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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Revelation 11:17 - 11:17
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev_11:17-18
17"We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18"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 bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
Rev_11:17-18 This prayer of praise is written in poetic form in the NKJV, NRSV, and TEV and in prose form in NASB and NJB. These outbursts of prayer and praise are often the best interpreters of the preceding visions (along with the songs and angelic interpretations).
Rev_11:17 "O Lord God, the Almighty" This refers to the three major OT titles for God.
1. YHWH, the covenant God as Savior (cf. Exo_3:14; Psalms 103)
2. Elohim, the Creator God as provider and sustainer (cf. Gen_1:1; Psalms 104)
3. El Shaddai (cf. Rev_1:8), the strong or compassionate God which was the Patriarchal name for deity (cf. Exo_6:3)
See hyperlink at Rev_1:8.
NASB "who art and who wast"
NKJV "The One who is and who was and who is to come"
NRSV "who are and who were"
TEV "the one who is and who was"
NJB "He who is, He who was"
Notice that the future aspect of this common description of God (except for some sixteenth century late minuscule Greek manuscripts) is left out because God has begun to reign. The last of these three chronological aspects will never be mentioned again in the book of the Revelation. The Kingdom has come (cf. Rev_11:15-16)! This gives evidence that the recapitulation theory of the parallel relationship between the seals, trumpets, and bowls is true!
NASB "because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign"
NKJV "Because You have taken Your great power and reigned"
NRSV "for you have taken your great power and begun to reign"
TEV "that you have taken your great power and have begun to rule"
NJB "For assuming your great power and beginning your reign"
This is perfect active indicative followed by an aorist active indicative. The power has always been His, but His reign has now begun (ingressive aorist).
Rev_11:18 "the nations were enraged" This is an allusion to Psalms 2; Psa_46:6; and Ezekiel 38-39 (and possibly the apocalyptic introduction to Esther in the Septuagint). This anger of the nations can be viewed in two ways.
1. the fallen world system hates God and His plans and His rule and His people
2. there will be an end-time rebellion against God characterized by a battle (Armageddon, cf. Revelation 20)
▣ "Your wrath came" This may be an allusion to Psalms 2 or Psa_110:5-6. This is the Greek term orgç. See full note at Rev_7:14.
▣ "the time came" The Day of the Lord is a day of judgment for some and reward for others. These twin aspects can be seen in Mat_25:31-46 and Rev_20:11-15. All humans (the small and the great) will one day stand before God and give an account of their lives (cf. Gal_6:7; 2Co_5:10).
hyperlink
▣ "the time came for the dead to be judged" The end-time judgment of God is discussed in Matthew 25 and Revelation 20. This phrase confirms the interpretation of Revelation in seven acts (scenes) where the end of time occurs after each unit (especially clear in the seals, trumpets and bowls).
▣ "your bond-servants the prophets" This exact phrase appears in Rev_10:7. John identifies himself as a prophet and his book as a prophecy, therefore, this term is used often in the book of the Revelation. It can almost be said that this term takes the place of the title "apostle" (cf. Rev_10:7; Rev_11:10; Rev_11:18; Rev_16:6; Rev_18:20; Rev_18:24; Rev_22:6; Rev_22:9). See Special Topic: NT Prophecy at Rev_16:6.
▣ "saints" The term "saints" referred to the believers' position in Christ, not their sinlessness. It should also describe their progressive Christlikeness. The term was always plural except in Php_4:21. However, even in this context it was corporate. To be a Christian is to be part of a community, a family, a body. See hyperlink at Rev_5:8. This designation surely represents the NT people of God, the church.
▣ "the small and the great" There seem to be only two groups mentioned in this verse, prophets and saints. This phrase "small and great" is found in Rev_19:5. It was a favorite expression in John's Gospel (cf. Rev_13:16; Rev_19:5; Rev_19:18; Rev_20:12; Rev_19:5 is an allusion to Psa_115:13, which included all of a given group).
▣ "to destroy those who destroy the earth" This characterization of fallen humanity reflects Genesis 3 and Rom_8:18-22. Evil humans allow greed and self to use, abuse, and misuse God's physical creation.
This could be interpreted as evil mankind that forces God to bring judgment on the earth (the flood, Genesis 6-9; the plagues of Egypt, Exodus 7-12; the covenant curses, Deuteronomy 27-28; or the earth destroyed by fire, 2Pe_3:10). In Revelation, the seals destroy 1/4, the trumpets 1/3, and the bowls total physical destruction of the earth.