Revelation 11:18
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.
The verse belongs to the sounding of the seventh angel, when worldly kingdoms become Christ's forever, the elders worship God for taking His power and reigning, and heaven's temple is opened with the ark revealed amid lightnings and earthquake. Its three events come in order, with the anger of the nations now building while God's wrath has not yet come because Christ still intercedes in the most holy place deciding every case, and will come only when He finishes that work, lays off priestly garments for garments of vengeance, and pours out wrath in the seven last plagues. At that great consummation at Christ's second coming, foretold as the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14, the dead are judged, the prophets and saints and all who fear God small and great receive reward, and those who after six thousand years of probation still refuse return and destroy by war and bloodshed are destroyed and wars cease. That anger is now fulfilling in political agitation, nation plotting against nation with preparations and rumors of war and a sensed stupendous crisis, yet the general engagement is still held back by the angels holding the four winds until God's servants are sealed. With judgments already hanging over cities by calamity on land and sea and only a moment remaining, the respite must be used without delay to carry the last message of mercy and the third angel's warning to all before night comes when no one can work.
Order and Setting
The verse belongs to the sounding of the seventh angel, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ forever. Then the elders worship God for taking His great power and reigning, at the time when the nations are angry and God's wrath is come and the dead are to be judged and reward given to the prophets and saints and all who fear God's name small and great and the destroyers of the earth destroyed. It belongs with the opening of God's temple in heaven and the revealing of the ark of His testament amid lightnings and voices and thunderings and earthquake and hail, in which scene the faithful and obedient are represented.
The anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead are three separate events coming one after another in order. The anger of the nations is now happening and building, but the wrath has not come because Jesus is still interceding in the most holy place, still in priestly garments with bell and pomegranate deciding every case for salvation or destruction. God's wrath will come only when Jesus finishes His sanctuary work and every case is decided, lays off His priestly attire, steps out from between the Father and men, stands up and clothes Himself with the garments of vengeance. Then God will pour out wrath on those who rejected truth in the seven last plagues, which enrage the wicked against the righteous. Michael has not yet stood up, the time of trouble such as never was has not yet commenced, and the four angels still hold the four winds until the sanctuary work is done.
The angry nations are the powers of earth, those who bear rule on earth, now being shaken in Europe. That shaking comes first in order by war and rumors of war, sword, famine and pestilence, and it is not the shaking of the powers of heaven. The powers of heaven are the sun, moon and stars ruling in the heavens, which will later be shaken and moved out of their places without passing away by the voice of God, when this earth is shaken also.
The anger of the nations is a short commencement of the time of trouble just before the seven last plagues, while Christ is still in the sanctuary and salvation is closing. Trouble is coming yet the nations are held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. It is the time of the latter rain or refreshing from the presence of the Lord that gives power to the loud voice of the third angel and prepares the saints to stand in the plague period.
Judgment, Reward and Punishment
The establishment of Christ's kingdom comes at the final judgment, when the dead are judged, the righteous receive their reward, and the wicked who oppose Christ are destroyed, and only after this judgment do the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of Christ. The verse describes the great consummation at the second coming of Christ, which is the cleansing of the sanctuary foretold in Daniel 8:14. Then the present state with all its pride and power, pomp and vanity, wickedness and oppression comes to an end, the curse is removed from the earth, death is destroyed, and the earth is purified by fire. The time of that purification can be known by finding the correct starting-point for the 2300 days.
It belongs to the sounding of the seventh angel, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ forever and the elders worship God for taking His great power and reigning. It belongs with the opening of God's temple in heaven and the revealing of the ark of His testament amid lightnings and voices and thunderings and earthquake and hail, in which scene the faithful and obedient are represented. It is the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and the time for God to give reward unto His servants the prophets and to the saints and to them that fear His name, small and great, while destroying them which destroy the earth. This includes aged faithful pioneers who took a prominent part in the early days of the message and bore trials and hardships and many privations and have grown gray in service, whose reward is not far off, and it will be a triumphant time for all who have been faithful and true.
Those who destroy the earth have had a long probation of six thousand years in which God has borne with human ignorance and wickedness and in every possible way has tested and tried men, seeking to lead them to return to loyalty and be saved. But they refuse His entreaties and continue in war and bloodshed, counting killing and destroying as popular, brave and worthy of reward. The time is near when Jesus will take and possess the kingdom under the whole heavens, judge among the nations and rebuke among many people, destroy these destroyers, and cause wars to cease unto the ends of the earth.
Present Signs and Urgent Call
The anger of the nations together with the arrival of the time for the dead to be judged shows that signs foretold by Christ are rapidly fulfilling and the end of all things is at hand. Stormy times lie ahead, changing events are bringing on the great day of God which hastens greatly, with only a moment of time remaining. The anger is now fulfilling in everything in the political world stirred with agitation, increasing unrest and growing hostility, with nation plotting against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Its fulfillment is seen in preparations for war and mustering of forces for war and bloodshed, with wars and rumors of wars, while rulers, statesmen and thinking people sense something great and decisive and a stupendous crisis about to take place, amid Satan's deceptive signs and lying wonders, and it will intensify as the end approaches and soon break out with an intensity not now anticipated.
Although nation rises against nation, the general engagement has not yet begun, for the nations are held back from full action by an unseen power. The angels are commanded to hold the four winds until God's servants are sealed in their foreheads, and after that the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. This gracious moment of respite must be used without delay, for soon strife among the nations will break out with an intensity not now anticipated. God's wrath is come in judgments hanging over cities and calamities by land and sea punishing a world filled with iniquity for its wickedness, already seen in a city recently destroyed as a wonderful display of power against the sins of cities and of things yet to take place in the cities. These judgments will become more frequent until the earth shall no more cover her slain.
God's rebuke has spoken in calamity, calling men who have abused privileges and taken advantage of their fellow men and wronged them to make amends for wrong done and to hear His voice. Indifference and making light of the destruction, and defiantly rebuilding and investing means to erect still greater buildings, will be met by God exercising His power to counteract their efforts. The respite before the night comes when no one can work calls for most solemn work, to awaken and act urgently in appointed work while there is still time. The warning, the last message of mercy and the third angel's testing message, must be carried to all inhabitants and to those who have not heard it throughout the world before God sends judgments for disobedience, bearing a message of healing to sin-sick souls and gathering large congregations, with faith and courage and no word of unbelief or discouragement, for the gold and silver and the cattle upon a thousand hills belong to the Lord.