The Book of Revelations Chapter 14
Chapter 14 will answer two important questions raised by chapter 13.
“Is the beast completely victorious over all God’s people?”
The presence of the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb says “no.”
The second question has to do with this Satanic dictator himself.
“What happens to the beast and his followers?”
The rest of chapter 14 will answer that question.
Verses 1-5
(1) These 144,000 were last seen in chapter 7, where they were identified as a group of Jewish believers who will spread the message and minister during the great tribulation, and are given a seal of protection throughout the entire 7 year period.
OR
Some commentators see this Zion as the heavenly Zion referred to in Galatians 4:26. In this thinking, the 144,000 are victims of this beast, and are now in heaven with Jesus.
But that view doesn’t seem to match with the context at all. It also makes us wonder what good God’s seal on the 144,000 actually did.
NOTE– Zion – the ancient name for the hills that make up Jerusalem.
The followers of Satan and the beast may have a mark on their hand or forehead. But this mark is just a copy of the idea behind the identifying mark on the foreheads of each one of the 144,000, showing that they belong to the Father.
(2) This is the voice of God.
(3-5) Virgins doesn’t mean they have not had sex but they have kept themselves pure and stuck to the Word.
Even though these 144,000 are Jews, they are also clearly believers in Jesus, otherwise they would not stand with the Lamb, follow the Lamb wherever He goes, and could not be without fault before the throne of God.
(6-7) This is the only place in the New Testament where we see angels preaching the gospel. In God’s wisdom, He has chosen to give that responsibility to people alone, apart from this final occasion.
The flying Angel, this has led to many believing that technology will be involved and a huge American evangelist TV program named their satellite Angel 1 in hope that they will fulfil this prophecy.
(8) The fall of Babylon we will read more of this in Ch17, but she is the great prostitute and because of what she represents many will be deceived.
(9-11) The idea that God holds a cup of wrath, which He makes those under judgment drink is expressed more than thirteen times in the Bible. This is the idea behind the cup that Jesus wanted to avoid if it were possible Matthew. Jesus willingly took the cup of the Father’s wrath that we deserved; here, the enemies of Jesus have no choice – the cup is forced upon them.
This next passage shows several important truths about hell and the eternal destiny of the damned. First that it is real pain that they will suffer not some spiritual pain. Second that God is still present in Hell and Third is that it will go on forever and not the complete annihilation theory that is wrongly preached. Which claims that a good and loving God would not allow his children to suffer for eternity and after a period that he will basically snub them out of existence.
(12-13) We can only imagine what courage and comfort this passage will give, the persecuted church as, God wants to encourage His people to be faithful in times of trial, focused on what reward awaits them in eternity.
(14-16) This ancient Greek word for “ripe” has a negative sense, “to become dry or withered.” The idea is of something that is over-ripe. This means that God will judge the earth only when it is over-ripe for judgment. He doesn’t rush into judgment.
(17-19) The great winepress of the wrath of God: This vivid picture of judgment was the inspiration for The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,
He is trampling out the vineyard where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on!
(20) In Biblical times, a battle area covering 180 miles was incomprehensible – but not in modern warfare.
This 180-mile radius from Jerusalem will be the battlefield at the time of the second coming of Christ and shows a picture of tremendous carnage in the battle of Armageddon where blood will be splattered up to the height of a horses’ bridle, it is not likely a true river of blood running the length of the Promised Land and as high as a horse’s bridle is as this would be an almost incomprehensible amount of blood