Revelation 14

Studies in Revelation
by Dr. John H. Roller

Chapter 14



Introduction
Revelation 14 gives us a glimpse of the true people of God as opposed to the false church that we read about in Revelation 13.

Revelation 14:1
I SAW (in the vision), AND BEHOLD (“Look!”), THE LAMB (Jesus) STANDING ON MOUNT ZION (which represents the true temple of God, since the literal Mount Zion, in the literal Jerusalem, was the site of the literal temple of God that was destroyed in AD 70), AND WITH HIM A NUMBER, ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND (the same number that was mentioned in Revelation 7:4 – but, in this case, I believe that it is a symbolic number representing the entire true Church), HAVING HIS (Jesus’) NAME, AND THE NAME OF HIS (Jesus’) FATHER (God), WRITTEN ON THEIR FOREHEADS (showing that they are true believers in Jesus, and in God, not in the Antichrist, as seen in Revelation 13).

Revelation 14:2
I HEARD A SOUND FROM HEAVEN, LIKE THE SOUND OF MANY WATERS, AND LIKE THE SOUND OF A GREAT THUNDER. THE SOUND WHICH I HEARD WAS LIKE THAT OF HARPISTS PLAYING ON THEIR HARPS. What was this sound? I think that it was the voice of Christ (see the description of His voice given in Revelation 1:10 and Revelation 1:15).

Revelation 14:3
THEY SING A NEW SONG BEFORE THE THRONE, AND BEFORE THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES AND THE ELDERS. NO ONE COULD LEARN THE SONG EXCEPT THE ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND, THOSE WHO HAD BEEN REDEEMED OUT OF THE EARTH. The song that only the true Church can sing is the song of redemption. Only sinners who have been saved by God’s grace can possibly understand what redemption is all about. Angels can’t understand it, because they have never sinned, so they don’t need to be redeemed. Unsaved sinners can’t understand it, because they have never accepted God’s grace, so redemption isn’t activated in them. Demons can’t understand it, because they never do anything but sin, and Jesus didn’t pay the penalty for their sin, so they can’t possibly be redeemed. The 144,000 must represent the entire true church, because every redeemed sinner does understand the meaning of redemption, and therefore can learn the song.

Revelation 14:4
THESE ARE THOSE WHO WERE NOT DEFILED WITH WOMEN, FOR THEY ARE VIRGINS. That doesn’t mean that married people can’t be saved; again, the statement is symbolic. Being “defiled with women” is a symbol for engaging in idolatry (worshiping idols and following false gods). “Virgins” are those who have totally dedicated themselves to Christ and who don’t worship anything (or anyone) else. They put God first in their lives – and no one can be saved unless they do exactly that – and everyone will certainly be saved who does exactly that. THESE ARE THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE LAMB WHEREVER HE GOES. THESE WERE REDEEMED BY JESUS FROM AMONG MEN, THE FIRST FRUITS TO GOD AND TO THE LAMB.

Revelation 14:5
IN THEIR MOUTH WAS FOUND NO LIE (certainly that should be the case for all true Christians), FOR THEY ARE BLAMELESS (not that they have achieved a state of sinless perfection, but that all of their sins have been forgiven because of their faith in Jesus).

Revelation 14:6
I SAW AN ANGEL FLYING IN MID HEAVEN, HAVING AN ETERNAL GOSPEL TO PROCLAIM TO THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH, AND TO EVERY NATION, TRIBE, LANGUAGE, AND PEOPLE.

Revelation 14:7
HE SAID WITH A LOUD VOICE, “FEAR THE LORD, AND GIVE HIM GLORY; FOR THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT HAS COME. WORSHIP HIM WHO MADE THE HEAVEN, THE EARTH, THE SEA, AND THE SPRINGS OF WATERS!” Interestingly, this angel, who is said to have “an eternal gospel” to proclaim, doesn’t preach “the Gospel” (as we understand it); he doesn’t explain the “plan of salvation” or tell anyone “how to be saved” – rather, he demands of the people on Earth that God be honored, and that His greatness be praised, because the time for judgment has come; and he includes a command to worship the God who created the world. I think that, in a sense, what we’re seeing here is a specifically “end-times” proclamation of the Gospel, and I think that it’s been going on at least since the early 20th century, and that this “angel” represents the true evangelical church that has, for the past 100 years or so, been proclaiming a message about like this: “Jesus is coming soon; we must praise God’s greatness; we must worship the Creator; judgment is about to take place; if you’re going to be saved, you’d better get saved now.” I think that it’s interesting to notice, for example, the emphasis on praise, which has been coming into more and more prominence in the past few decades as an important element of the church’s life and work. Certainly, too, there has been an increased emphasis on the rapid approach of Judgment Day; and there has even been an increased emphasis on creation, especially in contrast to the popularity (in the non-Christian world) of evolutionist thinking. I think that this angel represents the evangelical movement of the past 100 years or so.

Revelation 14:8
ANOTHER, A SECOND ANGEL, FOLLOWED, SAYING, “BABYLON THE GREAT HAS FALLEN, WHICH HAS MADE ALL THE NATIONS TO DRINK OF THE WINE OF THE WRATH OF HER SEXUAL IMMORALITY.” This is the first place in the book of Revelation where “Babylon the Great” is mentioned (details will be expounded in chapters 17 and 18; there we will find that “Babylon the Great” is another name for the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages). That church, with its false and immoral systems, has already fallen from the position of leadership in Christendom, and the position of authority over the nations, and the position of esteem which it held, during the time when its head (the Papacy) was in power. The second angel represents the spreading of a message about its fall, which had already taken place before the first angel’s message began to come into prominence. It represents, if you will, the kind of teaching about the book of Revelation, and its symbols, that I am attempting to give a sample of in these Studies.

Revelation 14:9
ANOTHER ANGEL, A THIRD, FOLLOWED THEM, SAYING WITH A GREAT VOICE, “IF ANYONE WORSHIPS THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, AND RECEIVES A MARK ON HIS FOREHEAD, OR IN HIS HAND,

Revelation 14:10
HE ALSO (in addition to drinking of ‘the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality’) WILL DRINK OF THE WINE OF THE WRATH OF GOD, WHICH IS PREPARED UNMIXED IN THE CUP OF HIS ANGER (God’s punishment on those who had dedicated themselves to serving the Antichrist). I don’t think that this refers to the ‘innocent’ members of the Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages – those ‘ordinary’ people who knew no better, and had no other teaching given to them. I think that it refers to those who knew what was going on, realized that it was wrong, and committed themselves to it anyway, because of the economic and political advantages that came to them for doing so. HE WILL BE TORMENTED WITH FIRE AND SULFUR IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY ANGELS, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LAMB.

Revelation 14:11
THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT GOES UP FOREVER AND EVER. You’ve probably heard that statement used to defend the teaching of an eternally burning Hell where souls are tormented and never destroyed; but I want you to notice that the text doesn’t say that the fire that torments them continues to burn forever and ever. What it says is that the ‘smoke’ produced by that ‘fire’ continues to ‘rise’ forever and ever. You know as well as I do that smoke can continue to rise long after the fire that produced it has gone out. After the fire has gone out, the smoke that it had produced while it was burning is still up in the sky, rising higher and higher. I don’t believe that this statement teaches that anyone’s ‘torment’ lasts forever; what it teaches is that the evidence that this ‘torment’ has taken place remains forever. The ‘torment’ leads to their complete destruction, and they forever remain in the condition of having been completely destroyed – that is, they are never again restored to existence and life. THEY HAVE NO REST DAY AND NIGHT, THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, AND WHOEVER RECEIVES THE MARK OF HIS NAME. Again, this statement has been said to imply that the ‘torment’ of such people will go on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout eternity. Several chapters from now, we will see how difficult it is to reconcile that concept with a statement that in eternity there is no such thing as ‘night.’ For now, let me just say that in order for anything to happen ‘day and night,’ it must happen (and then stop happening) before eternity begins.

Revelation 14:12
HERE IS THE PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS, THOSE WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND THE FAITH OF JESUS.” This verse is almost identical to the last part of Revelation 13:10. All of these statements about what went on in those times constitute a call for God’s true people to stick to their belief that Jesus (and Jesus alone) can save them – not to put their trust in any religious system or organization or follow any man-made leadership or authority. They are to follow Jesus (and Jesus alone).

Revelation 14:13
I HEARD THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN (the voice of Jesus) SAYING, “WRITE, ‘BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD (having faith in Jesus) FROM NOW (John’s time) ON (throughout all remaining history).’” “YES (Literally, ‘Amen’),” SAYS THE (Holy) SPIRIT, “THAT THEY MAY (experience) REST (in eternity) FROM THEIR LABORS, FOR (the results of) THEIR WORKS FOLLOW WITH THEM.” In this life, the results of our work (our wages) often evaporate as fast as we receive them. In eternity, the results of the work that we will do for God will continue forever, just as we ourselves will.
So far, our studies in Revelation 12:1–14:13 have taken us through another “tour” of events leading from ancient times to our own times. It shouldn’t surprise us that the next thing that we will read is another description of the second coming of Christ. It also shouldn’t surprise us that this one will be longer, and contain more details, than each of the ones that we have seen in our studies of previous chapters. In this case, the focus of the description will be on the “Judgment Day” aspect of His coming.

Revelation 14:14
I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, A WHITE CLOUD; AND ON THE CLOUD ONE SITTING LIKE A SON OF MAN (Jesus), HAVING ON HIS HEAD A GOLDEN CROWN, AND IN HIS HAND A SHARP SICKLE.

Revelation 14:15
ANOTHER ANGEL CAME OUT FROM THE TEMPLE (in Heaven), CRYING WITH A LOUD VOICE TO HIM WHO SAT ON THE CLOUD (Jesus), “SEND FORTH YOUR SICKLE; FOR THE HOUR TO REAP HAS COME; FOR THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH IS RIPE!” In Jesus’ own teaching, during His earthly ministry, “harvest time” was often used as a “picture” of the judgment that will occur in the process of His second coming and the setting up of His kingdom.

Revelation 14:16
HE WHO SAT ON THE CLOUD (Jesus) THRUST HIS SICKLE ON THE EARTH, AND THE (harvest of the) EARTH WAS REAPED.

Revelation 14:17
ANOTHER ANGEL CAME OUT FROM THE TEMPLE WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. HE ALSO HAD A SHARP SICKLE.

Revelation 14:18
ANOTHER ANGEL CAME OUT FROM THE ALTAR (of the temple in Heaven), HE WHO HAS POWER OVER (the) FIRE (that burns on that altar), AND HE CALLED WITH A GREAT VOICE TO HIM (the angel) WHO HAD THE SHARP SICKLE, SAYING, “SEND FORTH YOUR SHARP SICKLE, AND GATHER THE CLUSTERS OF THE VINE OF THE EARTH, FOR THE EARTH’S GRAPES ARE FULLY RIPE!” The time of “vintage” (the gathering of grapes, and pressing them to make wine) was frequently used in the Old Testament as a “picture” of God’s judgment. A graphic comparison was made between what happens when you squeeze grapes (grape juice comes out of them) and what happens when human beings are killed, especially by swords, in battle (blood comes out of them).

Revelation 14:19
THE ANGEL THRUST HIS SICKLE INTO THE EARTH, AND GATHERED THE VINTAGE OF THE EARTH, AND THREW IT INTO THE GREAT WINEPRESS OF THE WRATH OF GOD.

Revelation 14:20
THE WINEPRESS WAS TRODDEN OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, AND BLOOD CAME OUT FROM THE WINEPRESS (combining the two “pictures” – instead of grape juice coming out of the winepress, and blood coming out of the bodies, John saw blood coming out of the winepress), EVEN TO THE BRIDLES OF THE HORSES (about five feet), AS FAR AS ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED STADIA (about 200 miles). Remember, again, that this is a vision, not a literal prophecy to be fulfilled in mathematical detail! The numbers are large enough to make it clear that John was seeing the destruction of the entire human race, except for those who are saved through their faith in Jesus. That is one of the things that will happen when Jesus returns.