Revelation 14NIV
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Revelation14

New International Version

1Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.

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

4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

6Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.

7He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,

10they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

11And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

13Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

14I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

15Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

16So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.

18Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.”

19The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.

20They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 14.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Those faithful to Christ celebrate the praises of God. (1–5). Three angels; one proclaiming the everlasting gospel; another, the downfal of Babylon; and a third, the dreadful wrath of God on the worshippers of the beast. The blessedness of those who die in the Lord. (6–13). A vision of Christ with a sickle, and of a harvest ripe for cutting down. (14–16). The emblem of a vintage fully ripe, trodden in the wine-press of God's wrath. (17–20).

vv1-5

Mount Sion is the gospel church. Christ is with his church, and in the midst of her in all her troubles, therefore she is not consumed. His presence secures perseverance. His people appear honourably. They have the name of God written in their foreheads; they make a bold and open profession of their faith in God and Christ, and this is followed by suitable actings. There were persons in the darkest times, who ventured and laid down their lives for the worship and truth of the gospel of Christ. They kept themselves clean from the wicked abominations of the followers of antichrist. Their hearts were right with God; and they were freely pardoned in Christ; he is glorified in them, and they in him. May it be our prayer, our endeavour, our ambition, to be found in this honourable company. Those who are really sanctified and justified are meant here, for no hypocrite, however plausible, can be accounted to be without fault before God. (Rev 14:6-13)

vv6-13

The progress of the Reformation appears to be here set forth. The four proclamations are plain in their meaning; that all Christians may be encouraged, in the time of trial, to be faithful to their Lord. The gospel is the great means whereby men are brought to fear God, and to give glory to him. The preaching of the everlasting gospel shakes the foundations of antichrist in the world, and hastens its downfal. If any persist in being subject to the beast, and in promoting his cause, they must expect to be for ever miserable in soul and body. The believer is to venture or suffer any thing in obeying the commandments of God, and professing the faith of Jesus. May God bestow this patience upon us. Observe the description of those that are and shall be blessed: such as die in the Lord; die in the cause of Christ, in a state of union with Christ; such as are found in Christ when death comes. They rest from all sin, temptation, sorrow, and persecution; for there the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. Their works follow them: do not go before as their title, or purchase, but follow them as proofs of their having lived and died in the Lord: the remembrance of them will be pleasant, and the reward far above all their services and sufferings. This is made sure by the testimony of the Spirit, witnessing with their spirits, and the written word.

vv14-20

Warnings and judgments not having produced reformation, the sins of the nations are filled up, and they become ripe for judgments, represented by a harvest, an emblem which is used to signify the gathering of the righteous, when ripe for heaven, by the mercy of God. The harvest time is when the corn is ripe; when the believers are ripe for heaven, then the wheat of the earth shall be gathered into Christ's garner. And by a vintage. The enemies of Christ and his church are not destroyed, till by their sin they are ripe for ruin, and then he will spare them no longer. The wine-press is the wrath of God, some terrible calamity, probably the sword, shedding the blood of the wicked. The patience of God towards sinners, is the greatest miracle in the world; but, though lasting, it will not be everlasting; and ripeness in sin is a sure proof of judgment at hand.

Key Words

ThenG2532Greek

καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

lookedG1492Greek

εἴδω (eídō): used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι) and G3708 (ὁράω); properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know

beholdG2400Greek

ἰδού (idoú): used as imperative lo!;

onG1909Greek

ἐπί (epí): properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.

MountG3735Greek

ὄρος (óros): perhaps akin to G142 (αἴρω); compare G3733 (ὄρνις)); a mountain (as lifting itself above the plain)

ZionG4622Greek

Σιών (Siṓn): Sion (i.e. Tsijon), a hill of Jerusalem; figuratively, the Church (militant or triumphant)

stoodG2476Greek

ἵστημι (hístēmi): to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively)

LambG721Greek

ἀρνίον (arníon): a lambkin

withG3326Greek

μετά (metá): properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between G575 (ἀπό) or G1537 (ἐκ) and G1519 (εἰς) or G4314 (πρός); less intimate than G1722 (ἐν) and less close than G4862 (σύν))

himG846Greek

αὐτός (autós): the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

Cross References

Revelation 14

The exact identity and numbering of the 144,000 sealed saints from the tribes of Israel.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v1Revelation 7:3allusion

Explicit reference to the seal or Father's name written upon their foreheads.

Supported by JFB

v3Revelation 5:9allusion

The 'new song' of redemption sung before the throne, beasts, and elders.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v8Isaiah 21:9quotation

The prophetic prototype: 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen,' announcing the doom of the oppressive city.

Supported by JFB

v15Joel 3:13allusion

The prophetic call to 'put in the sickle' because the harvest/vintage is ripe.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v20Isaiah 63:3typology

The terrible imagery of treading the winepress of wrath alone, staining garments with blood.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v4James 1:18thematic

Believers consecrated to God as a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Supported by JFB

v5Zephaniah 3:13allusion

The remnant of Israel doing no iniquity, speaking no lies, with no deceitful tongue.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v5Psalms 32:2thematic

The blessedness of the man in whose spirit there is no guile.

Supported by JFB

v8Jeremiah 51:7allusion

Babylon as a golden cup making all the earth drunken with her wine.

Supported by Matthew Poole

The contrast between the Father's mark and the mark of the beast on the forehead/hand.

Supported by JFB

Believers coming spiritually to Mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the church of the firstborn.

Supported by Matthew Henry

The presentation of the church to Christ as a chaste virgin, free from spiritual harlotry.

Supported by JFB

v10Psalms 75:8thematic

The cup of the Lord's hand full of red wine poured out for the wicked.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v13Hebrews 4:9-11thematic

The promise of an eternal Sabbath rest remaining for the people of God from their labors.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v14Daniel 7:13allusion

The Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven to receive dominion and execute judgment.

Supported by JFB

v15Matthew 13:39typology

Christ's parable of the harvest at the end of the age gathered by angels.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v7Exodus 20:11allusion

The Creator formula: He who made heaven, earth, the sea, and all in them.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v10Genesis 19:24thematic

The historical precedent of judgment by fire and brimstone from heaven.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v19Revelation 19:15thematic

Christ treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Supported by JFB