Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

The Book of Revelation tells about John’s vision of heaven, where multitudes worship God. Where seven seals on a scroll and six trumpet blasts release disasters on earth. Very confusing and mysterious. 

Now, in chapter 11, we’re waiting for the seventh trumpet blast to traumatize earth with, you guessed it, more catastrophes. 

But instead of sounding a trumpet, one in heaven gives John a measuring stick and tells him to measure the temple. Reminds us of Ezekiel’s vision, which included dozens of measurements of the temple he saw. How many measurements should we expect from John’s vision? Surprisingly, none. 

Instead, John changes the subject. He says the Gentiles will trample the holy city for three-and-a-half years, like the Babylonians trampled Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s time. 

In John’s vision, God acts on behalf of the holy city, appointing two witnesses who prophesy in the temple for three-and-a-half years. They traumatize everyone by stopping rain, turning water to blood, and causing plagues. Rather like Moses calling down plagues on Egypt.  

But the prophets in Revelation don’t lead God’s people to a promised land like Moses did. Instead, a beast emerges from the Abyss and kills the prophets. The people of earth celebrate because they are freed from the prophets’ irritating preaching and destructive plagues.  

But suddenly, as the people party, the breath of God enters the corpses. The prophets come to life and ascend to heaven in a cloud, just like Jesus went to heaven when he left the earth. 

Next, an earthquake kills seven thousand people in the city, ending their celebrations.

And, finally, the sound we’ve been waiting for. The blast of the seventh trumpet. 

Instead of looking at earth to see what disasters the trumpet releases, John looks to heaven were many worship God saying:
      The kingdom of this world
        has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah,
        and he will reign forever. 

The 24 elders also worship God saying,
      The nations raged,
        but the time of your wrath has come,
        and the time for judging the dead.
        The time for rewarding your servants,
        and for destroying those who destroy the earth (Rev 11:18-19). 

Finally John’s vision looks away from heaven to see what is happening on earth. The seventh trumpet is delivering lightning, thunder, rumbling, earthquake, and hail. 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, Revelation locates the power center of the world and its affairs not in the World Economic Forum, nor the EU, the UN, Beijing, Washington, or Moscow, but in the throne room of heaven, where a lamb shares your throne and watches over his flock on earth. 

We wait for the day when you reveal yourself, when the kingdom of this world becomes your kingdom, when your Messiah will judge all of history and destroy those who destroy the earth. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

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