THE LAST TRUMPET

The jubilant sounding of the last trumpet brought forth a loud paean of voices from heaven celebrating the eternal sovereignty of God over the world (11:15-19). In his vision John then saw the twenty-four elders falling on their faces worshiping God. The psalm they sang refers to Psalm 2. Some scholars regard this as a messianic hymn while others see it as a song designed to give confidence to a new king on his accession to the throne of David.

With this background, John saw the twenty-four elders singing a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s eternal reign. Despite the raging opposition of all that is evil, the victory over sin and death has been won on earth by the death and resurrection of Christ. Because of this the time of judgment has arrived.

John had no doubt about the reality of judgment all must face. Two things were certain to him: the faithful servants of God will be rewarded and those who seek to destroy all that God intends will be punished. In the next several chapters, his prophesy will tell in detail who and what those powers are against whom the wrath of God will be unleashed.

The closing vision of this segment depicts the temple of heaven with the ark of the covenant clearly seen amid a great crescendo of lightning, thunder, rain and an earthquake. In the ancient Jewish tradition the ark in the holy of holies represented the presence of God into which only the high priest could enter on the Day of Atonement to offer the appropriate sacrifice for the sins of the people. The heavenly ark now visible to all the faithful assured them of the presence of God and the forgiveness of their sins.

Judgment is necessary because nothing unclean or evil can be admitted to the city of God, New Jerusalem.