“Then the seventh angel sounded; 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 will
reign forever and ever”” (Revelation 11:15).
The background of this verse involves God’s efforts to
provide a prophetic testimony during a time of great struggle, symbolized in
this chapter by the sending forth of two witnesses. They have great power and authority but
eventually the forces of evil, pictured as the beast of the abyss, overcome and
kill them. Those opposed to God dishonor
the dead bodies of the witnesses. The
rebels rejoice that their tormentors have been eliminated.
But the victory party is a bit premature. After a short time, God raises the two
witnesses from the dead. The rejoicing
of God’s opponents gives way to great fear as they see the resurrected
witnesses are called to heaven, followed by an outpouring of God’s wrath and
judgment. And when the dust settles, the
kingdom of God is triumphant over the kingdoms of the world. Worldly kingdoms do their worst but God
always ultimately wins!
This reminds me of the words of the Psalmist: “Why are
the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of
the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the
LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and
cast away their cords from us!” He who
sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them
in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have
installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain””(Psalm 2:1–6).
Ungodly kingdoms come and go. Worldly rulers defy the Ruler of the universe
and revel in their rebellion, uttering blasphemous words of challenge and defiance. It’s like an ant challenging an
elephant. And like God, we laugh at such
futility. Do they really think they can
take on God and win?
God loves you!
Mike
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