Study No 12
– The Seventh Trumpet-
Chapter 11:15 – 19.
We have seen a series of events unfolding during the future seven year period known as the Tribulation. The seven sealed book gave us a few of them … from the beginning to the end of the tribulation. Jesus adds details by having John record events on earth, caused by God, that took place when angels blew a trumpet blast. These 'trumpet' events started at about the mid-point and go right to the end of the tribulation. We noted that, unlike the events of the scroll, these events are judgments of God which He is bringing upon the unbelievers in the world in order to produce repentance. The last three trumpet blasts signify judgments that are far more serious than the first 4, therefore they are called 3 woes.
In the previous study we read about two witnesses who are sent by God to preach the gospel and encourage people (or warn people) to repent because the end is very near. We also noted that their warnings are followed up with judgments which they have the power to inflict on the earth. Very likely many, if not all of the trumpet judgments are happening as a result of the two witnesses. The preaching ministry of these two will be heard and seen around the world. They likely will not rent large venues as did Billy Graham. That day will be past. But as they preach, they call down judgments on the earth. Unbelievers around the globe will either repent of their sins or they will develop an intense hatred for these two men.
The ministry of the two witnesses begins half-way through the tribulation and ends just before the seventh trumpet sounds. We noted that when their ministry is over they are able to be killed. After 3 and a half days life re-enters their bodies and they are raised up and then called up into heaven. The whole world sees this. In the same hour that these witnesses ascend to heaven an earthquake occurs (I am assuming in Jerusalem) and 7 thousand are killed. Some give glory to God … perhaps the very last ones to receive salvation.
The 6th trumpet blast had indicated the second woe. Immediately after the witnesses are raised to life, and the severe earthquake takes place, we are told that the second woe is now past.
Look at 11:15 The the seventh trumpet sounds, finally!. (This is the 3rd Woe) That’s where we pick up our place in this study.
The trumpet sounds! But before we read about the effects of it, we are given these words: (11:15-17) – voices in heaven are heard saying that from this very moment, the kingdoms of this world now belong to Jesus.
To whom do the kingdoms of this world belong now? We could say … To mankind. But really mankind are puppet leaders or rulers. There is ruling going on behind the scenes. Paul says that people are controlled by the ruler, or prince of the kingdom of the air. Obviously he means Satan. Here are Paul's words:
(In regards to the former life) which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:2
Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would only bow down and worship Satan. (Matt 4:1-11)
As a kid I remember reading this and thinking, Really! As if Satan could do that! The kingdoms of the world are not his to give! But I was wrong.
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The night before his death He said this to his disciples: John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
John 14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,
John 16:11 … the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Jesus says, “Now”. How are we to take this? Satan is still here and doing well, so how are we to understand His use of the word 'now'?
Simply this: The victory has been won. Jesus conquered death as he rose from the grave. He has a plan that will unfold with exact precision. Jesus returns to this earth as King in chapter 19. In a future study (Chapter 20) Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire … all in God’s time and plan. So when Jesus said, over 2000 years ago “Now the prince of this world will be driven out”… He did not mean immediately. What He was saying is, that it was now a sure thing and it would happen according to plan. Even when the seventh trumpet sounds and the angel says, “The kingdoms of this world have now become the kingdom of the Lord” there is still a short sequence of events before we see it actually happen.
In verses 16 and 17 we hear the Elders who are seated around the throne praising God and stating what is about to happen as a result of the sounding of this last trumpet. Praise and worship! Imagine that. Over six thousand years of conflict with Satan because of Adam's sin, and a final 3 and a half years of intense conflict with Satan is about to end. The rapture of all believers who are still on earth is about to take place the moment the trumpet sounds. Jesus will meet them 'in the air' and take them up to heaven for the greatest reunion ever! What excitement in heaven! The 24 elders in heaven are saying:
The nations are angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." Re 11:18
Allow me to adjust the verse into a ‘list’ form.
(b)Every God-fearing person regardless of stature and standing
4. Time to destroy those who have been destroyers of the earth.
Point #1 above, agrees with the scene we are given when the sixth seal was broken. There we were told that the sky rolled up like a scroll, unbelievers were angry and terrified at the same time and wished for the mountains to fall on them and hide them from God’s face and from His impending wrath.
The statement in point # 4 agrees with this.
So, #1,2 and 4 happen on this earth. But meanwhile #3 is happening in heaven.
Here are some other New Testament verses that refer to the Seventh trumpet Judgment day.
Romans 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
2Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
These verses are not referring to the judgment of the unsaved world. That will not come until the end of the millennial reign.
Some commentators leave the impression that only unbelievers will be judged for works. They would have us believe that Christ took all our judgment on Calvary and therefore we will only be rewarded or have a lack of rewards. I merely ask you to look at the verses above and allow it to form your understanding from scripture.1
Verse 19. The seventh trumpet sounds … and then this happens; heaven is opened! And it will be possible to see the Ark of the Covenant from …. where? From earth? This sounds the same as what happens right at the end of period after the sixth seal has been broken on the 7-sealed scroll. (6:12-17)
When the trumpet sounds, we go up. The question seems to be (according to some teachers I have heard) “Up where?” Some (post-tribbers) say that we go up … only into the sky, meet Jesus on His way down and then go with him to the place where he descends to earth. I have problems with this view.
Problem : The scripture says Jesus comes down to fight the battle of Armageddon and the first place he comes to on earth is the mount of Olives. This means that we would have to have assembled with him in the sky and a few seconds later be coming down to join the fight.
What is missing here is
So for now … we will say, the trumpet blasts ... and we go up …. To heaven.
Please note: up to now in our study of Revelation there has been no other trumpet mentioned which signals anything at all resembling a rapture. The information surrounding the seventh trumpet mentions everything we would expect in the rapture except one thing ...
It mentions – a resurrection (time for the dead to be judged)
- rewards to be given out – to every kind of believer. (to living ones too!)
What is not mentioned is whether this is in heaven or not.
So we need to list here some of the other trumpet/rapture verses and see if they shed any more light on it.
1Co 15:51 ¶ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed——
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This one also does not say if we go all the way to heaven or not. But it DOES say LAST trumpet.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
This verse also does not mention where … just … ‘in the clouds’ … and ‘with the Lord’
Mt 24:30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This verse fails to mention anything about heaven also. But none of these verses clearly says believers do NOT go to heaven with Jesus. Notice the events included in the Matthew 24:30,31 passage that are also included in Revelation; In Matthew notice the anger of the nations as they see the ‘sign of the son of Man’. They can see him, just like the people in Revelation 6:15
So, since none of the above verses, nor any other that I can think of, mention where the believers end up, we need to look further into Revelation. But first, this verse:
Heb 9:27 … it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Even though this verse does not say where the judgment takes place, we take note that it is the next event after we die.
Now we turn to Revelation 19:6,7 This is the announcement of the Wedding. This is about Jesus and His bride.
Verse 8 – The bride received the proper attire
Verse 9 mentions an invitation to the supper.
Verse 11 mentions heaven opened. This has to be a second opening … why? In the first opening of heaven, the saints are still on earth. The reason it opened at that time was to show, symbolically at least … that it is opened to receive his children. In this opening … Jesus and the saints all come out of heaven … and down to earth.
Verse 14 states that believers are WITH Jesus when he comes down to fight the battle. So how did they get up there? We are left with only one option. The trumpet sounds ... living and dead believers find themselves at the judgment seat of Christ in heaven, then there is a 'wedding supper'. And then there is a descending to earth. So … when the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet, sounds, believers go up … to heaven.
1 Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43 "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45 "But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
46 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 "And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
In the previous study we read about two witnesses who are sent by God to preach the gospel and encourage people (or warn people) to repent because the end is very near. We also noted that their warnings are followed up with judgments which they have the power to inflict on the earth. Very likely many, if not all of the trumpet judgments are happening as a result of the two witnesses. The preaching ministry of these two will be heard and seen around the world. They likely will not rent large venues as did Billy Graham. That day will be past. But as they preach, they call down judgments on the earth. Unbelievers around the globe will either repent of their sins or they will develop an intense hatred for these two men.
The ministry of the two witnesses begins half-way through the tribulation and ends just before the seventh trumpet sounds. We noted that when their ministry is over they are able to be killed. After 3 and a half days life re-enters their bodies and they are raised up and then called up into heaven. The whole world sees this. In the same hour that these witnesses ascend to heaven an earthquake occurs (I am assuming in Jerusalem) and 7 thousand are killed. Some give glory to God … perhaps the very last ones to receive salvation.
The 6th trumpet blast had indicated the second woe. Immediately after the witnesses are raised to life, and the severe earthquake takes place, we are told that the second woe is now past.
Look at 11:15 The the seventh trumpet sounds, finally!. (This is the 3rd Woe) That’s where we pick up our place in this study.
The trumpet sounds! But before we read about the effects of it, we are given these words: (11:15-17) – voices in heaven are heard saying that from this very moment, the kingdoms of this world now belong to Jesus.
To whom do the kingdoms of this world belong now? We could say … To mankind. But really mankind are puppet leaders or rulers. There is ruling going on behind the scenes. Paul says that people are controlled by the ruler, or prince of the kingdom of the air. Obviously he means Satan. Here are Paul's words:
(In regards to the former life) which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:2
Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would only bow down and worship Satan. (Matt 4:1-11)
As a kid I remember reading this and thinking, Really! As if Satan could do that! The kingdoms of the world are not his to give! But I was wrong.
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The night before his death He said this to his disciples: John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
John 14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,
John 16:11 … the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Jesus says, “Now”. How are we to take this? Satan is still here and doing well, so how are we to understand His use of the word 'now'?
Simply this: The victory has been won. Jesus conquered death as he rose from the grave. He has a plan that will unfold with exact precision. Jesus returns to this earth as King in chapter 19. In a future study (Chapter 20) Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire … all in God’s time and plan. So when Jesus said, over 2000 years ago “Now the prince of this world will be driven out”… He did not mean immediately. What He was saying is, that it was now a sure thing and it would happen according to plan. Even when the seventh trumpet sounds and the angel says, “The kingdoms of this world have now become the kingdom of the Lord” there is still a short sequence of events before we see it actually happen.
In verses 16 and 17 we hear the Elders who are seated around the throne praising God and stating what is about to happen as a result of the sounding of this last trumpet. Praise and worship! Imagine that. Over six thousand years of conflict with Satan because of Adam's sin, and a final 3 and a half years of intense conflict with Satan is about to end. The rapture of all believers who are still on earth is about to take place the moment the trumpet sounds. Jesus will meet them 'in the air' and take them up to heaven for the greatest reunion ever! What excitement in heaven! The 24 elders in heaven are saying:
The nations are angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." Re 11:18
Allow me to adjust the verse into a ‘list’ form.
- Nations are angry
- Your wrath has come
- Judgment day (reward day) has come
(b)Every God-fearing person regardless of stature and standing
4. Time to destroy those who have been destroyers of the earth.
Point #1 above, agrees with the scene we are given when the sixth seal was broken. There we were told that the sky rolled up like a scroll, unbelievers were angry and terrified at the same time and wished for the mountains to fall on them and hide them from God’s face and from His impending wrath.
The statement in point # 4 agrees with this.
So, #1,2 and 4 happen on this earth. But meanwhile #3 is happening in heaven.
Here are some other New Testament verses that refer to the Seventh trumpet Judgment day.
Romans 14:10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
2Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
These verses are not referring to the judgment of the unsaved world. That will not come until the end of the millennial reign.
Some commentators leave the impression that only unbelievers will be judged for works. They would have us believe that Christ took all our judgment on Calvary and therefore we will only be rewarded or have a lack of rewards. I merely ask you to look at the verses above and allow it to form your understanding from scripture.1
Verse 19. The seventh trumpet sounds … and then this happens; heaven is opened! And it will be possible to see the Ark of the Covenant from …. where? From earth? This sounds the same as what happens right at the end of period after the sixth seal has been broken on the 7-sealed scroll. (6:12-17)
When the trumpet sounds, we go up. The question seems to be (according to some teachers I have heard) “Up where?” Some (post-tribbers) say that we go up … only into the sky, meet Jesus on His way down and then go with him to the place where he descends to earth. I have problems with this view.
Problem : The scripture says Jesus comes down to fight the battle of Armageddon and the first place he comes to on earth is the mount of Olives. This means that we would have to have assembled with him in the sky and a few seconds later be coming down to join the fight.
What is missing here is
- the judgment seat of Christ
- Joining Him for the marriage supper of the Lamb.
So for now … we will say, the trumpet blasts ... and we go up …. To heaven.
Please note: up to now in our study of Revelation there has been no other trumpet mentioned which signals anything at all resembling a rapture. The information surrounding the seventh trumpet mentions everything we would expect in the rapture except one thing ...
It mentions – a resurrection (time for the dead to be judged)
- rewards to be given out – to every kind of believer. (to living ones too!)
What is not mentioned is whether this is in heaven or not.
So we need to list here some of the other trumpet/rapture verses and see if they shed any more light on it.
1Co 15:51 ¶ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed——
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This one also does not say if we go all the way to heaven or not. But it DOES say LAST trumpet.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
This verse also does not mention where … just … ‘in the clouds’ … and ‘with the Lord’
Mt 24:30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This verse fails to mention anything about heaven also. But none of these verses clearly says believers do NOT go to heaven with Jesus. Notice the events included in the Matthew 24:30,31 passage that are also included in Revelation; In Matthew notice the anger of the nations as they see the ‘sign of the son of Man’. They can see him, just like the people in Revelation 6:15
So, since none of the above verses, nor any other that I can think of, mention where the believers end up, we need to look further into Revelation. But first, this verse:
Heb 9:27 … it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Even though this verse does not say where the judgment takes place, we take note that it is the next event after we die.
Now we turn to Revelation 19:6,7 This is the announcement of the Wedding. This is about Jesus and His bride.
Verse 8 – The bride received the proper attire
Verse 9 mentions an invitation to the supper.
Verse 11 mentions heaven opened. This has to be a second opening … why? In the first opening of heaven, the saints are still on earth. The reason it opened at that time was to show, symbolically at least … that it is opened to receive his children. In this opening … Jesus and the saints all come out of heaven … and down to earth.
Verse 14 states that believers are WITH Jesus when he comes down to fight the battle. So how did they get up there? We are left with only one option. The trumpet sounds ... living and dead believers find themselves at the judgment seat of Christ in heaven, then there is a 'wedding supper'. And then there is a descending to earth. So … when the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet, sounds, believers go up … to heaven.
1 Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43 "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 "Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
45 "But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,
46 "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 "And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.