Hallelujah! The Lord our God the Almighty Reigns
On the way to the manifestation of New Jerusalem, after the destruction of Babylon (Rev. 17–18), 
there are praises in heaven (19:1-4). Then verses 5-6 have more praising.
“And a voice came out from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all His slaves and those who fear Him, the small and the great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” Revelation 19:5 is a call to praise and verse 6 is the response of a great multitude.
As we read this proclamation, what are our hearts set upon? This passage does not say that we will reign and that we should therefore rejoice and be exceeding glad. Neither does it say that we will receive a crown and that we should therefore praise God. It says that the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. God’s mind is that He should reign, that He should exercise authority. When God rules, it is Christ who rules….Because God reigns and Christ reigns, everyone rejoices with exceeding gladness and shouts, Hallelujah!*
When the Lord God reigns, this fulfills God’s will “to head up all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10) and for Christ to “have the first place in all things” (Col. 1:18). We should cooperate with God by praying for this according to the pattern in Matthew 6—”Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.”
When earth is headed up and Christ has the first place in all things, then New Jerusalem will appear out of heaven from God.
* From chapter 5 of The Glorious Church by Watchman Nee, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, available at www.ministrybooks.org/ and www.livingstream.com/en/the-church/8012401-glorious-church-the.html.
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Posted by Don on April 27, 2022
