Revelation 11:15-18 “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (16) And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. (18) The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, 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.”
In this section we want to discuss the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the corresponding judgement that will be initiated because of that trumpet’s sounding. In response to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the above quoted passage of scripture describes loud voices in heaven declaring that even though the nations of the earth were angry, that the time of God’s wrath has come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that God should reward His servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear His name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth. And so we see that there is no single judgement which takes place with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, but rather that just as the opening of the seventh seal initiated the sounding of the seven trumpets, so the seventh trumpet sounded will initiate the seven bowls of God’s wrath being poured out in the earth; in which the wrath of God is finally completed.
Revelation 14:1-5 “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. (2) And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. (3) They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. (4) These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb. (5) And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit describes the event of the one hundred and forty four thousand worshipping before the throne of God, singing the song that only they are allowed to sing. And so we see that there is one other event that will occur when the seventh trumpet is sounded, which is the catching away of the one hundred and forty-four thousand from the earth. For although God will leave these saints in the earth to witness to the world during the judgements pronounced by the sounding of the trumpets, He will remove them from the earth before the seven bowls of His wrath are poured out on the earth. And so we see that the seven bowls of God’s wrath will be poured out only after the one hundred and forty-four thousand are removed from the earth.
Michael E.B. Maher
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