Praise the King

I read the word of God from Revelation chapter 11, verses 15 through 19. And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders who sat before God on their thrones fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art and wast and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned, and the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name small and great, and shouldst destroy them who destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake at great hail. Indeed, he shall reign forever and ever.

The experiences that we have here on earth, that we know we are going to have up in heaven, is the experience of thanksgiving. There will be no complaining in heaven. Now, this may silence some of the saints for a while, but ultimately they're going to have to get accustomed to the fact that if you're going to live in heaven, you're going to live in thanksgiving.

It'll be no problem in everything to give thanks. Of course, that's the will of the Lord for us right here and now, and perhaps some of us had better start practicing getting ready for heaven. I wonder how much of a change is going to have to take place in some of our attitudes for us really to rejoice when we get to the Savior's throne.

We read in Revelation 11 that the hosts of heaven give thanks. Thanksgiving is the normal expression of the praises of the hosts of heaven, and it certainly ought to be normal in our lives as well. I think that you and I might learn something from this wonderful thanksgiving section here in Revelation 11, beginning at verse 15.

The Apostle John has been listening to the great praises of heaven. Back in chapter 4, he heard them praising the Creator. For thou didst make all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and they were created.

In chapter 5, the Apostle John heard that magnificent praising of the Lamb, worthy as the Lamb that was slain. And now here in chapter 11, John is privileged, and we with him, to hear the praises of the hosts of heaven, praising not the Creator, not the Redeemer, but the King. We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, because thou hast taken to thyself thy great power, and thou hast begun to reign.

And the name they give to him in verse 15, Our Lord, his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. As I read this section and try to hear the hosts of heaven as they are praising God, I ask myself the question, why? Why are they thanking him? What are the blessings that they see that motivate them to praise God? And I think there are at least four of them. And perhaps if you and I considered these four wonderful blessings, it might stir us and excite us to praise the Lord and to give him thanksgiving.

The first blessing that motivates them to praise the Lord and thank him is in verse 15 and verse 17. The blessing that Jesus Christ reigns supremely. Jesus Christ reigns supremely.

The kingdom, not plural, singular, the kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Thou hast taken to thyself thy great power, and thou hast begun to reign. They are praising God for the blessing that Jesus Christ reigns supremely.

Now, we who call ourselves evangelical Christians don't say a good deal about the kingship of Jesus Christ. And many people have the idea that his kingship is future. We talk about the prophet, the priest, and the king.

When he was here on earth, he was the prophet. He spoke the word of God, and as the living word of God, he died for us. Today in heaven, he's the priest interceding for us.

And one day, he's going to come as the king. Now, generally speaking, this is true. But when you get into the word of God on a little deeper level, you discover something very interesting, that Jesus Christ is still speaking to his church from his word by his spirit.

He's still the prophet. Jesus Christ is the priest, no question about that. And Jesus Christ today is the king.

Now, there are those who interpret the book of Revelation as applying to us now. They say that all of this applies to us today, and Jesus Christ is today on his throne, reigning supremely. Now, Jesus Christ is on a throne today.

He tells us back in chapter 3 and verse 21 that he has sat down upon his father's throne, and he even offers that to us. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, that's future, even as I also overcame and am sat down with my father in his throne. So, Jesus Christ is a king today.

He doesn't have to wait until he returns to earth. He doesn't have to wait to sit upon David's throne in Jerusalem. He doesn't have to wait until the battle of Armageddon.

Jesus Christ is king today. Now, the passage we read in Revelation refers to the future, but that doesn't deny the fact that Jesus Christ today is on his father's throne and that he is reigning. In fact, 1 Corinthians 15 says, for he must reign until he puts all of his enemies under his feet.

We read in Ephesians chapter 1, verses 20 through 23, how that he has ascended far above all principalities and powers, and every name that is named, and that he has all authority and all power, and he is on the throne of his glory, sharing it with his father. So, Jesus Christ reigns supremely. He's reigning today.

He's not just sitting waiting for a chance to reign. When he returned to glory on that ascension day, he was met at the throne of glory. Praise and honor were granted to him.

The saints in glory, the angels in glory, recognize that he is king of kings and Lord of lords. Now, those of us who interpret the book of the Revelation from a premillennial point of view, and we apply this to future events, we discover that this scene we read about in chapter 11 takes place about the middle of the tribulation period, just about the time when the Antichrist and his unholy trinity are going to establish themselves in the temple in Jerusalem, just about the time when all of mankind is going to be crushed economically, emotionally, physically, spiritually, by this horrible, hellish, satanic rule. Just about that time, the hosts of heaven are saying, He, Jesus, is king of kings and Lord of lords.

You know what that says to me? That says to me that no matter what men are doing on earth, Jesus is king. No matter what Satan may be doing in all of his hellish maneuvers, Jesus is king. No matter if the saints of God seem to be on the losing side, Jesus is king.

But please don't wait until a future kingdom to let Jesus Christ be your king. The more He is our king, the more we have to thank Him. The less He is our king, the less we have to thank Him.

For the more He is our king, the more He works in us and through us and for us, the less He is our king, the greater we lose. And so don't wait until some future date to crown Him king of kings and Lord of lords. Crown Him now.

Jesus Christ reigns supremely. He's reigning now. Now, obviously, He's not reigning now as He will when He comes to this earth.

He reigns now spiritually. Through His Holy Spirit, by His word, He reigns in the lives of His people as we let Him. When He returns to this earth, He's going to reign with a rod of iron.

When He speaks, it won't be the word of grace. It will be that sharp sword of judgment that comes out of His mouth. When Jesus Christ comes to reign on this earth, there will be total justice and righteousness.

Today we don't have that. There's sin. Satan seems to be ruling things.

He is the prince of this world and the god of this age. But Jesus Christ is on the throne today, and He wants to reign in you and through you and in this church and through this church, and He wants us to bow before Him and call Him king of kings and Lord of lords. He's a wonderful king.

I read in the book of Hebrews that He is a king and a priest. He is Melchizedek, king of righteousness. When He reigns over your life, there's righteousness.

Someone listening to me right now has to confess I'm having an awful time with some sin. I don't know what the sin is. It's none of my business, but you know what it is.

Someone here is fighting a tremendous battle against some particular sin, and Jesus Christ says, I'm the king of righteousness. If you'll receive me as your Savior and let me reign in your life through my word, by my Spirit, as your King, your Lord, we can get victory over that sin. He won't do it instead of you.

He will do it with you. Romans 5, 17, Paul says we reign in life through Jesus Christ. We Christians have been made a kingdom of priests just as He is the priest king.

So we are a kingdom of priests. And as Jesus Christ rules in our lives, He gives victory. He's the king of righteousness.

He's also the king of peace. There's no peace without righteousness because the effect of righteousness is peace. There is no peace, saith my Lord, to the wicked.

And when there is righteousness, then there is peace. He is first of all the king of righteousness, and by His death on the cross, He brought about righteousness. Now He's the king of peace.

That righteousness comes into our lives and gives us peace. It's a marvelous thing to have peace. I'm talking with someone right now who doesn't have peace.

And you've tried pills, and you've tried bottles, and you've tried all sorts of things, and you don't have any peace. Occasionally you get some sleep, but you don't have any peace. And I say to you, you've got to find a king who will give you peace.

And Jesus Christ is that king of kings. He's the king of peace. And He does give peace.

Why? The night just before He was going to be arrested and bullied and beaten and crucified, He says to His timid, frightened, shaking disciples, My peace I give unto you. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine these men looking at Him? And they say, but Lord, peace. How can you have any peace? You're going to go out to be crucified.

I have perfect peace. I'm doing my Father's will. And my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Peace I leave with you. That's a wonderful thing to have a king of peace.

There are kings in this world today, there are rulers in this world today whose only aim is war. And yet Jesus Christ comes to you and says, I bring you peace. No wonder heaven gives thanks.

The blessing that Jesus Christ reigns supremely, and because He reigns, we can have righteousness and peace. But there's a second blessing that brings thanksgiving to the lips of the souls in heaven. Not only the blessing that Jesus Christ reigns supremely, but the blessing that Jesus Christ judges righteously.

Have you ever given thanks for God's judgment? Most people don't. There are many people who say, we're thankful Father for salvation, and rightly so. We're thankful for the money and the material things you give us, and rightly so.

Thank you for health and strength, rightly so. Thank you for a Bible, thank you for the church. Have you ever bowed your head, or even lifted your eyes and said, Oh God I give thanks because you judge righteously.

Most people don't want to talk about judgment, but they do up in heaven. We give thee thanks, Oh Lord God Almighty. What a name.

Not just God, Lord God. Not just Lord God, Lord God Almighty. The one who has all power and all authority.

Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast begun to reign. What does that mean? God, during this present day, has delegated power and authority. And he's taken his hands off.

He's given power and authority to men. He's put the sword in the hands of government. And he said, alright, here's human government, obey my word and govern righteously, and men don't do it.

He has given a certain amount of delegated authority and power to Satan. Why? When Jesus was here on earth, Satan said to him, Look. And Jesus looked.

And he saw all of the kingdoms and the nations of the world. He saw all of these great things. And Satan said, I will give all of this power and authority to you because it's been given to me if you'll bow down and worship me.

And Jesus said, No. I'm not going to get my kingdom from the devil. I'm going to get my kingdom from my Father.

I'm not going to get it by bowing down. I'm going to get it by dying on the cross. And so God has given to men delegated authority and power.

God has given to Satan delegated authority and power. And today, for the most part, men and Satan are working together against God. Instead of saying, Oh, God, you have given us this authority and this power.

Oh, Lord, help us. We're just mere men. Help us to govern as we should govern.

No. People don't do this. Oh, they pay token respects to God in the courtroom and in the chambers of government, but it's just token respect.

And the hosts of heaven say, We give thanks because there's going to come a day when you're going to take your authority and power, you're going to step into the affairs of history, you're going to work, you're going to speak, you're going to judge. We give thanks for the blessing that Jesus Christ judges righteously. When you read the book of Revelation, the first thing you meet, seven seals.

Jesus Christ takes a scroll and as He opens the scroll and breaks the seven seals, things happen on earth. The seventh seal introduces seven trumpets. To the Jew, the trumpet was very important.

Back in Numbers chapter 10, the trumpet was used for assembling, announcing, and attacking. One day we're going to hear the sound of the trumpet for the assembling. He's going to call us home.

The voice of the archangel, the trump of God. The trumpets here are not trumpets of assembling or trumpets of announcing. God is through announcing.

They are trumpets of attacking. God declares war. In fact, it says back in chapter 10 of the book of Revelation that in the days when the seventh trumpet sounds, all of these things are going to happen.

You see, what he lists here in verse 18 is really a table of contents for the book of Revelation. All these things didn't happen at once. The sounding of the trumpet.

And God says, in the days of the sounding of that trumpet, this period of time, I'm going to wrap everything up. I'm going to receive and take my power and authority. Satan will be cast out of heaven.

And there's going to come judgment. God is not judging the world today. Sin is judging the world.

People are reaping what they sow. I've talked with people in hospitals, lying there in pain, reaping what they've sown and blaming God. God didn't do it.

Sin did it. Men today are not being judged by God. God is not sending lightning bolts down and striking people dead.

But there's going to come a day when the trumpet of alarm is going to sound and God will judge. Now, whom is He going to judge? The nations were angry. He's going to judge the nations.

That's Psalm 2. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing, the kings of the earth and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ, saying, let us break His bands asunder from us. The nations get angry. Now, why do the nations get angry? They don't want God to interfere.

The nations have never wanted God to interfere. Take the nation of Israel. If any nation should have wanted God to rule and to reign, it was Israel.

One day they came to Samuel and they said, make us a king. Make us a king to rule over us like the other nations. And Samuel said, God is your king.

They said, no, we want a king that we can see. And Samuel wept. And God said to him, Samuel, they aren't rejecting you, they're rejecting me.

Back there, they rejected God the Father. We don't want Him to be king. His Son came down to this earth.

He stood before the nation of Israel. You know what they said about Jesus? We will not have this man to reign over us. They rejected God the Son.

The Holy Spirit came down and did mighty things. The nation said, we'll not have this. They stoned Stephen and scattered the church and persecuted the believers.

The nations of the world have rejected God the Father. They've rejected God the Son. They've rejected God the Holy Spirit.

And they're angry. They're angry because God interferes. He's going to judge the nations.

He won't ask the United Nations for any counsel. He'll not go to Geneva. He's going to judge the nations of the earth.

I read also in verse 18, He's going to judge the dead. He's talking here about unbelievers. I was discussing this with my Sunday school class this morning.

I suppose there is no more solemn paragraph in all of Scripture than Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 to 15. And I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it from whose face the heavens and the earth fled away. And there was found no part, no place for them.

And I saw the dead, the spiritually dead, the unbelievers. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened.

And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. Some folks have the idea that this white throne judgment is a chance for people to get saved.

God has a scale and He balances our good works against our bad works. And if we have more good works than bad works, we'll get in. No.

No. Verse 15, And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. How do you get your name in the book of life? By trusting Christ as your Savior.

The dead are going to be judged. If you hear my voice right now and you've never trusted Christ, your name is not in the book of life. No matter how many works you may do, it'll never get you into heaven.

You see, the great white throne judgment is not a trial. It's a judgment. There's a judge but no jury.

There's a prosecution but no defense. There is a sentence but no appeal. God is not determining whether or not the dead, the spiritually dead, are going to get into heaven.

He knows they aren't. They know they aren't. He's determining their degrees of punishment according to their works.

Oh, my friend, if you've never trusted Christ, I warn you, He judges righteously. He will judge the nations and He will judge the dead. And there's an interesting statement added here.

He's going to judge them who destroy the earth. I won't go into that. But those who have been exploiting God's creation, those who have been polluting and exploiting God's creation are facing judgment.

We give thanks because Jesus Christ reigns supremely. We give thanks because Jesus Christ judges righteously. And we give thanks because Jesus Christ rewards graciously.

He is going to reward His servants. We sing that in one of our gospel songs. When Jesus comes to reward His servants, whether it be noon or night, my dear friend, there's going to be a reward.

Many Christians live as though Jesus never died and as though He's never coming again. I'm saved and going to heaven, so what? Oh, dear friend, He's going to judge our works. One of the last things Jesus says in the book of Revelation, chapter 22, verse 12, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to every man according to his works.

Our Lord's not going to come empty-handed, but some of us may stand before Him empty-handed. It's a serious thing to be a Christian. It's a serious thing to know that Christ is your Savior because we have the responsibility, yea, the privilege, yea, the blessed obligation of sharing Him with others.

It's a serious thing to have money. You'll answer someday for the way you spent it, invested it, or wasted it. It's a serious thing to have time or talent or strength.

Heaven gives thanks because Jesus Christ rewards graciously. He's going to reward His saints, His servants, the prophets, how they suffered. They put Isaiah on a couple of sawhorses and sawed him in half.

They threw Jeremiah down into a well, and it was just like quicksand. He was being swallowed up had the providence of God not rescued him. Daniel was thrown into a lion's den.

Paul was thrown into prison. James had his head cut off. Oh, how the servants of God have suffered, but one day they're going to be rewarded.

The suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that's going to be revealed. Be faithful. Heaven is praising Him because He rewards graciously.

I don't know about you, but I know about myself. One of the things that keeps throbbing away in my mind and my heart is am I being faithful to the Lord? I recall during those depression days when money was scarce and we used to go to birthday parties without a present. Couldn't afford to buy one.

How embarrassed I felt. I wonder how embarrassed I'm going to feel if I should stand before Jesus Christ and have nothing to offer Him. My little children abide in Him that when He shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Ashamed of our bank book. Ashamed of our check book. Ashamed of our date book.

Ashamed of the way we use time and talent and treasure. Heaven gives praise because Jesus Christ rewards faithfully and graciously. And my friend, if you're faithfully serving Him and men don't appreciate it, you just keep on serving Him.

If no one knows about your praying or your giving or your doing, don't worry about it. He knows. Just keep being faithful.

Which leads us to our final blessing that elicits the praise and thanksgiving of heaven. Heaven thanks God because Christ reigns supremely. Heaven thanks God because Christ judges righteously.

Heaven thanks God because Christ rewards graciously. And heaven thanks God because Christ works and acts faithfully. The last thing in this section, the temple of God is open and there's the ark of His covenant.

You know what the ark of the covenant meant? God is faithful. God dwelt with His people. That ark was a little box, a little cedar box.

And in that ark were the tables of the law. And they carried that ark with them wherever they went. It's called the ark of the covenant of God.

And as long as they had that ark, God would keep His covenant. God's about to send a storm down upon heaven, from heaven upon earth. There's lightning and thundering and earthquake.

But before the storm comes, God says, look! And He parts the veil of the temple in heaven. And there's the ark. You know what He's saying? No matter what may happen, I will be faithful.

I'll keep My promises. I'll fulfill My covenant. I'm sure that the saints of God look up to heaven and say, oh God, are You there? Oh God, do You know what we're going through? And God says, I know.

I'm going to be faithful. And all of heaven praises God because His ark is there, symbolic of His faithfulness. I'm going to keep My covenant.

The storms may come. Trials may come. Difficulties may come.

But I'm going to be faithful to You. That's a good word for us today. I don't know what we're facing as individuals or as a church.

Someone may go home from this service and get a telegram or a phone call. And all of a sudden, all of life falls to pieces. And Satan will come and say to you, uh-huh, you faithfully went to church.

You worshiped God. And this is what he does to you. And God says, wait a minute.

When that storm cuts loose, when you hear the thundering, when you feel the earthquake, when there's lightning, just remember, My covenant still stands. I am faithful. I will not deny Myself.

That's worth thanking God for. By the way, my friends, have you lately given God thanks because Jesus Christ acts and works faithfully? He is faithful. Dear Jeremiah, standing looking at Jerusalem wrecked.

Corpses lying in the streets. Little children weeping and crying for mother and father. And there stands Jeremiah weeping and asking God for more tears that he might be able to weep even more.

You know what he says? Oh God, it's of Your mercies that we're not consumed. Great is Thy faithfulness. Is God faithful to you in the surgery room? Yes.

Is God faithful to you in the recovery room? Yes. Is God faithful to you when you have to go out to the cemetery and lay someone to rest? Yes. Is God faithful when everything you've planned on disappears? Yes.

God's faithful. We ought to praise Him for that. There are some people here today who cannot join in this hymn of thanksgiving and praise.

You can't say praise Jesus Christ because He reigns supremely. He's not reigning in your life. He's not your Savior, your Lord, your King.

There are some who cannot say praise Jesus Christ because He judges righteously. Friend, He'll judge you. You've never been saved.

For those of us who are saved, there is therefore now no condemnation. You believe on Him. He'll never face judgment.

But how can you say thanks be to God that Jesus Christ judges righteously if you yourself have never been saved? Someone says praise the Lord that Christ rewards graciously, but you've not been faithful. How can you say it? Praise the Lord that He acts faithfully and keeps His promise, but we've not been faithful. Oh, our thanksgiving ought to be the kind of thanksgiving that comes from heaven.

Let's lift our thanksgiving to a higher plane. Let's praise the Lord. Let's give thanks that Jesus Christ is on the throne and He reigns supremely and He judges righteously.

Let's give thanks that Jesus Christ rewards graciously. Let's give thanks that Jesus Christ works and acts faithfully. He'll never deny His promises.

Oh, we have so much to thank Him for. And let's not wait until we get to glory to do it. Let's do it now.

For those of you who have no praise and thanksgiving on your lips, I invite you to come and give your heart to Christ. Trust Him as your Savior. One day you'll be able to join with that great heavenly host and we'll sing that marvelous Hallelujah Chorus.

The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. Thou hast taken to thyself thy great power, and thou hast begun to reign. Oh, that He might be the King of our lives and that our lives and our lips might bring praise to Him.

Gracious Father, our hearts are overwhelmed if we even attempt to imitate the praises of heaven apart from the Spirit of God. Lord, we would not be empty echoes of something that we read in the Word. Lord, we want that the Spirit of God shall write this upon our hearts, that we today might honestly, sincerely be able to give thanks that Jesus Christ is King.

Rejoice the Lord is King. Father, encourage some saddened heart today that Jesus Christ is King and He will judge sin, and He will reward faithfulness, and He will keep His promises. Encourage some heart.

And Father, I pray, convict some heart. Oh, those here without the Savior, that they might come to trust Him. Do it, Father.

Do it for Your name's sake. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.