God reigns. He reigns over the whole world. He will reign forever and ever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When G.F. Handel first set these words to music in the “Hallelujah Chorus,” King George II of Great Britain stood up, acknowledging he was in the presence of a greater Majesty. This is what the angels and the elders acknowledge in today’s passage. And in today’s world of political infighting and instability, these words have perhaps never been more welcome.

But why is God’s world-wide, eternal reign such good news? We find the first reason in verse 17 – because of Who God Is. As the elders say, He is and He was. God is the self-existent One, the One on Whom the existence of everyone and everything else rests. Blowhard politicians bluster and brag, but rarely deliver on their promises. Even the mightiest of warlords – Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Henry V, live for only a few years, and all too often their empires die with them. But God reigns forever. He is a King on Whom we can always count.

And we can always depend on Him to do the right thing. It doesn’t matter what opinions may be popular today. And it doesn’t matter how much force human rulers use to try to impose their will on people. Eventually, God will judge everyone, and God will reward those who remain loyal to Him, those who believe and act on what He says is right and true and good. No matter how powerful they may seem to be, those who take advantage of their authority to abuse His people and His creation will eventually get what they deserve.

So let us rejoice and give thanks. For we have an almighty, everlasting King. And He will bring justice to His creation, in His way, and in His time.

Revelation 11:15-19 (NAS)

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose 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.”
16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying, “We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign.
18 “And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; 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 hailstorm.