14:1ffChapter 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.
Life Application Study BibleRevelationChapter 14
Revelation 14
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 2190, 2191, 2192
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
14Revelation 14
1Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. 3This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins,* following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering* to God and to the Lamb. 5They have told no lies; they are without blame.
The Three Angels
6And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7“Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.” 6Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.” 8Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.” 12This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. 13And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “ Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the LORD from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
The Harvest of the Earth
1414Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man.* He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 1SThen another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested. 7After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles* long and as high as a horse's bridle. 5. Pouring out the seven plagues
Textual footnotes
- 14:4a Greek They are virgins who have not defiled
- 14:4b Greek as firstfruits.
- 14:14 Or fike a son of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 14:20 Greek 1,600 stadia [296 kilometers].
Life Application Notes 11 notes
14:3When John says that “the time is near,” he is urging his readers to be ready at all times for the last judgment and the establishment of God's Kingdom. We do not know when these events will occur, but we must always be prepared. They will happen quickly, and there will be no second chance to change sides.
14:4These people are true believers whose robes have been washed and made white in Christ’s blood (7:14) through his death (“purchased from among the people on the earth”). In the Old Testament, idolatry was often portrayed ’as spiritual adultery (see the book of Hosea). Their being “pure as virgins” is best understood symbolically, meaning that they are free fram involvement with the pagan world system. To remain spiritually pure means resisting the seductions and idolatries of the present world—power, wealth, and sexual immorality. To do so requires daily application of God's Word, for it has a purifying effect on the mind and heart. It requires great resolution not to give in to these temptations. Following Christ, the Lamb, “wherever he goes” requires heroic effort to carry out Christ's commission to face oppression and even death if required. Too many shrink back when the work is difficult or the future looks bleak, Join those who take their stand with Christ and against sin. The “special offering” refers to the act of dedicating the first part of the harvest as holy to God (Exodus 23:19; see also James 1:18).
14:6,7Some 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!
14:8Babylon was the name of both an evil city and an immoral empire, a world center for idot worship. Babylon ransacked Jerusalem and carried the people of Judah into captivity (see 2 Kings 25 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.
14:9-11Those who worship the beast, accept his mark, and operate according to his world economic system will ultimately face God's judgment. Our world values money, power, and pleasure over God's jeadership. To get what the world values, many people deny God and violate Christian principles. Thus, they must drink of the wine of God’s anger (see Psalm 75; Isaiah 51:17).
14:11The 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 eternity there will no longer be opportunity for repentance. If in this 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 the door of our heart to him (3:20).!f we do this, we will enjoy everlasting fellowship with him.
14:12This 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.
14:13While 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.
14:14-16This 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, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
14:19A winepress was a large vat or trough where grapes were collected and then crushed. 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 180 miles is approximately the north-south length of Palestine. To those unaccustomed to vivid descriptions of God’s anger in judgement, these are disturbing images. People dislike the idea of other people, even evil ones, being trampled like grapes. The depth and length of the biood flow provides a sickening scene of the immensity of God's judgment. But uniess we face the necessity of God's judgment, we will never see our desperate need for his mercy. A god with only a grandfatherly kindness would not inspire our repentance, obedience, or worship. God has promised aharsh harvest for those who reject him. Those who know God well enough to fear his wrath know God well enough to desire his grace. The crushing wrath of God is coming. Blessed are those who have had their sins forgiven, and blessed are those who lead others to God’s mercy.