Revelation 14. In ch. 12 we saw Satan’s purpose was to destroy faith from the earth (Luke 18:8). In ch. 13 we saw the two human instruments that Satan will raise up to accomplish that purpose; i.e. the beast and antichrist. But in ch. 14 we see God’s intervention in the progress of evil.

 

 

 

v.1 Preserved: on Earth. Note that vv.1-5 are an anticipatory vision, looking on to the end. The Lamb is seen standing on Mt. Zion symbolically, not literally. His literal coming is in v.14. Zion speaks of God’s movements toward the city in grace (e.g. Ps. 48:2). The 144,000 are “with Him” in the sense of identification. Although it may be difficult at first to see why, this 144,000 is not the same as in Rev. 7. The reason is that these 144,000 are connected with those who have already died, which are from the Jewish remnant; i.e. 144,000 from the tribe of Judah only, whereas in ch.7 there were 12,000 from the tribe of Judah. The numeral 144,000 (administrative perfection) is used because these form the nucleus of the nation in the Millennium. Like the woman at the well, the Jewish remnant will come to the realization that Jesus is Messiah, but this will likely occur in steps. Some more intelligent (the Maskilim) will have an advanced knowledge. The “name in their foreheads” is in contrast with the mark of the beast. The western earth will become divided into two companies: followers of the Beast, and followers of the Lamb. These faithful followers are seen on the other side of the fiery trial (Zech. 13:8, 9). It is the name of “His Father” instead of “their Father” because these are not Christians, but believing Jews. They do not know the privilege, as Christians do, of crying “Abba Father”.

 

 

vv.2-3 Martyred: in Heaven. Now we have a different company from v.1. Those in v.1 were on earth are “listening in” to the praises of those in vv.2-3 who have already been martyred and are in heaven (same group as Rev. 15:2). Those on earth are in fellowship with these ones in heaven because they are passing through the same persecution that the martyrs have passed through. “Harps” have to do with a state of worship (Psa. 43:4). The theme of the “new song” is redemption (Rev. 5:9), as compared with creation. The martyred remnant in heaven is teaching the preserved remnant on earth the new song. This verse shows that only the redeemed can sing of redemption. Here the emphasis is on practical redemption from the evil world.

 

 

vv.4-5 Preserved: on Earth. The scene changes again, and we are back on earth, with the preserved remnant. These ones were preserved from the corruptions that surrounded them; “who have not been defiled with women”. They were preserved from moral and spiritual defilement (e.g. the worship of the beast). “They are virgins” is perhaps not literal virginity because some of the remnant may be married. These saints are attached to the Lamb; a result produced by wooing and weening (process traced in the Song of Solomon). This remnant are the “first-fruits to God and to the Lamb”; a sample of the Lord’s earthly people in the Millennium! A devoted, undefiled, but yet earthly people – in fellowship with heaven – as a testimony for Jehovah. It would seem that the “lie” in v.5 has to do with not believing and spreading the lie of the Antichrist. The term “blameless” is used here in the same sense as Heb. 9:14 and 1 Peter 1:19, though it could only be said perfectly of the Lamb Himself.

 

 

v.6-7 The Everlasting Gospel. Another thing that will happen during the great tribulation is that the gospel will spread over the whole earth, to “every nation and tribe and tongue and people”. “Those settled on the earth” are not only the earth-dwellers, but men everywhere. But this “gospel” isn’t exactly the same gospel that Christian evangelists preach today. The “everlasting gospel” doesn’t speak of redemption, but rather testifies to the majesty of God as Creator (see Psa. 19:1-3, Psa. 96, Rom. 1:19-20). The everlasting gospel is seen in Gen. 3:15; the promised seed would someday intervene in judgment. Noah and Enoch preached it as well. The scope of this “everlasting gospel” is very broad (see Acts 10:34-35). The “him” in v.7 is in contrast with the beast.

1. The Everlasting Gospel.

   The "everlasting gospel" (Rev. 14:6-7) warns of coming judgment based on God’s power and majesty as Creator, and therefore man's responsibility to Him as Judge (Psa. 19:1-3, Psa. 96, Rom. 1:19-20). God will at last intervene to deliver a world fallen into Satan’s hands through man's sin. It demands that men recognize and glorify God as Creator. It is called "everlasting" because it is a gospel that transcends dispensations. The witness of God's deity and power in creation has been witnessed from the beginning of man's time on earth, but there will be a special emphasis or broadcast of this gospel before the Lord appears. It could be that the reason God will allow this is because of the vast confederacies of men from many places including heathen lands that will join themselves together in the battles of the indignation, and the mass death that will follow.¹

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2. The Kingdom Gospel.

   The "gospel of the kingdom" is the presentation of good news based on Christ’s glory as king (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14). It is connected with earthly hopes and deliverance rather than heavenly hopes. It announces the coming of the kingdom of Christ, and demands that men repent because the Messiah is coming. Everyone is to get ready; i.e. "prepare the way before him". This gospel began to be preached in the days of John the Baptist, and will go out in great power during the prophetic week, preached up to the establishment of the kingdom of Christ in manifest power (Psa. 95-96). This gospel will be especially carried through evangelists of the Jewish remnant. We find in Mark 16:15 that this gospel will be preached “to every creature” in “all the world.” We know that multitudes will be saved in that time, both of Jews and Gentiles - a mass conversion such as the world has never seen (Rev. 7)!

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3. The Christian Gospel.

   The gospel that Christians preach, "the gospel of the grace of God" and "the gospel of the glory of God", is based on the death and resurrection of Christ, His exaltation at God's right hand, and God’s heart of love flowing out to sinners in need of salvation. Believing this gospel brings you into relationship with God as Father. It rises far higher than the other gospels because it presents the Person of Christ, as a glorified man in heaven, as the object for faith.

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(#3) The Fall of Religious Babylon (14:8)

 

v.8 The Fall of Religious Babylon. Another angel appears, presumably also flying in heaven. This angel has a message of doom for “Great Babylon”, who has not yet been formally introduced to us, but of whom we will read much in ch.17-18. Great Babylon, sometimes called religious Babylon, is the false church, which will maintain control of the beast for the first half of the prophetic week. The false church is judged (falls, loses control) in the middle of the week when she is cast off by the beast (Rev. 17:15-18), and torn to pieces and burned by the horns. This verse shows that the fall of religious Babylon will precede the three and a half years of beast-worship. However, there is another aspect of Babylon that continues to the end of the week (Rev. 16:15-21, Rev. 18:21-24), and we call this Political Babylon, which is what remains; i.e. the political side of this great Roman power-structure. This other aspect of Babylon is destroyed by the Lord at His appearing. This verse speaks of “the wine of the fury of her fornication” which refers to the unholy alliances made between corporations, governments, and this false church (see Rev. 17:2 and Rev. 18:3). The kings and merchants who are associated with the false church are unaware that they have drunk a fatal dose, and will perish with final Babylon at the appearing (see notes on Rev. 19:19). 

 

 

vv.9-10 Warning Concerning Followers of the Beast. A third angel now appears, again flying in heaven, and proclaiming the destruction at the end of the path for those who follow and worship the beast; they are destined for eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

 

v.12 Encouragement to Followers of Jesus. The Spirit of God then has a word to the remnant, “the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”. Hearing this warning of the final punishment of the beast-followers is an encouragement to the faithful to press on. The patience of the saints is to endure persecution and wait for the Lord to judge the persecutors (2 Thess. 1:4-8). It is far better to be killed by the Beast than to be tormented with the Beast (Luke 12:4-5). The remnant is encouraged that things will be set right very shortly. This will help them endure the trial. We get an additional principle in Rev. 13:10.

 

 

v.13 The Blessed Portion of Faithful Martyrs. After the three angels fly by, and give their messages, a voice is now heard coming out of heaven. This is a beautiful point: concerning those who have died “in the Lord”. The message is not committed to an angel, but a voice comes out of heaven, perhaps the Lord’s own voice? The sentence “Blessed the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth” is not easy to follow is many translations. Expositor and translator William Kelly says it means: (1) from this time nobody that belongs to the Lord is going to die and (2) all those who have died in the Lord are about to be blessed; i.e. in the first resurrection. The key to understanding this verse is to see that a comma could be placed before the word “from”. Then in plain English it would read “Blessed from henceforth are the dead who die in the Lord”. This wonderful promise is given to those are suffering persecution, and about to be martyred. It is the assurance of the final phase of the first resurrection! We will read more on this in ch.20. Their works follow: God will not forget what they have done (Heb. 6:10).

 

 

 

 

v.14 The Son of Man About to Reap. The next thing John sees is “a white cloud”, which represents the presence of the Lord in judicial purity. The “Son of man” is the Lord’s title upon rejection (Dan. 7:13, John 5:27). What we have here is the conclusion of what was introduced in ch.12; the man child caught up to His father’s throne now returns in judgment. The Son of man is sitting “on the clouds” (Matt. 24:30), which speaks of a publicly display. The “coming of the son of man” in scripture is always the appearing. He wears “a golden crown”, representing His royal dignity and also of the glory of His divine righteousness. He holds “a sharp sickle”, showing that judgment is the purpose of His coming.

 

 

vv.15-16 The Harvest Judgment. As with the vintage judgement (v.18), so with the harvest judgment, an angelic messenger is the trigger. Here the voice comes out of the temple, the direct presence of God, showing that this judgment is required because of a direct insult to His name (Jer. 7:14). The harvest is a discriminating judgment (winnowing), separating, taking the wicked and leaving the just (Matt. 24:38-43). No doubt there is a connection here with the parable of the tares, where v.16 is the completion of the age. The vintage judgment by contrast is indiscriminate. The Lord will “put his sickle on the earth” by sending out His holy angels (Matt. 13:41). The earth will be “reaped” by the wicked being “taken” out for judgment and cast into the “furnace”, or the Lake of fire. It is the judgement of the apostatized western world (Luke 23:31).

 

 

v.17 About to Gather. Another angels is seen, and this angel also is the Lord Jesus, who will tread the wine-press alone (Isa. 63:1-6). Why is the Lord pictured as an angel? Perhaps it is because this is something the Lord does personally, so He appears as a warrior angel because judgment is His “strange work” (Isa. 28:21). The angel comes out of “the temple which is in heaven” because this judgment arises from the glory of God’s presence. This angel has “a sharp sickle”, just like with the harvest judgment, because both events are judgment, although they have a different character.

 

 

v.18 The Vintage Called For. A second angel appears, this time coming out of the altar. This is the brazen altar, and it speaks of judgment against sin. This second angel has “power over fire”; he is an executor of God’s judgment. This angel cries to the other with the sickle, calling for him to gather the ripe grapes. The second angel represents the moral basis for the vintage judgment; God’s holiness in judgment against sin. The first angel represents God’s power in judgment; the agent being none other than the Lord Himself; “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” (Isa. 63:5). The bunches of grapes grow on the “vine of the earth”, which is in contrast with “the true vine” of John 15. This vine of the earth represents apostate religion; the corruption of what should have been fruit-bearing. If we keep in mind that Revelation 12 – 14 are looking primarily at the judgment of Israel, then the vine is specifically apostate Israel. We read in Ezekiel 20 that the Lord will “purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezek. 20:38). As the returning tribes enter the land, those in unbelief will be entrapped on the border; the vine of the earth, fully ripened, ready for judgment. But though apostate Israel is at the center, Gentiles are mixed in, though not the focus here. The wine-press is the unmingled fury of God poured out on those who have rebelled against Him. There are three steps in this judgment:

1. “gather the vine” – speaks of the return of the ten tribes (Dan. 12:1-2)
2. “cast it into the winepress” – rebels of the ten tribes get sifted at border
3. “tread the winepress” – actual judgment by the Lord personally.