Then 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.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
The 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.”
Then 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.th the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD rejoicing broke out in heaven. Christ had taken away the kingdom from the Jews. He said this would occur in Matthew 21:43.
Understanding And Applying the Text
Here is the last of the seven trumpets. The visions with the seals and trumpets are not continuous. They are resumptive. That is, they look at the same events from different perspectives. They are not repetitive. They give different insights. They show God’s providence from different angles. It is true the seals preceded the trumpets in John’s Revelation. But they are not sequential in time.
When the seventh trumpet sounded loud voices proclaimed the kingdom of God had begun. This is the culmination to which all the New Testament points.
With the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD rejoicing broke out in heaven. Christ had taken away the kingdom from the Jews. He said this would occur in Matthew 21:43.
After the fall of Jerusalem, the 24 elders fell on their faces and worshiped God. The judgment of the Jews was complete. But notice what the elders said, “…you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”
Had not God always reigned? Was not God always sovereign? Yes. But this was the beginning of a new era. This referred to the fact this was only the beginning. More was to come. Greater advancements would come.
John wrote, “the nations were enraged.” This occurred in both the spiritual and physical realms. The spiritual powers that ruled the world were in retreat. But that did not mean there was no fight left in them. They fought back. In the physical realm, the Roman Empire was enraged. The nations within the Roman Empire began persecuting Christians. This occurred with varying intensity for almost 240 years.
With the destruction of Jerusalem, God judged the Jews. So what does that mean for Christians today? What should our attitude be toward the Jews?
Some have used it to justify anti-Semitism. That misses the point of judgment. When someone is judged, they have paid their debt. They are no longer held accountable for the offenses that they once committed. God finished His judgment of the Jews in AD 70. it is God not us use extracts judgment. Plus we should not ignore the rest of scripture. God has not abandoned the Jewish people (Romans 11:1).
When Roman destroyed the Jerusalem temple, God opened the heavenly temple. The ark of the covenant was visible. The ark of the covenant was the holiest object in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:10-22). In the earthly temple, the ark was hidden behind curtains. Revealing the ark signifies God has revealed His glory. He has revealed the glory of His law (the covenant words) and of His mercy (as signified by the atonement cover).
