Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 11:16

"And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God," — Revelation 11:16 (ASV)

As the other features in these verses are anticipatory, so the expression “have begun to reign” looks forward to the millennial reign depicted in ch. 20. Significantly, the title of God found earlier in the book, “who is, and who was, and who is to come” (1:8; 4:8), now is “who is and who was.” He has now come! God has taken over the power of the world from Satan .