Revelation 11:16-19 – And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” 19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
“And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God…” Even in Heaven, or perhaps better said, especially in Heaven (though certainly the import is every bit as appropriate now while we are on earth) we know that God and is God and we are not. Foolish and in peril is the man who does not fall down before Jesus now while alive on this earth. He who does not humble himself before the Lord Jesus now will have no other opportunity after the death of his physical body. The proud shall be humbled and their folly exposed. Yet this falling on the face and worshipping God is not subjugation from an all-powerful God, but rather is the automatic reaction of those who are in His presence. For those who belong to God, who actually know the greatness of His being and the greatness of His very essence (as much as it is possible for us to grasp the fullness of our infinite God) falling prostrate before God and worshipping Him is a genuine response of the heart and of the mind. For those who love God, acknowledging His greatness and glory by falling before Him and worshipping is not a reaction of a violent compulsion, but is what is “natural” and joyously flows from those who love Him (John 4:23-24). For those who do not love Him, it is them doing what they are compelled do because now they can no longer refute what they previously knew was true but refused to acknowledge (Philippians 2:9-11, Romans 14:11, Isaiah 45:22-25). Before God, the unredeemed shall bow in fear, and perhaps with a hiss in their hearts that are exposed to be evil.
“saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.” A confluence of the twenty-four elders’ love and respect for God brings a single river of praise as they acknowledge the One God and they are thankful to Him for their salvation, indeed for the very reason they are where they are and they are who they are.
One is not thankful to God for things that one never gave Him credit for. First we must acknowledge that the blessing is from God and then we will thank Him for it. We will remember what God has done for us and we will testify to others of the greatness and love of God. These elders know that their salvation is only the work of Jesus our Christ. When they are in the presence of God, they fall down to worship Him with a gratitude and love that overwhelms them. It is right. It reveals that they are His.
Here the Only God is described as “the One who is and who was.” Notice that the additional “Who is to come,” used in previous verses (Revelation 1:4, 1:8, 4:8) is not used here. The reason is that hope of the Church has now come. It is now declared, and so happens, that Jesus has shown that not only is He the Lamb of God who was slain, but He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who fears nothing, has conquered all, and the roar that His time to yank away the cruel despotic ruling of the world and to reveal who truly has always been in control and to whom the world truly belongs to. The day of the Lamb of God has come, it is being revealed.
It is important to note that Jesus has “begun to reign.” We shall see that Great Tribulation has not come to an end, not yet. But until this time, God has been calling to a rebellious world. Now, the omnipotent power of God, the unending wisdom of God, is being revealed and we see that He was always in control. Our common enemy thought himself outside of God’s rule but all that he has done has been carefully restricted and even his great evil served to glorify God. God has begun to reveal the defeat of the enemy, and this revealing will not stop until God has revealed all. What is being revealed here is a start and it will not stop till the Lord God declares it is done. Though Family, we must remember that all that is now being played out was already sure, was already completed. It was never a matter of “if,” but only a matter of when. We know that Jesus proclaimed the truth “It is finished!” (John 19:30) The when has come. The movie has begun and there is no stopping this movie, it will play until it is done. But woe to the earth at the horrors that come as the Lord defeat the enemy and his Antichrist and False Prophet. But the praises of the saints, whom will not know the wrath of God upon them (1 John 5:9), will eternally, in gratitude, praise God and lift His name.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.