“The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.’
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” (Revelation 11:14-19).
Much like a signpost that points the way to a destination that lay in the distance, our text from Revelation 11:15 points us to the ultimate conclusion of this book: “…The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever'” (ESV). While the world has always been the Lord’s kingdom in a sense, there have been relatively few who have recognized His sovereign rulership. That will begin to change as we transition into the second half of Revelation.
As noted earlier in our look at Revelation chapter ten, this passage marks a continuation of the beginning of the end for this current world order. That shift away from the influence of humanity’s spiritual enemy also brings a series of rewards and punishments: “…the time has come for the dead to be judged. It is time for you to reward your servants the prophets and all of your people who honor your name, no matter who they are. It is time to destroy everyone who has destroyed the earth” (Revelation 11:18 CEV).
This reference to “judging the dead” reminds us that everyone will be held accountable for their actions. God will reward those who have used their God-given talents, skills, and abilities to honor Him. But those who destroy God’s creation will be treated in a similar manner.
And now that “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ…” we should note that God has made His temple accessible. That prepares us for our entry into the second half of this book.
Image Attribution :Signpost” by maroubal2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.