The Two Witnesses
11:1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. (ESV)
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
Wow! The Elders will be singing this one day! Jesus is coming back to rule forever! How amazing is that? I wish that was now! When Jesus comes back, everyhting will be perfect, and things will be the best forever! Come soon!
Rev 11:16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God…
Make no mistake – EVERYONE, including Christians, will be on the ground and frightened to our very core. No high-fiving Jesus, just a proper, humble position of worship of the Almighty. And a lot of folks who wish they were dead will be filled with dread because the wrath of God, that they dismissed, is real. But take heart, there is still time to share with your loved ones who reject Jesus! He is patient, for now, wanting all those to come to Him freely. Don’t miss out and don’t hold back!
Lord, please come soon and end this madness!
AMEN. Wow…
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
How awesome will this moment be? Finally, after centuries of the devil reigning as the lord of the earth, Christ will take back what is rightfully His! Most scholars agree that this trumpet blast heralds the second coming of Christ. As a Christian, this is the day we wait for eagerly, where our Lord returns to earth and establishes His eternal kingdom here forever. Since no one knows when this is going to happen, not even Christ, only the Father, it is important that I live out every day like it is my last. I want to spend all the days on earth that I have being obedient to God and sharing the gospel with the lost. This passage reminds me that no matter how dark this world gets, one day all things will be made right when Jesus comes the second time. Maranatha…come Lord Jesus, come!
love your comment <3
“16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God…”
This chapter in particular goes into detail about the suffering and the wrath of God…it is once again, a slap in the face to any non-christian, and even a bit of a slap in the face to me. Why am I not out there right now saving sinners? I really like verse 16 though because it says that these 24 elders fell, FACEDOWN, and worshipped God. I want to fall facedown and worship Him. Because He deserves it.
I read!
Good job! :)
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
Everyone will one day be judged. Non-believers will have to face the wrath of God and the measured retribution for every sin they ever comitted. Thankfully, believers will not have to face God’s wrath and punishment since they have trusted in Christ and have been placed into Him, the only place where God’s wrath and punishment has already been. Instead we will face a judgement of rewards. We will get measured retribution for every good thing we have done. This makes me want to do even more good for God since I know I will one day receive a just reward.
Revelation has brought so much joy to me!!! It has taught me a lot about Heaven!!!! What we will do in Heaven which is praising and singing to Jesus!!!!!!!! But it has also brought me sadness!!!!! thinking about all the people that have not repented and will be left to suffer!!!!!!
MARANATHA
Hey, LG that’s awesome! My study Bible said God’s judgement is sweet to the believer but it should make us sad for the unbeliever. Thats the same response John had when he ate the little book in yesterday’s chapter in verse 10!
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
When all seems bad, God can turn it around and use it for the good! The non-believers will rejoice cause the two prophets are killed, but when they rise from the dead we will have even more to rejoice about! That’s awesome! God has a plan, weather things seem unpromising.
13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
This great earthquake kills 7000 people and the survivors have nothing else to do but to live in terror of God! But not only do they fear God, they give Him glory! God’s power and His wrath demand that we fear God and glorify Him. That is one thing that I think is lacking from many Christians today, including myself. Today it is so easy for people to think God’s wrath in a unjust and evil thing, and to see His power as something that is bad. But this verse gives us a template of what to do when we see His power and His wrath: we are to fear Him and glorify Him! I also need to remember that God’s wrath for me was poured out on His Son! I am so thankful that God displayed His wrath against Christ and not me! Thank You Lord!
13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
I like this verse because those who were lucky enough to survive gave glory to God. God’s wonders and miracles are all around us, but many people choose not to see or acknowledge them. Sometimes it takes disasters to catch their attention. The earthquake in Revelation will be terrifying. But we should learn something from natural disasters such as earthquakes. Especially with the past 7.0 earthquake in Haiti and humongo 8.8 earthquake in Chile (totally unfathomable to me), this verse seemed to send a message to today. Fortunately, people have felt sorry for the earthquake victims and reached out to help them, but those of us that did not suffer from it should give glory to God. God has a purpose and plan for every one of us. In California, it cracks me up how the seismologists always try to scare us about the “big one” coming up. But everyone knows you can’t predict earthquakes. We can’t predict what God will throw at us in life either. Therefore, I need to be unshakable in my faith and stand strong in the Lord so that it doen’t have to take a disaster to open my eyes.
my april fools joke fooled you so bad hehe :)
mhmmm. That’s a great analogy! I really liked the last sentence a lot. I need to stand strong and be unshakable in my faith too.
13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
This is soooo deep and intense. All the unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem that at first were partying because of the death of the witnesses will, 3 1/2 days latter, give glory to God, be terrified because of God’s power, and realize that the witnesses were truly from God! My study Bible even says that Paul (Rom. 11:25-27) and Zechariah (12:10, 13:1) prophesied about this saying that all of Israel will one day be saved! the commentary by JohnMAcArthur goes even further to say that according to God’s election of the saints that all those who are still alive and in the city after the earthquake will be those God has predestined to experience His saving grace; God loves His chosen people!
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
I need to be way more excited for this. Right now life is good and God’s blessing are plentiful, but I know all this will fade and only my relationship with Jesus will last. I am going to get more excited for the eternal kingdom by realizing how awesome my Savior is and rejecting the pull in my heart to be more like the world.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
This chapter is tougher for me for some reason. I think it might be because I was up grappling with God, writing and praying till 4:30AM, so my mind is fried… But verse 18 speaks the loudest to my soul. In our culture and even throughout the world, we as a people are growing into a dark people, filled with anger and entitlement. Even in the church, we can often resound with a tone of anger. We talked about this some in Small Groups last night, and it was a great time to reflect on how we as Christians need to exercise the love, patience, and steadfastness in our dealings with others. We need to let HIM be the Judge, the One Who pours out wrath, and the One Who deals with sin. It is right for us to evaluate fruits of our lives (we just studied this in John’s letters), but it is critical we stay humble in heart and steadfast in prayer. And when we pray, to pray for the salvation of others. We must abide in His Holy Spirit.
9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,
I remember my mom saying how when she was young (wow what a long time ago! just kidding ;) ) that this verse was always heavily criticized by non-Christians. People didn’t understand how the entire world would be able to see this scene at the same time- until satellite television was invented. How thankful I am for the word of God- it is FLAWLESS, and God is FAITHFUL! I need to have more confidence in the power of His Word and use its valuable information to talk with others!
yeah i actually remember my mom saying that too and now we have all this technology including the internet/news.
9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,
This is a good verse because it shows how God promises these things that seem unimaginable but will come true.
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
Very nice chapter!! After all that, God still does not quit after all this! The lightening, thunder, earthquakes, and hail sound pretty intense, and even further intensifyes the scene of looking into heaven! This sounds like an amazing scene to witness!! What an awesome and almighty God I have! Maranatha!
13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Even though something so bad like that earthquake that will happen, I think it’s cool because this gives an opportunity for people to glorify and fear God.
Fear is definitely a strong emotion that will be brought out of these people!
ELLO… I read
I like verse 10,”and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.”
I like this verse because it talks about the people rejoicing over the death of two witnesses who were only doing the will of GOD. People are so sick in these times they hate people who are trying to tell them the truth so much that when they are killed they throw a party. I think this is wrong but it just shows how much people hate the LORD. Even though HE is giving people another chance they won’t take it because they don’t want it but instead try to kill the witnesses.
CYA
7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,
Wow!!! When I think of beast rising from a bottomless pit, I think of something crazy in a movie! But to think this is going to happen!?!?! A lot of times I look at non-christians lives and think, “Why do they get such an easy life, and I have to go through all this trouble.” Its then when I remind myself of why Im here, and the reward I have for eternity. Because if you ask me, Im pretty sure I dont want to be here when beasts arise from a bottomless pit and locus are eating people alive. I would much rather be with God in heaven. And to think of what people will endure AFTER earth in hell forever. So next time when Im persecuted, I will rejoice and always be excited to be with God in heaven forever!!! :D
16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
So this is it.
It’s time for God to lay absolutely everything down on earth and the non believers who dwell in it.
He’s pullin out all the stops!
And it’s time for the dead to be judged. To see who is hell-bound, and who is heaven-bound.
I need to make the number of those who are hell-bound less than what it is and will be.
Lord, I pray for those who don’t yet know You that they may see Your light and glory and be saved from eternal suffering, and I pray that I’ll be a big, helpful part of that movement.
Praise Him!
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
all i have to say is maranatha. I am ready to be with Jesus.
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
The two witnesses are some of my favorite characters of the whole bible. I mean these are two guys who will come into the city, preach the gospel fearlessly, speak in tongues, burn up all who come against them, and do this for over a thousand days. That is awesome!!! They are the ultimate disciples!
Last summer I read the Left Behind book series. The two witnesses are in it boldly speaking out about the Easter story. Then they get killed by the anti-christ and everyone is happy. But three days later, they are resurrected from the dead and God basically says “Booya!!” and takes them to heaven. Haha this is one of those times when I think that God has a sense of humor.
So basically what I’m saying is that we should be like the two witnesses, boldly preaching the Easter story for all to hear.
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
Oh, How I long for this day! How exciting and how much I Look forward to God reigning forever! After these painful years that the world is going to experience, the children of God will praise him for eternity! What an awesome thing to think about today!
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw
The things that happen in this chapter just show me how God is in control. I can not wait for Christ my God to come back. MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!! This verse reminds me to when Christ rose from the dead. I spoke on this at the svcs lunch today and it was great. This ester we need to remember what Jesus did and tell others.
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
This is such a perfect outline of the judgment day! Jedgment of the dead, the Lord’s wrath, aaannndd the rewards of his servants!!!! That means us::)) I am sooo excited to get to live in heaven with God and to be in paradise for ever!!!
13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
I think it’s kind of sad that it takes something as tragic as this to get people to worship and give glory, honor, and praise to our Lord in God in Heaven. Everyone is without excuse on judgment day if the Lord says I never knew you. People are just so ignorant to what the Bible says and don’t care about it. Today’s generation of people are so lazy that they just want to live a life on there own without God. I don’t know why you would want to do that because a life with God sounds so much better off than living out in this world without Him. God is so amazing and people shouldn’t be pushing Him out of the way. Lets let God work in our lives and be with us during the struggles and fights that we face on this planet! MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
I’ve heard many people say that they will repent later. Well, there are three problems with that. Number 1, you have the tribulation. It will not be good. Some of God’s wrath (which is a lot of wrath). Number 2, you could die at any time. People frequently die of heart related problems without any previous record of heart conditions etc. Number 3, if you say that your heart isn’t right. Living for Jesus is about giving your life up for him just as he did for you. Repentance and faith.
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
GREAT CHAPTER!! the chapter was mainly about how everyone will one day be judged one day.
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
It seems that whenever the power God is meant to be displayed, the elements of the universe topple and roar in greatness. People have always been in awe at the elements, their power to destroy and their beauty. Namely lightning, earthquakes, thunder, and hail. These are all phenomenons that people throughout history have been amazed by. Yet it is God is the controller of the weather.
“It’s ringing in the skies, Like cannons in the night, the music of the Universe plays. We’re singing, you are Holy, great and mighty, the moon and the stars declare who you are, I’m so unworthy, but still you love me, forever my heart will sing of how great your are” (Cannons by Phil Wickham).
God is truly great, bringing even the weather under his mighty hand.
God is good!
9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
This is a long passage I pasted. It just blows my mind how specific God’s prophecies are. When this actually happens, anyone will be able to open a Bible and read this very specific description of the events. It’s sad that even after God shows His power over and over, people will still have hard hearts and refuse to repent. Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to work in people at Bren on Sunday before it’s too late.
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
One of the best ways we get closer to God is by worship. We are awed by God’s magnificence, especially when the cymbals and bass are pumping us up. I cannot wait to see what it will be like when the earth shakes because of the glory of God!
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
goodness, people saw stuff like this and they still did not believe, what is wrong with them
c u all later
10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
I love revelations. It is such a cool and amazing verse. The prophets yet to be sent are one of the signs of the last days, and when they are killed, the people will rejoice, because they were from GOD. When we are persecuted we should remember that we are the last of a line long of sufferers, and the first of a few yet to come.
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
I cannot wait to praise God in heaven! He has always been, is, and will always be the ultimate Master and Creator who is all-knowing. Despite whatever happens in life, I know that as he is the most-powerful, I can trust that he has an awesome plan for me. I will trust in him these next few weeks because so far in my life every strength I have gained has been through him.
p.s. i’m so excited to celebrate Christ’s resurrection this wknd! Easter=my favorite holiday…yes, i think even more than Christmas :)
17“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
Two things stood out to me in this verse. First how the elders were giving thanks to God for displaying his power and pouring down his wrath on earth. God is completely holy and hates sin and will destroy it and he will open up his wrath on those who are disobedient and all in heaven will praise him we will rejoice because we will have perfect knowledge of what is righteous. wow I think when we read about the destruction and devastation that is to come we think oh how sad, but those in heaven are saying thanks be to God they are rejoicing because God is using his power to reign.
I need to always be grateful and thankful to Jesus my savior that I have been snatched form the fire because I am under his protection, and all that wrath that awaits those who do not know him I am free from because of the cross. It is all because of Christ. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and glory and honor forever and ever.
First of all, I would be freaked out my mind if i saw this happening.
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
This is awesome how God just brings these guys back to life. Imagine how scary that would be. After these guys come back to life there is an earthquake that kills seven thousand people. This is getting more and more scary as is go. Finally, the rest of people start worshipping God and were terrified of what they just saw.
Yess! Nice post bro! =D Keep it up!
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
mmmmmm i cannot wait until the day that Jesus will reign forever and ever!! He is King of Heaven and earth! I cant wait until Satan is thrown into the lake of fire and Jesus will be praised forever! MARANATHA!
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
Once again this verse warns that the day of judgement will come and everyone will be judged, but those who love and fear the Lord will be spared from His wrath and Hell. Everyone who hated or cursed God in their hearts will be confronted with it infront God. Its important to be righteous before Him and end strong in this short yet long life.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
I really like this. It is a mix of feelings because It brings me so much joy being able to read about heaven and meeting the Lord face to face, but it is going to be so sad for those who are left for his wrath. These few verses really show how in control the Lord is of EVERY situation and how powerful He is.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.
God’s wrath is coming. That is such a scary thought. But, at the same time it is exciting because when everyone is judged is also the time when we, as Christians, get rewarded for how we lived our lives. I want to have the biggest reward I can possibly have in heaven! This verse reminds me of Pastor Mike’s sermons on heaven. I need to work on storing up treasures in heaven now because those treasures will last for all of eternity.
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
After all the destruction and judgment of the world, Christ will reign forever and ever! This passage really gives me a vivid picture of what it is going to be like. Satan will no longer be king of this world, but Jesus Christ will have conquered him once and for all! Words cannot describe my excitement for this day. I’m praying that He would come soon and very soon!
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
YES! Jesus Christ shall reign forever and ever! He will rightfully be worshipped on the throne! I am looking forward to the day when Jesus Christ returns to take me home to my eternal home. I need to be living each day in light of that coming day. I pray that I would be passonate about sharing the gospel, remembering that each day could be the last; each conversation an opportunity to share the truth.
Mmmmmmm, the day of his reign on earth keeps drawing nearer and nearer! I don’t expect it to be that long before this chapter is fulfilled.
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.—This verses reminds me that Jesus is coming soon and i will get to be with him soon! I CANNOT WAIT!!!! And now that I know that Jesus is coming back soon, I need to use my whole life here on earth to glorify the Lord!! I want to be going all out and live with no compromise! He died for me that I might live according to his will and that is what I want to do! I also need to be sharing this with other because a lot of people dont know about this amazing news and they need to repent NOW!! Praying for a Revival in Orange County and that I will always be looking forward to the day when Jesus will finally be back to take me and my brothers and sisters with him :)
MARANATHA!!!!
I read…
Verse 19 gives us a real visual of the glory of God. I am thankful that I serve a mighty God who is just. This chapter gave me more fear of Him because of the intensity of this last verse. I pray that this would affect my walk with Christ so that I may grow in my faith.
16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
AMEN!!! And i fall face down as Your glory shines around! I am so excited to be with my Lord forever, and be praising his name for all of eternity. It is mind blowing to me to think that the God of the universe would give me the opportunity to speak to him, to read of him, and to be with him forever. I am so unbelievably thankful Jesus, for everything you did for me, and continue to do for me. I am the worst of sinners, and the Lord still continues to forgive me and grow me into who he wants me to be! Praise the Lord.
The opportunity to speak to God blows me away too! He totally made EVERYTHING….and He is so far above us….yet we get to talk to Him, 100% of the time. If there was a 24 hour fitness prayer center……God would be there all the time!
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
God’s wrath will be poured out onto the non-believers, and it is horrible and painful. But there is a bright side! Because of Christ, we can simply follow Him and not only are we saved from that pain and torture, but we’re also blessed with rewards in Heaven! Also, I can choose to do two things here on Earth: tell people about this saving grace and how to escape Hell, or let them suffer for eternity. Hmm…well if I consider myself to have even a speck of kindness in my heart I need to go out and tell people how to escape the impending doom and how to be welcomed in to God’s presence one day.
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
I love verse 19 because it helps me realize that the ark of the covenant was not found by Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark…..
The real reason I chose this verse because it gives us a glimpse of the might and power of our majestic God. He is holy and to be feared. This passage reminds me of Mount Sinai which was covered in smoke and the whole mountain trembled violently because God descended on it. Its is going to be a scary thing to be in the presence of a holy God. Especially if your not saved. As Christians it would be good to meditate on the fact that God is worthy of our awe and reverence. We need to fear the one who has the power to send us to either heaven or hell.
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.
Amidst all the wrath of God, this is placed in this chapter. This is so awesome! Fear of the Lord is such a crucial element of the Christian faith. As Proverbs 1:7 says, T”he fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” All through the Bible, the need for Christians to have a fear of God is stressed. In this verse, it talks about how those people will be rewarded by God! That is an incredible thing.. I can only imagine what God’s rewards in heaven will be like! I want to continue growing in my faith by pursuing a deeper fear of the Lord in everything I do, serving him wholeheartedly.
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
This is powerful stuff! I can imagine this, and it blows me away….but still, my imagination can’t even concieve the awesomeness of this moment!
I have a wierd way of thinking about these verses. I kinda tell a story to myself, to make the verse more epic. So for fun, I’m going to dramatically re-tell this verse by pretending I am a person on earth going through this……this is how it would look like….
“I am walking accross the street when all of a sudden a booming noise comes from above. I look up and see the brightest of lights beaming down and blinding me from the sky. Then a violent earthquake splits the ground all around me, knocks me down to my knees, and hail starts pelting every part of my body, sending me further to the ground… On all fours, I struggle to look up, sheilding my face from the sharp peices of ice. I peered up and saw the Heavens open up, and there I saw God’s temple along with the Ark of His covenant. I strained to keep my eyes open against the brilliant light shining down from Heaven, and I had to turn away. The glory of Heaven was too much for my eyes to bear! This radiant brightness was accompanied by quick flashes of lightning and thunder bolts, rapidly striking within feet of me. I gazed all around me in awe, and the ground was still rumbling, and debris from demolished objects were falling down into the vast crevices that the earthquake had made. Nothing could stand to the awefull authority of God’s power…”
Alrighty then! I had fun writing that! This is my way of meditating about the end times. I put myself in the postion and (with my imagination) see what it is like to endure through it! God gave us imagination….so use it too blow your mind away!!! IT’S KINDA COOL!
WOW! That is intense awesome and really good to think about!
Great comment, definitely got me meditating on these verses in a more real way.
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
I can’t wait for the day when Jesus Christ returns and the way of the world is done away with. Then the Lord God Almighty will reign on high over the world. This is going to be an absolutely awesome time! I look forward to the day when the Sovereign Lord will reign over his people in his kingdom in heaven! And this day is coming quickly. The day will come when no one is expecting it, like a thief in the night. Christ’s second coming is coming soon and very soon. As I await the return of my Savior, I must live my life ready for him to come back at all times. I never want to be doing anything that will cause me to feel ashamed if Jesus were to return while I am in the middle of that action. I need to be striving to live ready and live as an example to all of those around me. I need to seek the strength that God gives so that I will not fall into the way of the world, but live separate as I wait for my pick-up to head home! I need to be living now like Jesus is coming back tomorrow!
“16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God…”
One thing the bible makes clear is that there will be no exceptions to the facedown worship. Even the Elders of heaven will be worshipping God on their faces and every tongue will confess Jesus as lord. It’s going to be quite a site to see everyone in existense worshipping God. I cannot wait to see that!! Hopefully Jesus will come back soon so we can be at home with him!!
________________________________________________________________
Maranatha!
Reading about the witnesses in this chapter reminds me of the witnessing we are doing at the campus lunches this weekend! To put it simply, it has been awesome! I can’t believe what God is doing in the high schools of Orange County!
Please pray for the two campus lunches tomorrow at Capo and Trabuco…
See everyone at the Good Friday services tomorrow afternoon and evening at church!
16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,
This chapter makes me think of the song “Soon” that we sing at True North…the angels and the elders round the throne worshiping God, casting their crowns before him! I am praying for Jesus return and definitely will do whatever I can to help others be ready! Maranatha!
Revelation 11
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
Christ is one day going to take back possession of the world and reign over it forever and ever. For the follower of Christ that day will be one full of praise giving glory to God. For those who remain it will be a time of great tribulation where God’s judgment will fall upon His enemies. Satan will one day have no dominion on earth and Christ will put all of His enemies underfoot. What an awesome day this will be for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and for the Glory of the Lord. The dead will be judged and the saints (God’s chosen people) will be rewarded.
Dan 2:44 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
I long for the day when I will not be subject to the powers of this world and enter into a world where in Christ I will experience all that is good.
Maranatha
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
Totally reminds me of the Lord Jesus Christ! How awesome it is to have a God who reigns! The people had the same reaction too when He rose from the dead…quite interesting. God uses all events for good and I can’t forget that. :)
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.
And this reminded me of Enoch, the guy who never faced death….I want to be just as spiritual as Enoch!..Actually how bout Jesus. XD MARANATHA!
18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.
This verse makes me think of how sad I am for the people who aren’t Christian or who are “Christian” and aren’t on fire for Jesus. It’s so sad that they are missing out on being aware of the Lord who created us! God probably feels really sad when he sees all these people that might burn in the fires of hell. I suppose all we can do is pray! But the power of prayer is so great.