The Celebration Already Begun

Revelation 11:15:

"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!'"
Observation:

Tribulation had been under way for precisely three and a half years. Two witnesses who had been prophesying daily in Jerusalem for three and a half years had been killed and their bodies left untouched in the street for three and a half days. Earthquakes broke out and everyone suddenly heard what John called "loud voices" from heaven announcing, "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever!"
Application:

Loud voices indeed! Try to imagine the cacophony resulting when countless millions of angels are finally released to herald Christ's return, the event for which the earth has groaned since creation. The only possible response was demonstrated by the twenty-four elders who fell on their faces and worshipped God: "We give You thanks, O Lord God; . . . because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign" (Rev. 11:17). What an awesome moment to witness: the instant Christ begins His reign upon earth.
But there was an earlier moment when the angels rejoiced: the moment I accepted Christ's finished work on the cross and asked Him to become my Savior and Lord. Heaven rejoices as its population increases one soul at a time. While most of the earth rages against God, the celebration of the end game has already begun.

My senses are overwhelmed to meditate on what it will be like to hear the thunderous chorus of angelic voices when history reaches the moment of Christ's reign. Like the anticipation of coming cannon in the 1812 Overture, so comes a moment in which everything changes in the relationship between heaven and earth. Anticipating this event makes me eager to live today looking forward not only to this future spectacle, but also appreciating anew a similar event that has already occurred in my heart. Christ's reign began there years ago and increases day by day as I yield further to Him. So the heavenly celebration of Revelation 11 is in a very real sense a continuation of something already begun.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, how I thank You that Your kingdom has already come to my heart. Lord, You profoundly changed me the day of my commitment to You, and through Your indwelling Holy Spirit You have been faithful to continue changing me. Keep it up, Lord! Don't stop until You, as the master craftsman, know that I have been made ready to see You face to face.


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