Reviews and Views

Book of Revelation – Chapter 14

The picture that has unfolded thus far…is that of a world ruined by man. With the seals broken and restraint removed, passions in the human heart, long restrained by God, have been allowed to come to full flower and fruit. The harvest has been one of complete chaos on earth. Trumpets blowing, a world ruled by Satan casts a picture of an even darker hue over the planet. The world has united beneath the banner of the Beast. Hailed as a messiah, the Antichrist receives worship for himself and the dragon. John Phillips commentary, page 177.

What proceeds next is not a chronological sequence of events but rather panoramically (or wide view) with details that follow later.

Before us is a picture of a world rescued by God; starting in chapter 14 to the end of chapter 20. This period covers the final throes (violent pain and struggles) of the Great Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon, the Golden Millennial Age, the last rebellion of Satan, the Great White Throne Judgment, and on to the edge of eternity. John Philips commentary, page 177.

In chapter 14, our view returns to heaven as celebrations and preparations occur. In verse 1, we have the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ), a heavenly mount Zion (since Christ has not come to earth yet), and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. None of the 144,000 are missing. They stand before God, the living creatures, and the 24 elders in heaven. When they arrived or how they got there is untold to us. These 144,000 are with Jesus wherever He goes. They will enter the millennial kingdom as living men, most likely continuing their evangelistic work throughout the 1,000 years. While only redeemed people will enter the millennium kingdom, the children born to them will not all believe in Jesus, hence the need for evangelism.

A magical sound of harps and voices fills heaven and earth with joy. There is something unique about these 144,000 besides their new song. No other age has produced a company like this, a veritable army of militant believers marching unscathed through every form of danger. They denied the dragon (Satan), baited the Beast (Antichrist), and gave the lie to the False Prophet.

DEFINITION:
To “give the lie” is an English expression meaning exposing a lie or showing a thing is not as represented.

Three angels appear, commissioned with messages, announcements, and warnings for the earth’s inhabitants. 

1. The first angel preaches the everlasting gospel to everyone on earth (verse 6). The message is in verse 7. God remains merciful and willing to forgive the sinner. Humanity has a final call from God to repent or die. The angel appears in the sky, “flying in mid-heaven,” where the sun appears at its high point at noon. He is out of the reach of the Antichrist, and his ministry is unhindered.
2. A second angel (verse 8) cries out, “Babylon is fallen.” This proclamation anticipates the complete collapse of the Beast’s political, economic, and religious system. Revealed details are in chapters 17 and 18.
3. A dire (terrible and urgent) choice is the subject of this third proclamation. The third angel declares the final judgment for those who worship the Beast or his image or receive his mark. The punishment is to be torment with fire and brimstone in the presence of angels and the Lord Jesus Christ. This judgment is horrendous, a never-ending agony never meant for man, but evil men will face it for eternity.

But God’s warnings go unheeded by most of the sinful world. With issues now apparent, the alternatives are unmistakable. “Worship me, or be doomed!” cries the Beast. “Worship Me or be damned!” declares the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice that the message is urgent, short, plain, and unique. No hope exists for those who worship the Beast, bow before his image or receive his mark.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them. During the Tribulation, the saints’ labors will be exhausting and challenging work. But when they go to heaven, their record will follow with them.

Now we view two harvests: the grain harvest and the grape harvest. John sees a white cloud, one sitting on the cloud, a golden crown, and a sharp sickle. 

• One sitting like a son of man is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the reaper here.
• The white cloud represents His glory and majesty.
• The golden crown is not a king’s crown but the crown worn by victors in war or athletic events.
• Used to harvest grain, the sharp sickle, held with both hands spread apart and swept back and forth, would cut off the grain stalks to ground level.

In verse 15, a 4th angel comes out of the heavenly temple. This angel is coming from the very presence of God the Father. Given the go-ahead to execute the judgment, the angel tells Jesus to “Put in your sickle and reap…” It is now time! Earth’s harvest is ripe.

Such a harvest is related to Christendom or its remains, since this harvest is religious. The great separation of the wheat (true believers) from the tares (weeds or false believers) begins. So Christ thrust his sickle on the earth, reaping done (verse 16).

Now a 5th angel emerges from the temple in heaven in verse 17, from the presence of God the Father. He carries a sharp sickle and is identified as the reaper of this next harvest and not Jesus, who was the reaper in the first harvest. Followed by a 6th angel who has the title of “the one who has power over fire.” This harvest has to do with the world. Since the 6th angel comes from the altar, his appearance means that it is time for those prayers of the Tribulation saints to be answered. He shouts to the 5th angel with the sharp sickle, “put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from earth’s vine because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swings his sickle, gathers the clusters, and throws them into the winepress of the wrath of God (verse 19).

Verse 20 tells us blood flows from the winepress of God’s wrath. So much blood that it is 4 feet deep (up to a horse’s bridle) and stretches 200 miles (about the length of Israel). In a series of purgings, we start in the Valley of Jezreel on the plain near Megiddo. The 6th angel from the altar is in charge, but the scene is the work of both angels (5th and 6th). Eventually, the Battle of Armageddon encompasses the entire nation of Israel. This Battle is global in its involvement as the world’s armies meet in the Middle East for the final holocaust of history. They are there to fight against Christ taking earth over as the rightful King, who holds the deed to the earth. As the Battle of Armageddon rages, the Church will not be present as the Rapture occurred before this Battle (chapter 4, verse 1).

“Still, it is difficult to imagine that they could produce a flow of blood ‘up to the horses’ bridles’ for a distance of 200 miles. A better interpretation, whether there are actual horses involved or not, sees this as hyperbole to suggest the slaughter in which blood will splatter into the air profusely along the whole length of the Battle. When the slaughter reaches its peak, blood could flow deeply in troughs and stream beds. As this passage indicates, Armageddon will be a slaughter rather than a battle.”

Refer to John MacArthur, Because The Time Is Near, page 242.

Next is the shortest chapter in Revelation, Chapter 15.

February 25, 2024 Posted by Bill Wyler | Bible, Last Days, Revelation | 2022, Bible, GOD, Israel, Truth, vision, war | Leave a comment