Rev 14 - A Preview of Things To Come

Introduction

Our road map:

Chapters 4-19, tribulation

Chapter 20, 2nd coming of Christ, Great White Throne judgment, Christ’s Millennial kingdom

Chapter 20-21 New heaven and new earth

While chapters 4-19 are largely chronological, however…chapters 12-14 give us a bit of an interlude:

12 - past tense, before the tribulation: the woman (Israel), her child (Jesus), the dragon (Satan)

13 - present tense, during the tribulation: the beast from the sea (revived Roman empire; the political kingdom of the anti-Christ), the beast from the earth (false prophet), the dragon (Satan), the false prophet

14 - future tense, toward the end of the tribulation. “God’s triumph and promised rest for his people”

1. The Lamb and the 144,000

Revelation 14:1–5 CSB

1 Then I looked, and there was 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. 2 I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. 3 They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

v.1 “the Lamb” - where do we see the lamb? Chapter 5 v. 6 as worthy to break the seals and open the scroll

“Mount Zion” - Jerusalem

144,000 - the same group from the 12 tribes of Israel who were sealed; the number need not be symbolic, any more than the number 1000 (the millenium)

v. 3 “a new song” - songs are seen in Rev 4, 5, 7, 14, 15

Sung by the martyrs in Heaven (Rev 7)

“redeemed from the earth” - hints at the reason only they can learn this song which is being sung in Heaven: It can only be sung by the faithful who have overcome temptation and opposition (Osborne)

v.4 “not defiled with women…virgins” - possibly remaining single in light of the distress of the tribulation, but more likely morally pure, with no involvement with the false religion of the anti-Christ

2. The Messages of the Three Angels

Revelation 14:6–13 CSB

6 Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He spoke with a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 8 And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen. She made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.” 9 And another, a third angel, followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is poured full strength into the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, 11 and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or anyone who receives the mark of its name. 12 This calls for endurance from the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.” 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they will rest from their labors, since their works follow them.”

Those who are alive in the tribulation will see some amazing sights (right?)

Two witnesses, whom the world will hate

Many terrible events - war, famine, natural disasters

A political leader (the anti-Christ), who is dead (or nearly dead) and revived

A false prophet who works wonders and points people to worship the anti-Christ and Satan

Should it come as any surprise that they could also see these angels (messengers) with these messages?

First angel

v.6 “the eternal gospel”

v. 7 “Fear God and give him glory” - the message for the time of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Pharoah, the children of Israel, the nation of Israel, the divided kingdom, the prophets, the message of Jesus, the message of the church

2. Second angel

v.8 “Babylon the Great has fallen” - religious Babylon / false religion

“wine of her sexual immorality” - how many pagan religions had sexual immorality as a key component?

3. Third angel

v. 9-10 Worshiping the beast brings God’s wrath

v. 12-13 Those who are faithful to God (endurance) will receive rest

3. The Harvest of the Earth

Revelation 14:14–20 CSB

14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and one like the Son of Man was seated on the cloud, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. 17 Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the temple in heaven. 18 Yet another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because its grapes have ripened.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle at the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses’ bridles for about 180 miles.

v.14 “one like the Son of Man” - Jesus is involved with the harvest, perhaps of the righteous

v. 17 “another angel who had authority over fire” - a harvest of judgment

v.20 “blood…up to the horses’ bridles” (splattered?)

Applications

We can sing a new song

We can endure

There will be a harvest