Principles of Interpretation: There are patterns to Revelation which should be considered when trying to understand it. One pattern is that each new section is introduced by a scene from the temple. There is significance to these introductions. Do not ignore them. They are a key to understanding the section. Another pattern is that the book is written in symbolic language. The King James Version translates verse 1 as “he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” To signify is to show in signs, i.e., symbols. Those symbols are based in the rest of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. As such, look to the rest of the Bible to interpret Revelation rather than using Revelation to interpret the rest of the Bible. This also means that you need to let the Bible interpret itself rather than attempting to have it fit into today’s headlines. In short, do not treat Revelation as separate from the rest of the Bible. Instead, expect that the events described in Revelation have been presented in other parts of the Bible. A third pattern in Revelation is the idea of judgement. There are courtroom scenes and wrath and complaints about God not bringing justice. In fact, humans are not the only ones under judgment. God Himself is on trial, and the repeated verdict is that God is just, holy, and worthy. From the beginning claim that this is the Revelation of Jesus to the promise in the last chapter that we shall see God’s face, Revelation is an examination of who our Creator is and whether He is worthy of our loyalty.

Disclaimer: There are four basic methodologies used to interpret the book of Revelation in modern society: futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism. Many modern churches have embraced the idea of the secret rapture, which is a form of futurism. On the other hand, some churches say that Revelation deals solely with events that were happening in the apostolic era. This is called preterism. Other churches teach that Revelation does not describe any specific time period. Instead, the symbols are philosophical and/or spiritual ideas. The series of studies that I am posting is based on historicism, which says that the Bible teaches that Revelation begins with the time of John and describes the interactions of the church with a hostile world throughout history culminating in the final future eradication of sin from the universe. This view denies a secret rapture. I do not want you to be in confusion about the basic premises of this series of lessons. If you disagree with the historicist viewpoint, please study for yourself to be certain that the interpretations that you have been told by others and simply accepted make sense with the whole Bible. As you study, first ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit; then study the verses, and let the Bible interpret itself. Even if you disagree with my comments, you may find the verses and background information that I provide useful. Finally, I want to emphasize that I myself am still studying Revelation and my understanding is deepening each time I open the book and read. Revelation is a distillation of the whole Bible; as such, the limited space of this blog and my limited understanding means that these lessons are not nearly as in-depth as they could (and maybe should) be.

References: See the end of this post for sources and references.

Revelation 14:1

(1)  Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

• Mount Zion– the Biblical symbol of God’s system of governance (no war) 
  • Isaiah 2:1-4  (1)  The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.  (2)  It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,  (3)  and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  (4)  He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
  • Hebrews 12:22-24  (22)  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, (23)  and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, (24)  and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
  • Psalms 24:3-5  (3)  Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?  (4)  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  (5)  He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
• Lamb—Revelation 13 and 14 present a contrast between the lamblike horns of the dragon speaking beast versus the genuine people of God who follow the lamb.  The system of the earth beasts abandons the lamblike principles and acts like a dragon while the 144,000 remain loyal to the Lamb and His commands no matter what.  These two chapters contrast the characteristics of dragon-beasts with the characteristics of God’s people.  This is where the tares and the wheat finally separate.
  • Revelation 13:11  (11)  Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

• 144,000—12 is the number of the people of God in both the Old and New Testaments.  144,000 is 12 times 12 times 1,000.  Considering the other uses of 12 in the Bible, and especially in Revelation, this number must be symbolic of God’s people, the church.
  • The New Jerusalem also has 12 and 12—twelve gates and twelve foundations:  Revelation 21:12-14  (12)  It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—(13)  on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.  (14)  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
  • Twelve and 144 are mentioned in more parts of the New Jerusalem:

Revelation 21:16-17  (16)  The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.  (17)  He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.

• The Lamb’s name and the Father’s name—Name is character.  These people have the characteristics of the Father and Son.  They are not beastlike.  They are lamblike.
  • Revelation 7:1-8  (1)  After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree.  (2)  Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, (3)  saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”  (4)  And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:  (5)  12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, (6)  12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, (7)  12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, (8)  12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.
  • Notice the repetition of 144 and 12,000 here also.  Somehow there is a connection between the New Jerusalem/the bride of Christ and the 144,000 loyal followers of Jesus
• In their foreheads—The forehead is the thinking part of a human.  It is where beliefs and faith live.  Hands are about actions, which may or may not agree with one’s beliefs, but the forehead indicates that God wants our willing service from our minds, not empty actions.
  • Name is the same as the seal of God in Revelation 7.  Revelation 7:2-3  (2)  Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, (3)  saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”
  • A seal had the effect of making something closed or settled and protected or changeless, like when a king sealed a document. Sealing on the forehead is a protection from God.  Ezekiel 9:2-6   (2)  And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.  (3)  Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist.  (4)  And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”  (5)  And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity.  (6)  Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house.
  • Sealing is performed by the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians 4:30  (30)  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
  • Having the Lamb’s name sealed in the forehead is having the mind of Christ.  Philippians 2:3-8   (3)  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  (4)  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  (5)  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6)  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7)  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  (8)  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Revelation 14:2-3

(2)  And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,

(3)  and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

• Voice—roar of many waters/loud thunder/Harpists playing their harps (I’m going to save this for a future verse, but we will hear this again.
• Singing a new song—This is the song of Moses and the Lamb in Revelation 15.  Moses sang about deliverance from slavery in Egypt.  The Lamb’s song is the same song—deliverance from slavery to sin through Jesus’ death on Calvary.  It is a song of praise for God’s deliverance.
  • Revelation 15:2-4  (2)  And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.  (3)  And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!  (4)  Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
  • This is just a personal idea, but it seems to me that Psalm 33 would be the kind of song that the 144,000 would sing.
• Before the throne and four living creatures and elders
  • This is the court scene again.  The 144,000 are giving testimony.  Their lives and characters are testifying before the heavenly beings.  Their song is speaking of God’s deliverance through Jesus. They are vindicating God’s interactions with humanity
  • Rev 14:3 combines with Revelation chapters 4 and 5—In chapters 4 and 5, the elders give testimony to the world of God’s worthiness.  Here in Revelation 14, the 144,000 from the world are giving testimony to the elders.  The whole universe has come to agreement about God.
• No one could learn that song
  • No one could learn—If you do not have the experience, you cannot sing the song. Revelation 12:11  (11)  And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
  • Rev 13 was about beasts that follow the principle of self-preservation while Revelation 14 gives a picture of self-giving love so that they do not love their lives unto death.  They have learned the song of being trapped by Pharaoh against the waters and having seen God part the waters.  They have learned that they do not fight for themselves.  Instead, they trust Jesus to deliver them.
• Redeemed from the earth—This identifies the 144,000 as human, not angels

Revelation 14:4-5

(4)  It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb,

(5)  and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

• Not defiled with women/virgins.  The 144,00 have not committed adultery by worshipping anyone or anything other than God.  They are true to their beloved Lamb.
  • Hebrews 13:4   (4)  Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
  • 2 Corinthians 11:2-4  (2)  For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.  (3)  But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  (4)  For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
  • The marriage of the Lamb has not yet come in Revelation 14.  Revelation 19:6-7  (6)  Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.  (7)  Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
• Follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
  • John 14:15  (15)  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
  • John 14:23-24  (23)  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  (24)  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
• Verse 3 says that they are redeemed from the earth, and verse 4 says that they are redeemed from mankind.
• Firstfruits for God and the Lamb
  • First Fruits:  In the Old Testament the term firstfruits referred to the best fruits of the crop and not necessarily to the earliest of the fruit. 
  • Numbers 18:12-14  (12)  All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you.  (13)  The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.  (14)  Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
• James 1:17-18  (17)  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  (18)  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
• No lie/no deceit
  • These people are like Jesus.  Isaiah 53:9  (9)  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. This is not just about not telling lies.  This is referring to the testimony of the 144,000.  Their testimony is judged to be true and without deceit.
  • Zephaniah 3:11-13  (11)  “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.  (12)  But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, (13)  those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”
• Blameless—Blameless does not mean sinless; it means having a relationship with Jesus that covers our nakedness and sin.
  • 2 Peter 3:14  (14)  Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
  • To be blameless means to walk with God as Abraham and Noah did:
    • Genesis 6:9  (9)  These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
    • Genesis 17:1  (1)  When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

The three angels’ messages that follow delineate the content of the message of the 144,000.  The result of the message will divide the world into two camps—those who respond and worship God and those who reject the message and side with the satanic trinity of Revelation 13.  There will no longer be any lukewarm Laodicean Christians.  Jesus said that he wished that they were either hot or cold.  This is the fulfillment of the Laodicean message.

Revelation 14:6-7

(6)  Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

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

• Angel—Messenger and angel are the same word in both Hebrew and Greek.
  • The word for angel and messenger is the same in these verses.  Malachi 2:7  (7)  For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
  • Matthew 11:10 (10)  This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
• The word translated messenger in Matthew 11:10 and angel in Revelation 14 is /angelos/aggelos.
• Loud voice—the message will be heard everywhere.  There is a triple imperative:  fear God/give Him glory/worship Him as the Creator.  This triple repetition emphasizes the importance of the message.  (Adventists believe that this message started in the Great Advent Movement of 1844 and continues today.) 
• Eternal gospel
  • Romans 1:16-17  (16)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  (17)  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
• To every nation, tribe, language and people
  • Matthew 24:14  (14)  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
• Fear God—“Fearing God and giving Him glory go together (Rev. 11:13; 15:4).  While the former designates a right relationship with God, the latter denotes obedience to God.
• Give Him glory—To give God glory is to let his goodness live in us and to live exclusively for Him.  We affirm His goodness by our lives and words
  • Exodus 33:18-19  (18)  Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  (19)  And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
  • Romans 3:23  (23)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  • 1 Corinthians 10:31  (31)  So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
• Summary of the three-fold imperative
  • Ecclesiastes 12:13-14  (13)  The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  (14)  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

• Hour of his judgment has come
  • God has appointed a day of judgment.  Acts 17:30-31  (30)  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, (31)  because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
  • Before Jesus’ death, judgment was still in future.  Matthew 12:36-37  (36)  I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, (37)  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
  • In Paul’s day, the judgment was in the future.  Acts 24:25  (25)  And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”
• Worship the Creator
  • Psalms 96:5  (5)  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
  • This is about worship of the Creator as found in the Sabbath commandment.  Exodus 20:8-11  (8)  “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  (9)  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, (10)  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.  (11)  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
• What is the messenger telling people?  What is the first angel’s message?  It is a message of worship.  Sabbath is part of the message, but it must be within the context of worshipping God.  Creation opposing evolution is part of it, but only within the context of worshipping God.  The messenger is sounding the call to worship the true God, who loved us so much that He was willing to endure agony for us.  This is the God of the Bible, not the God of people’s imaginations.  This is a call to show God as He truly is and not as false pictures have painted Him.  It is a call of urgency because Judgment has come.  People are deciding their fate, and the world will soon have no more time.

Revelation 14:8

(8)  Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

• Angel—Remember, an angel is a messenger, so this is a message from God to the world.
• Babylon— Babylon is the counterfeit god.
  • This is so important that it is repeated in Revelation 18.  Revelation 18:4  (4)  Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;
  • Isaiah 14 equates Babylon with Satan and his attempt to make himself equal to God.  Isaiah 14:12-15  (12)  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!  (13)  You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; (14)  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’  (15)  But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
  • In Revelation the satanic trinity—Satan, the sea beast, and the earth beast—are the false systems that try to make themselves equal to God.  In other words, Satan, the papacy, and apostate Protestantism united with Governmental power.  When state religion is restored the deadly wound is healed.  (See the study on Revelation 13.)  This is Babylon.
• Fallen—In one sense, Babylon fell when God raised a remnant church to proclaim the truths that Babylon had obscured.  In another sense, Babylon will not be truly fallen until the seven last plagues.
• Nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality—Sexual immorality is diluting true worship with false worship, i.e. substituting a fake illicit passion for a spouse’s love.  This is the uniting of the power of the state with religion rather than relying on the drawing power of God’s love alone.  Babylon is forcing people to worship God, but God does not desire that kind of worship.  Babylon is looking to political power as her god rather than receiving God’s power.
• What is the second angel’s message?  The truths of the Bible are the message that God’s people must give the world.  Babylon is confusion and lies mixed with truth.  God’s faithful messengers are to clear up the confusion and take the lies away from God’s truth.

Revelation 14:9-11

(9)  And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

(10)  he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, 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 goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

• This is a strong warning rather than a cruel threat.  It is similar to the shout when a baby is reaching out to put his hand on the burner of a hot stove.  We know that God loved us so much that He gave His beloved Son so that we might live.  We know that He longs for our salvation.  This is His final attempt to reach out to people who have ignored all the signs that they are heading off a cliff rather than following the road to life.  The beast and its image are bringing the final deception that will divide the world into opposing sides, and God wants to make sure we understand the seriousness of our choices.  Revelation 14:9-11 speaks of those who worship the beast.  The next verse, Revelation 14:12, tells us how to worship God.  This is the final showdown, and God wants to ensure that we understand that our choices will last forever.
• Angel—We have already discussed that an angel is a messenger.  This is the third message to go out to the world.  It is the final message.
• Loud voice—The other two messages went to the whole world, but this message is even stronger.  A loud voice indicates that this message cannot be ignored or overlooked in any corner of the world.
• Drink the wine of God’s wrath—God’s wrath is not simply God having a temper tantrum.  God’s wrath is judgment for the wicked.  Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath when He died for the sins of the world, but people who refuse to let Jesus’ sacrifice take their place will have to face God’s wrath on their own.
  • Psalms 75:2-10   (2)  “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.  (3)  When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah  4)  I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; (5)  do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’”  (6)  For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, (7)  but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.  (8)  For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.  (9)  But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.  10)  All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
• Full strength into the cup of his anger
  • Revelation 15-16 says that this is the seven last plagues
    • Revelation 16:19  (19)  The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
• Tormented with fire and sulfur
  • Genesis 19:24  (24)  Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.
  • Isaiah 34:8-10 (8)  For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.  (9)  And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch.  (10)  Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever.
• In the presence of the holy angels / In the presence of the Lamb—This is official.  There is the judge—the Lamb and the witnesses—the angels.  God’s judgment is not carried out in secret.  It is performed after due process and every chance to repent.
• Smoke of their torment / Goes up forever and ever–The results are forever and ever. 
  • In Jude 1:7 we see the same language, but we know that Edom and Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning today.  Jude 1:7 (7)  just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
  • Isaiah says the same fate that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered would happen to literal Babylon. However, the context shows that he means that the end result is destruction forever with no chance of revival. Isaiah 13:19 (19)  And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
• Mark of its name
  • Revelation 13:15-18 (15)  And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. (16)  Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, (17)  so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. (18)  This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
• Worship the beast and its image / Worshipers and receivers of the mark
  • “From these Scriptures it is clear that the mark of the beast has to do with “worship,” which stands to reason since the beast itself is a false system of worship. The mark of the beast, then, will be some type of coerced means by which the beast will receive spiritual allegiance.” (Unlocking Revelation #16)
• Mark on forehead or hand
  • “Some have assumed that this indicates a literal, visible mark such as a tattoo or a bar code on the flesh of the hand or forehead. Others have suggested that the mark will be some kind of microchip inserted under the skin. Neither view harmonizes with the deeper issue of worship so clearly brought to view in Revelation. Worship is an issue of the heart, calling for the loyalty of the mind and the compliance of the body. To receive the mark of the beast in the forehead implies the agreement and loyalty of the mind. To receive the mark in the right hand suggests unwilling compliance for the sake of self-preservation. Some will worship the beast and support its system because they believe in it with the mind. Others will reluctantly yield the homage of their hand for fear of persecution.”  .” (Unlocking Revelation #16)

SUMMARY:  The third angel’s message is a warning of love.  Time is short.  Just as Jesus started speaking strongly towards the Pharisees at the end of His ministry because it was so urgent that people not follow their teachings, the same is true now at the end of time.+

Revelation 14:12

(12)  Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

• Endurance of the saints—Endurance has the implication that there are hardships that persevere.  This is the opposing side to the mark of the beast.  In the third angel’s message, there is a warning against worshipping the beast or his image.  These people will be the recipients of God’s wrath.  Now, the passage shows those who worship God.  Thus, our endurance is to deal with the events taking place during the third angel’s message.
• Revelation 13:10  (10)  If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

• Keep the commandments of God/Faith in Jesus
• 1 John 5:1-5  (1)  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.  (2)  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.  (3)  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.  (4)  For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  (5)  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
• Hebrews 6:11-12  (11)  And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, (12)  so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
• These are the same people that the dragon went off to make war with  Revelation 12:17  (17)  Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Revelation 14:13 

(13)  And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

• Blessed are the dead—Why are they blessed?  The verse indicates that these people have been laboring for God, so if they die in His service, they are indeed blessed.  However, why from now on as opposed to others who have died.  This implies that a persecution is starting that will result in the deaths of some of God’s followers.  It may also be that things will become so bad that the living will envy the dead who are at peace as in Ecclesiastes.  The other consideration is that the sealing for God or Satan is happening.  Those who die in the Lord at this time are sealed and will not be tempted to reject Jesus and follow Satan’s false path.
• Ecclesiastes 4:1-3  (1)  Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them.  (2)  And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive.  (3)  But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
• Revelation 22:10-15  (10)  And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.  (11)  Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” (12)  “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.  (13)  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”  (14)  Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.  (15)  Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
• Rest from their labors/Deeds follow them—In judgment, all our works are open for the world to see.
• 1 Timothy 5:24-25  (24)  The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.  (25)  So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

Revelation 14:14-16

(14)  Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

(15)  And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”

(16)  So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

• Cloud—When God appears, there are usually clouds involved.
• Pillar of Cloud—Exodus 13:21-22  (21)  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.  (22)  The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
• God covered in a thick cloud on Mt. Sinai
  • Exodus 19:16-17  (16)  On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.  (17)  Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
  • Exodus 24:15-18  (15)  Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.  (16)  The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.  (17)  Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.  (18)  Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
• Clouds when Jesus comes before the Father—Daniel 7:13  (13)  “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
• Clouds at Jesus’ ascension—Acts 1:9-11  (9)  And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  (10)  And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, (11)  and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
• Clouds at Jesus second coming–Matthew 24:30-31 (30)  Then will appear in heaven  the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  (31)  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
• Son of man/golden crown—This is Jesus.
• Sickle/hour to reap/harvest—saints:  This is the count down.  The angels have been watching.  As soon as the last human has made his/her decision for or against God, an angel reports it, and the reaping begins. Matthew 13:30  (30)  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Revelation 14:17-20

(17)  Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.

(18)  And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”

(19)  So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

(20)  And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

• Verses 14-20 speak of two harvests.  Jesus harvested the righteous, but an angel harvests the wicked.  It is time for the tares to be gathered, or in this case, the image is of the sour/wild grapes from Isaiah 5.
• Another angel w/sickle to harvest wicked: 
  • 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10  (5)  This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—(6)  since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, (7)  and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels (8)  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  (9)  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, (10)  when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
  • Angels reap evil doers Matthew 13:38-43    (38)  The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, (39)  and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.  (40)  Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  (41)  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, (42)  and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (43)  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
• Sickle—The sickle was a tool for harvesting.  Thus, both Jesus and the angel have sickles in Revelation 14 because there are two harvests.  Mark 4:26-29  (26)  And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  (27)  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  (28)  The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. (29)  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
• Winepress—This instrument crushed the grapes into wine.  God uses this as a symbol for judgment and punishment for sin.  The Bible speaks of the wine of the wrath of God.  The only righteous person who will ever have to go through the winepress is Jesus who drank the cup of God’s wrath.  Everyone else in the winepress are people who have rejected that sacrifice.
  • Lamentations 1:15  (15)  “The Lord rejected all my mighty men in my midst; he summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.
  • Isaiah 63:1-6  (1)  Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.”  (2)  Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?  (3)  “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel.  (4)  For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.  (5)  I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold; so my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath upheld me.  (6)  I trampled down the peoples in my anger; I made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
• The Sickle and the wine press—This is not the first time the sickle and the wine press show up together in the Bible.  This seems to be a direct reference to Joel 3:9-16  (9)  Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.  (10)  Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”  (11)  Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD.  (12)  Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.  (13)  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.  (14)  Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  (15)  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.  (16)  The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.
• Wrath of God—This refers to the seven bowls (plagues) and the trampling of the grapes.  These are all metaphors for the same event.
• Blood flowing as high as the horses bridle for 1,600 stadia–As far as I can tell, this just indicates the great number of those who reject God and choose death instead. However, I may find more symbolism in this as I study more.

SUMMARY:  The three angels give their message until it swells to the whole earth.  At that time the earth beast, the sea beast, and the dragon begin their collaboration to cause the whole world to worship the beast and his image.  The combination of the beasts’ activities and the 3 angels’ messages creates a situation where everyone in the world makes a choice.  The minute the last person has chosen sides, the message goes out that it is time to harvest.  Jesus comes on the clouds to bring in the wheat harvest of His people.  In the meantime, the angels will participate in a second harvest of those who have earned the wrath of God—the seven last plagues poured out on the wicked, which we will study in the next chapters.

References:

• Andrews Study Bible–In some lessons, I refer to study comments from this Bible.
• God Cares: The Message of Revelation for You and Your Family-A book by C. Mervyn Maxwell that examines how the prophecies of Revelation relate to an individual’s life.
• Plain Revelation–A book by Ranko Stefanovic that summarizes the meaning of various sections of Revelation
• Revelation of Jesus Christ–A book by Ranko Stefonovic that comments on each verse of Revelation.
• Salvation in Signs and Symbols–a series of shows where two pastors and two others study through the books of Revelation and Daniel. These programs can be accessed at 3abnplus.tv . Scroll down to 3ABN Dare to Dream Network and choose Salvation in Signs and Symbols from the list there.
• Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary (Volume 7) (Copywrite 1957)–This is the old green set of commentaries, not the new commentary series that is in the process of being published and should be released after 2022. (Boy, I would love to get my hands on that set when it comes out!)
• Table Talk–A series of shows where four pastors discuss various topics. These programs can be accessed at tabletalk.online . Season 4 focuses on Revelation.
• Unlocking Revelation–A series of pamphlets that can be downloaded for free from lightbearers.org and clicking on Resources