As I was reading through Revelation, I came upon similar language to what the Lord spoke on the Cross when He said, “It is finished.”

“Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture, he said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, ‘It is finished! Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:28-30).

When I read Revelation 16, I read about an angel of the Lord pouring out the last of God’s judgments when the Battle of Armageddon was about to take place. The words “It is finished” were spoken once again in that context.

“And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth” (Revelation 16:17-18). That mighty shout came from the throne of God in Heaven, where Jesus now sits in a place of honor and complete victory.

Both times when he words “It is finished” were used, it means something is done, finished, or has been completed. The first usage spoken by Jesus meant His earthly journey was done, and the victory He gained for us was complete. The second use of the phrase was for the judgment of an unrepentant world and its leaders, who were being led by demonic forces. The second use of “It is finished” in Revelation meant that the evil powers ruling this world were finally being judged and their rule was coming to an end.

We can trust the Lord to finish what He began. He judged our sin on the Cross, but He will also judge the world systems at some point in the future that hold entire nations and people groups in the grips of bondage.

What do the words “It is finished” mean for us today? It means we can trust the Lord to forgive our worst sins, and we can also trust Him to deal with the evil we see taking place in the world.

“It is finished” allows us to live in peace and not worry about the outcome of our lives because we are now in God’s hands. It also means that the disposition of evil in this world is also in God’s hands. It is why we can live at peace because we know the Lord will finish what He started.