Revelation 11:15

13 In the same hour ^athere was a great earthquake, ^band a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid ^cand gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 ^aThe second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed

15 Then ^athe seventh angel sounded: ^bAnd there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ^c“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, ^dand He shall reign forever and ever!”

16 And ^athe twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and ^bworshiped God,

17 saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One ^awho is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power ^band reigned.

18 The nations were ^aangry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the ^bdead, 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.”

19 Then ^athe temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of¹ His covenant was seen in His temple. And ^bthere were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, ^cand great hail.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Revelation 11:15 Mean?

Christ was born to be a King, yet the kingdoms of the world will not become His until the seventh trumpet sounds, a time still future. God's Kingdom will fight against and subdue those kingdoms, fulfilling the promise to David in II Samuel 7. This last trumpet announces Christ's coming, the establishment of God's Kingdom, the judgment of the nations, and the rewarding of the saints, all simultaneously at His return, not three and a half years before. The mystery of God is finished as saints are resurrected or changed to spirit beings. The church's judgment ends at this trumpet, and His active reign begins another judgment: rewarding His servants, judging the nations, and destroying "those who destroy the earth."

Revelation 11:15-18

This last - seventh - trumpet announces the coming of Christ, the establishment of God's Kingdom, the judgment upon the nations, and the rewarding of the saints. They occur simultaneously!

The last trumpet sounds when Christ returns, not 3½ years before! If we compare verses 11-13 (the resurrection of the Two Witnesses) with verse 19, the "great earthquake" ties the resurrection of the saints with the beginning of the Kingdom (see also Revelation 16:18). In addition, an angel tells John in Revelation 10:7 that when "the seventh angel . . . is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished." There will be no more mystery about man becoming God when the saints are resurrected or changed to eternal spirit beings!

Matthew 24:30-31 also verifies this scenario, showing that the trumpet sounds to send the angels to gather the elect from all over the earth to meet Him upon His return. To clinch the argument, verse 29 very plainly says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days. . ."! Isaiah 27:12-13, Joel 2:1-11 and Zechariah 14:3-5, 9 also confirm these events.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Caught Up in the Rapture

Revelation 11:1-19

All the inset chapters are introduced in a significant way: by an angel coming down from heaven or a spectacular and unusual vision of someone or something, such as a woman clothed with the sun, moon, and stars or a Beast rising up out of the ocean.

Chapter 11, however, does not begin this way because it is not the beginning of the inset. The inset actually begins in Revelation 10:1 where the spectacular vision occurs. Chapter 10 does not follow chapter 9 in time sequence anymore than the material in chapter 11 does. Chapter 11 merely continues the vision begun in chapter 10.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Revelation 10 and the Laodicean Church

Related Topics: Inset Chapters | Prophetic Events, Timing of | Vision | Vision of Future

Revelation 11:1-19

Revelation 11 is inset material. The only possible period of time when the Two Witnesses could testify is during the three and a half years that precede Christ's return—the time of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.

Most of this period of time has already been covered by chapters 6 (the fifth and sixth seals) and 8-9 (the trumpet plagues). Chapter 11 clarifies what has already occurred in the narrative, answering how people can possibly be converted during the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. The answer is that they are hearing a message thundered by the Two Witnesses! Revelation 7:9-17 suggests that by their preaching, an innumerable multitude will be converted.

The information is given in a digression—an inset chapter— from the main story flow. Inset chapters clarify what is happening within the time sequence.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Revelation 10 and the Laodicean Church

**Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Revelation 11:15:**

Leviticus 23:23-25
Isaiah 27:13
Daniel 7:23
Habakkuk 2:3
Haggai 2:20-23
Matthew 6:13
Mark 1:14-15
Mark 1:14-15
John 3:13
John 14:2-3
1 Corinthians 15:23
1 Corinthians 15:50-53
1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Revelation 6:10
Revelation 10:1
Revelation 10:3-4
Revelation 11:1
Revelation 20:4-6

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