Revelation Chapter 14

 

Brief introduction:

 

In Chapters 12 and 13 we were introduced to 7 key players in the 7 year Great Tribulation...

▪ The Woman... Israel,

▪ The Manchild... Christ,

▪ The Dragon... Satan,

▪ Michael... the Archangel, 

▪ The Remnant... the 144 000 sealed of God,

▪ The Beast out of the sea... political leader... world dictator, 

▪ The Beast out of the land... the false prophet.

 

This chapter is like an interlude (in this case, a quick preview of what is to come) in which...

▪ we see the Lamb on Mount Zion.

▪ we hear the proclamation of the everlasting Gospel.

▪ we have the pronouncement of judgement upon Babylon.

▪ we have the pronouncement of judgement on those who receive the mark of the Beast.

▪ hear the praise for those who die in the Lord.

▪ we have a preview of Armageddon. 

 

☆ Revelation 14:1...

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's Name written in their foreheads."

 

The Apostle John is still the spectator here... "I looked..."

 

He sees something special on the earth. 

He sees a Lamb standing on mount Zion. 

Mount Zion is at Jerusalem, Israel.

 

This verse pictures a quiet, pastoral scene which opens the Millennial kingdom here upon this earth. 

The Lord Jesus is going to reign from Jerusalem. 

God Himself called it the City of the great King.

 

☆ Psalm 2:6...

"Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion."

 

The 144 000 with the Lamb are the servants of God sealed back in Chapter 7. They have come through the Great Tribulation like the three Hebrew children who came through the fiery furnace in Nebuchadnezzar's day.

 

The Lamb is also the Good Shepherd. 

Notice that He still has 144 000. Not 143,999.

He did not lose one! 

He redeemed them, He sealed them, and He kept them, for He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep.

 

"a Lamb"... "His Father's Name"... reminds us that Jesus is "the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world"...

That... this is Jesus of Whom God the Father said, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."

 

☆ Revelation 14:2-3...

"And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps...

And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

 

These two verses are a bit tricky...

The spectator Apostle again sees and hears... a combination of things on earth and heaven it seems.

 

The "voice" that he hears from Heaven was like the sound of many waters... like the sound of great thunder. 

In other words it was very loud and very clear.

He heard the sound of harpers playing their harps... beautiful heavenly music!

 

John is hearing the sound of awesome singing with the accompanying music... as if it were all happening before the throne... before God... before the 4 creatures... and before the Elders.

 

Music from heaven... and singing on the earth. 

Is it possible to hear heavenly music on earth? 

Absolutely! Ask our Pastor.

 

What's more, the ones who were singing... were singing as if it were a new song. 

Let's take that literally... it was a brand new song... a song that had never been sung nor heard before. 

 

It gets even more interesting.

No man... no-one... could learn that song but the hundred and forty four thousand which were redeemed from the earth.

These are the guys that have been purchased to enter the Millennium on earth.

 

Can you imagine it... a choir of 144 000 men singing. 

Ever heard a Welsh choir of men?

 

Why just "the 144 000"?

Aren't there others who have been redeemed from the earth?

 

Was it because of what they had been through?  

Was it because they survived the Great Tribulation?

 

What we are going to find out in the next few verses will add light to this. These guys are very special... are very different.

Remember for starters... they were the specially sealed servants of God.

 

☆ Revelation 14:4-5...

"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."

 

No rocket science needed here... it is very plain to see what is special about these 144 000 men...

 

1 ▪ These guys were virgins. They had had no sexual relations with women. They were pure... unhindered in their service of God.

 

☆ 1 Corinthians 7:32... 

"But I would have you without carefulness (free from anxiety). He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord."

 

2 ▪ They followed the Lamb wherever He went. They were 100% devoted and committed to Him.

 

3 ▪ They were redeemed from among men. It says they were "Firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb," and this has definite reference to the nation Israel. 

 

☆ Romans 11:15-16...

"For if the casting away of them (Israel) be the reconciling of the world (Gentiles), what shall the receiving of them (Israel) be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches."

 

Israel is described as the firstfruits, especially the 144,000. 

It is believed that they will occupy a unique place in the Millennial kingdom. 

 

4 ▪ In their mouth was no guile... that means no gossip, bad language, lying, criticism, sarcasm, cynicism, double talk, hypocrisy came from their lips.

 

☆ Psalm 19:14...

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

 

5 ▪ They were without fault before the throne of God. They were clothed with the righteousness of Christ. They were completely clean... without sin. They were washed in the blood of the Lamb.

 

These were the guys that alone could learn and sing the words of that new song.

That's what John saw and heard.

 

☆ Revelation 14:6-7...

"And I saw [another angel] fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgement is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

 

The last angel John saw flying in the midst of heaven was back in     ☆ Revelation 8:13... "saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound."

He was warning the earth dwellers of the three woes to come.

It was a message of doom.

 

This angel flying in the midst of heaven had the everlasting (eternal) Gospel to preach to the earth dwellers of every single nation, tongue, kindred and people. 

This flying angel has the message of hope... the only message of hope.

Remember, there is only one Gospel. Preach any other and you are accursed... even angels. 

 

☆ Galatians 1:8...

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

 

Up until now the Gospel had been entrusted to men... including the 144 000 and the two witnesses. 

The times are so intense in the Great Tribulation Period that only angels can get the messages of God through to the world. Angels are indestructible.

 

This is very likely the last chance for any of the unsaved earth dwellers to get saved. 

This angel is saying... "Fear God, and give glory to Him... worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters," to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people..." Very likely, this will be done through natural means... television, radio, internet... the technology will be there. 

 

After this... "the hour of His judgement is come"... time has finally run out.

 

☆ Revelation 14:8...

"And there followed [another angel], saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (idolatry)."

 

The second angel in this chapter has the message that "Babylon is fallen... is fallen." 

He repeats the "is fallen" twice.

So it must be something of significance. 

 

It is described as being a great city.

Ancient Babylon was the jewel of the ancient world.

 

But what of Babylon today? 

"Presently it is an archeological site, only has several thousand residents and a few villages within the archeological boundaries, although constructions have increased rapidly in recent years with some encroaching on the ruins." [Wikipedia 2021].

Interesting! 

 

This angel explains why it has fallen... "Because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

This is a serious charge. What does it mean? 

 

Babylon is the place where idolatry began.

 

Semiramis was the wife of Nimrod.

Some scholars think that she was his mother and that she married her own son. 

She was queen of Babel, which later became Babylon.

 

She devised a story (beginning a whole system of idolatry) in which she came out of an egg in the Euphrates River... she cracked the shell and stepped out fully grown. The worship of Semiramis introduced the female principle in the deity.

 

This reveals that Babylon was the fountainhead of false religions.

 

It is believed by many scholars that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt during the Great Tribulation Period... if not beforehand.

 

Judgement upon it, which is predicted in the Book of Isaiah, is yet to come!

The idolatry of Babylon is a divine intoxication which will fascinate the entire world. 

This is the reason we are seeing so much experimentation in our day with the para-normal, Satan worship, exorcism, and all the cults which are definitely satanic.

 

Old Testament prophets say (prophesy)...

 

☆ Jeremiah 51:7...

"Babylon has been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad."

 

☆ Isaiah 13:11...

"And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."

 

This brings down the wrath of God upon the world.

 

☆ Jeremiah 25:15-17...

"For thus says the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.

And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:.."

 

☆ Isaiah 13:19...

"And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah."

 

What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? ☆ Genesis 19:24-25...

 

This is a judgement on Babylon that is going to happen... judgement upon religious Babylon in Chapter 17 of Revelation and... upon commercial Babylon in chapter 18.

 

☆ Revelation 14:9-12...

"And the [third angel] followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the Beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

And the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the Beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

 

We have a third angel following...

With a loud voice he says... that those people who worship the Beast, who worship the image of the Beast and who receive his mark on their hand or forehead... those people will drink  of the wine of the wrath of God.

For these people there is absolutely no turning back.

 

"The wine of the wrath of God" is a phrase adopted from the Old Testament.

 

☆ Psalm 75:8...

"For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and He pours out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them."

 

Old Testament prophets saw the cup of wrath filling up to the brim. God was patient and let man go on and on in his sin, but when the cup of wrath was filled, then God would press it to the lips of a godless society. Rebellious men kept building this thing up until judgement had to break.

 

"... tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb..."

 

This is literal. Not symbolic. It's the "same fire and brimstone" judgement as used in Sodom and Gomorrah. You will notice in this passage that hell is visible to Christ and the holy angels. 

All that God's own can do during this period is to be patient and wait for the coming of Christ.

 

Jesus said: "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." ☆ Matthew 24:13.

 

Why will he endure? 

He will endure because he has been sealed by the Spirit of God, and he is clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 

He is able to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 

Our Lord said, 

"In your patience possess you your souls" ☆ Luke 21:19. 

 

All they can do is wait and ride out the storm, and that is what they will do during the Great Tribulation.

 

☆ Revelation 14:13...

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from now on: Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."

 

Apparently many of God's tribulation saints, that will be saved during that time, are going to lay down their lives for Christ.

They will be martyred.

During the time of the Great Tribulation, it will be better to die than to live.

At that time this verse will give comfort and assurance.

 

These saints will just be waiting in patience and in sorrow.

If they are martyred, it will be a wonderful thing.

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."

He is going to reward them for their faithfulness to Himself.

"For their works follow with them" reveals that they will be rewarded for their faithfulness, patience, and works in this period. God does not save anyone for his works, but He does reward us for our works.

 

If we don't get saved, then the rewards we receive for our works will be to no avail. We won't be in Heaven to enjoy them.

 

How does one get saved?

 

☆ Romans 10:9...

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."

 

☆ Revelation 14:14...

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle."

 

The One on the cloud is Jesus. The cloud in a sense is a mark of identification... especially for Christ.

 

☆ Matthew 24:30...

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

 

The "clouds" are the shekinah cloud, which is "the sign" in heaven.

 

"... having on His head a golden crown..." confirms this is the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the hero of this Book and He is seen as King when He returns to the earth again.

 

"... and in His hand a sharp sickle." This speaks of judgement of the wicked. That time is coming. 

Interestingly the word "sickle" appears 7 times in this chapter. 

The word "sharp" 4 times.

 

☆ Revelation 14:15-16...

"And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Your sickle, and reap: for the time is come for You to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."

 

The angels seem to be very busy here in chapter 14. 

This angel cries out to the One seated on the cloud to...

"Thrust in Your sickle, and reap..."

This refers to judgement of those on the earth. 

 

Not a good time at all for the wicked.

 

Jesus said in...

☆ Matthew 13:40-42...

"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

 

In the Gospel of Matthew the word "harvest" has long been identified with Christian witnessing, and believers have been urged to pray for labourers for the harvest, that it is difficult for the average Christian to fit this scene into the true context of Scripture. 

 

Actually, believers are not urged to harvest today; they are urged to sow... to sow the Word of God.

 

There is going to be a harvest someday, but that will come at the end of the age. It is our business is to sow the seed.

 

Christ is the One who is going to have the harvest, and the harvest is the judgement at the end of the age. 

This is the picture given to us here in the Revelation.

 

"... for the time is come for You to reap..." this confirms what Jesus says in...

☆ Matthew 13:39...

"The enemy that sowed them is the Devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."

 

Let us make sure that we give out the Word of God, and pray that the Spirit of God will take care of the results.

 

☆ Revelation 14:17...

"And another angel came out of the temple (sanctuary) which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe."

 

Here we meet two more angels. 

One came out of the temple in Heaven and had a sharp sickle... the other came out from the alter and had power over fire.

 

"... the temple (sanctuary) which is in heaven"... identifies with the Old Testament and not the church... we are dealing with Israel.

 

"... he also having a sharp sickle"... speaks of judgement. 

 

"... for her grapes are fully ripe"... is a change of metaphor for the war of Armageddon, and this is the picture Isaiah gives...

 

☆ Isaiah 63:1-6...

"Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 

Wherefore are You red in Your apparel, and Your garments like him that treads in the winefat?

I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment.

For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come.

And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me.

And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth."

 

Wow!

Gentle Jesus meek and mild? I think not!

 

This is a very clear and sobering picture of Christ coming in judgement.

When Christ came the first time, He came as the suffering Saviour and shed His precious life blood for all people... but many have rejected it.

 

Now He is treading down the wicked, and it is their blood that is shed.

He will gather them, as we will see later in ☆ Revelation 16:16, "into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

 

It is not a single battle but a war... the war of Armageddon...

 

Jesus is seen treading the wine press alone.

Little wonder that the men of this earth will cry for the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. 

 

This will be the sad end of that civilization which at the Tower of Babel demonstrated an active rebellion against God, a rebellion which has spiralled out of control ever since and... will come to a halt in all of its fury during the Great Tribulation Period.

 

In Chapter 19, Christ comes and He will put down that rebellion against God in order to establish His kingdom here upon the earth.

He will, "break them with a rod of iron" and "dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

 

Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, but He is also the Judge of this world.

 

Where do you stand with Him today?

Isaiah the prophet gives another view of the Tribulation...

 

☆ Isaiah 34:1-3,6...

"Come near, you nations, to hear; and hearken, you people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.

Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea."

 

What a picture this is! The precious blood of the Lamb having been rejected, now the blood of those who defied God and followed and worshiped the Beast... bathes the earth.

 

Again I ask...

Where do you stand with Him today?

 

☆ Revelation 14:19-20...

"And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (about 300kms)."

 

This angel was told by the previous angel who came out from the altar, to thrust in his sickle into the earth, and he does. 

 

Note the word "thrust"... to wield... to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.

It's not a gentle sweeping motion used when applying a sickle to a crop of wheat. 

 

"... without the city..." is outside Jerusalem.

 

"... even unto the horse bridles..." means about 122 cms deep. That's a lot of blood.

 

All of Palestine will be the scene of this final war which ends in what is called Armageddon.

It is a campaign beginning about the middle of the Great Tribulation and is concluded by the personal return of Christ to the earth.

 

☆ Psalm 45:3-7...

"Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O most Mighty, with Your glory and Your majesty.

And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Your right hand shall teach You terrible things. 

Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; whereby the people fall under You.

Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Your kingdom is a right sceptre.

You love righteousness, and hate wickedness: therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows."

 

The Armageddon scenario will be shocking and utterly terrible, and God does not need to apologise for these scenes of judgement. 

 

Mankind has brought this condemnation on himself. 

 

■ Cold hard facts...

▪  Sin is an awful thing,

▪  Sin is in the world.

▪  You and I, indeed all mankind are sinners.

▪  The only remedy for sin is the redemption Christ offered when He shed His blood on the Cross and paid the penalty for our sins.

▪  You and I merit the judgement of God. Our only escape is to accept the work of Christ for us on Calvary's cross.

 

☆ Hebrews 2:3...

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation..."

 

This judgement must inevitably come on Christ-rejectors. Mankind has rejected Him, trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant as an unholy thing. 

 

If God is just (and He is) there has to be and there will be judgement.

 

Again I ask...

Where do you stand with God today?

 

Selah!