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.
This verse comes from the book of Revelation, a prophetic vision given to a man named John while he was exiled on a small Greek island around 95 AD. Early Christians were being persecuted by the Roman Empire, and John's vision offered them a sweeping view of how history ultimately ends. In this scene, heavenly beings announce that God's time of final judgment has arrived — a moment when wrongs are righted, the faithful are rewarded, and those who caused destruction face consequences. The phrase 'those who destroy the earth' refers to powers — human and spiritual — that corrupt, oppress, and ruin what God created. The verse captures a turning point: the long era of human injustice is over, and God's justice is finally and completely fulfilled.
Lord, on the days when injustice feels permanent and the faithful seem forgotten, remind me that You hold the final word. Thank You that no life — no matter how small or unseen — goes unnoticed in Your eyes. Give me the patience to trust Your timeline and the courage to keep living faithfully in the meantime. Amen.
There's a list tucked into this verse that's easy to rush past — prophets, saints, and those who reverence God's name, 'both small and great.' The small. The ones history never recorded. The grandmother who prayed faithfully for decades in a language no one else in her family spoke anymore. The pastor in a persecuted country whose name no one outside his village knows. The quiet believer who showed up, kept going, and left no monument behind. God, it turns out, keeps a very different ledger than we do. If you've ever watched evil seem to win — and it does, sometimes, for decades, sometimes for whole lifetimes — this verse is not a promise that it will be fixed by next Tuesday. But it is a promise that history is not the final word. The anger of nations that feels so immovable right now is framed here as temporary. God's reckoning isn't slow because He doesn't care. It comes on His timeline, and when it does, not a single faithful life will be overlooked. Not even yours.
The verse says God rewards 'both small and great' — what do you think that distinction means, and why do you think it's worth mentioning?
The phrase 'those who destroy the earth' is striking — what do you think it includes, and does it expand how you think about human responsibility toward creation and one another?
How do you honestly hold onto belief in God's justice when injustice seems to go unchecked for years, decades, or entire lifetimes?
If you truly believed God keeps a record of every faithful, unrecorded act of love or sacrifice, how might that change how you treat people who are invisible to the rest of the world?
If you genuinely believed a final reckoning was coming — that everything would be set right — what is one concrete thing you would do differently starting this week?
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Revelation 14:7
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Revelation 6:11
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
Psalms 102:13
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:12
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Revelation 13:10
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Malachi 4:2
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Revelation 22:12
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Revelation 6:10
And the nations (Gentiles) became enraged, and Your wrath and indignation came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and [the time came] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints (God's people) and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and [the time came] to destroy the destroyers of the earth."
AMP
The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
ESV
'And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time [came] for the dead to be judged, and [the time] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.'
NASB
The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
NIV
The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
NKJV
The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
NLT
The angry nations now get a taste of your anger. The time has come to judge the dead, to reward your servants, all prophets and saints, Reward small and great who fear your Name, and destroy the destroyers of earth.
MSG