Revelation 11:16-17; The Lord God Almighty Has Reigned

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Revelation 11:16-17 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, 17 We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 

The twenty-four elders as representatives of the church are expressing their gratitude not to Christ but to the Father, who is called the Lord God, Almighty. He commissioned the Son to redeem his people, to forgive their sins, to grant them eternal life, and to teach them his Word. Now the elders thank God, who is their sovereign and all-powerful Lord. Their words of thanks show a typical Jewish background demonstrated in David’s Psalm of Thanks and in the Psalter (1 Chron. 16:8, 26; Ps. 105:1; 106:1, 47; 136:1–4).

1 Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 

1 Chronicles 16:26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 

Psalm 105:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 

Psalm 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 

Psalm 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. 

Psalm 136:1-4 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 

The next clause, “because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned” is an affirmation of God defeating his adversaries and taking his rightful governing power over His creation in heaven and earth. Notice that the perfect tense is used in the verb to take. This means that no power will ever again rise against God to take away from Him authority as in the case of Satan, called “the prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 4:4; 5:19).

John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

1 John 5:19 Andwe know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 

 Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 343–344). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.