Seventh Trumpet


Revelation 11:15-19
15Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world [cosmos/universe] has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
16And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
18The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

In the midst of this interlude where John is commissioned to spread the Gospel to the whole world and the two witnesses fulfill that commission, one almost forgets that we are still waiting for the seventh angel to blow their trumpet. But now that command is given by God and the trumpet sounds. The end of the second vision is shown. The earth is destroyed and the whole universe declares the praises of the God. The whole church (24 elders) worships God and sings yet another verse in the ever growing song of praise to the Lord.
 
There is one phrase that begs a little discussion. Apparently the Ark of the Covenant is in God’s possession at this point. Historically, the Ark was destroyed or carried off by Nebuchadnezzar at the time of the Babylonian captivity. Legend also holds that Jeremiah hid the Ark inside of Mt. Nebo (from whence Moses viewed the Promised Land before his death. See Deuteronomy 34:1), sealing it inside of a cave not to be seen again until Jesus returned in glory. There are also people who believe that God simply pulled the Ark into heaven, not wanting to see it further desecrated. Whether you believe the Ark to have been assumed by God, hidden by Jeremiah, or destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar it will apparently be miraculously preserved in the courts of the Lord according to Revelation 11:19. It shall be interesting to see when the time comes.

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