Thus far in the trumpet cycle, six trumpets had sounded in heaven, resulting in damaging plagues on earth (Revelation 8:7 – 9:19). These plagues (particularly the sixth) did not bring about the desired repentance (Revelation 9:20–21), and so the reader anticipates the sounding of the seventh trumpet (earlier identified as the third woe,
Revelation 9:12; Revelation 11:14) with considerable foreboding. But in the revelation the Lord showed to John, he delayed the blowing of the seventh trumpet (see Revelation 10:6) so that John might first see two vignettes (Revelation 10:1–11; Revelation 11:1–13) designed to encourage the church in the face of the difficult events that would unfold upon the sounding of this last trumpet. Now that John (and his readers) have been encouraged, the stage is set for the “third woe” (Revelation 11:14).
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”