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1 Then I looked, and there before me was the
Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name
and his Father's name written on their foreheads.
2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters
and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that
of harpists playing their harps.
3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four
living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except
the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for
they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to
God and the Lamb.
5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
Revelation 14:1-5
Explanation:
Chapter 13 described the onslaught of evil that will occur when
Satan and his helpers control the world. Chapter 14 gives a glimpse
into eternity to show believers what awaits them if they endure.
The Lamb is the Messiah.
Mount Zion, often another name for Jerusalem,
the capital of Israel, is contrasted with the worldly empire. The
144,000 represent believers who have endured persecutions on earth
and now are ready to enjoy the eternal benefits and blessings of
life with God forever. The three angels contrast the destiny of
believers with that of unbelievers. These people are true believers
whose robes have been washed and made white in Christ's blood through
his death. In the Old Testament, idolatry was often portrayed as
spiritual adultery (see the book of Hosea). Their purity is best
understood symbolically, meaning that they are free from involvement
with the pagan world system. These believers are spiritually pure,
they have remained faithful to Christ, they have followed him exclusively,
and they have received God's reward for staying committed to him.
"Firstfruits" refers to the act of dedicating the first
part of the harvest as holy to God (Exodus 23:19; see also James
1:18).
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal
gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation,
tribe, language and people.
7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because
the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens,
the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon
the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of
her adulteries."
Revelation 14:6-8
Explanation:
some believe that this is a final, worldwide appeal to all people
to recognize the one true God. No one will have the excuse of never
hearing God's truth. Others, however, see this as an announcement
of judgment rather than as an appeal. The people of the world have
had their chance to proclaim their allegiance to God, and now God's
great judgment is about to begin. If you are reading this, you have
already heard God's truth. You know that God's final judgment will
not be put off forever. Have you joyfully received the everlasting
Good News? Have you confessed your sins and trusted in Christ to
save you? If so, you have nothing to fear from God's judgment. The
Judge of all the earth is your Savior! Babylon was the name of both
an evil city and an immoral empire, a world center for idol worship.
Babylon ransacked Jerusalem and carried the people of Judah onto
captivity (see 2 Kings 24 and 2 Chronicles 36). Just as Babylon
was the Jews' worst enemy, the Roman empire was the worst enemy
of the early Christians. John, who probably did not dare speak against
Rome openly, applied the name Babylon to this enemy of God's people
(Rome) -- and, by extension, to all God's enemies of all times.
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If
anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on
the forehead or on the hand,
10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been
poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented
with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the
Lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There
is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his
image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who
obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Revelation 14:9-12
Explanation:
Those who worship the beast, accept his mark on their foreheads,
and operate according to his world economic system will ultimately
face God's judgment. Our world values money, power, and pleasure
over God's leadership. To get what the world values, many people
disown God and violate Christian principles. Thus they must drink
of the wine of God's wrath (see Psalm 75; Isaiah 51:17). The ultimate
result of sin is unending separation from God. Because human beings
are created in God's image with an inborn thirst for fellowship
with him, separation from God will be the ultimate torment and misery.
Sin always brings misery, but in this life we can choose to repent
and restore our relationship with God. In life we choose to be independent
of God, in the next life we will be separated from him forever.
Nobody is forced to choose eternal separation from God, and nobody
suffers this fate by accident. Jesus invites all of us to open our
hearts to him (3:20). If we do this, we will enjoy everlasting fellowship
with him. This news about God's ultimate triumph should encourage
God's people to remain faithful through every trial and persecution.
They can do this, God promises, by trusting in Jesus and obeying
the commands found in his Word. The secret to enduring, therefore,
is trust and obedience. Trust God to give you patience to endure
even the small trials you face daily; obey him even when obedience
is unattractive or dangerous.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are
the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes,"
says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their
deeds will follow them."
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on
the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of
gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud
voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle
and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of
the earth is ripe."
16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had
a sharp sickle.
18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the
altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle,
"Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from
the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."
19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes
and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.
20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood
flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for
a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Revelation 14:13-20
Explanation:
While it is true that money, fame, and belongings can't be taken
with us from this life, God's people can produce fruit that survives
even death. God will remember our love, kindness, and faithfulness,
and those who accept Christ through our witness will join us in
the new earth. Be sure that your values are in line with God's values,
and decide today to produce fruit that lasts forever. This is an
image of judgment: Christ is separating the faithful from the unfaithful
like a farmer harvesting his crops. This is a time of joy for the
Christians who have been persecuted and martyred--they will receive
their long-awaited reward. Christians should not fear the Last Judgment.
Jesus said "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned;
he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). A winepress
was a large vat or trough where grapes were collected and then smashed.
The juice flowed out of a duct that led into a large holding vat.
The winepress is often used in the Bible as a symbol of God's wrath
and judgment against sin (Isaiah 63:3-6; Lamentations 1:15; Joel
3:12,13). The distance of 1,600 stadia equals about 180 miles, approximately
the north-south length of Palestine.
