Revelation 14:1.
In Chapter 13 the world that worshiped the beasts raised the question,
Who is like the beast?
Who is able to make war with him?
To many, it might appear as though Satan were completely victorious over God's people? God will show us the contrast of His power and sovereignty. It is God who can make war with him and it will be a short one.
Who is like God?
Who is able to make war with him?
We know from the scriptures that every soul will ultimately bow to him.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
This picture of the 144,000 standing on Mt Zion with the Lamb is the picture of victory and of overcoming. It is the picture of the intervention of God in the lives of men. This isn't God interrupting Satan's plan, but God showing His plan can't be interrupted by Satan beyond what men allow. We first saw these 144,000 first back in Revelation 7. While it may seem as though the beast was successful in his efforts, he had no effect on these 144,000. Not a one of them was lost. This is a picture of God's faithfulness.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
(John 10:27-28)
The 144,000 with the lamb is a picture of this verse. The picture of God's protection. Those who worshiped the beasts, bore the mark, the name of the beast or his number. The 144,000 by contrast have the name of the Father on their foreheads.
See also (Micah 4:1-4; Isaiah 2:2-4; Psalm 2:1-6)
Revelation 14:2-5
John heard:
- A voice from heaven:
- This is recognized by one who has ears to hear.
- We must be 'tuned in' to hear from God.
- Like the voice of many waters – the one voice rising above all.
- The same phrase is used in 1:15 about Jesus who stood among the lampstands.
- We are reminded John is surrounded with water on Patmos.
- The many waters surround as the many nations. One voice rose above them all.
- Like the voice of loud thunder:
- One of the four living creatures at the throne spoke like thunder.
- The voice of God often is portrayed as coming through the servants of God.
- Harpist playing harps.
- In 5:8 we see the 24 elders all have harps.
- Harps are the sound of victory.
- Revelation 18 says many will no longer hear the sound of harps.
Who are these harpists? They seem to be the ones singing this new song around the throne, the four creatures and the elders. This is a victory song, of redemption and praise that only the 144,000 could sing. Whatever God said, it inspired worship. What a picture, they follow the lamb like a lamb following a shepherd! And their lives reflect the purity and devotion of the one they serve.
- Not defiled by Women. This is imagery of those ritually clean engaged in a holy war. See 1 Sam 21:5 when David guarantees the young men have remained abstinent. See also 2 Sam 11:11 when Uriah refuses sex with his wife during the time of war.
- They are Virgins. This is often taken quite literally. However, apostasy, unbelief and rebellion against God is consistently seen as harlotry. This 144,000 remained loyal to Christ. This status may indicate their spiritual purity.
- They follow the lamb everywhere He goes. This seems to be further clarification of their spiritual purity.
- These were redeemed from among men. From the mass of humanity, of that day and hour, for God's purpose, they were called forth. They answered and were redeemed. There is the thought that they were just human, just men, just fallen beings – but also, called by name by God Most High.
- They were the firstfruits. The offering of firstfruits was worship to God acknowledging His provision for them. They were the first of a greater harvest. In thankfulness, they understand the entire harvest is His and they give this portion, representing the entirety of His provision.
- There is no deceit found in them. They are found blameless and above reproach. The world will be characterized by its deceit and people by their level of deceit. These will stand apart in such a world.
John shows us, by contrast to the work of the beasts, these 144,000 were kept to the end. They are gathered to the lamb. This 144,000 may have been scattered all over the world. But in the end, they will stand before the Lord in victory. What a great encouragement to Christians of any age.
Revelation 14:6-7
'Then I saw' indicates a new vision or scene for John. If connected, it is not immediately apparent. This angel is 'another' meaning it isn't any of the previously discussed angels. We saw a very similar even in 8:13 where the angel announces a threefold woe on the inhabitants of the earth. preaches the gospel. This angel brought the everlasting good news of Jesus to those who dwell on the earth. This gospel is clearly offered to everyone, across the globe. Judgment is coming and God want no one to perish and go to a Christless eternity. The gospel is the contrast of news:
- Judgment is coming and all sin will be called to account. This is the bad news that was to move mankind to realize their need for a savior.
- If you repent and trust in Him, Jesus paid your debt. It's not too late.
In the hearing of the gospel, you are either saved by it or it testifies against you as you reject it. The rejection of the good news reveals a stubborn and rebellious apostate heart. We all fall short of the requirements of a perfect God and there is a day of reckoning. There is a judgment coming! However, there is an ark of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
The angel's primary thrust is a call to fear God, to come with reverence. He flies over an irreverent world of people seeking only what good for them. Each man is doing what is right in his own eyes. If mankind would stop the noise and entertainment and business and the flow of money for just a few minutes, they might once again notice an amazing world around them. Even in its fallen state, it is beautiful; it is a creation of God, a reflection of Him. This call to worship is a contrast to the worship of the beasts in chapter 13. In Satan's rule, the beast coerced, manipulated and deceived people to worship the Anti-Christ. Some said, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war with Him?" The angel seemingly responds by calling them to worship the creator. This beast had created nothing but lies, deceit and confusion leading to damnation.
This angel presents the gospel. And then each person must decide for them self. God calls and beckons unto men, come willingly, come freely. This contrast is before you today. God calls; beckons to you. All the other systems put you in bondage, coerce, deceive and entice you away from truth.
Revelation 14:8
John saw another angel following the first, declaring that Babylon had fallen. The repeated words indicate its utter devastation. Babylon is connected all the way back to the Tower of Babel. It is a symbol of human pride, stubbornness and a determination to self-rule. This didn't start at the tower, but after the flood it was a restart after the great gathering of men to move against God's will. From the tower forward in time, there has always been this rebellious presence that wears many faces but is traceable to its origins by idolatry, immorality, human pride that become an organized rebellion against God. At the same time, Babylon has always been a city in some form or fashion.
The announced demise of Babylon is not likely speaking of a city. Rome was the Babylon of the day, possessing all the attributes of Babylon of old. What is the revived Rome? What is the Babylon of today? It's likely a world system, probably a global Babylon. However, America has to have her part in this. We lead the world in the export the very characteristics of Babylon. We abort more babies, export more porn and traffic more drugs. As a nation, we are unaffected by these horrible things as long as our conveniences are unaffected. The police the internet for political correctness and use it to gather data for marketing and politics. The algorithms can predict you very thoughts, yet we don't use those resources to shutdown human trafficking. When Babylon falls, the world will weep. The citizens of this world will weep the fall of Babylon and ignore the judgment bearing down on them.
Babylon traffics in her fornication. Fornication is illicit sex of all kinds, everything imaginable. It's in the sinful heart of man to chase other gods, everything imaginable. God sees it as spiritual adultery, unfaithfulness. It's also worth noting that spiritual fornication and sexual fornication seem to go hand in hand? Any nation chasing after other gods seems to be caught up in gross sins of immorality. Where there is no spiritual foundation, there is no moral foundation. The Proverbs speak to us about resisting the temptation of a seductress:
"For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword." (Proverbs 5:3, 4)
"Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes." (Proverbs 6:25)
Make no mistake, Babylon has all it needs to seduce the hearts of mankind, all that will turn the eyes, minds and ultimately hearts of men, women and children of all ages. It offers those things pleasing to our flesh. It feeds fantasy, imagination, instilling pride and a sense of self to call everyone to enthrone our will and desires over God.
Babylon is judged for her leading the nations in fornication. The language is very similar to the prophets who spoke first as a near prophecy against Babylon of their day. John uses the phrase for a far prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
In Isaiah, the watchman on the wall proclaimed:
"Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
And all the carved images of her gods
He has broken to the ground." (Isaiah 21:9)
Jeremiah spoke of God's vengeance against Babylon:
Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand,
That made all the earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
Therefore the nations are deranged.
8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed.
Wail for her!
Take balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed. (Jeremiah 51:7-8)
Revelation 14:9
A third angel followed the declaration of the gospel and the announcement of Babylon's demise. While the political or religious system of Babylon is punished with God's wrath this third angel brings this punishment to a personal level. Being marked for the beast may have seemed like a trivial thing at the time, but it was an act of worship that brought the wrath of God. Receiving the mark of the beast is the same spiritual adultery associated with Babylon. This angel gives the warning, anyone offering this worship will experience the full strength of the indignation of the Lord. That's frightening.
God is righteous in His indignation though. His judgments are true and right. Those who trust other gods will drink this full-strength cup of God's wrath and they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
John borrows language from Jeremiah 25:15-29 regarding the cup of wrath. This cup of wrath and indignation is the same cup that Jesus drank to the dregs. The good news is, Jesus took the cup I deserve, my cup of indignation and wrath and He drank it for me. He took my punishment and removed my sin and guilt. Those marked for the beast will drink of the cup for themselves since they reject Jesus.
Revelation 14:11
This punishment is an ongoing, eternal punishment. Those that see God as a giant killjoy; like a grumpy old man that won't let his kids have fun, seem to think Hell is going to be an eternal Saturday night kegger where the fun never ends; sex, drugs and rock & roll. That's not what hell is though. It is eternal torment. There is no rest, no break and no hope of it ever ending. God will be present, as will the angels, forever and ever, without end.
Many wonder how a loving God could do such a thing. It is loving God who has gone to great lengths to offer the eternal gospel to those who declared themselves His enemy. He came and died for those who would nail Him to a cross. He's been patient, wanting none to perish, when He could have wiped us all out with just a word and been just in doing so. It is a loving God whose heart breaks when His creation rejects Him. He hates sin, but has always loved His creation. A loving God doesn't want eternal damnation for anyone, it is the free choice of His creation that He respects.
It is our nature from the beginning to think we can have all the blessings of God and still rule our life our way. Adam & Eve thought they could walk in the garden and rebel against God's one rule. They lost paradise, however God still cared for them.
There are many people out there gambling with their eternity, hoping beyond any reason that God won't really punish anyone. They bank on the fact that someone once told them "God is Love" and they deduce a loving God won't send anyone to hell and they go on living their live as they see fit. God is love but God is also Just. By His very nature He must punish sin. That's why our loving God made a way for us. He calls all men to Jesus. But many suppress that truth in unrighteousness.
Revelation14:12-13
John uses the same phrase he used in 13:10. The patience of the saints is the perseverance during the pursuit of Christ with our feet planted in a fallen and dark world.
- The Anti-Christ will appear to be in power, but he's not.
- He will appear to be like God, but he isn't.
- There will be the appearance of wisdom, hope and answers in tough time, it's all deception.
The saints in the end times can't get be shortsighted. That's us. They need to maintain a faith; having clear vision of what's really happening. They need to walk by faith, not by sight.
As we look at this, we can see the contrast.
- Those who walk by sight receive the mark.
- Their short term problem might be solved for a season.
- Then they die and suffer eternal torment.
- Those who walk by faith may suffer the short term persecution
- They may even be killed
- They enter into their eternal rest.
Some will go to eternal torment, others to eternal rest.
Revelation 14:14
Although you'll find some commentaries that don't agree, this can be none other than Jesus. In Acts 1 Jesus had talked to his followers:
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
Verse 14 is the 'like manner'. Jesus will be coming on a cloud and He'll be wearing a crown of victory. The word used for crown is stephanos. It's a crown given to the victor of a conflict.
This appears to be a great harvest of salvation. It is the wheat harvest with the harvest of Tares to follow. The voice from the temple said the earth is ripe. The word used for ripe actually means overly ripe. The harvest is overdue. This would be the final harvest. The eternal destiny of every soul is cast.
Revelation 14:17-20
(Isaiah 34; Isaiah 63:3-6; Lamentations 1:15; Joel 3:12-13; Jeremiah 30; Psalm 80:16)
The picture here is one of grape vines loaded with grapes that so ripe they are about to burst. As they are cut from the vine they are thrown into the winepress where they are crushed underfoot. Then, suddenly, the picture changes. This isn't wine flowing from the winepress, it's blood. The winepress is a picture of judgment. The picture seems to transition from a symbol to a literal description of a battlefield. On this battlefield the blood is splattered as high as the horses' bridles.......4' high!! And this battlefield is 200 miles long. This is a picture of the carnage of God's wrath poured out. Many see this is as the outcome of the battle of Armegeddon. However, the word "battle" seems to imply the other side was able to fight and offer some resistance. This is not the case in judgment, this is no contest. This is the triumph of our all-powerful God. It is complete and final and leaves no questions unanswered.
In chapter 13, those who worshiped the beasts asked who could make war with him. God answered sufficiently in chapter 14. Satan has no victories. God is greater than any beast thought of being and God can make war with this Anti-Christ. It won't be a fair fight. The 1st century Christians probably felt like Satan was winning all around them. We feel that way often in our day. Whatever appearance of victory is short lived. God's plan marches on, He remains sovereign. The first century Christians would have been fortified by this passage and should be also. Our focus in looking at the end, should not be on what is before our eyes in the short term, but what God wants us to see and know is coming.
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