What is the meaning of Revelation 11:17? We give thanks to You • The twenty-four elders model wholehearted gratitude, reminding believers that thanksgiving is the fitting first response whenever God moves (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 100:4). • Their praise bursts out in the midst of unfolding judgments, showing that worship is not postponed until trouble ends; it thrives even while the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15-16). • Giving thanks acknowledges God’s faithfulness already displayed—His past acts of creation and redemption (Psalm 136:1-26)—and anticipates the complete fulfillment of His promises. O Lord God Almighty • The title unites intimacy (“Lord”) with unlimited strength (“Almighty”), echoing Genesis 17:1 and Revelation 1:8. • By calling Him “God Almighty,” the elders confess that no earthly power—political, military, or demonic—can rival Him (Jeremiah 32:17). • The same omnipotent Lord shelters His people (Psalm 91:1) while He shakes the kingdoms of this world (Haggai 2:6-7). the One who is and who was • This phrase underscores God’s eternal, self-existent nature, reaching back to Exodus 3:14 and mirrored in Revelation 1:4. • Earlier scenes added “and who is to come,” but here His coming is so imminent it is spoken of as accomplished; eternity has intersected history (Hebrews 13:8; Psalm 90:2). • The elders therefore worship the God who transcends time yet steps into time to complete His plan. because You have taken Your great power • God always possesses all power, yet this moment marks a decisive public demonstration of that power (Revelation 19:6). • The language recalls Psalm 2:6-9 and Daniel 7:14, where the Messiah actively receives dominion. • For believers, this assures that every promise of victory, inheritance, and resurrection rests on divine ability, not human strength (Ephesians 1:19-22; Philippians 2:10-11). • For rebels, it announces the end of presumed independence, as every knee must bow. and have begun to reign • The seventh trumpet proclaims the legal transfer of world authority to Christ: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). • This is the inauguration of His visible rule that unfolds through the bowl judgments and culminates in His bodily return (Revelation 19:11-16). • Prophets foresaw this day: Isaiah 24:23 declares, “The LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion,” and Zechariah 14:9 promises, “The LORD will be King over all the earth.” • Luke 1:32-33 ties the promise to Jesus: He “will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” • Ultimately, 1 Corinthians 15:24-25 describes the outcome—every enemy abolished, the Son delivering the kingdom to the Father, God all in all. summary Revelation 11:17 captures a climactic burst of worship as heaven celebrates God’s decisive move to assert His rightful rule over the earth. The elders thank Him, acknowledge His limitless might and timeless nature, rejoice that His power is now openly displayed, and exult that His reign has begun. For believers, the verse fuels confident hope; for a rebellious world, it signals that the day of human autonomy is ending. God’s kingdom is not a distant dream—at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, its arrival is proclaimed as a present reality soon to be fully revealed. |
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