Chapter Introduction
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9-14)
Amidst the cataclysmic events, we witness a paradoxical behavior of Earth’s inhabitants-they shake their fists at God. It’s not a matter of disbelief in God, but rather a manifestation of their deep-seated hatred. The tribulation will bring about a universal belief in God, though most will never submit. They found an alternative solution in the Antichrist. Throughout the Bible, God's judgment through sword, plagues, or pestilence serves the purpose of demonstrating His sole divinity, leaving no room for doubt so all may know that He is Lord.
Yet, in chapter thirteen, the citizens of Earth are shown worshiping the Antichrist and the Beast system. What could make all of humanity forget all the things that divide them to be united to follow this Beast? Nearly everyone has been through hurricanes, tornados, winter storms, or other events where their lives were threatened. When we are in survival mode, we don’t notice another’s politics. From the foxhole, while being shelled, no one is arguing taxes, politics, gun control, or abortion. Instead, everyone in those situations is seeking their maker, looking for hope, and fostering a sense of unity in the face of adversity.
The Antichrist and his beast system will step on the scene as a false savior. The setting will likely be a worldwide threat. What kind of threat might this be? An asteroid headed toward Earth would bring widespread panic, a deadly disease spreading across the globe. Aliens that turn out to be violent would shatter the illusion that they are advanced and our friends. The threat may be as big a deception as the beast that offers solutions. Be it real or imagined, the threat will drive mankind to the Beast. They will worship him, the dragon that empowers him, the False Prophet that promotes him, and they will take his mark so they can buy and sell. It's crucial to be aware of the deceptive nature of the Beast to avoid falling into its trap.
In verse four of chapter thirteen, those worshiping the beast asked:
Who is like the beast?
Who is able to make war with him?
Chapter fourteen will answer these questions. Many will perceive Satan as completely victorious over God's people. God will show that in His power and sovereignty, He is the One who can make war with the Beast. 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, 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)
Revelation 14:1
What happens to those who refuse the mark of the Beast?
This picture of the 144,000 standing on Mt Zion with the Lamb is a picture of victory and overcoming. It is a picture of God's intervention in men's lives. 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 in Revelation 7. While it may seem as though the beast was successful in his efforts, he had no effect on those sealed by the Lord. Not a single one 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)
Points to Remember:
- The 144,000 are sealed by God – untouchable to the Dragon and his Beasts.
- The 144,000 live by the protection of Jesus. Not one was lost.
- They are shown as standing with the Lamb, following the Lamb wherever He leads.
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 by water on Patmos.
- The many waters surround 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.
The harpists sing a new song before the throne, the four creatures, and the elders. This is a victory song, of redemption and praise that only the 144,000 could sing. They are unique in their service and the story of their faithfulness. They will have gone through an unimaginable time. Yet, they are seen in the presence of the Lamb.
The first-century saints could also sing a new song. It would be their song that spoke of their victory and redemption. It would be unique to them and tell the story of their faithfulness. It would conclude with them standing in the presence of the Lamb.
Likewise, we can sing our new song. It's still being written.
God’s utterances 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.
The 144,000 are:
- Not defiled by Women. This is the 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 are consistently seen as harlotry. These 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. These 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, so this isn’t connected to the 144,000. This angel is “another,” meaning it isn’t any of the previously discussed angels. We saw a very similar event in 8:13, when the angel announced a threefold woe on the inhabitants of the earth.
This angel also flies in the midst of heaven. He preaches the gospel to the Earth dwellers across the globe, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. The gospel is clearly offered to everyone, across the globe. This is a fulfillment of Jesus’ words:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
Judgment is coming, and God wants no one to perish and go to hell. Throughout the Bible, God always announced judgment beforehand. He takes no pleasure in suffering. He calls again to mankind to repent and trust in Him. 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 will pay 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 is good for them. Everyone 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 contrasts with the worship of the beasts in chapter 13. Under Satan's rule, the beast coerced, manipulated, and deceived people into worshiping the Antichrist. 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 themself. God calls and beckons unto men: come willingly, come freely. This contrast is before you today. God calls and beckons to you. All the other systems put you in bondage, coerce, deceive, and entice you away from the 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. It was a picture of Rome in John’s day and to those first recipients of the letter.
The Tower of Babel was 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 in idolatry, immorality, and 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 Babylon of the end? What is this revived Rome Beast system? It’s a world system that unites mankind for the underlying purpose of opposing God’s plan.
Where’s America in prophecy? It’s not there. Yet, we know America has to have her part in this Babylon. We lead the world in the export of the very characteristics of Babylon. We abort more babies, export more porn, and traffic more humans and drugs. As a nation, we take little notice of these horrible things as long as our conveniences are unaffected.
The internet is used for political correctness and swaying elections. It gathers data for marketing and politics. The algorithms can predict your thoughts, yet we don’t use those resources to shut down human trafficking. The power of our technology is used for evil far more than for good (there’s no money in doing good). When Babylon falls, the world will weep. The citizens of this world will weep over 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 or 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 and imagination, instilling pride and a sense of self to call everyone to enthrone our will and desires over God.
Babylon is judged for leading the nations in fornication. The language is very similar to that of 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.
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 14:9-11
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 will seem like a trivial thing at the time. It may seem like the logical thing. But, it is an act of worship that will bring the wrath of God.
Receiving the mark of the beast is the same spiritual adultery associated with Babylon. This angel gives a warning that 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 the cup for themselves since they reject Jesus.
This punishment will be ongoing and eternal. Those who see God as a giant killjoy, like a grumpy old man who 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 the 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.
The ”no” that rejects the love of God must be an option for the “yes” to be meaningful.
It has been our nature from the beginning to think we can have all God's blessings and still rule our lives our way. Adam and Eve thought they could walk in the garden and rebel against God’s one rule. They lost paradise, but 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 lives 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.
Revelation 14:12-13
John uses the same phrase in 13:10 when it speaks of the coming judgment. The patience of the saints is perseverance in 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 times; it's all deception.
The saints in the end times can't be shortsighted. That’s us. They need to maintain faith and have a clear vision of what's really happening. They need to walk by faith, not by sight. Anyone in the church age is in the end times. Where John’s age was closer to the beginning of the end, we seem to be closer to the end of the end!
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 short-term persecution
- They may even be killed
- They enter into their eternal rest.
The record of the believer's works, and faithfulness will follow them, while all else will be left behind. Our riches, reputation, education, status, and all those things we tend to trust in will not go to heaven with us. We will also leave behind our past, sin, shame, regrets, and drama. What a day that will be.
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 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. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 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 appearance of this “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 was 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.
“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow— For their wickedness is great.” (Joel 3:12-13)
“He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew 13:37-43)
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 are so ripe they are about to burst. As they are cut from the vine, thrown into the winepress, and 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, 4-5' high!! And this battlefield is 200 miles long. This is a picture of the carnage of God's wrath poured out. Many see this as the outcome of the battle of Armageddon. 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.
“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the winepress is full,
The vats overflow—
For their wickedness is great.”
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon will grow dark,
And the stars will diminish their brightness.
The Lord also will roar from Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel. (Joel 3:12-16)
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 the beast thought of being. God can make war with this Antichrist or even the Dragon, Satan Himself. God is not an adversary of Satan, the Devil is a created servant of the Most High. It won’t be a fair fight.
The first-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 we should be, too. Our focus in looking at the end should not be on what is before our eyes in the short term but on what God wants us to see and know is coming.
©2005 Doug Ford, revised and updated in 2007, 2012,2020, 2024
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