Revelation 11:18; The Time of the Dead

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. 

John is not alluding to chronological time but to the right moment that God ordained for the Day of Judgment. It is the time God has appointed for the last judgment. The sixth seal (6:17), the seventh trumpet (11:18), and the sixth bowl (16:14) all refer to the moment when the great Day of Judgment comes. John presents his Apocalypse in a cyclical manner and looks at God’s revelation from different perspectives.

The term the dead occurs eight times in the Apocalypse and signifies all those who have died. More specifically it can mean either believers or unbelievers. For example, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth” (14:13) and “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (20:5a). Here as well as in 20:12–13 the term alludes to all people: some receive rewards and others condemnation.

Revelation 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 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. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 

 Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, p. 344). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

The only escape from the Great White Throne judgment of God is for one to repent of his or her sins and receive Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Saviour.

Solomon concluded the Book of Ecclesiastes with this solemn plea to us – Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Amen.