“The Kingdoms of this World Have Become His” (Ready to Worship S13E9)

This season on Ready to Worship we are examining what John saw and said about worship in the book of Revelation. This week we are going to focus on another occasion when the twenty-four elders worshipped God. We read, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Rev. 11:15-18). I want us to zoom in on the sentence: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

As you recall, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship him. Luke records, “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours” (Lk. 4:5-7). Jesus refused saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Lk. 4:8). Individuals differ on whether or not the devil could have delivered on his promise to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world. It seems reasonable that there would have been little to no temptation if he could not have done so. Was he lying? We know without a doubt that he is a liar (John 8:44), so that is certainly possible. What we know for sure is that all would have been lost the moment that Jesus took a knee. The kingdoms of the world would have been Satan’s forever. Whatever reign Jesus would have had if he had worshipped Satan, if He had any at all, would have been temporary. By not sinning (bowing to Satan), Jesus received all the kingdoms of the world from God. He was given all authority (Mt. 28:18). This seems to suggest that all along these kingdoms were God’s, and not Satan’s, to give. Perhaps, they were temporarily Satan’s to give, but Jesus, by His sinless life and submissive death, spoiled Satan, wresting them away from him (Col. 2:15). Whatever the case, they are Jesus’ now; and, they are not His temporarily, but forever. He is reigning (1 Cor. 15:24-26). Now, that’s a cause for worship!

 

As we get ready to worship this week, let’s remember the One who rules over all the kingdoms of the world and whose reign is forever. Like Him, let’s submit ourselves to God and resist the devil (Jam. 4:7-8).