“The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. And they said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.” Revelation 11:16-17
Even though these elders have their own thrones they are most often getting off them and falling down before God in humility and worship. When God rules our lives we are quick to worship Him. There is a change in this refrain. Messiah is coming to set up His kingdom. Are we investing in His Kingdom or are most of our energies taken up by the kingdom we live in right now? Do we live for this one that is going to be utterly destroyed? We have the privilege of submitting to Him now.
The twenty-four elders, who here fall down to worship God, have previously appeared seven times in the book of Revelation in a similar context. Here they give thanks to God as the eternal One because He has manifested His power and assumed authority over the earth. Christ the Anointed of God reigns supreme over the earth. Twice in verse 17 mention is directed to the power of God in the word almighty and the word power. God’s power here is demonstrated in the sense of authority as well as in the sense of ability to accomplish His will. This thanksgiving isn’t to thank God that He has already done this; but that the hour has come for it to take place, and that these things are permanently set in motion.
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” 1 Chronicles 29:11