Revelation 14

The Lamb and 144,000

And I looked, and there, on Mount Zion, stood a Lamb, and with him one hundred and forty-four thousand who had his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

14:1 This chapter is a continuation of the long break in the orderly progression of seals, trumpets and bowls which began at Rev 12:1. It gives further information about the end time before the bowls of wrath are poured out. This portion looks back to a time before the sounding of the last trumpet.⚜

2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of great thunder, and I heard the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders. And no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth no deceit was found, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Three angels and their messages

6 And I saw another angel flying in the upper sky, and he had the eternal gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,

14:6 This angel may be symbolic just as the woman of chapter 12 and the beast of chapter 13 are symbolic. In Greek angel means “messenger” (Rev 1:20; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:24; 9:52), and here may represent the world-wide preaching of the gospel of Christ before this age ends. See Matt 24:14.⚜

7 and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the springs of water”.

8 Another angel followed and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! That great city! Because she made all nations drink of the inflaming wine of her adultery”.

9 And a third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, “If any man worships the beast and his image and receives his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 he himself will drink of the wine of God’s wrath which is poured out unmixed into the cup of his indignation, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. And day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.

14:9-11 This warning against worshiping the “beast” (Rev 13:4, 8, 15) implies a warning against ever worshiping anything or anyone except the one true God, the Creator (v 7). All idolaters, not merely worshipers of the beast, will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire (Rev 21:8).⚜

12 Here is the patience of the saints, here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”.

A voice from heaven

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on”. “Yes”, says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours. And their works follow them”.

Two harvests

14 And I looked and a white cloud appeared, and sitting on the cloud was one like the Son of man. He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple and called out in a loud voice to the one who was sitting on the cloud, “Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe”.

14:15 If the one on the cloud is the Lord Jesus why should an angel come and tell Him what to do? Because Jesus is always in submission to God the Father and gets His instructions from Him (compare John 5:19; 6:38; 14:31). This angel comes out of the temple – from the presence of God – and brings a message from the Father to the Son. Or the angel may be merely symbolic of a message that passes between Father and Son.⚜

16 And the one who was sitting on the cloud thrust his sickle onto the earth, and the earth was reaped.

14:16 We are not told what this harvest is. However, it is put in contrast with the harvest from “the earth’s vine” in vs 17-20. That is a harvest of wicked people, so this harvest, it would seem, will be of God’s people. In other words vs 14-16 may be a symbolic picture of the Rapture of the Church (see 1 Thess 4:16-17). Other scholars think the Rapture takes place at Rev 4:1; still others think Rev 11:12 may refer to that event; and some think it will take place only when Christ appears from heaven in chapter 19.

The author of these notes thinks the verses here (Rev 14:14-16) probably speak of the Rapture, but thinks also that dogmatism about doubtful things is not wise. Let us always be ready for the events of the end of this age, and for the coming of the Lord Jesus.⚜

The harvest from the earth’s vine

17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and called out in a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle and said, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, for its grapes are fully ripe”. 19 And the angel thrust his sickle onto the earth and gathered the earth’s vine and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trampled outside the city and blood came out of the wine press up to the horse bridles for the distance of a thousand six hundred furlongs.