Revelation 11:14-19: a reflection

14The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly. 15The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” 16The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and reigned. 18The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and those who fear your name, to the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.

At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, heaven declares the certain triumph of God's reign: the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever. The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, the voices in heaven proclaim; he will reign forever and ever. And the elders worship, giving thanks that God has taken his great power and begun to reign. The vision declares as certain what will finally come to pass: that the kingdoms and powers of this world, for all their present sway, will give way to the reign of God and his Christ, who will reign forever. What now seems ruled by worldly powers will become, fully and finally, the kingdom of Christ, whose reign has no end. This shows the certain triumph of God's reign, that Christ will reign forever. The kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ, who reigns forever. Take hope in the certain triumph of God's reign. Present worldly powers will give way to the everlasting reign of Christ. God's reign is sure; Christ will reign forever and ever.

Notice what heaven declares at the seventh trumpet. The whole scene is one of certainty and triumph: great voices in heaven proclaim that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and that he will reign forever and ever. The elders fall down and worship, giving thanks that God has taken his great power and begun to reign. This is a declaration of the final, certain triumph of God's reign: that however things seem now, with the world in the sway of various powers, the outcome is not in doubt. The kingdom of the world will become, fully and finally, the kingdom of God and his Christ, who will reign forever. This holds a firm hope for us. In the present, the world often seems ruled by other powers, by forces opposed to God, by evil that seems to hold sway; and it can seem uncertain whether God's kingdom will prevail. But this vision declares the outcome as certain: the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ; God will take his power and reign; Christ will reign forever and ever. The triumph of God's reign is not in doubt, however things appear now. This is a hope to hold and rejoice in: that beyond all the present sway of worldly and evil powers, the certain end is the everlasting reign of Christ, in which God's people will share. We do well to take hope in the certain triumph of God's reign, that the kingdom will become Christ's, who will reign forever. Take hope in the certain triumph of God's reign; Christ will reign forever. Present worldly and evil powers will give way to the everlasting kingdom of Christ. However things seem now, the outcome is not in doubt: God will reign. Rejoice that the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ.

That is worth taking to heart, for the triumph of God's reign is certain, and Christ will reign forever, as heaven declares at the seventh trumpet. We can feel the world is ruled by other powers and doubt whether God's kingdom will prevail; but heaven declares that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of Christ, who will reign forever. The outcome is sure. When the world seems ruled by forces opposed to God, take hope in the certain triumph of God's reign, that Christ will reign forever and ever. Take hope in the certain triumph of God's reign, that the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ who will reign forever, however things seem now, as at the sounding of the seventh trumpet heaven declared the certain triumph of God's reign, that the kingdom of the world had become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he would reign forever, the elders worshiping and giving thanks that God had taken his great power and begun to reign; for the vision declares as certain what will finally come to pass, that the kingdoms and powers of this world for all their present sway will give way to the reign of God and his Christ who will reign forever, so that what now seems ruled by worldly powers will become fully and finally the kingdom of Christ whose reign has no end, which holds a firm hope for us, since in the present the world often seems ruled by other powers and forces opposed to God and by evil that seems to hold sway and it can seem uncertain whether God's kingdom will prevail, but this vision declares the outcome as certain, that the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ and God will take his power and reign and Christ will reign forever, the triumph of God's reign not being in doubt however things appear now, a hope to hold and rejoice in, that beyond all the present sway of worldly and evil powers the certain end is the everlasting reign of Christ in which God's people will share, so that we do well to take hope in the certain triumph of God's reign.

Lord, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, heaven declares the certain triumph of your reign: the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever. The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, the voices in heaven proclaim; he will reign forever and ever. And the elders worship, giving thanks that you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The vision declares as certain what will finally come to pass: that the kingdoms and powers of this world, for all their present sway, will give way to the reign of you and your Christ, who will reign forever. Show me what heaven declares at the seventh trumpet. The whole scene is one of certainty and triumph: great voices proclaim that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and that he will reign forever. The elders fall down and worship, giving thanks that you have taken your great power and begun to reign. This is a declaration of the final, certain triumph of your reign: that however things seem now, with the world in the sway of various powers, the outcome is not in doubt. This holds a firm hope for me. In the present, the world often seems ruled by other powers, by forces opposed to you, by evil that seems to hold sway; and it can seem uncertain whether your kingdom will prevail. But this vision declares the outcome as certain: the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ; you will take your power and reign; Christ will reign forever and ever. The triumph of your reign is not in doubt, however things appear now. This is a hope to hold and rejoice in: that beyond all the present sway of worldly and evil powers, the certain end is the everlasting reign of Christ, in which your people will share. Take that to my heart. When the world seems ruled by forces opposed to you, help me take hope, Lord, in the certain triumph of your reign, that the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ, who will reign forever and ever, and rejoice that however things seem now, the outcome is sure and you will reign.