Revelation 11
November 7, 2022
“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 Messiah, 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, 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. 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.’” (v15-18)
Revelation 11 is one of the most difficult passages in the Bible to interpret. There are lots of interpretive questions about which godly, Bible-believing scholars debate:
Are the “2 witnesses” two people or do they represent the people of God?
Are the years/days literal or (like so much of Revelation) symbolic?
Are the cities literal (seems unlikely since one of them is Sodom, which was incinerated) or symbolic of a world opposed to Christ?
Regardless of where one comes down in interpreting the answers to these questions (and we should be gracious with each other), there is much that is clear in this passage for which there should be agreement and celebration:
God sovereignly rules over the affairs of the world.
Believers will faithfully proclaim His Word, even if it leads to their death.
God will vindicate His servants by raising them from the dead.
God will not allow evil to win the day: He will judge unrepentant sin.
God’s Kingdom will come - and everything wrong in this world will be set to rights!
Father, I praise You that Your plan of salvation and Your coming Kingdom cannot be thwarted. It’s no wonder this Scripture inspired that great chorus of Handel’s Messiah:
“Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign forever and ever. King of kings. Lord of lords!”
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
