By Jim Poelman —May 26, 2021

Scripture Reading — Revelation 11:15-19

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah.” — Revelation 11:15

When our children were young, I sometimes used a “heads-up” call as I read a story to them. “Now listen carefully to what comes next,” I would say. I did this because some parts of a story are key to under­standing the whole.

As we read the story of the ­seventh trumpet call, we need to pay close attention and ­listen carefully. This part of God’s ­story is key to understanding who we are and what we are called to do in this world. As God’s witnesses, we need to know that God’s kingdom is advancing right now, even though it may seem at times that the world is thoroughly corrupt and controlled by the forces of evil.

This part of God’s story is shouted by “loud voices in heaven” and reinforced by the twenty-four elders seated around God’s throne. Listen carefully to what heaven announces: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

We need to listen carefully because heaven’s reason for rejoicing is often missed. In our everyday lives, we tend to think that God’s kingdom will come someday and that Jesus, the Messiah, will then “reign forever and ever.” But the announcement is not in the future tense. The ­seventh trumpet call an­nounces that God’s kingdom claims the kingdom of this world now. And this present reality ­changes everything for all who live by faith in Jesus.

Prayer

Jesus, please give us ears to hear that you are King, now and forever! Amen.

抬起頭，注意聽！

讀經——啟示錄 11:15-19

“世界的國度已經成為我們主和祂彌賽亞的國度。” — 啟示錄 11:15

當我們的孩子還小的時候，我有時會在給他們讀故事時使用“單挑”的方式提醒他們： “現在仔細聽聽接下來會發生什麼，”我會說。我這樣做是因為故事的某些部分是理解整體的關鍵。

當我們閱讀《啟示錄》中天使第七次吹號的故事時，我們需要密切關注並仔細聆聽。故事的這一部分是要了解我們是誰，以及我們被呼召在這個世界上做什麼的關鍵。作為上帝的見證人，我們需要知道上帝的國度現在正在推進，儘管有時世界似乎已經徹底敗壞並被邪惡勢力控制。

這部分神的故事是由“天上的大聲音”所呼喊，並得到坐在神寶座周圍的二十四位長老的加強。仔細聆聽天上的宣告：“世界的國度已經成為我們的主和祂彌賽亞的國度，祂要作王，直到永永遠遠。”

我們需要仔細聆聽，因為常常會錯過天上歡欣的理由。在我們的日常生活中，我們傾向於認為上帝的國度總有一天會到來，而彌賽亞耶穌會“永遠作王”。但該宣告不是未來時態，第七次吹號宣告神的國度己經取代這個世界的國度。對於所有因信耶穌而活的人來說，這個當前的現實改變了一切。

禱告

耶穌，請讓我們注意聽，明白祢就是現在和永遠的王！阿們