15 Oct 2013
Revelation 11:19
Revelation 11:19: “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”
When the angel sounds there are “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail”. This is not the first earthquake that we’ve seen in Revelation and it will not be the last. There is a much, much worse one to come.
Also notice the appearance of the Ark of the Covenant. There are many people who are looking all over the world for the long-lost Ark. This verse tells us that they will never find it, and they would have been better off if they just read their Bibles instead. The Ark is not on Earth; it is in Heaven. It has served its purpose and is no longer needed. The Ark will not be in the Tribulation Temple or the Millennial Temple. It is in Heaven – safely out of the reach of mankind.
From this chapter we can see that God is reigning throughout the Tribulation. The Lord raised up the two witnesses, and no one could hurt them until their task was finished. When they were murdered the Lord resurrected them, brought them to Heaven, and sent a disaster upon the city where they were slain. The witnesses could not be killed until God allowed it, and when God allowed it He then showed His power by raising them from the dead in front of a live audience of millions (perhaps billions).
We also see that when the 7th trumpet sounded Jesus ascended to power. We see a God who is very much in charge of history – a God who sends judgments, raises the dead, and does as He pleases. He reveals Himself to be the Mighty God, who rewards those that fear Him and who judges those who do not.