The Seventh Trumpet

There are moments in life when it feels like chaos is winning. Nations rage. Leaders posture. Cultures drift. Personal trials stack up. And if we’re honest, there are days when we may start to wonder, Who’s really in charge here?

Revelation 11:15–19 answers that question with thunder.

“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’” (Rev. 11:15, ESV).

I don't believe this is symbolic language about the church gradually influencing culture, even though I'm grateful for the influence of Christians in every era. I believe this passage is giving us a prophetic announcement. It’s the declaration that the long-awaited, literal reign of Jesus Christ over the earth is about to be established. The seventh trumpet doesn’t describe the final eternal state yet, but it announces the climactic movement toward Christ’s visible, earthly kingdom following the Tribulation.

And heaven can’t stay quiet.

The Kingdom Has Become His

Please notice what the voices in heaven proclaim. They don’t say the kingdoms of this world might become Christ’s. They don’t say they’re negotiating terms. They say, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.”

This fulfills what the prophets long anticipated.

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue representing successive world empires. Then a stone “cut out by no human hand” struck the statue and became “a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:34–35). Daniel explained, “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:44). That stone is Christ. The mountain is His kingdom.

Psalm 2 echoes the same promise. The nations rage and the peoples plot in vain, but God declares, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Ps. 2:6). The Father tells the Son, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage” (Ps. 2:8).

Revelation 11 is the thunderous announcement that Psalm 2 wasn’t poetic exaggeration. It’s prophecy. And it’s being fulfilled.

Jesus, who was rejected at His first coming, crowned with thorns instead of gold, will reign openly. The One who stood silent before Pilate will rule with authority over every throne.

When you watch the news and feel discouraged, don’t forget this. The kingdoms of this world are temporary. Christ’s kingdom is certain.

Worship Erupts in Heaven

John continues:

“And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God” (Rev. 11:16).

Heaven responds the only way it can, with worship.

They say,

“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).

Please notice the shift. Earlier in Revelation, God is described as “who is and who was and who is to come.” Here it says “who is and who was.” The focus is no longer on the One who is to come, because in this prophetic moment He has stepped into decisive action. He has begun to reign with visible authority.

I believe this marks the transition toward Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of His millennial kingdom that's described in Revelation 20. This isn’t merely a spiritual reign in the hearts of men. This is the fulfillment of promises made to Israel in passages like 2 Samuel 7:12–16, where God covenanted with David that his throne would be established forever.

Gabriel echoed that covenant when he told Mary, “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32–33). That promise hasn’t been canceled. It hasn’t been spiritualized away. It will be fulfilled literally.

Jesus isn’t finished with this world. He’s coming to rule it.

That truth changes how we endure the present.

The Rage of the Nations and the Wrath of God

The elders continue:

“The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged…” (Rev. 11:18).

That phrase “the nations raged” takes us right back to Psalm 2. Humanity resists God’s authority. Throughout the Tribulation, the world unites in rebellion under the Antichrist. Revelation 11 has already introduced the beast rising from the abyss. The rage intensifies.

But rebellion doesn’t cancel sovereignty.

God’s wrath comes at the appointed time. His justice isn’t impulsive. It’s measured, holy, and perfectly timed.

Isaiah 13:11 says, “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity.” Joel 2 describes “the great and awesome day of the Lord.” These prophecies find their culmination in the events Revelation describes.

We don’t naturally like the language of wrath. But please understand this, if God never judged evil, He wouldn’t be good. The cross shows us both mercy and justice. At Calvary, Jesus absorbed wrath for all who trust Him. But for those who persist in defiance, judgment remains.

That should stir two responses in us.

First, gratitude. If you belong to Christ, your judgment fell on Him. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). When the trumpet sounds in Revelation 11, believers aren’t trembling in fear. We’re secure in Christ.

Second, urgency. People we love are still outside that security. The coming kingdom isn’t a vague hope. It’s a scheduled reality. That should move us to share the gospel while there’s still time.

Reward for the Faithful

Revelation 11:18 continues:

“…and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great…”

Isn’t that encouraging? God sees. He knows. He remembers.

In a world that often overlooks faithfulness, heaven doesn’t. Jesus promised in Matthew 16:27 that the Son of Man will come “with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”

This isn’t about earning salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith. But rewards for faithful service are a real thing. I was just discussing this very subject with some of my students the other day. 1 Corinthians 3:14 says, “If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.”

I think it's reasonable to believe that these rewards are connected to participation in Christ’s millennial reign. Revelation 20:6 says believers will “reign with him for a thousand years.”

So don’t grow weary. Don’t assume your quiet obedience is unnoticed. The King who is coming keeps perfect records.

And He delights to reward those who fear His name, both small and great. That phrase levels the field. You don’t need a global platform. You need faithfulness.

The Temple Opened in Heaven

Then John writes:

“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple” (Rev. 11:19).

This image is worth taking a closer look at.

The ark represented God’s covenant faithfulness. It symbolized His throne, His mercy seat, His presence among His people. In the Old Testament, only the high priest could approach it, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16).

Now heaven’s temple is opened. The ark is visible.

What does that tell us?

It tells us God hasn’t forgotten His covenants. The Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12. The Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7. The New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34. All of them converge in Christ.

Jesus is the fulfillment of every covenant promise. He is the true mercy seat. Romans 3:25 says God put Him forward as a propitiation, a wrath-satisfying sacrifice. Through His blood, access is granted.

When the temple opens in Revelation 11, it’s a declaration that God’s promises are intact. The coming kingdom isn’t an improvisation. It’s the fulfillment of everything He said He would do.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God will keep His word to you, look at the ark in heaven. He always does.

Lightning, Thunder, and Hail

The verse concludes:

“There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail” (Rev. 11:19).

This imagery echoes Sinai in Exodus 19, when God descended on the mountain with thunder and lightning. It communicates majesty, holiness, and power.

God’s reign isn’t timid. It’s overwhelming.

For believers, that isn't a threat. It’s comfort. The same power that will shake the earth is the power that secures your future.

Think about that personally. The One who will silence rebellious nations is the One who calls you by name. The King who will rule the earth is the Savior who bore your sin.

I think that should steady your heart.

Living in Light of the Coming Kingdom

So what does Revelation 11:15–19 mean for us today?

First, it calls us to worship. Heaven erupts in gratitude because God has taken His great power and begun to reign. If that’s our future, worship shouldn’t be forced. It should be fueled by anticipation.

Second, it calls us to perseverance. The nations may rage now. Culture may drift further from biblical truth. But the story doesn’t end in chaos. It ends in a coronation.

Third, it calls us to mission. The trumpet that announces Christ’s reign hasn’t sounded yet. That means there’s still time. Time to speak. Time to love. Time to invite others into the security of the gospel.

Finally, it calls us to hope.

I'm convinced that Christ will physically return to earth after the Tribulation. He will defeat His enemies. He will establish a literal thousand-year reign from Jerusalem. Israel’s promises will be fulfilled. The nations will see His glory.

And after that, the eternal state will unfold in even greater splendor.

History isn’t spiraling out of control. It’s moving toward a throne.

When you feel small, remember this. You belong to the King whose kingdom will never end. When you feel discouraged, remember this. The rage of the nations is temporary. When you feel overlooked, remember this. Rewards are coming.

And when you doubt whether Jesus truly wins, hear the loud voices in heaven declaring it in advance.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”  (Rev. 11:15)

That isn't wishful thinking. It’s settled reality.

So live like it’s true. Worship like it’s certain. Serve like it matters.

The trumpet will sound. The King will reign. And if you’re in Christ, that day won’t be the end of your story. It will be the beginning of the reign you were created to share with Him.

© John Stange, 2026