King [Jesus] upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Verse 6)

Rev 11

“Are become the kingdoms . . . of his [Jehovah’s] Christ.” (Verse 15)

Continued with next post.