Revelation 14
14
The Song of the Saved
1Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb. He was standing on Mount Zion.# Another name for Jerusalem, here meaning the spiritual city of God’s people. There were 144,000 people with him. They all had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of flooding water and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like people playing harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living things and the elders.# Elder means “older.” Here the elders probably represent God’s people. The only ones who could learn the new song were the 144,000 who had been saved from the earth. No one else could learn the song. 4These 144,000 are the ones who did not do sinful things with women. They kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb every place he goes. These 144,000 were saved from among the people of the earth. They are the first people to be offered to God and the Lamb. 5They were not guilty of telling lies. They are without fault.
The Three Angels
6Then I saw another angel flying high in the air. The angel had the eternal Good News to preach to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7The angel said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him praise. The time has come for God to judge all people. Worship God. He made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.”
8Then the second angel followed the first angel and said, “She is destroyed! The great city of Babylon is destroyed! She made all the nations drink the wine of her adultery and of God’s anger.”
9A third angel followed the first two angels. This third angel said in a loud voice: “It will be bad for the person who worships the beast and his idol and gets the beast’s mark on the forehead or on the hand. 10He will drink the wine of God’s anger. This wine is prepared with all its strength in the cup of God’s anger. He will be put in pain with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. 11And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his idol or who get the mark of his name.” 12This means that God’s holy people must be patient. They must obey God’s commands and keep their faith in Jesus.
13Then I heard a voice from heaven. It said, “Write this: From now on, the dead who were in the Lord when they died are happy.”
The Spirit says, “Yes, that is true. They will rest from their hard work. The reward of all they have done stays with them.”
The Earth Is Harvested
14I looked and there before me was a white cloud. Sitting on the white cloud was One who looked like a Son of Man.# “Son of Man” is a name Jesus called himself. It showed he was God’s Son, but he was also a man. See dictionary. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle# A farming tool with a curved blade. It was used to harvest grain. in his hand. 15Then another angel came out of the temple. This angel called to the One who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and gather from the earth. The time to harvest has come. The fruit of the earth is ripe.” 16So the One that was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth. And the earth was harvested.
17Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven. This angel also had a sharp sickle. 18And then another angel came from the altar. This angel has power over the fire. This angel called to the angel with the sharp sickle. He said, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth’s vine. The earth’s grapes are ripe.” 19The angel swung his sickle over the earth. He gathered the earth’s grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s anger. 20The grapes were crushed in the winepress outside the city. And blood flowed out of the winepress. It rose as high as the heads of the horses for a distance of 200 miles.
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Revelation 14
14
The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion
1Then I looked, and this is what I saw: the Lamb stood [firmly established] on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had His name and His Father’s name inscribed on their foreheads [signifying God’s own possession]. [Joel 2:32] 2And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; and the voice that I heard [seemed like music and] was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased (ransomed, redeemed) from the earth. [Rev 7:4-8] 4These are the ones who have not been defiled [by relations] with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased and redeemed from among men [of Israel] as the first fruits [sanctified and set apart for special service] for God and the Lamb. [Mark 8:34] 5No lie was found in their mouth, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, beyond reproach).
The Angel with the Gospel
6Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an #14:6 This term likely refers to the message of God’s impending righteous judgment and a final call to repentance and faith in the risen Lord.eternal gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people; [Rom 1:1-4; 1 Cor 15:3-5; Gal 1:6, 7] 7and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God [with awe and reverence], and give Him glory [and honor and praise in worship], because the hour of His judgment has come; [with all your heart] worship Him who created the heaven and the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Doom for Proud Babylon
8Then another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality [corrupting them with idolatry].” [Is 21:9; Dan 4:30, 31; Rev 17:2]
Doom for Worshipers of the Beast
9Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives the mark [of the beast] on his forehead or on his hand, 10he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, #14:10 In ancient times it was customary to mix wine with an equal or larger quantity of water to prevent intoxication at ordinary meals. Here, the mixing is ironic because the “wine of the wrath” is to be consumed at full strength.mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ). [Gen 19:24; Jer 25:15, 16; Luke 12:9] 11And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night—those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” [Is 34:10; Mark 9:48] 12Here is [encouragement for] the steadfast endurance of the saints (God’s people), those who habitually keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus.
13Then I heard [the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘#14:13 This is the second of the seven promised blessings. See note 1:3.Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes, [blessed indeed],” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest and have relief from their labors, for their deeds do follow them.”
The Reapers
14Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle [of swift judgment] in His hand. [Dan 7:13, 14; Matt 13:30, 40-42] 15And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who was sitting upon the cloud, “Put in Your sickle and reap [at once], for the hour to reap [in judgment] has arrived, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripened.” [Joel 3:13] 16So He who was sitting on the cloud cast His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped (judged).
17Then another angel came out of the temple (sanctuary) in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18And another angel came from the altar, the one who has power over fire; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and reap the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe [for judgment].” [Luke 9:54] 19So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and harvested the grapevine of the earth, and threw the grapes into the great wine press of the wrath and indignation of God [as judgment of the rebellious world]. [Is 63:3] 20And the grapes in the wine press were trampled and crushed outside the city, and blood poured from the wine press, reaching up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of #14:20 About two hundred miles.sixteen hundred stadia. [Joel 3:13; Heb 13:12]
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