Welcome to The MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my 159th episode. In this episode I want to continue our study of the book of Revelation. We are in chapter 14. This chapter shifts us away from stories of great trials and suffering endured by the faithful and opens a new scene of hope with God exercising His rule. When we think about God’s wrath and God’s judgment we often think about it from the context of fear. But if your heart is submitted to Jesus then you have no reason to fear God’s wrath. Contrarily, the thought of God’s perfect and inescapable justice should bring you a deep sense of peace and hope. This is because as a follower of Christ you’ve likely been persecuted by the wicked. Even if you’re not religious at all you may have been badly hurt by an evil person. Reading prophecies about God’s final judgment brings you hope because it means that evil will not win the day. It means there will be justice for so many things which have gone without righteous vengeance.
This chapter shows us King Jesus at the head of His faithful followers. There are three angels which are sent in succession to announce the fall of Babylon. They proclaim the things which preceded this fall as well as the events which will follow it. This chapter closes with a vision of the harvest of the earth. Let’s begin with verses 1-5:
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
This passage gives us a glorious vision of Jesus Christ in leadership of His faithful followers. He is pictured as a Lamb standing upon mount Zion. In this passage mount Zion may be understood as the Church itself. This vision shows us that the Church can stand in the midst of her tribulations without being destroyed or consumed because her Lord is standing there with her. An important lesson here is that the presence of God is what facilitates perseverance – not the independent strength of His followers. If you’re going through a dark season and your own endurance is failing, you should know that the presence of God is able to carry you far past what you think is your own breaking point. History is full of accounts of individuals who endured the most horrific things which they themselves had no idea they could survive. We often don’t know our own limits – and our own limits are extended into eternity when we have God backing us up. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. In the previous chapter we read about a counterfeit spiritual leader – who many consider as something like the priest of the Antichrist – and so to see our true Shepherd reveal Himself in this chapter is a breath of fresh air and a sigh of relief. As Christians we know ahead of time that Jesus is King and His reign will be eternal – but that doesn’t always work to alleviate the anxiety of watching evil actors rise to power in the interim of our own day. On the day we see King Jesus at the head of His faithful followers all of these fears will melt away and we will understand how His sacrifice has purchased our safety.
In this passage Christ is standing with 144,000 of His people. Their appearance is honorable and each one of them is sealed with the name of the Father on their foreheads. Each one likely endured great trials and challenges through life. The imagery of these people having the name of the Father on their foreheads is meant to convey how they made bold and open professions of faith in God even during moments where doing so was dangerous or unpopular. This massive gathering of people were singing songs of praise which were uniquely given to them to sing. Verse three says no one else could learn the song but those among the 144,000. John said he heard a voice from heaven as the voice of a great thunder or as the voice of many waters. This can be understood to be the voice of God as well as the collective praise of His followers. The song they sing appears to be exclusive to the moment they are experiencing. People outside the faith can observe the song and repeat it but they can’t comprehend the true spirit of it. This might be similar to how talented musicians can play tributes to others but their tributes are never quite the same as the original. To experience the foundation of joy upon which the song of the 144,000 was sung, you must have given your heart over to Christ and been redeemed from your suffering.
Another interesting characteristic about the 144,000 is that they are virgins. I suppose you could interpret this literally – but I think a better understanding is in reference to their purity from spiritual abominations. It’s likely the culture which surrounded them was caught up in idolatry and these people among this remnant must have stayed away from it. Their faith is given a beautiful description when John says they follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These people adhere to the proclamation of God’s word and they allow His Spirit to lead them into whatever duties or challenges He pleases to give them. This remnant of people are described as being redeemed from among humanity. God’s redeeming mercy distinguishes the faithful from everyone else.
These people pictured in this chapter must have had faith durable enough to be called God’s chosen followers. When a person demonstrates steadfast faith the display tends to have either one of two effects on those who witness it. Their faith might enrage those who are at enmity with God. Or their faith might be contagious and inspire faithfulness in those onlookers who are seeking God. The passage describes this remnant as being without fault before the throne of God. This doesn’t mean these people lived in sinless perfection, it rather means their human infirmities have been pardoned by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. When you realize your sins have been forgiven and you have a Savior to cover those moments of human brokenness, your spirit is set free to love the Lord completely and perfectly. Your Christian perfection is not earned of the fact that you yourself are perfect, rather it is imputed onto you by Jesus Christ who is Himself perfect. The better you become as a Christian the more God is glorified through you because it’s by His power that you are transformed. Let’s read verses 6-12:
Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
In this passage three angels are sent as messengers to proclaim the fall of Babylon. The angels reference the events which resulted in Babylon’s fall as well as the consequences of it falling. The first angel was sent to preach the gospel far and wide on the earth. The gospel is described as everlasting which means it is eternal by its nature. Empires rise and fall but the gospel goes on unchanged and untouched by time. The constructions of humanity are temporary and even our own earthly lives are like vapor in the wind. But the word of God endures forever. The work of preaching the gospel is so important and so difficult at times that even the angels do it. As human beings we should be honored that God would trust us with a project which carries such consequences. Human societies and cultures are different all across the world but the one thing all people have in common is that the gospel is the most important concern for every one of us. It’s kind of like oxygen. If I asked you what your ten most concerning thoughts are you probably would not say oxygen. But if you take oxygen away it quickly becomes the single greatest concern for every living person. It’s just a brute fact that oxygen is critically important to all of us even if we forget its importance or eclipse its importance with other things. The gospel is the same way. The gospel is the most important piece of information to every living person regardless of whether they acknowledge it. This is why we are commanded to make it known to every nation, every language, and every person.
Human beings are bent toward idolatry and toward thinking of ourselves as gods. Apart from the obvious importance of salvation, the gospel is also crucial for restoring who we understand ourselves to be in relation to God Himself. The gospel restores our reverence of God and revives our capacity to give glory to Him. If a pilot becomes disoriented and his plane starts flying towards the ground, there becomes nothing more important than reorienting himself so he can correct his course. All of us are born with original sin so our hearts are oriented away from God. The gospel is the mechanism by which we begin the course correction of our hearts. The best antidote for a godless society is the faithful preaching of the gospel attended by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. In churches all across the country a lot of time is spent brainstorming ways to help people restore their relationship with God – but the everlasting answer remains the preaching of the gospel. The word of God preached faithfully is what turns humanity away from idols and back towards the Creator of the universe. This first angel was preaching it for all to hear in the opening of this passage.
The second angel follows the first one and this second angel proclaims the fall of Babylon. Many interpreters suggest Babylon is interchangeable with any society which gives itself over to godlessness. These types of societies built their spiritual infrastructure on narratives of lies. So when the gospel is preached for all to hear – like with the first angel – it pierces into the foundations of deceit and hastens the demise of the society. In Scripture cities are sometimes referred to as Sodom and Egypt if their defining characteristics are wickedness and cruelty. If they’re known for pride and idolatry they might be referred to as Babylon. When wicked nations become powerful they end up having a corrupting effect on the nations around them. This is what is meant when the passage talks about how Babylon made all the nations drink of the wine of her fornication. The more powerful a nation is the greater its capacity to influence the cultures of other nations. A nation like Babylon influences other societies to defy God in favor of idols. These crimes against the kingdom of God make the fall of Babylon ever more remarkable and remind us of the primacy of God’s divine righteousness. Eventually the truth always reasserts itself over the lies.
The third angel follows the second and announces this very warning for all nations who might choose to follow the path of Babylon. The goal here is to wake as many people up as possible and pull them away from the deceptive beast we discussed in the previous episode. Make no mistake about it: God is perfectly willing to club you over the head with His divine providence if that’s what it takes to get you back on the path to eternal life. For those who persist in subjecting themselves to the Antichrist and his doctrines of deceit, they will be made to drink deep of the wine of the wrath of God. Separating yourself from God makes you miserable in terms of your spirit as well as your body. Your depriving yourself of the sustenance you need to maintain a sense of meaning and spiritual well-being. The work of all three angels in this chapter is aimed at getting God’s people away from idolatry. He wants to save you by bringing you out of Babylon before Babylon falls. No culture can persist in idolatry forever – every one of them always self-destructs in a terrible display of chaos and confusion. The loss incurred from the destruction of idolatrous nations serves to prove the patience and honor of those who remained faithful to Jesus. It shows everyone that Christ is the first and the last and all things were made through Him and for Him. Let’s read verses 13-20:
Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Rev 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
This passage describes John’s vision of the harvest of the earth. The prophecy about the harvest came to John from heaven which indicates it’s utter certainty and authoritative nature. John was commanded to write down the vision of the harvest so that Christians all across the ages could reference it for comfort and support. The main area this prophecy is meant to bring comfort in is death. God says blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. We think of death as a bad thing and I think it’s okay to see it that way since we are designed for eternity. But despite death being bad God still says those who die in the Lord are blessed. He’s not saying they will simply be okay – He’s saying they’ll be blessed which suggests something far better than just okay. To pass away in vital union with Christ means to pass on into glory. We are afraid of death but according to the word of God death in Christ is the best thing that could possibly happen to us.
Death will bring us rest from our labors and our works will follow us. Finally we will know what it’s like to live without temptation, sin, sorrow, and persecution. We will pass on to a place where the weary are given rest and the wicked are no more. When the passage says our works will follow us this doesn’t mean we will have some kind of special title in heaven. It also doesn’t mean our works will have earned our salvation. It means our works will be evidence of the life we lived for Jesus and the memory of this work will be pleasant. God will reward His faithful servants in such a way that far exceeds the merits of our suffering or our service. Even if you sacrifice everything for God, He’s going to give back far more than you could ever earn. Those who die in Christ have the opportunity to die happily and peacefully. This is the case with the people referenced in this passage. They are satisfied to die in Christ because they see God’s kingdom reviving on earth and the idolaters facing judgment. The scales of justice have been set right.
There are a couple different ways to think of the harvest when it comes to Scripture. The harvest could mean the cutting down of a sinful society once their wickedness has developed into full maturity. The harvest could also mean the gathering in of God’s faithful followers once they are ripe for heaven. In this context the harvest likely points to God’s judgment against the wicked. In this passage Jesus Christ is described as the Lord of the harvest. Christ is pictured standing on a white cloud as one would stand on a chariot. The cloud is a useful illustration because clouds look different depending on whether there’s an incoming storm. The faithful will see the cloud of Christ as a white cloud while the wicked will see it as a dark and threatening one. In this vision Christ wore a golden crown which symbolizes His authority to do all things. The sickle in His hand represents the tools of His divine providence. The faithful in Christ desperately wanted Jesus to bring wrathful judgment down upon their enemies. Although God fully intended to make a harvest by cutting down the wicked whether His people prayed for it or not, He still wanted the faithful to seek Him our in prayers with this petition.
The imagery of the harvest suggests God’s judgment will be like a farmer thrusting his sickle into the vine and reaping the field. In this case the sickle is the sword of God’s judgment and the crops are the evil ones who have separated themselves from God. We must always remember that God is merciful and God loves us. He doesn’t cut down a society as soon as it goes off track. He exercises patience and waits until the measure of their sin is filled up and grown to maturity. That’s why the harvest analogy is used – because the sinful nature must reach full development before God will bring judgment. But once a nation is ripe for ruin then God will spare them no longer, He will thrust in His sickle and cut them down.
After the harvest we see another illustration of vintage or wine-making. The wine-making process was given to another angel who came out of the holiest of all in heaven. It’s possible the wine-making vision references a different judgment than the harvest but for the sake of simplicity we’ll take both of them as a general idea. This judgement is preceded by an announcement from an angel out of the temple which might represent the ministers of God on earth. The wine-making judgment consists of three parts – the first being the gathering in and the second the cutting off of the wicked. The third phase is casting the ripened grapes of sin into the wine-press which symbolically represents the wrath of God. In reality the wine-press of God’s wrath could take any form. It might be a terrible catastrophe or it might be a war – it all just depends on what God sees fit. Giving everything up to God can bring you a sense of comfort and peace which transcends all understanding. Yes judgment is coming, but so is justice and salvation. Having faith in those promises can make all the difference in who you become as a person. Do you want to be an unrepentant sinner who avoids the thought of death until it’s right at the door and the anxiety overcomes you? Or do you want to live your life in peace with spiritual well-being, finished off with the blessed passing into the heavenly kingdom of Jesus where you will live in bliss for eternity? You get to decide.
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