Small and great

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.

It is a glorious truth that Heaven will be our freedom from the hierarchy of this world. For, alas, we think of people in classes and castes. Some are great; some are small. But at the judgment of the great God, no such classifications shall stand. We will not look down on some, and look up to others. We will all look at the splendid face of the eternal God, and will behold the wonder of the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. All eyes will be fixed upon Him, and none will be distracted by lesser sights. All will be fully enraptured by the sight of the Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come. Therefore, other things will be dim and unimportant. In the light of God, all else shrinks into obscurity. We shall see His face, and as Job of old says, “Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” See Job 19:27.

The Lord says that He shall give reward to four groups of people. First, He shall reward His servants the prophets. Those that have hazarded their lives for the gospel’s sake, those that have given their lives to be His messengers. These are the servants the prophets. But also, He will reward the saints. And we can praise the Lord that we are in that number, for we have been made saints through the righteousness of God imputed on our accounts. And then, He will reward them that fear His name. Perhaps this speaks of those who never would consider themselves to be saints, and are too humble to bear that title, but are of those that fear His name. They live their lives for the Lord. How many do I know like this! They are not quick to speak of their own greatness. They are meek and humble in their deportment. But they fear the Lord! And then, we see this wondrous phrase: small and great. For you see, there are many great saints of old. There are many that have been used mightily by God. There are many whose names have been much set by, and have been respected and venerated by many a fellow saint. But the Lord will equally reward those who are considered great, and those who are considered small. They may have different rewards, but they will be rewarded every man according to His own labor. And greatness will not matter. There are many beautiful souls and faithful saints that have never attained the title of being “great,” for they have never striven for such a title. They have never sought to earn it! They have not lived for the praise of men! They have lived only for the praise of God. And, in that day, we shall see the great and the small stand before God, and each shall be rewarded without regard for their status or class, for their respect or their station. They shall be rewarded as God sees fit. Great and small! Perhaps you are small in your own eyes. That is all well, that is godly and pure. For before Him you shall be great. For all saints shall be rewarded in Heaven. We thank the Lord for this promise. We all shall be rewarded, great and small. Let us now, by His grace, live continually for that divine reward: that we may be one of His saints, standing before that glorious judgment seat, great or small, having lived our lives for His glory.

“Father, we thank Thee that we have been made great in your eyes through the righteousness of your Son, the Lord Jesus. We know that we are neither great or small, bond or free, male or female. For we are all one in Christ. How we look forward to that day in which you will reward your servants, your saints, and all those that fear you, whether small or great. May we not strive to be great, but find our greatness in the Lord. May we live for this judgment day today, and tomorrow, and all our days. In Christ Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”