Revelation Chapter 11

The Seventh Trumpet

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

VERSE 15 continued “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!”

It is also important to note that in the New Testament the word “Lord” can refer to Jehovah. Although over 90 percent of the references are to Jesus, yet in many places the expression “Lord” applies to God Himself. Where the word “LORD” appears in the Old Testament in all capital letters, it always applies to Jehovah—and never to Jesus personally. It is the Father’s own personal and jealous name (Exod. 34:14).

Some New Testament references where the title “Lord” signifies not Jesus but Jehovah (as proven by counterpart Old Testament texts):

Some New Testament references where the title “Lord” signifies not Jesus but Jehovah (as proven by counterpart Old Testament texts):

Acts 2:34, compare:

Psa. 110:1 “The LORD said unto my [David’s] Lord.”

Acts 4:26, compare:

Psa. 2:2 “The kings of the earth stood up . . . against the LORD, and against his Christ [Anointed].”

Acts 7:49, compare:                                                                                                      

Isa. 66:1 “Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the LORD.”

Heb 7:21, compare:

Psa. 110:4 “The LORD share and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

Rom 11:3, compare:                                                                                                     

1 Kings 19:10 “LORD, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.”

Jude 9, compare:

Zech. 3:2 “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, . . . durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The LORD rebuke thee.”

(See also Luke 1:9; 2:23, 29; 20:13; Rev. 4:11.)

The reason for saying the kingdoms will become those of Jehovah is that primarily it will be God’s Kingdom. This emphasis is sustained throughout the seventh trumpet message. Although the term “Kingdom of Christ” is also used, in the truest sense it is, first, the Kingdom of GOD.

It is the Kingdom of Christ in that God, instead of dealing directly with mankind, has committed all judgment to the Son (Acts 17:31); thus, God can, as it were, turn aside and let Jesus negotiate the New Covenant to a successful conclusion. If Jehovah were to face mankind directly all down the Millennial Age, they would soon become guilty of Second Death in their unlearned, undeveloped, untried state—though they be thoroughly forgiven or rid of past sins. By placing mankind under Jesus’ custody, God will not look circumspectly upon them until the end of the Millennial Age. Although God allows mankind to be tutored by Jesus, it is really HIS Kingdom in that He is the One who arranged for it and appointed Christ as the instructor. Only temporarily will Christ be seen to assume a more prominent, a more active, and a more open rulership upon earth than Jehovah. At the end of the thousand years, Jesus will turn the Kingdom over to the Father so that God may be all in all (1 Cor. 15:24–28).

In still a third sense, the Kingdom is considered the Kingdom of the Church. The Kingdom is first Jehovah’s (in the best and truest sense); next it is Jesus’ (because he is the Father’s honored Son and the most prominent in authority under Jehovah); and finally, it becomes the Church’s (in that the Kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High God—Dan. 7:18,22,27). Rev 11:15, instead of stating “God, Jesus, and the Church,” indicates “God and The Christ [God’s Anointed],” which includes three plateaus of authority but is categorized as two.

“And he shall reign for ever and ever [Amen! (Sinaitic MS)].” God shall reign forever and ever, for Christ’s reign is limited to a period of time within the thousand years, at the end of which the Son will hand the Kingdom over to the Father, whose reign then will never cease. John the Revelator interjects his own enthusiastic endorsement: “Amen!”

A question still arises as to when this reign begins. At the initial sounding of the seventh trumpet?

No! it is answered. Just because the reign is related to the blowing of the seventh trumpet does not mean that as soon as the messenger sounded the trumpet in 1878, the reign began. The thought is that sometime during the seventh trumpet era the reign is to occur.

Similarly, during the blowing of the sixth trumpet, there was a great earthquake; however, the French Revolution did not occur when Luther sounded the trumpet but long after his death. Thus most, if not all, of the events predicted to occur during the sounding of the seventh trumpet follow the demise of the seventh messenger.

Now that the background of Verse 15 has been explored, the “great voices in heaven” can be identified. After the kingdoms of this world have become Jehovah’s and after He has assumed His regal authority, great voices in heaven will announce the events as an accomplished fact. Here “heaven” refers not to the nominal Christian heavens or to earth’s literal atmosphere, but to God’s heaven. Specifically, the “great voices in heaven” signify the entire heavenly host . . . all the holy angels will joyously acclaim and render due praise in connection with the wedding of Jesus and his Bride, the coronation of the King and Queen.

We move on to Verse 16 in our next post.