Revelation 14:6-20

Introduction

Have you ever felt like you’re swimming against the current?

You’re trying to raise your kids with biblical values, but the world keeps sending them a different message. You want to follow Jesus faithfully, but it feels like every news story, every post online, every conversation at work is pulling you in the opposite direction. It’s exhausting. It’s confusing. And sometimes it’s lonely.

And we know what it’s like to live in that tension. We’re not a perfect church—we’re a family of people trying to live out our faith in the middle of a culture that doesn’t always make that easy.

And that’s why the book of Revelation speaks so powerfully to us. Because it was written for people just like us—believers living in the real world, under pressure, trying to hold on to their faith in a world full of compromise.

Revelation 14 gives us a picture we need to see. It’s a picture of endurance—not the kind that grits its teeth and just survives, but the kind that stays faithful, joyful, and grounded in truth, no matter what. It’s a call to resist the lies, to follow the Lamb, and to live with our eyes fixed on eternity.

So if you’re tired… if you’re discouraged… if you’ve wondered whether it’s really worth it to keep following Jesus when the world makes it so hard—this passage is for you.

Let’s listen together.

[Where We Are in the Story]

Before we dive into Revelation 14, we need to take a step back and look at the big picture. Revelation isn’t a book meant to confuse or overwhelm us. It’s not some secret code we have to crack. It’s a pastoral vision—a revelation from Jesus, given to strengthen His church in the middle of a hostile world. And to understand chapter 14, we have to see where we are in the flow of the whole book.

The story of Revelation unfolds in three major stages—almost like a drama in three acts:

Act One is Revelation 4-5. That’s where we began this whole vision. And what we saw was this: the Lamb has already won. Jesus, the slain Lamb who is now standing, has conquered death. He’s worthy to open the scroll—the plan of God to bring judgment and salvation to the world—because He gave His life for the world.

These chapters show us God on the throne and Jesus reigning as King. It’s a heavenly perspective. And it’s meant to reassure us: history is not random. It’s ruled by the crucified and risen Christ.

Act Two begins in Revelation 6 and continues all the way to chapter 15, verse 4. That’s where we are living now. This section shows us what life looks like in the time between Jesus’ resurrection and His return—in other words, our time. This is the church age. And here’s the message: the Lamb has won, but evil is still active. The battle has shifted from heaven to earth, and now the church is called to bear witness. That’s our role in this act of the story. We fight not with violence or power, but by faithfully proclaiming the truth in word and deed.

In this section, we’ve seen seven seals (chapters 6–7), seven trumpets (chapters 8–11), and now seven signs (chapters 12–14).

Each set of sevens gives us a different angle on what’s happening in the world. The seals show the suffering and chaos in history. The trumpets sound God’s warning judgments to awaken repentance. And the signs show the deeper spiritual conflict behind the scenes—the battle between the dragon and the Lamb.

Then comes Act Three, which starts in chapter 15, verse 5, and runs through the end of the book. That’s the final judgment and renewal. That’s when Jesus comes back, not as the suffering Lamb, but as the conquering King. Evil will be crushed. The beast and the dragon will be defeated. And the new heavens and new earth will be revealed.

So here’s where we are: we’re living in the middle of Act Two. Jesus has already won the victory. He is on the throne. But His victory is being worked out on earth through the faithful witness of His church.

And until He returns, we are called to be part of that story—to bear witness, to resist evil, and to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

[Transition to Revelation 14:6–20]

And that brings us to today’s passage. Revelation 14:6–20 is the heart of that mission. It shows us how the Lamb’s people live and speak in the last days. It shows us our calling—not just to survive, but to conquer. And how do we conquer? By holding to the truth and bearing witness—no matter what it costs.

[Revelation 14:6–12]

Let’s step into the next scene. After showing us the Lamb standing victorious on Mount Zion with His people—those who refused the mark of the beast and bore the name of God—we now see a dramatic shift in Revelation 14.

Three angels appear in the sky, each delivering a message that echoes across all of history. These are not three separate ideas—they form one unified call to faithfulness, a final warning to the world, and a call to endure.

The First Angel (v. 6–7)

The first angel flies overhead proclaiming what John calls the “eternal gospel.” That word gospel—good news—isn’t new to us. But here, it’s framed in language we might not expect: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Wait—judgment and fear? Is that good news?

Yes. Because God’s judgment means evil won’t win. It means the lies of the beast won’t last forever. It means injustice has an expiration date.

The eternal gospel calls all people—every nation, tribe, and language—to turn from false worship and honor the Creator. Not Caesar. Not success. Not self. The first angel is a missionary. He reminds us that the good news is cosmic in scope: God is reclaiming His world, and He is calling people to worship Him rightly.

The Second Angel (v. 8)

The second angel announces, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great.” This is prophetic past tense—John speaks of it as if it has already happened. Babylon here isn’t just the old empire; it’s a symbol for every idolatrous culture that seduces people away from God. It’s Rome in John’s time, but it’s also every society that replaces God with something else—power, sex, money, nation, or ideology.

Why does Babylon fall? Because she “made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

This isn’t just about literal immorality—it’s about a system that corrupts and deceives the world, turning worship into self-indulgence, and luring people into spiritual compromise. This angel is telling us: the empire that seems so powerful today—it won’t last. Don’t hitch your heart to it. Don’t build your life on it.

I once heard a story about a mother hummingbird looking for a place to build her nest. She kept trying to settle in different trees, but a hammerjack would show up and shake the branches every time. Over and over, the bird was disturbed and forced to move. Finally, she flew to a solid rock where she was finally safe. What the mother bird didn’t realize was this: the hammerjack was trying to help her. He was about to cut those trees down. He didn’t want her to build a nest in something that wouldn’t last. He was trying to send her to safety.

That’s what God is doing here in Revelation. Babylon—the trees of this world—is going down. The shaking is mercy. God is warning us: don’t build your life in the wrong place. The systems of this world—whether political, economic, cultural, or even religious if Christ isn’t the center—they will fall. So don’t get too comfortable. Don’t set up camp in Babylon. It will not last.

You see, the point isn’t just to know that Babylon will fall. The point is to hear the warning in time and move. To stop building our identity, our security, our hope in things that are passing away. There is one foundation that cannot be shaken. One Rock that will not crumble. That’s Jesus. And the message of this angel is: flee Babylon. Flee the illusion of permanence and run to the only kingdom that lasts.

The Third Angel (vv. 9–11)

Now we come to the most sobering message. The third angel gives a direct warning: If anyone worships the beast or receives its mark, they will face the full wrath of God. The imagery is graphic—fire, sulfur, torment, no rest day or night.

It’s unsettling. And it’s meant to be.

This isn’t a scare tactic. This is reality. Worship is always about allegiance. You either follow the Lamb or you follow the beast. You can’t do both. And this angel is making it painfully clear: if you give your loyalty to anything other than Christ, there are eternal consequences.

We need to feel the weight of this. Not to terrify us into obedience, but to shake us awake. This isn’t a game. Faithfulness matters. Our choices matter.

The Lamb’s army is defined not by power, but by purity and allegiance. And this warning is an invitation to repentance. There is still time to turn to the Lamb.

So… These three angels aren’t giving us three disconnected announcements—they’re sounding one unified message from heaven. Together, they form a final call to the world and to the church: Angel 1: fear God, because judgment is coming; Angel 2: don’t trust Babylon, because it’s already falling; and Angel 3: don’t follow the beast, because his doom is certain. It’s a call to faith, to turn to the Creator, to reject the lies of the empire, and to remain faithful no matter the cost. This is heaven’s urgent broadcast—God is still calling people to Himself, even as judgment draws near. And we, the church, are called to listen, to believe, and to endure.

[A Word for the Church – Verse 12]

Right after these three angelic messages, John turns to the church with a simple but powerful exhortation: “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

In other words: don’t give up. Keep going. Stay faithful. Stay committed to Christ and committed to His church. Revelation is a call for the endurance of the saints! Revelation is saying: Church, Stand Firm!

Why? Because the world will try to wear you down. Because Babylon will look beautiful. Because the beast will look powerful. Because compromise will look easier. But the way of the Lamb is worth it.

Now… Let’s talk honestly about something that’s often misunderstood in churches like ours. We believe in election. We believe God, in His mercy and grace, chooses and saves His people. But sometimes, that beautiful truth gets twisted into something it was never meant to be. People begin to think, “Well, if I’m chosen, I’m good—doesn’t really matter how I live.” That mindset leads to spiritual laziness. It produces apathy instead of passion, passivity instead of perseverance. But Revelation 14 doesn’t let us believe that. It says that those who belong to the Lamb are marked by endurance. They keep going. They stay faithful. They hold on to Jesus when everything else is falling apart. And that’s not because they’re strong, but because God’s grace is at work in them.

You see, real election never leads to coasting. It leads to clinging to Christ. It produces worship, obedience, love, and perseverance. So if you find yourself saying, “I’m saved, so I don’t really have to grow, fight sin, or press in”—then something’s wrong. That’s not the voice of grace; that’s the voice of presumption. That’s the voice the book of Revelation is warning us about. Jesus didn’t die so we could drift through life unchanged. He died to make us His, and to shape us into His image.

Grace doesn’t just open the door—it walks with you through every valley. So if you claim to be chosen, your life should reflect the mark of the Lamb: endurance, faith, repentance, love. Not perfection. But real pursuit. Real effort. Real dependence. The doctrine of election isn’t meant to make us casual; it’s meant to make us confident in the God who keeps us and to stir us to wholehearted, persevering faith. So don’t let grace become an excuse for spiritual laziness. Let it become the power that moves you to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Because that’s what marks the people of the Lamb: not perfection, not popularity, but perseverance. They hold fast to Jesus when the world mocks them, when it costs them, when it would be easier to quit.

And why your perseverance is important? Why your endurance and faithfulness is important? Why your witness is important?

Verses 13-20 tell us why!

[Two Outcomes – Verses 13–20]

Revelation 14:13-20 ends with two powerful images—two harvests that represent two radically different outcomes. One is a harvest of salvation, the other a harvest of judgment. And these images aren’t just poetic.

They’re urgent, meant to shake us awake and remind us: the way we live and who we worship today shapes our eternity.

1 — The first harvest is in verses 14–16. John sees “one like a son of man,” which echoes the language of Daniel 7, where the Messiah comes to receive His kingdom. This is Christ Himself. He’s sitting on a white cloud, the color of purity and victory, with a golden crown on His head. He holds a sharp sickle in His hand. And when the call comes—“Reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe!”—He swings the sickle, and the earth is harvested.

This is the harvest of the righteous. This is the gathering in of God’s people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. It’s what Jesus described in Matthew 13 and Matthew 24—the gathering of His elect.

These are the ones who have followed the Lamb wherever He goes (v. 4), who bore witness even unto death, who resisted the beast and clung to the truth. This harvest is a picture of hope. It tells us that our suffering is not the end. Our labor is not in vain. One day, Jesus will come for His people, and we will be gathered into His kingdom forever.

2 — But then comes the second harvest—the winepress—in verses 17–20. And it’s intense. Another angel appears, also holding a sharp sickle. He is told to reap again, but this time it’s not for gathering—it’s for trampling. The angel swings the sickle and gathers the grapes of the earth, throwing them into “the great winepress of the wrath of God.” The image is graphic: blood flows from the press as high as a horse’s bridle (braidle), for about 180 miles.

This second harvest is judgment. It echoes Isaiah 63, where God tramples the winepress in judgment against the nations.

It is not the result of capricious wrath, but of holy justice. These are the ones who have rejected the Lamb, who gave their allegiance to the beast, who refused to repent despite God’s temporary warnings throughout history. The contrast could not be starker—gathered into the kingdom or crushed outside the city. There is no middle ground.

This passage forces us to ask: which harvest will I be in? Because every life is moving toward one of these two outcomes. That’s not just apocalyptic imagery—that’s reality. There is a day coming when Jesus will return, and the line will be drawn. This isn’t a scare tactic—it’s a loving warning from the One who died to gather us into His harvest of grace.

Verse 13 gives us a preview of this: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” That’s not something you hear every day.

But John is saying—if you live for Jesus, if you die for Jesus, if you belong to Jesus—you’re blessed. Why? “Because your deeds (works) follow you.” The faithfulness of God’s people is not forgotten. Their witness is not erased. God sees every small act of obedience, every small act of love, every costly choice to stand for the truth, every moment of faithfulness. And He will honor it.

[Application]

So what do we do with all of this? Revelation 14 doesn’t end with speculation—it ends with a call to wake up. A call to endure.

Verse 12 says it clearly: “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” That’s the point. In a world of lies, compromise, and pressure, Jesus calls His people to stand firm—not to fit in, not to coast—but to remain faithful.

Endurance doesn’t mean barely holding on. It means pressing on with holy resolve. It means holding to truth when everyone else is letting go. It means living for Christ when no one’s watching. It means speaking His name even when it costs you.

That’s what Christian resistance looks like: not outrage, not retreat—but steady faithfulness. Quiet courage. Obedience in the small things. Because the pressure to compromise is real—and constant. But Revelation won’t let us settle. It says the harvest is coming. The time is now.

And here’s the irony of God’s Kingdom: victory looks like sacrifice. The church wins not by seizing power, but by staying near the cross. That’s why we must be a countercultural community—not flashy, not loud—but different. Different because we belong to Jesus. Different because we’ve seen the Lamb, and we know where He’s leading.

We don’t need to impress the world. We need to follow the Lamb. He honors the humble, the overlooked, the faithful. In a world full of noise, we listen. In a world chasing power, we serve. In a world of lies, we speak truth—clearly, gently, boldly.

And how do we do it? Not by trying harder. But by staying close to the Lamb. Revelation says His people “follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” That’s our call. Follow Him in suffering. Follow Him in holiness. Follow Him all the way home.

So let me ask you: What defines you? Who shapes your desires, your choices, your days? Is it Jesus… or the world?

Church, don’t build your life on what is already falling. Babylon will collapse. Its promises are empty. Don’t live in its shadow. Don’t give your heart to its lies.

Build your life on the Rock. Root yourself in Christ. He’s worth it.

Even if the road is hard, stay faithful.

Even if no one else is, stay faithful.

Even when you’re tired, stay faithful. Stand firm!

Because the Lamb is worthy. And His promise is certain:

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord… for their deeds follow them.”

[Transition to the Lord’s Supper]

As we come now to the Lord’s Table, let’s remember what all of this has been leading us to—not just a call to resist the world, but an invitation to rest in Jesus. The Lamb who calls us to follow Him is the same Lamb who laid down His life for us.

At this table, we’re not just remembering a distant event—we are receiving again the grace of His sacrifice, the strength of His Spirit, and the promise of His victory.

This is not a reward for the righteous; it’s nourishment for sinners who cling to Christ. So if you belong to Him—if you’ve trusted in Jesus and are seeking to follow Him—come and eat. Come and be strengthened. Come and remember that the One who died for you also lives for you, intercedes for you, and is coming again.

Let’s prepare our hearts together. [silent prayer]

[Prayer]: Call the elders

Gracious Father,

We come to this table not because we are strong, but because we are weak. Not because we have earned a seat, but because Your mercy has made a way. We confess that we often follow our own desires instead of following the Lamb. We chase after comfort, success, and approval, forgetting that true life is found in Christ alone. So we ask—cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, and fix our eyes on Jesus. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, remind us again of the cost of our salvation. Remind us that the body was broken and the blood was shed, so that sinners like us could be brought into Your family, forgiven, and made new. By Your Spirit, feed our faith, strengthen our love, and deepen our hope. May this meal nourish us for the journey ahead, and may we leave this table ready to follow the Lamb—wherever He goes. In His name we pray, Amen.