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Sermon

A Forecast of the Majesty of God and Things to Come

Series
Revelation
Scripture
Revelation 11:14-19

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

This passage from Revelation 11:15-19 reveals the majesty of God as He takes His throne and establishes His eternal kingdom. The nations rage against Christ’s reign, but God responds with righteous judgment, raising the dead, rewarding His saints, and destroying the destroyers. The opening of the heavenly temple and the visibility of the ark of the covenant signal the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises — the restoration of His glory among His people with no veil of separation.

Key Lessons:

  1. God has restrained His power throughout history, but a day is coming when He will permanently take His reign and never again allow rebellion against His throne.
  2. The glory of God, which departed from Israel due to disobedience, will one day return fully — and all believers will have unhindered access to God’s presence.
  3. God’s judgment includes both the resurrection and reward of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked — no one escapes accountability before Him.
  4. The entire arc of redemptive history — from Abraham to the New Jerusalem — points toward God dwelling with His people without separation.

Application: We are called to live in confident expectation of Christ’s return, growing stronger in faith through the study of prophecy, and ensuring we have received Jesus Christ as Savior to be delivered from God’s coming wrath.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does understanding God’s ultimate victory over the nations change the way we respond to injustice and evil in the world today?
  2. What does the removal of the veil and the open access to God’s presence mean for how we approach God in prayer and worship right now?
  3. How should the certainty of God’s future judgment and reward motivate the way we serve Him in our daily lives?

Scripture Focus: Revelation 11:15-19 — the seventh trumpet, God’s kingdom established; Psalm 2 — the nations rage but God laughs; Genesis 12 — God’s covenant with Abraham; Exodus and 2 Chronicles — the glory filling the tabernacle and temple; Ezekiel 34-43 — the departure and return of God’s glory; Revelation 22:12 — Christ’s reward at His coming.

Outline

The Kingdom Established Forever

Introduction

Them like earth and wear. He’s talking about the nations that are constantly coming up in rebellion against us and who is to come. But here in Revelation, we don’t find that designation here in Revelation 11:15. It says, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” Verse 16, “And the 24 elders who sit on their thrones before God will fall on their faces and worship God, saying, ‘We give thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were.’” But it doesn’t say there who is to come.

Actually, what the elders give to the Lord is what we all should give to the Lord. That’s the sacrifice God wants all of us to give him, and that’s the fruit of our lips as Hebrews tells us through him.

Then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of the lips that give thanks to his name. And that’s what the elders do here in Revelation 11:17. The elders give to the Lord thanks, saying, “We give thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, but is to come is eliminated.” And why is that? Because it says in the rest of the passage, you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

This is what they’re excited about—the elders in heaven—that it is the time in the plan of God for Jesus Christ to actually take the reign and begin to rule. And he will rule. It’s the fulfillment of Psalm 29 where Christ, the anointed of God, reigns supreme over all the earth.

Revelation 11:17: “You have taken your great power and have begun to reign.”

God’s Almighty Power Unleashed

The heavenly throne becomes the earthly throne. God comes from heaven to this earth. Our truly majestic God does this by his almighty power.

Up to this point, God has restrained his power. But now he puts it into use and he demonstrates it in his eternality, in his authority, and in his ability to accomplish what he started. God has allowed his enemies to raise their heads against him, but these affairs will forever be ended.

God has taken the power permanently and will forever reign supreme. Never again will he give the power or the opportunity to come against him and his people again.

It is a time for these elders and for us to be very excited about what the Lord is going to do for you and me when it comes to the future. The temporal reign of sin and the temporal nature of life in this sinful world will be replaced by the eternal godhead, by an eternal kingdom, by eternal life in glory for the faithful children of God.

“God has taken the power permanently and will forever reign supreme.”

In Revelation 13, it speaks of the coming antichrist. Revelation 13:7 says, “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them and authority and every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” God allows that to happen.

But what happens is that in Revelation 19:20, the beast will be captured along with the false prophet and be thrown into the lake of fire. Then in Revelation 20:6, it reminds us that believers shall reign with Jesus Christ for a thousand years.

The Nations Rage Against Christ’s Reign

However, the nations are not happy when Jesus begins to reign in this world.

Remember, when he comes to reign in this world, there will still be rebellion. There will still be sinful people. There will still be people that are against him and against the people of God.

So, how do the nations of the world react to Jesus Christ taking his reign and ruling and coming to this earth? Well, they are not happy. They’re not happy about God’s majestic plan of salvation. In fact, the nations are downright angry with him.

That’s what we see in scripture in Revelation 11:18. What does it say here about the nations? It says, “And the nations were enraged that the heathens. The kings, the rulers rage against Jehovah and the anointed of God. They rage against them.”

“The nations are downright angry with God’s majestic plan of salvation.”

We read in Psalm 2, “And the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed.” So the nations, what do they do? How do they respond? Remember, this is a global event.

The whole world is involved with what’s going on here. This is not just a localized thing. The nations of the world are begrudging his coming.

See, that’s why the Lord has to rule with a rod of iron when he comes. He has to keep justice in check because the whole world will be raging against what has taken place.

The Defeat of the Nations

They never want a righteous ruler to reign on the throne. They never wanted anyone who was like Jesus to rule over them. So the anger of the nations is an act of great folly. Their wrath was inspired by the beast out of the abyss. So their wrath comes right from the pit of hell.

The nations have been raging all along. But now it’s the Lord’s day. It’s time. We see in this passage the defeat of the nations. But how does God defeat the nations? Notice what it says in verse 18.

“They never want a righteous ruler to reign on the throne.”

It says that, “And the nations were enraged and your wrath came.” In other words, God’s wrath is going to be poured out on the nations. He’s going to keep them in check. And how does he do that?

The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead

Well, if you notice also in verse 18, there’s going to be a time when God will judge the dead, those who died. In verse 18, it says, “And the nations were enraged and your wrath came and the time came for the dead to be judged.”

Now, this is a very difficult passage of scripture. Many interpretations exist, but I believe what is in view is the resurrection of the righteous dead rather than the resurrection of the wicked dead. The resurrection of the wicked dead will be after the millennium at the great white throne.

“What is in view is the resurrection of the righteous dead rather than the wicked dead.”

This refers to Old Testament saints and tribulation saints who have been slain. They will be called from their graves so that Christ might pronounce final judgment. This is the declaration of God’s righteous judgment and wrath against a defiant world.

And what does he do? The people that you persecuted, the people that you killed for the faith and for the word of God—I’m going to raise them up from the dead. And what does it say in Psalm 2? After the nations rage, this is what it says: he sits in the heavens and laughs.

Who sits in heaven and laughs? The Lord does.

God Raises Up Those Who Were Persecuted

The Lord scoffs at them because they think, “Well, you killed my servants. You’ve persecuted those prophets I sent to you. And what am I going to do? I’m going to raise them up. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to have them stand on their feet again. I’m going to have them serve me again.

“I’m going to raise them up. I’m going to have them stand on their feet again.”

This is quite an effective way to dismantle the rebellion of the nations. What God has the power to do that? There’s only one. And he’s reigning on the throne in Jerusalem.

The people that were killed for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God are now alive. That’s God’s judgments against the nations.

The Time to Reward His Saints

The judgment of God should remind us of the ultimate accountability that we all have before God. We know that the final judgment in Revelation 20 will include a final resurrection and judgment of the wicked dead at the great white throne. The time had come for God to judge the dead.

The second thing to notice in verse 18 is that the time came also to reward his saints. That’s why I’m looking at that first part of the passage as God raising the righteous dead. In verse 18, it says, let me read the whole thing.

“And the nations were enraged, and your wrath came. And the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward your bondservants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, small and great.” In verse 18, God rewards his saints, and he does this before the world.

“God rewards his saints — and he does this before the world.”

There are five designations but only really two groups: prophets and saints, both called slaves of God, and those who fear God’s name. The Lord will make no distinctions between kings and slaves. The Lord will show no favoritism in judgment and reward, even with his own.

What does it say in Revelation 22:12? “Behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done.”

Judgment at the Bema Seat

Remember the bema seat judgment for believers is not going to be on them being judged for their sin but being judged for their works. What have they done for the Lord? How have they served the Lord?

And we know in Revelation that reward will be given to the overcomers.

“The judgment for believers is not for their sin but for their works — what have they done for the Lord?”

Vindication will be given to the martyrs that was promised them. Reward will be given to the persecuted. Reward will be for those faithful in their conduct before the Lord.

So the Lord, it is time to judge.

Destroying the Destroyers

It will be his time to reward his saints. But notice also in verse 18 of chapter 11, it is time to destroy the destroyers, to destroy those who destroy the earth. And that has nothing to do with environmental things.

See, the wicked do not escape God’s judgment. The bottom line is no one gets away with anything.

If you look at Revelation 20, God opens the books. He has accurate records. He knows exactly what you’ve done and what you haven’t done. God will judge the wicked.

“No one gets away with anything. God opens the books. He has accurate records.”

First Thessalonians 1:8-9 says, “Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.”

See, it’s the workers of wickedness who are the ones who destroy the earth. They’re the ones who destroy truth and manipulate it. The Bible is saying here, they’re done. Their day is done.

Remember, the Apostle Peter says that the new heaven and earth, only righteousness will dwell there. And that’s what we’re looking forward to—a place where there’s actually true righteousness.

We see that the majesty of God is seen in his extent. It’s seen in his exaltation that he will be exalted above all kingdoms and all people and he will reign forever and ever.

The Heavenly Temple Opened

But I want you to notice next in verse 19 is the expression of his majesty. This is a very interesting one because if you notice in verse 19, the first part of that verse is that the whole sanctuary will be opened. It says, “And the temple of God which is in heaven was open.”

Now if you have any sense of biblical history, the ark of the covenant God made with Abraham and renewed with Israel was symbolized in the tabernacle with this sanctuary and its holy ark with the Old Testament covenant that God gave to his people. An agreement between each of them that God would bless you and those who bless you will be blessed and God will curse and those who curse you will be cursed and if you don’t obey me the curses that were brought on the nations will be brought on you.

But according to Hebrews 7, the Bible says that Jesus had a better covenant. So much the more as Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. And in this better covenant, God solemnly assured Israel that he would send his Son, the true Messiah.

He would come to expiate sin and he also would come to rule as the Savior King forever and ever. Now the new covenant which promises to Israel the restoration to the land of Palestine promises them the reunion of the tribes, the remission of sins, and the regeneration of the heart that God will give a new heart to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

And remember the Jews are now in the land in this part of the theology of scripture and they are unsaved in the land. But in the middle of the tribulation, they will begin to get persecuted and the beast will come against them and the false prophet and they will be put to death because they start turning and believing in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

“Jesus had a better covenant — and in this covenant God promised to send his Son, the true Messiah.”

Access to God’s Presence Without a Veil

Now, if you notice in Revelation 11:19, there is no veil between the holy place and the holy of holies in the temple, in the tabernacle. There’s no veil separating the people from the holy of holies or from the presence of God.

In other words, it’s open so people have access to God’s glory, to his presence. And remember this: the veil in the temple was rent when Christ died on the cross, giving people access to God through Jesus Christ.

“The veil in the temple was rent when Christ died, giving people access to God through Jesus Christ.”

The Ark of the Covenant Revealed

You can’t go to the Father in heaven unless you come to Jesus Christ the Son because of the redemptive work of the Lamb. Access to the ark of the covenant is no longer restricted to only the priest as the kingdom of priests. As Peter describes the church and the people of God as the kingdom of priests, they are redeemed by the Lamb. All believers may enjoy the fullness of God’s presence and his covenant promises. It’s open to everyone.

That is very unusual in the sense that it’s always been closed and now it is opened. And it’s open for a very specific reason.

Now notice in verse 19, it says, “And the ark of his covenant appeared in his people that the ark can be seen.” Before, the ark was only for the eyes of the priests one time a year. The ark also gave significance that the glory of God was amongst the people.

Why can the ark be seen here? It is because the whole covenant of God is now being fulfilled. The final consummation of the everlasting kingdom has arrived. There’s no more time; history is brought to a climax. The mystery of God’s people, the whole plan of salvation, has been executed and now completed. The kingdom of the world has become the Lord’s and his Christ. The last judgment is held.

But I believe one of the significant things where someone could see the ark is that the glory of God is going to be on full display. That is very significant. It was Moses when he began to get to know God. What was his question? “Lord, let me see your glory.” The Lord couldn’t show him his full glory or he would be consumed. But he hid him in the cleft of the rock, and he came and saw his back parts and some of the glory of God.

But I believe that this brings us into another understanding of theology.

“The final consummation of the everlasting kingdom has arrived — the glory of God is on full display.”

Where does redemptive history actually go?

Redemptive History Begins with Abraham

And I think we must go and think about Genesis 12 to start to understand where redemptive history is heading and why most of the prophets spoke the way they did. By the time we get to chapter 12 of Genesis, man with all his plans has been blown up. The Lord steps up to the plate with scripture and begins to tell us what God will do.

What does he say in Genesis to the people back then? The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you, and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing, and I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.”

Here’s a record of what God will do. God will start this operation with one man named Abram. We know his name was changed to Abraham because God would make him a great nation. But for God to make him a great nation, he had to give him a son.

His son was born to him and Sarah at a very old age, way beyond the ability of a woman to give birth. But God gave him the promised child, Isaac.

Genesis 12:2: “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great.”

God’s Nation and God’s Land

But what is the definition of a nation?

It’s a body of people occupying a particular land under a common form of government. God brought the people of Israel into the land of promise under the government of kings. God would bless the world through this nation, the children of Abraham.

But where did Israel get her land from? My friend, it is the only piece of real estate that was deeded by God himself to a people. And where did Israel get her laws from? The laws were given by the living God to his people.

What form of government did they have? They had a theocracy—the rule of God ruling through a man of his own choice. God is doing this through the king. The spotlight is on the king, and God limits himself through the king. If anything happens to the king, he limits himself.

What kind of religion did Israel have? They had a monotheistic religion revealed by God to the people. God said, “Build me a house. Build me a tabernacle in the wilderness. For what reason? That the glory of the Lord may fill that place.

“It is the only piece of real estate that was deeded by God himself to a people.”

And that I may give you a sense that I am with you by the pillar of cloud in the day and the pillar of fire by the night.

The Glory Fills the Tabernacle

That became the significant part that Moses set up and prepared a tabernacle for the Lord, leading directly to his habitation there in the form of the cloud of glory, which had the fire by night. God is present and ruling amongst his people where it tells us in Exodus that Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

See, that was the beginning there. That was the beginning where God is saying to his people, “I’m going to be with you. I’m going to be present with you. And how are you going to know that? You’re going to see my glory. That’s how you’re going to know it.”

And then time went by and the tabernacle was made into a beautiful temple made by Solomon.

“God said to his people: I’m going to be with you, I’m going to be present with you — and you’re going to see my glory.”

The Glory Fills Solomon’s Temple

And when Solomon built the temple and it was finished, the Bible says this. When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifice, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests couldn’t even enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house.

“Fire came down from heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the house.”

All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down to the pavement with their faces and worshiped God. They knew this was the God who created the heaven and the earth. They knew this was the God who spoke through Abraham.

They knew this was the God who was defending them and did defend them throughout the wilderness. He kept their sandals from wearing out and fed them every single day with manna from heaven and protected them from their enemies.

They knew that when this temple was built, and then time went on, another temple was built.

The Glory Departs

But what happened between Solomon’s temple and this other temple that was built, the third temple? What happened there? Well, the Babylonians came. They came to the temple of God in which God dwelt and destroyed it.

And you remember what happened? If anyone went into the house of God, they would be killed. They had to go through the priests to get to the ark of the covenant. But the Babylonians, because of the disobedience of God’s people, were able to go into Jerusalem and to destroy the temple of God. And it’s because of this.

They captured the ark of the covenant, but they didn’t die. Why didn’t they die? Because of this, God who lived among the people was no longer there. He left. The glory of the Lord departed. The glory was gone.

This is a very significant time in Israel. When the Babylonians came, God departed from his people. The house of God was destroyed in Jerusalem. And after this, there is no place where men can be saved. Salvation’s over. God left his people. The temple is destroyed.

Some of the holy vessels of the temple were given over to the hands of the Babylonians. And this nation is over. The blessings that were supposed to go to his people, now they’re receiving the curses because they disobeyed God. And that’s what God said all along.

After 70 years, they rebuilt the altar because the people knew that it is there where men met with God to be saved, to be forgiven, and to offer sacrifices.

“God who lived among the people was no longer there. He left. The glory of the Lord departed.”

But if you read Ezra 1-6, you will not read that the glory of the Lord filled that temple. What was restored after the Assyrian crisis was not restored after the Babylonian crisis. Did all the people come back from captivity? No. Was the theocracy restored? Was God’s glory present? No. There was no glory present in that temple.

In other words, the hope of Israel that the Messiah would return, that the glory would come again was not there. It was not there.

The Hope of the Glory Returning

And that’s what Ezekiel brings up in his prophecy. What does he say in the first part? Ezekiel is in two parts.

The first part is that the glory of the Lord has departed. It’s kabad. God’s no longer there anymore.

But then the second part of Ezekiel, chapter 34 to chapter 43, deals with the message of hope that the glory of the Lord returns. Even the temple that was operative when Jesus came, the glory of the Lord was not there in that temple.

“Ezekiel’s message of hope: the glory of the Lord returns.”

The Glory Returns Through Christ

The ark of the covenant was there, but the glory of the Lord was not there. Who was the glory of the Lord? Jesus was the disciple says we beheld your glory, the glory as the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. Jesus was the glory, but he came as the suffering servant first.

See why is that all significant?

Because there is coming a day when God will be your God and David will be your servant. That means there will be a theocracy again where Jesus in the line of David will sit on the throne in Jerusalem and the glory will return.

That’s what’s happening in verse number 19: that everything is open. People have access to God. The ark can now be seen. There’s no veil separating man from God. And that is the goal of everything.

That’s why when you get to the end of Revelation, what do you see? You see the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. There’s no separation between God and man. And it says there, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” See, that’s God’s goal. Amen.

“There’s no veil separating man from God — and that is the goal of everything.”

The glory returns.

God’s Omnipotent Power on Display

That is the hope that we have: God is in control and the kingdoms of the world are under his control and his direction. They always have been and they always will be.

Now, if you look at the last part of verse 19 of Revelation, we see the omnipotent power of God in action. In Revelation 19:19, it says this: “And the temple of God which is in heaven was open and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hail storm.”

Now what is that saying? That’s describing, I believe, from even the beginning of Revelation. What’s happening is that God is a God of power. He is a God of action.

This action is displayed in both his mercy and his grace, his judgment in which he is faithful to send both out in their proper order and in their proper time.

“God is faithful to send both mercy and judgment in their proper order and proper time.”

Salvation from God’s Wrath

And that’s what God will do. Maybe that’s one way to end this summation of the rest of the book because in chapter 12, verse 1, he gets into it—the judgment of God falls. So brethren, when we think of those things, and a lot of that has to do with history, how would anybody avoid this period in the world’s future?

Well, through receiving Jesus Christ as savior and lord and by asking him to save them from his wrath and condemnation and forgive their sin.

That’s how we all avoid the wrath of God. In fact, if somebody asked you, “What are you saved from?” the correct answer would be this.

I’m saved from God’s wrath because Jesus took the wrath of God for me. He was my substitute. He died in my place. He satisfied the righteousness of God. He shed his blood unto death to give me eternal life and forgive my sin. He rose from the dead, showing that the offering was accepted. He ascended into heaven. And even now, he is praying for the church.

“I’m saved from God’s wrath because Jesus took the wrath of God for me. He was my substitute.”

He’s praying for his people and he’s preparing a place for us that where he is we may be also. See, that’s the promise that he gives us. So prophecy is always beneficial to benefit us as his people and as we grow in our faith, knowing that these things that are written here will come true.

They are not a fairy tale. They’re not just a story. They are true. And if you are a believer here today, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that you are living for him and serving him, then these things will boost your faith and make you stronger in the Lord.

But if you’re not, these things should cause great fear in your soul because the judgments of God will come and no one will get away with anything.

So I pray today that the sense of the majesty of God would be upon our hearts as we celebrate this Mother’s Day and the mothers that the Lord has given us and praise him for his goodness to us. Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer

Thank you, Lord, that your eternal purpose to overthrow evil and restore men and women to live in the blessing of your presence will be accomplished through Jesus Christ. Help us to live in the confident expectation of the day when you will return, Lord. And if the rapture comes forth, we’ll come with you.

But I pray, Lord, that we would know and give hope for the awesome glory of your presence to be a reality to us someday. Lord, now we in some way look and see through a veil, but we’ll see clearly who you are as we see you face to face.

So, thank you, Lord, for the word of God. Continue to use it, Lord, to strengthen our souls. Use it to rebuke us of sin. Use it to make us more aware of truth and the deceptions that are coming.

And Lord, make us strong as soldiers of Jesus Christ. That, Lord, whatever is thrown at us, we’ll be able to handle it. We’ll be able to stand not in the power of our strength, but in your power. So thank you, Lord.

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