Revelation 14

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Introduction

I am going to make a full confession- I was working on this while also having the Superbowl on in the background. And so while I’m not a football fan-I couldn’t help notice some parallels between the big game and our scripture today.

We took a pause last week to look at the theme of suffering in the book of Revelation, but before that we had been in Revelation 12 and 13.

We learned that there was a real and present enemy…we learned about the destruction caused by our own sin and the need for someone to do something about it.

Revelation 14- preparing for the game; game time prep; you look at the other team, you see that their big and strong and fast but then your team comes out and they are even bigger and stronger and faster; meant to encourage and motivate- satan may have his power and forces but the one who is in us is bigger than that which is in the world.

Aim: God saves his people to worship and from judgement.

Judgement.

Today’s scripture is full of some disturbing images- and as we seek to understand God’s judgement it’s important to remember that it is different from worldly judgement.

Last week as we looked at suffering we took some time to reflect on God’s character in suffering.

and just like a proper understanding of God’s character is needed to understand suffering, a proper understanding of God’s character is needed to understand his judgement.

Do NOT read this chapter without first anchoring yourself in who God has revealed himself to be…or you will walk away with a wrong view of God’s judgement.

we are gonna start today where we started last week...

God is Good…all the time…all the time God is good.

He is ALWAYS good, gracious, righteous, just, merciful, loving, and sovereign…

Everything God does flows out of who he is…

In this chapter, God reveals the details of his coming just eternal judgement on unbelievers. Which means that it’s essential that we get God right as we approach this text.

But remember- when we started reading Revelation we talked about the importance of reading it through the lens of the original audience.

What would they have heard?

Remember- Revelation is a book of comfort…to encourage suffering believers…and this chapter is no different.

In order to fully understand what is happening here we have to read chapter 14 in light of what we just studied.

last week we took a pause from the book of Revelation to look at the realities of suffering.

in chp’s 12 and 13 there was a conflict between good and evil..God and his angel armies fought against Satan and his demons-> the tactics and ways of the enemy were exposed…

and chapter 14 picks up showing us the resolution to the conflict….

For believers- the result is eternal salvation…and for unbelievers..the result is eternal judgement.

God shares these realities with his people and calls them to respond in light of them.

So let’s first look at how God’s people respond to eternal salvation and then eternal judgement.

Eternal Salvation- Revelation 14:1-5.

Eternal Judgement Revelation 14:6-20

Get out Bible or Apps:

SAVED TO WORSHIP- ETERNAL SALVATION- Revelation 14:1-5.

Transition

Alright- so before the superbowl, in the weeks leading up to the game- each team takes time to study their opponent- their enemy…their tactics..the way they move…so that when the time comes they are ready to take them down.

That is sort of what happened in the last few chapters..we studied satan and his demons- the way that he works and his tactics so that we would not be deceived.

Now- a good coach does not just let his team study the opponent then send them out on the field to fight.

A good coach pumps up his team- motivates them- reminds them of what is true about them- he tells them what team they are on….that is what is happening in these first 5 verses…God reminds His people that they are on His time team…

he reminds them that there is nothing to be afraid of…and he even gives them a pump up song. a victory chant in the process…motivating them to live a life that reflects the character of the one they follow.

so lets first look at the new song in vs’s 1-3 and then the new life in vs’s 4-5

NEW SONG- Revelation 14:1-3

vs. 1- Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Here John turns around expecting to see the people of God and instead he sees the Lamb- Jesus Christ…

and it’s through Jesus Christ that victory is won…we saw this picture of Jesus as the lamb in Revelation 5-

Jesus the Lamb accomplished our eternal salvation by taking care of our sin problem through his death and resurrection.

As John’s attention is turned to the lamb he is reminded that salvation happens not from conquest, but from sacrifice.

John is painting us another picture here.

We have a lamb standing on Mount Zion with 144,000

Mount Zion represents God’s presence with his people.

and we met the 144,000 back in Revelation 7 and we talked about the different viewpoints on WHO they were. But regardless- the point here is that these are those on God’s team..his people…

and the 144,000 are faithful till the end…not because of their own strength but because of their relationship to the lamb.

These are the ones who will re-fuse to give in to the antichrist and his tactics-and they walk away victorious…

For those of you who have put your faith in Jesus, when God looks at you he does not see your sin, he sees the blood of the lamb- and you are declared- righteous- pure- because of Him.

Which means that you are no longer identified by your sin, but as a child of God.

In chp 7 we saw God seal the 144,000 with his Mark- securing them as his children.

Which means that his salvation- is an eternal salvation, not a conditional one.

Once you have said Yes to Jesus- you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and nothing and no one can take that away from you. You are sealed with His mark- the mark of the Holy Spirit- eternally secure forever and ever.

And so how do those that are eternally saved respond to the salvation they have received?

They worship…

in vs’s 2-3 There is a sound from heaven…it’s POWERFUL- like rushing water…LOUD..like thunder…and yet rich- like the sound from a harp. It’s booming and beautiful…the heavenly anthem.

In scripture when a new song is sung- it is in response to God’s victory over his enemies…and those who are victorious because of their redemption are the only ones who know the song.

While the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles was being interviewed after the game, I noticed that it appeared there was singing going on in the background- I could barely hear what he was saying- because the victory chant was powrful…booming over the stadium.

Apparently- Eagle’s fan’s have a victory chant…one that every Eagle’s fan knows…and on Sunday- they sang it loud and proud…

Is this your response to being on God’s team?

For God’s people- the victory has already been won..Satan has already been defeated..

claim it...sing it…

the Eagle’s fans didn’t care if they were tone deaf- they didn’t care what others thought- they had claimed the victory- and together- as a unified body- they were letting everyone around them know it.

You want to fight satan…sing..because there is SOMETHING and SOMEONE to celebrate. someone worthy of worship.

Worship is a right response to the salvation that you have been given through Christ.

Worship is about who we live for and what we love.

The Eagles fans loved their team- so out of their love for their team- they sang.

As a believer- you sing

NEW LIFE- Revelation 14:4-5

Transition: Worship is not just a song that you sing, but a life that you live as you reflect the character of the one you worship.

in the book of John Jesus says that his people will be known by their fruit.

In other words- if the Holy Spirit is living inside of you- then you will begin to look different from the world as he transforms your life. And when you live in a way that reflects Christ- you are living a new life- a life of worship to the one who made you and saved you by his grace.

vs. 4 points to the spiritual purity of God’s people:

it says: 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. 

This is not a condemnation of women and marriage- John here is speaking figuratively about spiritual truths.

In scripture Gods people are also called the bride of Christ while the pagan culture, which will later be referred to as the great prostitute in chapter 17- draws God’s people away from him.

God’s people live in such a way that they do not defile their relationship with God by engaging in the ways of the world. Their whole lives, or whole bodies, are FOR Christ…

they don’t follow the world..they follow the lamb, wherever he goes…

In Exodus— the Israelites put the blood of the lamb on their doorstep…and then…they followed God out of Egypt-into the wilderness- His presence is what guided them…the world would say- go back to Egypt, but God said- follow me…

Jesus said similar words to his disciples as we called each of them in the gospels…and the world follow “Follow” in vs 4 is the same word used in the NT to describe Jesus’ disciples who follow his path, instead of their own.

and as they do- their lives become an act of worship…their

in contrast with the beast- who spews lies out of his mouth- here- God’s people are unique because their mouths are filled with truth..

and they are seen as blameless- not because they do not sin, but because they are covered by the blood of the lamb as His righteousness it transferred to them.

vs 5: no lie was found in their mouths, they are blameless

This doesn’t mean they were perfect- it means that they bare a striking resemblance to the one they serve.

no lies in mouth- opposite of beast and Babylon; see contrast in Revelation between the truth and lies-> which one will God’s people follow- you can’t do both

PRINCIPLE: Salvation in Christ produces a life of worship.

Salvation in Christ brings eternal rest, not wrath.

APPLICATION:

SAVED FROM JUDGEMENT- Revelation 14:6-20

Transition: God continues his motivation to his team- telling them of what is to come so that they can rightly respond in light of what they know.

So God is going to proclaim judgement in 6-13 and then carry it out 14-20.

In 6-13 we will hear judgement proclaimed and then carried out in 14-20.

PROCLAIMED (14:6-13_

Judgements proclamation is carried out by God’s messengers- angels.

in 6-13 we have 3 angels, bringing 3 messages.

The first angel brings the eternal gospel and proclaims it to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

When you see the phrase: the people of the earth- this refers to unbelievers.

Which means that before judgement…comes the offer of salvation- a way out!

God’s heart is that all would turn to him- so out of his grace and mercy- he brings the offer of salvation to every inch of the earth.

And what does the eternal gospel proclaim?

Salvation…Sin corrupts us, causes separation from God, and brings eternal judgment. But God, in His mercy and grace, sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sins through His willing sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus took on the full weight of God's wrath that was meant for us, enduring unimaginable suffering and so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God.

Salvation is always and forever by grace alone..through Christ alone…Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life…no one comes to the Father except through me.

However- each person must make a decision- will you follow the lamb to eternal life with God or follow the beast to eternal destruction?

God’s desire is that everyone would come to saving faith…however- we know from scripture that some will choose to continue to reject Him.

But the time for salvation is coming to an end…vs 7 states of a future time- a time at the end- when there will be no more opportunities for salvation…when the hour of judgement comes, the time for salvation will be at an end.

But today- is not that day- today is the time for salvation…the time for repentance…

Why is God reminding believers- people that are already saved- that TODAY is the day of salvation?

To remind them of God’s patience and mercy…to urge them to GO and be a part of proclaiming the message of salvation to every nation, tribe, language and people.

Ladies- who is God calling you to share the message of salvation with? Who is God putting on your heart?

There is a world that desperately needs to know him- before it is too late?

because at some point…the hour of judgement is coming…

2.

in vs 8- the 2nd angel arrives with another proclamation-

8 “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

In the OT, Babylon was the empire that carried God’s people off into exile.

The the original audience of Revelation- they would have probably associated Babylon with Rome-

any dominant power could refer to Babylon… It represented oppression, captivity, and exile. Babylon seduced the people of Israel into committing adulteries- into living a life that defiled their relationship with God as they encouraged worship of the world.

In Revelation- Babylon is mentioned 6x- and we will study Babylon in depth in chp’s 17-19.

The message is that Babylon will once and for all be destroyed.

Are you and I living for a way of life that has already been judged, destined to be destroyed?

Are you living for a city with no foundation?

This is a word of warning..of caution…to not become intoxicated with the maddening wine of Babylon’s adulteries.

To not be lured in to the false promises offered by the world.

3.

and that leads to the 3rd and final proclamation in vs’s 9-12.

These verses give a detailed description of the coming judgement.

When you share the gospel with someone, it’s important that they understand not just what they are saved to, but what they are saved from.

Believers are saved from the eternal judgement described in these passages.

That is good news.

But to be honest- while knowing that I am saved from this judgement- there is still a heaviness to the sobering realities of what coming judgement means for those who have rejected Christ’s offer of salvation.

I think most of us prefer the Disney version of the Bible. I know I do.

The one where we only ever talk about the new heaven and the new earth…where there will be no more mourning or crying…we want to talk about the streets of gold and to live in a place where there is feasting and abundance-

and those things are good and true and promised in the Bible for believers.

But the sobering reality is that eternal judgement is a real and coming reality for those who

There is a temptation to water down the message of coming judgement. To make it seem not quite as bad as it is….

but a doctor would not be a good doctor if he only gave you the diagnosis you wanted to hear.

no exercise…no problem

you like ice cream..wonderful- eat as much as you want.…

No-a good doctor gives you the diagnosis that saves your life!

Even if it is hard to hear..even if you may not like it.

I know that as we talk about this topic today- that many of you are sitting here thinking of loved ones who are currently rejecting Jesus as their Lord and Savior…some of you have even lost loved ones who, to your knowledge, did not turn to Christ before they passed..I know that I have…and the truths of this scripture are difficult to hear..

So what do we learn about eternal judgement for those who have rejected salvation and have taken on the mark of the beast…vs’s 9-11 tell us that:

They will experience eternal burning of sulfur.

and their eternal smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever

they will have no rest...day or night.

The picture given is one of conscious, eternal, and everlasting torment before the angels and the Lamb.

This is a description of hell.

A place that many, even within some Christian circles, have tried to soften or even pretend it doesn’t exist altogether.

But there is no getting around the description of hell we see in these verses. And the person who talked about hell the most- was Jesus.

No matter how you frame it…or paint the picture- if you use the imagery that is here- it’s a place of horror.

and those in hell will have a constant awareness and knowledge of the God they rejected.

I think it’s easy to read this and think that the punishment does not seem to fit the crime.

What about my neighbor who is a good person- who helps others and is kind?

What about the people who are generous with their money?

What about those who follow the laws- and who don’t harm others?

The problem lies not with the punishment, but with our understanding of sin. Several weeks ago we talked about the depth of sin and the destruction that is causes.

Anna gave us a visual of a house completely destroyed by water damage and the need for the house to go down to the studs to be rebuilt.

Sin is destructive..and deadly…all sin…not just some sins…

a person may look like a good or bad person depending on who is closest to them at the time.

But when placed next to a HOLY God, Romans tells us that ALL fall short…

which means that God’s judgement on sin is just.

I think sometimes when we read of God’s judgement we think that God takes off his LOVE hat and put on his judgement HAT.

But God HAS to be LOVING ALL of the time- because it is a part of who he is.

If he stops being loving. or merciful. or good.. He stops being God.

and while we see his judgement as his wrath is poured out- JUDGEMENT and WRATH are NOT attributes of God.

Judgement and wrath exist where righteousness does not.

God does not execute judgement and wrath just because.

He doesn’t sit up in heaven and strike here and there at random…

God is HOLY…so his judgement comes as a result of a foolish humanity living as if He doesn't exist.

God’s judgement and wrath is a righteous response to sin.

If there was no sin- there would be no need for judgement.

We want a God who rightly and justly does something about sin.

We want a God who steps in and puts a stop to the atrocities that occur in this world.

The people listening to this KNEW persecution..they knew deep suffering caused by evil…

Knowing that God would bring judgement and one day STOP the persecution and evil that surrounded them was comforting.

so often I think we don’t like the idea of God’s just judgement because we have never experienced true persecution- true injustice.

The sobering reality of these verses is that for those who choose to continue to reject God- judgement is coming.

and for believers while we find comfort in knowing this is not our reality- we also recognize that this is the reality for those around us who have rejected God.

Persecution was a very real part of their life..

and so in vs 12- God tells the believers that judgement is coming..their suffering will all be worth it.…he tells them to patiently endure…to remain faithful.

vs 13 brings us to the 2nd of 7 Blessings in the book of Revelation- here God speaks directly to His people…he says:

13  Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

We said all the way back in Revelation 1 that to be blessed is to experience the fullness of God- and so a blessing is anything that draws your gaze upward…the brings you closer to Him.

so here we see that those who remain faithful will be blessed- they will receive an eternal reward and their death will bring them into the fullness of God and his glory…so that yes, even death for a believer- becomes a blessing.

and upon death- believers will find rest from their labor. One scholar said:

“Heaven is not so much a place where no work is done as one where pain has ceased. Believers rest from their labor, but their deeds go into the life beyond the grave. This gives dignity to all the work in which Christians engage.”

Keep working…keep enduring…and tell everyone you know of the eternal life offered through Jesus, before it’s too late.

CARRIED OUT (14:14-20)

As we move into vs’s 14-20 here we see a picture of 2 harvests…a grain harvest and a grape harvest.

There is a lot going on here with multiple angels and one like the son of man coming on a cloud.

But what is being described here is judgement day.

In scripture, judgement is often described using harvest imagery…because it would have been familiar to the original audience.

The first Harvest describes the grain harvest…

As John looks- the first thing he sees is one like the son of man, seated on a white cloud with a crown of gold on his head…which is the same image we find in Revelation 1 to describe Jesus. But this time Jesus also has a sickle.

A sickle is used during harvest to cut the stems of the crop at the base..it has a rounded blade at the top so you can hook and cut the crops at the same time and collect them.

So here is Jesus with his sickle- and an angel comes out and proclaims that the time has come because the earth is ripe for harvest.

There are differing views on WHO Jesus is harvesting..is he drawing the believers to himself before judgement or is he enacting final judgement in this moment on unbelievers?

Regardless- what we learn is that the time for judgement is NOW…the earth is ripe…his judgement will be carried out over the whole earth…and the time for salvation has ended. There will be no more chances…no more opportunities to repent.

and because we know the character of the one enacting judgement…we can be sure that it will be right on time…and that he is acting in perfect justice.

We can be certain that he will not come back until all of his people have been gathered to himself.

the second harvest is a grape harvest

when grapes were harvested, they were either trampled or stomped and then the juices collected…

There is no question that these grapes refer to unbelievers.

Here we have 2 angels…one with a sharp sickle and one who was in charge of the fire on the altar who instructions the angel with the sickle to gather the grapes…

After grapes were harvested they were stomped and trampled until the juices ran out.

This harvest is often called the great wine press of God’s wrath as the blood of flows out and the wicked on earth are destroyed once and for all…

the amount of blood here is described as 200 miles worth…and whether literal or symbolic…there will be a lot of blood when judgement day arrives for unbelievers. .

and believers can be sure that as God brings judgement..he is perfectly just…and good..and loving in all of his actions- even when our minds can’t possibly understand.

C.S. Lewis says that When the author walks on to the stage the play is over… “For this time it will be God without disguise, something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side”

PRINCIPLE: Only those saved by Jesus will escape God’s wrath.

If you are a believer- I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on this passage For the believer-and for the original listeners of Revelation- the message of coming judgement is one of comfort.

Jesus is coming back. The injustice that is being done to them will not last forever.

But the time of judgement has not yet come—at the moment it is still the time for salvation. And believers have the wonderful privilege and opportunity to proclaim the message of truth…to not hide the warning of coming judgement or sugarcoat it.

An atheist is quoted as saying: If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you really think it’s not really worth telling them because it would make it socially awkward…I mean…how much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?

He goes on to say….“I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.”

The message of Revelation is hard to hear, but yet clear…

Our world tells us that there are many ways to God.

Just be a good person…

Worship

APPLICATION:

CONCLUSION:

The overall point of Revelation 14 for believers is to bring you hope as you celebrate your salvation- worshiping God with a new song and a new life as you spend time reflecting on what you have been saved from….

reflect on As you wrestle with the truths of this scripture my prayer is that you will develop a higher view of God- that you will learn to trust his judgements- remembering that God is the perfect just judge who hates sin and rightfully carries out judgement in his way and in His time, but not before pouring out his grace and mercy and chasing after those he loves.