Revelation 11:18

16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,

17 saying: “We give thanks to You, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great— and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great— and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
KJV
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
WEB
The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and those who fear your name, to the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
ASV
And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and [the time] to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth.
DARBY
And the nations have been full of wrath, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the recompense to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to those who fear thy name, small and great; and to destroy those that destroy the earth.
BLB
And the nations were angry, and Your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints and to those fearing Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who are destroying the earth.”
ÅB
Og hedningene er blitt vrede, og din vrede er kommet, og den tid da de døde skal dømmes, og da du skal lønne dine tjenere profetene og de hellige og dem som frykter ditt navn, de små og de store, og da du skal ødelegge dem som ødelegger jorden.
OTB
Nasjonene var rasende,
og din vrede har kommet.
Tiden er kommet for å dømme de døde,
og for å belønne dine tjenere profetene
og de hellige, og de som frykter ditt navn,
både små og store,
og for å ødelegge dem som ødelegger jorden.”
B1930
Og hedningene er blitt vrede, og din vrede er kommet, og den tid da de døde skal dømmes, og da du skal lønne dine tjenere profetene og de hellige og dem som frykter ditt navn, de små og de store, og da du skal ødelegge dem som ødelegger jorden.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Revelation 19:5

    Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!”

    Read in context
  • Revelation 20:12

    And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

    Read in context
  • Revelation 13:10

    “If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

    Read in context
  • Revelation 6:10–11

    And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”

    Read in context
  • Revelation 20:4–5

    Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

    Read in context
  • Revelation 22:12

    “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

    Read in context
  • Micah 7:15–17

    As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show My wonders.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 103:11

    For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him.

    Read in context