Revelation14
World English Bible · Public Domain
1I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.
2I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.
3They sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.
4These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
5In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.
6I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
7He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”
8Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”
9Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
12Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
13I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them.”
14I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!”
16He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle.
18Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!”
19The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
20The wine press was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out of the wine press, up to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 14.
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
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
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
ἰδού (idoú): used as imperative lo!;
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.
ὄρος (óros): perhaps akin to G142 (αἴρω); compare G3733 (ὄρνις)); a mountain (as lifting itself above the plain)
Σιών (Siṓn): Sion (i.e. Tsijon), a hill of Jerusalem; figuratively, the Church (militant or triumphant)
ἵστημι (hístēmi): to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively)
ἀρνίον (arníon): a lambkin
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))
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 14The exact identity and numbering of the 144,000 sealed saints from the tribes of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicit reference to the seal or Father's name written upon their foreheads.
Supported by JFB
The 'new song' of redemption sung before the throne, beasts, and elders.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The prophetic prototype: 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen,' announcing the doom of the oppressive city.
Supported by JFB
The prophetic call to 'put in the sickle' because the harvest/vintage is ripe.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The terrible imagery of treading the winepress of wrath alone, staining garments with blood.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Believers consecrated to God as a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Supported by JFB
The remnant of Israel doing no iniquity, speaking no lies, with no deceitful tongue.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The blessedness of the man in whose spirit there is no guile.
Supported by JFB
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
The cup of the Lord's hand full of red wine poured out for the wicked.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The promise of an eternal Sabbath rest remaining for the people of God from their labors.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven to receive dominion and execute judgment.
Supported by JFB
Christ's parable of the harvest at the end of the age gathered by angels.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Creator formula: He who made heaven, earth, the sea, and all in them.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The historical precedent of judgment by fire and brimstone from heaven.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Christ treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Supported by JFB