As Revelation 11 comes to an end, we hear the sound of the seventh trumpet blast. A loud choir then announces that the glorious consummation of all things has finally come: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (Rev 11:15). For the local churches then and now, this vision of the end is meant to give us "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."