Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 11:18

"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." — Revelation 11:18 (ASV)

This passage contains a synopsis of the remaining chapters of Revelation.

The nations opposed to God and incited by the fury of the dragon (12:12) have brought wrath on God’s people (Psalms 2:1–3). For this, God has brought his wrath on the nations (14:7; 16:1ff.; 18:20; 19:19b; 20:11–15). The time (GK 2789) has now come for three further events: the judgment of the dead (20:11–15); the final rewarding of the righteous (21:1–4; 22:3–5); and the final destruction of the destroyers of the earth (Babylon, the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon; 19:2, 11; 20:10).

In Revelation three groups of persons receive rewards: (1) God’s “servants the prophets” (cf. 18:20; 22:9); (2) the “saints” (perhaps the martyrs; cf. 5:8; 8:3–4; 13:7, 10; 16:6; 18:20, 24; or simply believers in every age, cf. 19:8; 20:9); and (3) “those who reverence [God’s] name” (cf. 14:7; 15:4). In whatever way these groups are denoted, it is important to note that in Revelation the prophets are specially singled out (16:6; 18:20, 24; 22:6, 9).