The Seventh Trumpet

BY Rebecca Faires

The Arctic Tern gets more sunlight than any other animal on earth. These birds migrate from pole to pole every year, covering about 25,000 miles. Summering at the north pole, they enjoy weeks of 24-hour sunlight, and at the other end of their migration, they bask in the same full-sun days at the south pole. They literally chase summer all over the globe. If it weren’t so hard, we might all be tempted to do it—imagine a beautiful summer that never ends.

The point of the whole book of Revelation is the glory of Christ. His glory is so big and so wonderful that I have to imagine endless, gorgeous, sunshine-filled days to get in the right frame of mind. We can’t even grasp what it would be like to live in the glow of His glory, but I know that it will be good. So good.

We get a glimpse of His glory in the mighty angel standing astride sea and land in today’s reading (Revelation 10:5). Based on the being’s majestic description, many commentators believe this “angel” to be Christ Himself. Regardless of one’s interpretation of this particular passage, however, the whole of Scripture points to this beautiful truth: Christ is worthy. The end result of the judgment and war brings us back to where we began: the Word made flesh mercifully for us.

Because Christ is worthy, we know that the nations and kingdoms of this world are only temporary. God’s kingdom is the only one that will last. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15). Christ receives all the kingdoms as His inheritance, which He delivers to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24–28). And for those who love and trust in Him, the eternal kingdom becomes our inheritance in Christ (1 Peter 1:3–5).

Finally, God finishes His work. “Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end’” (Revelation 21:6). There is no stopping or undoing what God has done. Our redemption is sure and complete in Christ. And He will bring to completion the work of sanctification and glorification when He comes again. And so we pray: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

In Revelation we see Christ, fully worthy and glorified. He is the beginning and the end of all our stories. And we will bask in the warmth and light of His glory for all eternity. It is more than I can imagine. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!