Chapter Fourteen
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To examine the series of scenes depicted in this chapter
2) To appreciate how they would have provided comfort to the Christians
of John's day
SUMMARY
Following the troubling description of the beasts in the previous
chapter, this chapter provides scenes which appear designed to reassure
the saints to remain faithful to God.
First there is the Lamb and 144,000 having the Father's name written on
their foreheads, standing on Mount Zion. Singing a new song before the
throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, the great company is
described as male virgins, redeemed from the earth as firstfruits to
God and to the Lamb. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes, and are
without fault before the throne of God (1-5). I suggest this is a
picture of the saints triumphant in heaven. Both the number and
descriptive terms are symbolic, illustrating the blessedness promised
for those who will persevere in their faithfulness to God.
Next comes three angels and their proclamations. The first angel and
his proclamation may indicate that the gospel will continue to be
spread (despite the efforts of the dragon and the beasts). People
should therefore fear God and worship Him (not Caesar), for the hour of
God's judgment has come (6-7). The proclamation of the second angel
announces the fall of Babylon, described later in great detail (8).
The third angel proclaims the terrible judgment and eternal torment to
befall those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark
(9-11). The three proclamations are then followed by an explanation
that the patience of the saints consists of keeping the commandments of
God and the faith of Jesus, with a voice from heaven telling John to
write of the blessedness of those who die in the Lord (12-13).
The chapter concludes with a depiction of two harvests. The first
shows the Son of Man on a white cloud reaping the harvest of the earth
(14-16). The second depicts an angel reaping the grapes of the vine of
the earth, which are then thrown into the great winepress of the wrath
of God, producing a river of blood almost two hundred miles long
(17-20). These two harvests may be different ways of describing the
same judgment about to come upon those who follow the beast, or the
first may depict that Jesus will safely harvest His own while God's
wrath is being poured out on His enemies. I do not believe either
represents that which will occur when Jesus comes at the end of time
(though they may certainly foreshadow that great event). Instead, like
the angelic proclamations they reassured the Christians of John's day
that God's hour of judgment was soon to come upon their enemies (e.g.,
the Roman empire).
OUTLINE
I. THE 144,000 ON MOUNT ZION (1-5)
A. STANDING WITH THE LAMB (1)
1. 144,000 together with the Lamb on Mount Zion
2. With the Father's name written on their foreheads
B. SINGING A NEW SONG (2-3)
1. John heard a voice from heaven
a. Like the voice of many waters
b. Like the voice of loud thunder
2. John heard the sound of harpists playing their harps
3. The 144,000 sang a new song
a. Before the throne, the four living creatures and the elders
b. Which none could learn except the 144,000 redeemed from the
earth
C. DESCRIBED MORE FULLY (4-5)
1. They are virgins, who had not defiled themselves with women
2. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes
3. They were redeemed from among men, the firstfruits to God and
to the Lamb
4. They are without fault before the throne of God, with no guile
in their mouths
II. THREE ANGELIC PROCLAMATIONS (6-13)
A. THE FIRST PROCLAMATION (6-7)
1. By an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel
a. To preach to those who dwell on the earth
b. To every nation, tribe, tongue, and people
2. Saying with a loud voice...
a. "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His
judgment has come"
b. "Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs
of water"
B. THE SECOND PROCLAMATION (8)
1. By another angel which followed the first
2. Saying...
a. "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city"
b. "Because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication"
C. THE THIRD PROCLAMATION (9-11)
1. By a third angel which followed the first two
2. Saying with a loud voice...
a. "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives
his mark on his forehead or on his hand..."
b. "He himself shall also drink of the of wine of the wrath of
God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His
indignation"
c. "He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone..."
1) "In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence
of the Lamb"
2) "The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever"
3) "They have no rest day or night"
-- "Who worship the beast and his image, and whoever
receives the mark of his name"
D. A WORD OF WISDOM AND A BEATITUDE (12-13)
1. Here is the patience of the saints: those who keep...
a. The commandments of God
b. The faith of Jesus
2. A voice from heaven saying...
a. "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now
on."
b. "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their
labors, and their works follow them."
III. THE TWO HARVESTS (14-20)
A. REAPING THE EARTH'S HARVEST (14-16)
1. The Son of Man sitting on a white cloud
a. With a golden crown on His head
b. With a sharp sickle in His hand
2. An angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice...
a. "Thrust in Your sickle and reap"
b. "For the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of
the earth is ripe"
3. He who sat on a cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and
it was reaped
B. REAPING THE GRAPES OF WRATH (17-20)
1. An angel came out of the temple in heaven, also having a sharp
sickle
2. Another angel, having power over fire, cried with a loud voice
to the angel with the sickle...
a. "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of
vine of the earth"
b. "For her grapes are fully ripe"
3. So the angel...
a. Thrust his sickle into the earth
b. Gathered the vine of the earth
c. Threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God
4. The winepress was trampled outside the city
a. Blood came out of the winepress
b. Up to the horses' bridles, for 1600 furlongs
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