“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God.” (Revelation 11:15–16, NIV84)
This is the last of a series of devotions on the kingdom of heaven.
Today we are in the book of Revelation where John recorded the visions that the Lord showed him about the future of the world and the Church. Here in chapter 11, we hear the voice of the 7th angel. The angel boldly declared something hugely significant about the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of this world. What did he say? That the kingdom of this world will give way to the kingdom of heaven. If there were any doubts about which kingdom will win out in the end, the doubt is erased in this verse. The angel declared that the kingdom of heaven will take the place of the kingdom of this world and that Christ will reign as king of that kingdom forever. The next verse tells us that in hearing this, the 24 elders enthroned before God Himself fell on their faces and worshiped Him.
The unchanging kingdom of grace, mercy, power, truth, hope and peace will begin an everlasting reign over the new heaven and the new earth. The kingdom of this world will be no more. It is, and always has been, a hollow kingdom. It has no real power, and it has nothing to offer. In judgment it will suddenly be no more. In contrast, God’s kingdom of power and providence will reign forever. Seeing this long-awaited reality finally come true caused the 24 elders to fall prostrate before Almighty God in praise and worship.
This is the kingdom that we are already citizens of. This is the kingdom of which we await final fulfillment. The reality of this kingdom, living in and through us, should cause us to fall on our faces and worship God. Only an unchanging God of grace and truth could bring all this to us. May He be eternally praised, for He is God, and He is good!
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church
