His servants
could refer to one of two beings. Scripture speaks of God’s angels as his servants
(Psalm 103:20–22; Hebrews 1:14). Scripture also speaks of God’s redeemed as his servants
(literally, slaves
; Acts 4:29; Colossians 4:12). In his Revelation to John, the Lord uses the term only in reference to people, not to angels (Revelation 1:1; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 7:3; etc.). The reference, then, is to Christians.
This is striking. For all you his servants
(note the word all
) is not limited to the occupants of heaven but includes those who live on earth where the great prostitute had executed her reign of terror. Though every iteration of Babylon is in principle fallen, the fact is that the people of God are repeatedly oppressed by this prostitute and the kings who work along with her (Revelation 17:14). Yet always they may—must!—praise our God even while they live on earth under the shadow of the prostitute. The mindset and the conduct of the servants of God on earth get their cue not from the prostitute or the beasts or the kings or the merchants but from those in heaven who have witnessed God’s judgments on the prostitute. Heaven sets the tone, earth chimes in!
5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”