Revelation 11:15–19

11:15 The blasting of the final trumpet also represents the third and final woe (8:13; 9:12; 11:14), signifying that the final judgment is at hand and history has reached its conclusion. It is the third and final woe for the wicked—the last judgment has arrived. Loud voices in heaven declare the time of fulfilled promises has arrived. The kingdom is now the Lord’s (Obad. 21; cf. Ps. 22:29), and “the kingdom of the world” has been transferred to “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,” and he will reign forever (cf. Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 27; Luke 1:33). Christ already reigns at the Father’s right hand (Acts 2:33, 36), but at the seventh trumpet his enemies are vanquished and are made his footstool (1 Cor. 15:24–25). We see here the recursive structure of the book of Revelation, for just as in 6:12–17 and 7:15–17, we have come to the end of history, yet John continues the narrative in subsequent chapters, circling back and looking at the same themes from a fresh perspective.

11:16 Upon hearing that Christ has begun his reign, the twenty-four elders sitting on thrones before God are filled with joy and fall on their faces to worship God (cf. 4:4, 10; 5:8; 7:11; 19:4). The reign of Christ does not diminish God’s glory but enhances it (cf. Phil. 2:9–11), for the one true God is worshiped as Christ’s kingdom is realized.

11:17 Here we see the content of the praise voiced by the twenty-four elders. They give thanks to Almighty God, the one “who is and who was,” because he has taken the power he has always had and has begun his reign (cf. 19:6). Revelation regularly identifies God as “Almighty” (cf. comment on 1:8) and appeals to Exodus 3:14 (cf. comment on Rev. 1:4) in identifying God as the one “who is and who was.” Here John omits the reference to God as the coming one, which we find elsewhere (1:4, 8; 4:8), for here in 11:17 his coming is no longer future. He has come! And his reign has begun. He is the God of the universe, he always was the God of the universe, and now he reigns forevermore (cf. Pss. 47:8; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1). We see that the reign of Christ also means the reign of God. God and Christ are not in competition, but reign in concert. We see again the Trinitarian doctrine of coinherence; what is true of the Father as God is also true of the Son as God.

11:18 The coming of the kingdom means accounts are settled—the wicked are punished and the righteous rewarded. The nations are enraged against God (Ps. 2:1), hating his rule and authority over them (LXX Ex. 15:14; Ps. 98:1), and as a consequence they will face his wrath on the day of judgment (cf. Rev. 6:16–17; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; Ps. 110:5; Jer. 30:23). The dead will be assessed and judged for their behavior (cf. Rev. 20:12). Two different assessments are made. First, God’s servants are given a reward for their faith and endurance. This reward is granted to prophets, saints, and those who fear God’s name. It is difficult to know how many groups are in view here, but there are probably two. Often in the OT the prophets are identified as God’s servants, and thus they are probably one of the groups here (e.g., 2 Kings 9:7; 21:10; Ezra 9:11; Jer. 7:25; 25:4; Ezek. 38:17; Dan. 9:6, 10; Amos 3:7; Zech. 1:6). The saints are described as those who fear God’s name, and the words “small” and “great” probably further describe the saints, who fear God’s name. God is impartial and grants the same reward whether one is deemed important or unimportant in society (cf. Rom. 2:6–11; cf. also Ps. 115:13; Rev. 19:5). On the other hand, the wicked will be judged: those who destroyed the earth will themselves be destroyed (cf. Jer. 51:25; Rev. 19:2). When the kingdom comes, everything will be set right; the righteous will be vindicated and the wicked will receive what they deserve.

11:19 When the kingdom comes, there will be full and free access to God for the saints and terrifying punishment for the wicked. God’s temple is opened in heaven and the ark of the covenant is visible in the temple. There is no temple in the new creation (21:22), and thus John does not refer to a literal temple or ark. In the OT the temple was not open to all; only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, one day a year (cf. Lev. 16:1–34; Heb. 9:7–8). But now that the kingdom has come, God’s temple (his presence) is open to all the saints. Access to God is unhindered and joyful (cf. Heb. 10:19–22). The reference to the ark of the covenant makes the same point (cf. Rev. 7:15; 15:5). Jeremiah prophesies that the ark won’t be missed in the last days (Jer. 3:16), presumably because fellowship with God will surpass what Israel enjoyed during the days of the ark. In Second Temple Judaism, we find a tradition of Jeremiah hiding the ark in a cave, saying it would be revealed when God shows his mercy to Israel and the cloud of his presence returns (2 Macc. 2:4–8). As just noted, the ark was seen only on the Day of Atonement and only by the high priest (Lev. 16:1–34), and even then it was covered with a cloud of incense. John in Revelation, of course, isn’t referring to the literal ark at all. Saying that the ark of God’s covenant is seen in the temple means God’s gracious presence is available to all—the warmth and radiance of his love is manifested personally to all his saints.

On the other hand, entering into God’s presence is never an informal affair, for he is infinitely holy, and thus there is a terrifying thunderstorm accompanied by great hail (cf. Rev. 4:5; 16:21; cf. also Ex. 9:24; Isa. 29:6; 66:6). Those who are wicked do not experience God’s gracious presence. Instead, God rains hailstones on them as they experience the thunder and lightning of his eschatological wrath.