The Kingdom Proclamation

      When the 7th and final trumpet sounds (with the 3rd woe) we hear loud voices in heaven. They are the high praises of God in the mouth of the heavenly court—Christ and His Body. It is the two-edged sword of their declarations (Ps. 149:6). This high praise of God and the declaration of His plan of redemption announce the beginning of the end of the cosmic battle between God and evil.  “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15-16).
        No wonder the 24 elders who represent the Old Testament saints fall on their faces in worship. They sing a song of praise unto God and unto Jesus for the Day of Judgment has come. To punctuate this pivotal point, the people on earth see and hear an astounding, earth-shattering scene. “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail” (emphasis added).
        Whether or not the hard-hearted nations and tribes of the world fully understand the significance of what they are seeing is hard to say. But the sounds they hear had to shake them—literally and emotionally.
        But the real purpose of this heavenly revelation is for the Jews. When they saw Jesus coming again to gather His Church as this Day dawned, our resurrection triggered the remnant’s acceptance of the Messiah. It triggered their 3rd Day revival as prophesied in Hosea 6:1-3.
        As this final Day unfolds, they shall behold for the first time the heavenly Ark of God’s Covenant from the Holy of Holies, for they are no longer separated from it. They have been made holy by the blood of the Lamb, receiving forgiveness, righteousness, and sanctification.
        Because they did not receive this by faith when Jesus came the first time and throughout this present age, they miss out on being part of the Church, the ruling government of heaven. Yet they still receive the blessing of adoption, being made part of the family of the redeemed.
       Even though they also miss out on being delivered from the wrath of this Day, the astounding view of the heavenly temple and the Ark of the Covenant with the mercy seat must bring such great assurance of God’s promises to them as a nation, no matter what is to come. It will affirm that they are in Christ and shall be resurrected as well at the final great white throne judgment, also known as the final harvest.
      End-Time Lesson: Rom. 11:25-27 describes the mystery of blindness that came to the Jews because they chose to reject Jesus. But verse 29 reminds us that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Even though the natural branch (Israel) has been temporarily cut off from the Vine/Branch (Jesus Christ) and the Gentiles have been grafted into Him, there is coming a time when the natural branch shall be grafted back into the tree. John is about to reveal it to us.
         The prophet Micah prophesied about this pivotal shift in God’s plan of redemption. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. “Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this shall be peace” [emphasis added; you will see why shortly].
        This portion of the Revelation vision clears up another crooked place in the end-time pathway, where the path leads off in two opposite directions, each of which circles back to the same place, with no forward progress being made. One path asserts that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s sight (“replacement theology”), despite what the prophets foretold. The other path asserts that the Church must support Israel no matter what, even when the Jewish nation seeks to rebuild their temple—a temple that God views as an abomination (a terrible slap in His face).
       Why? Heb.10:29 gives us the answer. The reinstitution of the sacrifices in the rebuilt temple in effect tramples the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which mankind was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace.
          The mystery of blindness reminds us not to think more highly of ourselves just because we were grafted in through Christ. How can we when we know we are forgiven and counted righteous ONLY because of Jesus’ shed blood. But at the appointed time something astounding shall happen. As Micah proclaimed, it shall happen at the time of the end when she who is in labor has given birth. No surprise here, this is exactly what John sees next in the Revelation. Stay tuned!