Revelation 11:15, commentary and pictures

The kingdoms of this world will become the Lord's and His Christ's at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, when Christ comes and the final judgment establishes His everlasting reign and the saints possess the kingdom under the whole heaven. That transfer is still future and soon to come but has not yet happened, for sin still pervades the earth and only part of humanity submits to Christ's rule. Christ is King of the world to be exalted, while all earthly kingdoms and their magnificence are as dust in the balance and every kingdom is to be brought low. His victory that secured this outcome was won by enduring the final conflict in Gethsemane and by refusing Satan's offer of the world's kingdoms in exchange for worship. Because the change is still ahead and probationary time is limited and closing fast, there is no time to delay but to work rapidly now to warn and save others before the night comes in which no man can work.

Proclamation at Seventh Trumpet

The eleventh chapter must be read in full, every verse, to understand the meaning of coming events and learn the things yet to take place in the cities. It gives special indications of a wonderful display of divine power in destruction because of sin, as shown in cities already destroyed, and these must not be ignored or treated with indifference and lightness. Calamity is a voice speaking in rebuke, warning against defiantly investing means to build greater buildings in the future and calling those who have abused their privileges and wronged their fellow men to make amends and hear.

The transfer of the kingdoms of this world to the Lord and to His Christ for everlasting reign is future and soon to come but has not yet happened. Sin still pervades the earth, and only part of humanity seeks to know God and submits to Christ's rule. Before that time the gospel will spread rapidly and triumphantly.

The proclamation is fulfilled at Christ's coming and the final judgment when the kingdom is established on earth, belonging to the glories of the restitution of all things spoken by all the holy prophets since the world began. Then the long-continued rule of evil is broken and the peaceful, long-desired kingdom of the Messiah is established under the whole heaven, when the glory of the Lord is revealed to all flesh and He causes righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations and is for a crown of glory and diadem of beauty to His people. Christ reigns forever and the saints receive and possess the kingdom.

Until then Christ's kingdom is not of this world, and His followers are strangers on earth awaiting their Savior from heaven. At that time the dead are judged, the righteous including prophets and saints and all who fear God's name small and great receive their reward, and the wicked and all who oppose Christ's sovereignty and those who destroy the earth are punished and destroyed. At the sounding of the seventh angel the faithful and obedient are shown when great voices in heaven make the declaration, the four and twenty elders fall down and worship Almighty God who takes His great power and reigns, the nations are angry and wrath comes, and the temple of God is opened in heaven and the ark of His testament, the same opened temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, is seen with lightnings and voices and thunderings and earthquake and great hail.

Earthly kings continue to reign until Christ begins to reign, and efforts to overthrow them cannot bring the change before then. In Europe political unrest may appear to ease or slacken once or twice, but the pause will be only apparent while kings and rulers remain intent on overthrowing one another and keeping power and people seek ascendancy, as an impending crisis draws intense attention.

Christ's Victory and Kingship

The final ownership of earth's kingdoms by Christ hung on His victory in the last conflict with Satan, for had Satan prevailed the earth would have become his kingdom. The struggle in Gethsemane therefore involved the destiny of the human race as well as Christ's own endurance.

That transfer also depended on Christ's refusal of Satan's bribe in the temptation, when Satan promised Him the kingdoms of the world on condition of worship. Satan knew that if Christ had worshiped him the kingdoms could never become God's and Christ's. The same contest continues in the last days, when Satan again offers bribes to Christ's followers to secure their worship and allegiance.

A coming day is promised when the kingdoms of this earth will become the kingdoms of the Lord and His Christ, whose kingdom shall know no end and never be destroyed. Its spiritual foundation was laid through humble fishermen listening to Jesus teaching the truths of His kingdom from Simon's boat on the Sea of Galilee. They became His appointed agencies to minister in word and doctrine, and the seed of truth planted that day sprang up unto eternal life. It bore fruit when many of those hearers accepted the gospel at Pentecost, advancing toward that final takeover.

Christ is King of the world and His kingdom is to be exalted, while all earthly kingdoms, nations, monarchs, statesmen, counselors, great armies, and all worldly magnificence and glory are as the dust of the balance. God has a reckoning to make with all nations, every kingdom is to be brought low and human authority made as naught. Therefore minds should reach up to the eternal God rather than give so much attention to human agencies. Those who claim to be children of the heavenly King should not be absorbed in the things of this world, but the Lord must be exalted, the word of the Lord magnified, and human beings placed low.

The prayer Thy kingdom come will surely be answered in this takeover by the Lord and by Christ. It means the coming time when sin will no longer triumph and heaven's principles will bear sway under Christ's reign. Each uplifting, ennobling step of advance in God's institutions wins ground from the dominion of the enemy and makes it tributary to Christ, bringing that final triumph nearer.

Urgency for Present Work

The kingdoms of the world are soon to become the kingdoms of God and of Christ, who will reign forever, and before that transfer the gospel will spread rapidly and triumphantly. That coming change has not yet happened, and because it still lies ahead there remains work to be done before Christ's reign. The opportunity and probationary time for that work are limited, so there is no time to delay and the work of saving others must be done now before the opportunity ends.

Until the declaration is fulfilled the world's crisis is approaching while probation remains open, which calls for watchfulness and urgent work of warning and saving others while there is still time. That work must be done before the final crisis and the close of probation. Because the time has not yet come, probation is still open but closing fast, and there must be no self-deception that there is time enough to delay. Believers must stay wide-awake and move rapidly to save their fellow men, refusing long, protracted delay in preparation, for the night is coming in which no man can work.

The non-fulfillment of the change means wakefulness and rapid movement are required, with speedy preparation for work and no lengthening of education or delay in entering missionary labor. The eleventh chapter must be read every verse to understand the meaning of these things and to learn the things yet to take place in the cities. The verse stands among God's special indications of a wonderful display of His power in destruction because of the sins of a city, which must not be ignored or treated with indifference and lightness. The calamity is God's voice speaking in rebuke, warning against defiantly investing means to build greater buildings in the future and calling men who have abused their privileges and wronged their fellow men to make amends and hear Him.