Revelation 11:17 Meaning and Explanation
“Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The seventh trumpet has sounded, and heaven announces that the kingdoms of this world belong to the Lord and his Christ. The elders answer with worship rather than speculation. Their thanksgiving teaches us to see God's reign as the ground of reverence, hope, judgment, and the promised reward of his servants.
Revelation 11:17 is the elders' thankful worship of the Lord God Almighty, celebrating his enduring being and his open exercise of great power in reigning.
The Context of Revelation 11:17
At the sounding of the seventh angel, great voices in heaven proclaim the everlasting reign of the Lord and his Christ. The twenty-four elders, seated before God, fall upon their faces and worship. Their words in verse 17 begin a thanksgiving that continues in verse 18, where they speak of angry nations, God's wrath, judgment of the dead, reward for prophets and saints, and the destruction of those who destroy the earth. The chapter concludes with God's temple opened in heaven and the ark of his testament seen there amid signs of divine majesty. Verse 17 stands at the beginning of this worshipful response to the trumpet announcement.
What Does Revelation 11:17 Mean?
The elders address God as "O LORD God Almighty," a name that joins covenant lordship with sovereign power. They give thanks because God "hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." The words do not suggest that God had ceased to be powerful or had lost his authority. The trumpet vision celebrates the public exercise of power in the decisive reign now proclaimed. The elders also say, "which art, and wast, and art to come." God is the one whose life and faithfulness span past, present, and the future toward which the vision moves. Their response is thanksgiving, worship, and yielded praise. They fall upon their faces because the reign of God is worthy of that response.
Within Revelation 11, this praise answers the suffering and conflict described earlier. The holy city has been trampled, the witnesses have prophesied, the beast has killed them, and God has raised and vindicated them. The seventh trumpet gathers those scenes into a larger declaration: earthly kingdoms belong to the Lord and his Christ. Verse 18 immediately shows what God's reigning means in the chapter. The nations' anger is answered by divine judgment; the dead are judged; prophets, saints, and all who fear God's name are remembered for reward; destroyers face destruction. God's great power therefore brings moral reckoning and faithful care. The worship of the elders is rooted in this righteous rule, not in a vague feeling of safety.
The announcement in verse 15 names both "our Lord" and "his Christ," and verse 17 offers worship to the Lord God Almighty as that reign comes openly into view. The connection to Christ is explicit in the immediate setting: the kingdoms become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, whose reign endures for ever and ever. Jesus taught his followers to pray for God's kingdom to come and God's will to be done. Revelation shows that prayer reaching its appointed fulfillment in a world where opposition has been real and costly. The elders' thanksgiving gives the church words for adoration while it waits for God's righteous kingdom to be fully displayed.
Bible Verses Related to Revelation 11:17
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
- Revelation 11:15
“The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.”
- Psalm 93:1
“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
- Daniel 7:14
“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
- Revelation 19:6
Where Revelation 11:17 Echoes in Scripture
Psalm 93:1 strongly echoes the royal praise of Revelation 11:17. The psalm declares the Lord's reign and enduring establishment, while Revelation places that truth within the seventh-trumpet vision of judgment and reward. Together they direct worship toward the Lord whose rule is sure even when the nations appear turbulent and hostile.
How to Apply Revelation 11:17 Today
Thanksgiving can be shaped by God's character before our circumstances have changed. In worship and private prayer, we can name God as Lord, Almighty, faithful through every age, and ruler over powers that seem overwhelming. This verse also enlarges our concern beyond personal relief. God's reign includes justice for the dead, reward for servants, and judgment upon destruction. We can bring grief over violence, corruption, and harm to the earth before the reigning God without despair. Our work of mercy, truthfulness, and care becomes an offering made in hope that his kingdom will be openly known.
Reflection & Prayer
How would our prayers change if thanksgiving for God's reign came before our list of anxieties? Pray: "O Lord God Almighty, receive our thanks. Rule our hearts, sustain those who fear your name, bring justice where destruction has spread, and teach us to live with joyful reverence before your coming kingdom."