The Seventh Trumpet Sounds

Transcript

GR 1539
07/19/09
The Seventh Trumpet Sounds
Revelation 11:15-19
Gil Rugh

Revelation 11 in your Bibles. We keep reminding ourselves that the book of Revelation beginning in chapter 6 unfolds in a series of judgments. Starts out with seven seals, which are followed by seven trumpets, which are followed by seven bowls. Those are what move the book of Revelation along, if you will, move us through the seven-year tribulation. These series of judgments are sequential. The second seal follows the first seal, the third follows the second seal. But then out of the seventh seal come the seven trumpets and they each follow one another. So the trumpets follow the seals. Then out of the seventh trumpet will come the seven bowls. And that will bring us to the conclusion.

Back up to Revelation 5:1, I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back sealed up with seven seals. We noted this would be a scroll rolled, you could see on the end of the scroll seven seals, seven wax seals. And the scroll would have been rolled up so far, then sealed, rolled up further and sealed. Then as you open the first seal the scroll could be unfolded so far. What I want you to note as we read down through here, we won't go back and read it all, but if you remind yourself in chapter 5, everything from chapter 6 to the end of the book of Revelation is contained in that seven-sealed scroll or book. So the seven trumpets and the seven bowls are contained within the seven-sealed scroll because it is the scroll that is passed on to Christ who has the right to open it. And when the last seal was opened and all is said and done we will be in the eternal kingdom, bringing to completion the purpose and plan of God. And through the death of Christ, down in chapter 5 verse 9, they sang a new song saying, worthy are you to take the book and break its seals for you were slain and purchased with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. So really chapters 6-19 are a series of judgments, and a large portion of chapter 20 will be about judgment. But the ultimate focus and end of the book is on glory because Christ died and He has redeemed men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. So there can be a kingdom that is as God intended it. And ultimately there will be no sin in that kingdom, only the redeemed, the unfallen angels to worship and serve the living God forever and ever.

Come to Revelation 8. We have worked through the sixth seal and then to the seventh seal out of which came seven trumpet judgments. Every time a seal is broken a judgment is poured out. Out of the seventh seal come the seven trumpets. Every time a trumpet is blown a judgment is poured out on the earth. When you come to Revelation 8 verse 13, then I looked and heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. So we go through the first four trumpet judgments and then there is this pause because the last three judgments that come as a result of the blowing of the last three trumpets are of such an increased severity that they are called woes. And special woes to the earth because of the judgments that are about to come.

So the fifth angel sounded, which was the first of these three woes in chapter 9 verse 1. Then you come down to verse 12, the first woe is past, behold two woes are coming after this. Verse 13, the sixth angel sounded. And then you had that judgment poured out. Now between the sixth and the seventh trumpet judgments we have a pause, an interlude. We're not moving things along because it's a series of judgments, the seals, the trumpets, the bowls, that move us along. What's happened here is now we are in the middle of the seven-year tribulation. So there are events that need to be filled in for us to understand and appreciate what will be taking place over the last 3½ years. So if you will we get an overview of different events that are going to take place during the last 3½ years. And so chapters 10-11, down to verse 13 is that interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet. We're ready for the next trumpet but it's not sounded yet. And we are at the measuring of the temple, we have the ministry of the two witnesses and their execution.

Then we come to verse 14. The second woe is past, which was the sixth trumpet. Behold the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded. So verse 14 takes us back to chapter 9 verse 21 because in verse 13 of chapter 9 the sixth angel sounded and that is all recorded for us down through verse 21. Then we've had this pause and filled in events to help us understand things that are going to be taking place, particularly during the last 3½ years. Now with verse 14 we pick up the flow again. The second woe is past and the third woe is coming quickly.

This seventh trumpet is of tremendous significance. It contains the final series of judgments that will culminate in the return of Christ to earth at Armageddon and prepare the way for the establishing of His kingdom on the earth.

Back up to chapter 10 verse 7. And the context here, verse 5, then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, the earth and things in it, the sea and the things in it that there will be delay no longer. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to sound, when he sounds the seventh trumpet, then the mystery of God is finished as He preached to His servants the prophets. So you see the tremendous significance of the seventh trumpet because it's in the time of the seventh trumpet that the return of Christ will occur. Now understand the seventh trumpet contains seven bowls, but we have been anticipating this event for millenniums throughout Old Testament history. So 3½ years. I divided it out on my calendar, just going back to Abraham, 4000 years ago from where we are now approximately. And I just divided that into the 3½ years and it came out to something like 0.00087. It's so small. So yes indeed we've come to the end of the end with the sounding of the seventh trumpet because out of the seventh trumpet will come the seven bowls, and that's it. We will have the kingdom established.

So come back to chapter 11 verse 15. What's going to happen in chapter 11 verses 15-19, we're going to have the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we're going to have all kinds of anticipatory activity in heaven, then we're going to pause again. We're not going to be told what happens as a result of the sounding of the seventh trumpet because there is more information we must understand and know about regarding significant events during the last 3½ years when the bowls will be poured out. So we'll have another one of those interludes or pauses, and then when you come over to chapter 16 then you'll have the pouring out of the bowls that come out of the seventh trumpet. So you get some idea of how things are moving along and then we stop. We have to fill in material in the overview so we get a better context of what is taking place and much of what is being recorded in chapters 12-13 in particular carry us back to prophesied events in the Old Testament and help us to appreciate how all this fits together in the flow and the plan of God. But knowing where we are in the unfolding plan of God when we get to chapter 11 verse 15 with the sounding of the seventh trumpet gives some appreciation of all that is taking place in heaven as a result of the sounding of this trumpet. Then we'll take a pause and we won't get to the content of the seventh trumpet until we get to chapter 16.

Look at verse 15, 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. You see there is the recognition in heaven of the awesomeness of this event. With the sounding of the seventh trumpet we come to the final judgments, we are ready for the establishing of the kingdom, we are on its brink, if you will. The long awaited Messianic kingdom is about to be established. The kingdom of the world. It's not the kingdoms of this world, but the kingdom of the world. It refers to the world in all of its subsidiary kingdoms as they exist under the authority of the ruler of this world, the god of this world, Satan. And so the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. It is not yet, this present world in all of its kingdoms, nations, powers exists under the authority and rule of Satan. But we are on the brink at this point in the book of Revelation of a tremendous change where God will directly rule through the Person of His Son.

Chapter 13 will have particular things to say about the Antichrist and his sovereign rule as world ruler in the final form of world empires as Satan's man, a counterfeit Christ in the climactic attempt of Satan to oppose the rule of Christ on the earth.

Back up to Matthew 4. You know understanding this foundational truth that this world is a kingdom under the authority of Satan in this present day helps us as believers to keep our perspective in focus. We don't expect things out of Satan's kingdom. We sometimes lose sight of this and we get caught up in the frustration of the little unimportant things that we see happening. And they begin to consume us and we wonder what's happening. Well understand this world is a kingdom, singular, under a ruler, singular. But the kingdom of this world is under the rule of Satan at the present time.

In Matthew 4, this is in the context of the temptation of Christ by Satan. Verse 8, the devil took Him up to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. You see something of the power of Satan, the ability to take Christ up to a high mountain and from there unfold before Him all the kingdoms with their majesty and power. And he says, all these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me. You see all the kingdoms of the world with all their glory are under the power and authority of Satan. Christ doesn't say you can't do that, He simply says, go Satan for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. Now basically what Satan offers Christ here is a shortcut. You can rule the world without the cross, of course you would have to rule under me, transfer your allegiance from your Father to me. And all the kingdoms are yours, but you have to worship me. But you see here the authority of Satan and his power over the kingdoms of the world.

Turn over to John 12. As Christ anticipates His impending crucifixion He says in verse 31, now judgment is upon this world. Now note this, now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Because remember what we read in Revelation 5, it is because the Lamb was slain, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. There is a Savior, there will be a kingdom and Satan will be defeated. He is the ruler of this world but in the death of Christ the foundation is laid for what will ultimately be realized when Christ returns at His Second Coming to dethrone Satan, if you will and establish the kingdom ruled by His Father through Him.

Turn over to John 14:30, I will not speak much more with you for the ruler of the world is coming and he has nothing in Me. You see again reference to Satan, the ruler of the world. And he will be marshaling his forces to bring about the crucifixion of Christ, but he cannot frustrate the plan of God because the crucifixion of the Messiah is God's plan to provide redemption for a fallen creation.

Over to John 16:8, the coming of the Holy Spirit, He will convict the world concerning sin, verse 9; concerning righteousness, verse 10;concerning judgment, verse 11. Why? Because the ruler of this world has been judged. That repeated reminder, Satan is the ruler of this world. He has been judged but he has not yet been dethroned. And you and I today 2000 years after the cross of Christ live in a world ruled by one sovereign spiritual being, Satan. So is it any wonder that we see a world in opposition to our God, to our Savior.

II Corinthians 4. I know I am telling you what you already know but if you keep it in mind it will enable you to watch the evening news with less frustration. Verse 3, and if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. Note this, in whose case the god of this world, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. So you see the battle going on as the god of this age is relentlessly pursuing his opposition to God and His salvation, the work of His Son.

Ephesians 2. The chapter opens up, you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. You see he's a prince and he rules. The prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we, too, all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest, but then God intervened, rich in mercy, great in grace. He brought about our salvation. Yet the prince of the power of the air ...........

One more passage, I John 5. John was the penman of this first epistle. Verse 19, we know that we are of God, now note this, and the whole world lies in the evil one. Note that. We are of God but we live in a world that is in the power of the evil one. It is in his control, under his authority. Any wonder we have conflict and struggle and trial and battle? We live in the devil's world, if you will, right now. I don’t have understanding. Am I amazed at the sin and the open display of rebellion against our God? Do I think that the right political administration or the right judges or the right congressmen are going to change? You understand every single unregenerate person on the face of the earth lives in the grasp of Satan and always does his will? They never do anything pleasing to our God, they never do anything that He evaluates as good. Understand this shapes our thinking and how we see the world around us and how we are to function. We are not in the kingdom, the kingdom is yet to come.

So come back to Revelation 11. Now we hear a shout in heaven. These are loud voices in heaven, according to verse 15, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever. It has become, aorist tense states the fact that something has happened and it is often used of past events. And we have it translated here with that idea, something that has happened, because it is settled, because at the sounding of this trumpet it's as good as done. Here we are with the closing events, the climax of the judgments coming out of the seventh trumpet is the return of Christ at Armageddon in Revelation 19 to destroy His enemies and establish His kingdom as chapter 20 opens up. So with the sounding of this, heaven realizes we are here, the time has come. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ and He will reign forever and ever. So we say the 1000 years recorded in Revelation 20 are simply the first phase of the eternal kingdom.

Come back to Daniel 2. Here we have unfolded the empires of the world, the major empires. The only empires the Bible is particularly concerned about are those empires that intersect with Israel. So these are the empires that the scripture is dealing with. The other empires of the world that seem great to us are inconsequential, everything is seen in light of Israel. So you have the nations of the world, and these are earthly kingdoms that unfold, starting in verse 36 with Babylon, verse 39 with Medo-Persia and Greece, then Rome. Then verse 44, we'll get to the details of verse 44. In the days of those kings which are the ten toes on the image that is seen in Daniel 2, were the ten horns on the beast in chapter 7. In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. That's the kingdom that we're celebrating in heaven in Revelation 11:15, the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. He will reign forever and ever. That kingdom will not be left for another people, it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. You don't have to be a doctor of theology to know we are not in the kingdom, we've not come to an end. If you think we have, I can't help you. Go home and turn on the news, read about Russia, read about Iran, read about Iraq, read about the United States as they vie for power. They have meetings to try to determine the events and courses of nations. When Christ comes there will be one sovereign power over all, it will be Christ. His kingdom will crush the kingdoms of this world.

Turn over to Daniel 7. Same scenario, different imagery. In chapter 2 it's a glorious image and that's how Nebuchadnezzar, the unregenerate ruler of Babylon saw the empires of the world—glorious and attractive. Here you have the perspective now shown to Daniel directly. The empires of the world are wild beasts destroying one another. Then at the end of the last kingdom, a Roman empire that exists and will exist. Come down to verse 13, I kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like the Son of Man coming, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. To Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. We're not there. Any idea that we can parcel this kingdom out and say, we've started part of it. It's already here but it's not yet here fully. You understand He comes and receives the kingdom. Or as it was recorded in chapter 2 at this time He smashes the kingdoms of this earth and establishes His eternal rule.

Down in verse 27, then the sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the highest One. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, all the dominions will serve and obey Him. There is tremendous harm and damage done by those who would try to establish some kind of beginning of the kingdom and it exists today and it will ultimately even flourish. Some say it won't ever flourish, it's just a spiritual kingdom. Many of you come out of the background of some of the major denominations, a doctrine of Roman Catholicism called amillennialism, no earthly reign of Christ. But you see this is the kingdom that is promised. We get to the book of Revelation, this is the kingdom that they are anticipating, this is the kingdom that the prophets had talked about.

Stop at Zechariah 14:9, and the Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day the Lord will be the only One, His name the only one. We're talking about a kingdom on the earth. Look at verse 11, people will live in it. Then this description here someday around Jerusalem. And there will no longer be a curse for Jerusalem will dwell in security. That's not here, folks, it's not here. But it will come. Any wonder heaven is celebrating in Revelation 11? When we get to that seventh trumpet, finally what God had promised through Enoch back in the early chapters of Genesis, as Jude tells us. The seventh from Adam prophesied, the Lord comes with thousands of His saints. And they have to wait for the millenniums of time, now we only have 3½ years to go and we'll be ready for the kingdom.

Come back to Revelation 11. So this is what they are celebrating, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever. And the 24 elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, we give you thanks oh Lord God the Almighty, who are and who were because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The 24 elders, they are seen in seven chapters in the book of Revelation. We talked about them in chapters 4-5 in particular.

Go back to Revelation 4. You see what happens here in chapter 11 verse 16, the 24 elders who sit on their thrones, they come off their thrones, fall on their faces and worship God. Look at chapter 4 verse 10, the 24 elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, will cast their crowns before the throne. The 24 elders, as we noted then, represent the church glorified in heaven. They fall down before the throne in worship. Revelation 5:8, when He had taken the book, Christ had taken the book out of the hand of the Father, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Here they are, falling down in worship. Down to verse 14, and the four living creatures kept saying amen and the elders fell down and worshiped. A continual pattern.

Go over to chapter 19, jump over to the return of Christ, anticipation of that return. The celebration of heaven, you'll note in verse 1, sounds like what we've been reading in chapter 11. After these things I heard something like a loud voice a great multitude in heaven saying, hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to our God because His judgments are true and righteous. He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, has avenged the blood of His bond servants on her. And a second time they said, hallelujah, her smoke rises forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, amen, hallelujah. We see here the 24 elders offering thanks and praise to God because He has fulfilled His promises, He has answered the prayers of His people. Remember in what is called the Lord's Prayer as we studied it in the Sermon on the Mount, the desire, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That is finally answered. The Lord has come, His reign, we're here. You'll know because heaven will open, Revelation 19:11, heaven opened and a white horse and the armies of heaven are with Him. I mean, we'll know when the kingdom is going to be established on the earth. There is none of this secret kingdom established in the hearts, the kingdom will be established in power and great glory. The Lord will come in the same way He departed in Acts 1, and every eye will see Him.

Back to Revelation 11:17, we give thanks oh Lord God the Almighty. His sovereign power, He's the One with the power that cannot be resisted, cannot be overcome, before whom every enemy will be crushed and destroyed. The Almighty who is and who was, He is the eternal God. The One in the past, the One who is. Because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. Again, this anticipates, it's a settled fact because this is a package that comes out of the seventh seal. Now out of the seventh trumpet. And this is it. There is nothing to come out of the seventh bowl so at the sounding of the seventh trumpet here we are, we are at the final phase. That doesn't mean He has begun to reign now and the kingdom has started, but it anticipates that. And all through this section it is stated as a past tense even though we are anticipating what is going to happen as a result of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. And the results of the bowl judgments that will prepare the way for Armageddon and the establishing of the kingdom. He has begun to reign.

And the nations were enraged, verse 18, and your wrath came. What an awesome verse. The nations were enraged and your wrath came. The wrath of man clashes with the wrath of God. I mean, you talk about a mismatch. The nations were enraged and your wrath came. The anger and wrath of man is displayed, fallen man is at war with God and it is displayed as He comes to establish His kingdom.

Turn over to chapter 16, we'll just pick this up, we'll be doing the details. Look at verse 14, they are the spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty. Verse 16, and they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Megedon. We more familiarly know it as Armageddon. This is in the context, verse 15, that parenthesis, behold I am coming like a thief. So you see it prepared here for the final climactic conflict, if you will. The nations are enraged and at Armageddon they will attempt to do battle with the returning Christ.

Over in chapter 19 when this actually unfolds, verse 19, and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. I mean, sin makes you stupid, you can't get any stupider. I mean, the armies of the world now are going to attempt to go to war with the Son of God returning in glory with the armies of heaven? You read this and say nobody would be so dumb, nobody would be so foolish. But they will. Don't think they wouldn't be so foolish. Look around you, men and women are rejecting the gracious offer of God's salvation today, who think nothing of priding themselves in their sin, of openly defying the living God with their rebellion. Look at Lucifer who has been relentless, who would dare, as we read in Matthew 4, to even try to get the Son of God to bow down and worship him. I mean, there is no rationale to sin, but the peoples of the earth are enraged, the empires of the world enraged when God's wrath comes.

So you see you're getting an anticipation. It's not until Revelation 19 that you see the full display of this and the establishing of the kingdom. So all these events are anticipation for the beginning of the reign of God on earth through His Son. Now that's where you take the statement that you've begun to reign because all these events are seen in light of what they are preparing the way for. I mean, if you stop in chapter 19 all you have is judgment of unregenerate people, but unfulfilled promises. It's the kingdom that will fulfill all the promises, the prophecies. Judgment is prophesied, but if that's all there is then the promises of God would go unfulfilled. We won't go back to Psalm 2, we've back to it a number of occasions. Talks about the wrath of the nations against the Son of God and so on.

Come back to Revelation 11. The time came for the dead to be judged, the time to reward your bond servants the prophets, the saints, those that fear your name, the small and the great and to destroy those who destroy the earth. So you see we are anticipating this. This will unfold ultimately until we get to chapters 19-20. But the return of Christ also brings with it judgment, it also brings with it resurrection. And the breaking out of the different judgments and the breaking out of the different resurrections aren't dealt with here. You just have a summary statement. When we get to chapter 19 and then to chapter 20 we will see distinctions in the resurrections and in the judgments. So the details of breaking them out and the distinguishing of them and the separating of the various ones by a thousand years. But here they are just celebrating because that's all in the context of the establishing of the kingdom. So here it's the nations were enraged, your wrath came, the time came for the dead to be judged, the time for the rewarding of your bond servants the prophets, the saints and those who fear your name, the small and the great. And to destroy those who destroy the earth. So a time of judgment and wrath on the ungodly, a time of salvation for believers. Those who are corrupting the earth destroying the earth with their sin, they will be brought to judgment.

There are many passages we won't take the time to go to because we'll be dealing with those when we get to chapter 19 verses 15 ff. We'll talk about these judgments and the destruction that Christ brings at Armageddon because the wicked have to be destroyed before the kingdom can be established. That's why the call of John the Baptist, why the cry of Christ was repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Because the Jews are well familiar as we have looked at on other occasions, and at the coming of the Messiah to establish His kingdom will be a time of judgment so that the righteous can go into the kingdom.

Go back to Matthew 25. Here you have judgment set up at the Second Coming of Christ. Pick up verse 31, but when the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him and they'll be separated, sheep from goats, the right hand and the left hand. The King will say to those on His right, verse 34, come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. So you see we're going to have the realization of God's plan from the foundation of the world. Inherit the kingdom, we're not there yet. It's at this time when Christ has come in His glory and sits on His glorious throne. Then some will be ushered into the kingdom. And down in verse 41, He will say to those on His left, depart from Me accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. This ties to what we talked about in the Sermon on the Mount, chapter 7 verse 13, the narrow gate and the wide gate; the narrow way and the broad way. They end in destruction and they end in life. There will be judgment at the Second Coming, Christ will be sitting on His glorious throne. I know we're not in the kingdom. Why? Christ hasn't returned in glory, He's not sitting on His glorious throne, He hasn't sorted out the wicked or the righteous. He's told the righteous to go into the kingdom. Lord, you don't understand, I've been in the kingdom for a long time. No you haven't, now get going. The wicked are going to hell, the righteous are going into the kingdom when it is established.

Come back to Revelation 11. We'll get to more of this when we get to the establishing of the kingdom in chapter 20. Verse 19, and the temple of God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. This chapter began with the measuring of the temple on earth in Jerusalem, it ends with the opening of the temple in heaven. Remember that earthly temple was a pattern modeled evidently after the temple in heaven. Here you have the true Ark of the Covenant in the temple. You'll note the judgments which will follow come from the temple in heaven. And they are part of God's sovereign covenant agreement with Israel. With that the wicked will be judged, they will be destroyed, they will be closed out of the coming kingdom, but the righteous will go into the kingdom.

Look in Revelation 14:15, we'll see that these judgments come out of the temple, as we see in chapter 11 verse 19. So in chapter 14 verse 15, another angel came out of the temple crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, put in your sickle and reap for the hour has come because the harvest of the earth is ripe. Ripe for judgment is the picture. Verse 17, another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also had a sharp sickle. The end of verse 18, put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine and the earth because her grapes are ripe. So the angel swung the sickle to the earth, gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, threw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And God's judgment coming on an unbelieving world.

Chapter 15 verse 5, after these things I looked and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple. Verse 8, the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God from His power. No one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. Chapter 16 verse 17, the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying, it is done. And there were flashes of lightning and sounds, peals of thunder, a great earthquake. Awesome scene, it's a scene of judgment, it's a scene of salvation. The fact this comes out, the Ark of the Covenant contained a copy of God's covenantal agreement with Israel in the Ten Commandments. Then it's covered with the mercy seat where God met with His people, if you will. Redemption is secured, but it's also the place of judgment on those who are the enemies of God and the enemies of the people of God. So here the Ark of the Covenant is in His temple and God is dealing in covenant faithfulness with Israel, but He's also dealing, that includes the judgment, with unregenerate people.

We don't have time to go back—Genesis 12, Genesis 13, Genesis 15, Genesis 17. A reiteration of the covenant God made with Abraham. II Samuel 7, the Davidic Covenant where the descendant of David will sit on the throne of David forever. We're ready for the fulfillment of God's covenantal promises with His covenant people Israel. But you understand out of that temple is also coming the judgment that will pronounce. And those covenantal agreements on unregenerate and ungodly people.

Come back to Revelation 11:19. There are flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. And these things are often accompaniment of God's presence. They were present on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19, and they anticipate also the judgments of God. We won't take time to go back and read the passages that associate that. It's an awesome time and it's almost like heaven is rumbling in anticipation of God bringing to completion His judgment on an unbelieving world and the bringing about of the fulfillment of all His covenantal promises to His people, and particularly His people Israel. But we as the church enter in to those promises, being the spiritual seed of Abraham. Not the physical seed. Physical Israel will experience the fulfillment of the physical promises as we will see.

Awesome time. Connects to what we talked about in our earlier study in Matthew, and the importance of understanding the two gates, the two ways, the two destinies. And here you see God preparing to bring His ultimate salvation for His people and eternal salvation in an eternal kingdom. But also to pour out His judgment on an unbelieving world and it, too, is eternal. Remember we read in Matthew 25, depart from Me cursed ones into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The two destinies are eternal. Ultimately we partake of an eternal kingdom with all of its blessings or you end up in an eternal hell with all of its suffering. So the book of Revelation is unfolding for us what is sure to come in the purpose and plan of God.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for what your word reveals. And Lord how blessed we are. You have not only made known to us the wonder of your salvation that comes as a free gift to all who believe in your Son, but then you have privileged us to know and understand and live in light of the truth of events that are yet to unfold on this earth, times of awful, unbelievable judgment as your wrath is poured out on an unbelieving world. And yet the marvel of it all is this all prepares the way for the establishing of a glorious kingdom which will last forever. And every single believer will ultimately have the privilege and joy of sharing in that kingdom for all eternity. Lord, may we live our lives in the days of the week before us in light of the truth that you have made known to us, in light of the destiny that you have set before us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.