Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 11:17

"saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign." — Revelation 11:17 (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 .