Revelation 14
14
The Lamb and the 144,000
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. 4They have kept themselves as pure as virgins,#14:4a Greek They are virgins who have not defiled themselves with women. following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering#14:4b Greek as firstfruits. 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.”
8Then 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.”
9Then 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
14Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man.#14:14 Or like a son of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15Then 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.
17After 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#14:20 Greek 1,600 stadia [300 kilometers]. long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
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Revelation 14
14
The Lamb and the 144,000
1Then I looked, and behold, on #Ps. 2:6; Heb. 12:22Mount Zion #See ch. 5:6stood the Lamb, and with him #ch. 7:4144,000 who #ch. 3:12had his name and his Father’s name written #ch. 7:3on their foreheads. 2And I heard a voice from heaven #See ch. 1:15like the roar of many waters and #ch. 6:1; 19:6like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of #ch. 5:8; 15:2harpists playing on their harps, 3and they were singing #ch. 5:9a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. #[ch. 2:17; 19:12]No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for #2 Cor. 11:2they are virgins. It is these #[ch. 3:4; 17:14] who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as #James 1:18firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5and #Zeph. 3:13; [Ps. 32:2; Isa. 63:8; John 1:47] in their mouth no lie was found, for they are #See Jude 24blameless.
The Messages of the Three Angels
6Then I saw another angel #ch. 8:13flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to #[ch. 3:10]those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, #ch. 15:4“Fear God and #See ch. 11:13give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and #Neh. 9:6; See ch. 4:11worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the #ch. 8:10; 16:4springs of water.”
8Another angel, a second, followed, saying, #ch. 18:2; Isa. 21:9; Jer. 51:8“Fallen, fallen is #ch. 16:19; 17:5; 18:10; [Dan. 4:30] Babylon the great, #Jer. 51:7she who made all nations drink #ch. 18:3the wine of the passion#14:8 Or wrath of her sexual immorality.”
9And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone #See ch. 13:15worships the beast and its image and receives #ch. 13:16a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he also will drink #ch. 16:19; See Job 21:20the wine of God’s wrath, #[ch. 18:6; Isa. 1:22] poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and #ch. 20:10he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11And #Isa. 34:10; [ch. 18:18; 19:3; Gen. 19:28] the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and #ch. 4:8they have no rest, day or night, these #[See ver. 9 above]worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
12 # ch.
13:10
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who #ch. 12:17keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.#14:12 Greek and the faith of Jesus
13And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: #ch. 20:6; [Eccles. 4:2] Blessed are the dead #1 Cor. 15:18; 1 Thess. 4:16who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, #ch. 6:11“that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
The Harvest of the Earth
14Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one #See ch. 1:13like a son of man, #ch. 6:2with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15And another angel #[ch. 15:6; 16:17] came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, #ver. 18; Joel 3:13; Mark 4:29; [Matt. 13:39] “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for #Jer. 51:33the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18And another angel came out from the altar, #[ch. 16:8] the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, #Joel 3:13for its grapes are ripe.” 19So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great #ch. 19:15winepress of the wrath of God. 20And #Isa. 63:3; Lam. 1:15the winepress was trodden #[Heb. 13:12] outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as #[ch. 19:14]a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.#14:20 About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
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