CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Here in verse 1 John saw in his vision the Lamb standing on mount Zion. Our translation says “a Lamb,” but since this Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ the definite article “the” should be used rather than the indefinite article “a” There is nothing indefinite about this Lamb. The other translators, even the R.S.V. translators who seem to take pride in calling our Lord “a Son of God” at times, even they say “the Lamb” here in this verse. The name “Sion” here is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Zion.” Zion is the highest hill in Jerusalem. It is 2,550 feet above sea level, and it was here that David built his palace. So this became known as the city of David. Here David and fourteen of his successors were buried. So it is no wonder then that when our Lord comes to sit upon His father David’s throne we see Him on mount Zion.

And with the Lamb on mount Zion we see 144,000 people with Him who have the Father’s name written in, or rather on their foreheads. In chapter 7 we saw 144,000 Jews sealed at the beginning of the terrible tribulation. And though I am aware that some Bible scholars do not believe the 144,000 here in chapter 14 to be the same 144,000 we saw sealed in chapter 7, still I see no reason why I should not believe them to be the same people. Here they stand after the great tribulation has taken its awful toll. Not a single one of them is missing which shows to us that our God is well able to take care of His own. In chapter 7 we are not told what the seal was, but here we see that it was the Father’s name. And what better seal could there be?

It is to be granted that verses 2 and 3 present a real problem. This problem literally casts us at the feet of our heavenly Father pleading for light. In verse 1 we see the 144,000 on mount Zion here on the earth. In verse 2 John heard a voice from heaven. He also heard harpers harping with their harps Then in verse 3 we hear the 144,000 singing before the throne, and before the four beasts (living creatures), and the elders (the 24 elders, Revelation 4:4). The living creatures and the elders seem to have duties connected with the throne in heaven. If we could find where they are transferred from the heavenly throne to the throne in Jerusalem, our problem would be more easily solved. But I know of no Scriptures that would even indicate such a change. So, until we can find such Scriptures we must leave them where we found them, that is, before the throne in heaven. This singing was being done before the throne. It would appear that it is our Lord’s throne in Jerusalem since that is where the singers are. John says he heard a voice from heaven, but he does not say the harpers were in heaven. In 5:8 we see that the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders have harps. In 5:9 we hear them singing a new song. But this song was a song of worthiness of the Lamb. Then in 15:2 we see those who have gotten the victory over the beast and over his image also have harps. So I am inclined to believe that these victorious saints are doing the harping and the singing. This is a song of redemption and no one could learn this song except these who have been redeemed. The living creatures and the four and twenty elders were never redeemed because they were never lost. Since they could not learn this song, they would not be able to play it. So the playing and the singing will, in this case, be left up to the redeemed. But we are told that these 144,000 were singing before the four beasts and the elders. So how could this be with the singers on earth and the four beasts (living creatures) and elders in heaven? Is it not true that everything we do today is done before the throne of heaven and all that is connected with it? But in that day when our Lord is on His throne in Jerusalem and the Father on His throne in heaven, is it not reasonable to believe that the connection between the two will he closer than we can even think of?

In verse 4 we see that which is used by many to bolster the Catholic’s much vaunted celibacy. But I do not see any celibacy in this verse. To be sure these men have not defiled themselves with women. But since when do men defile themselves with their own wives? According to Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled.” So, for a man to defile himself with a woman he must have relations with a woman other than his own wife, or at least he must desire to have these relations, Matthew 5:28. I see no celibacy here at all whatsoever. In 1 Timothy 3:2 it appears that having only one wife is one of the qualifications for a minister of the gospel. Then in Titus 1:6 we see this qualification repeated for emphasis if you please. Yes, they are called virgins. And, on the surface this word “virgins” seems to belie what I have already said about the defilement concerning the 144,000. But we must remember that many terms in our Bible are used as a figure of speech. For instance Paul speaking of the church in 2 Corinthians 11:2 says, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Now Paul is not saying that this church is a virgin in the sense that a young woman is a virgin until she has relations with some man. He is saying that he wants to present this church to Christ in a pure, chaste state like that of a virgin. Here, the word “virgin” is used as a simile, but in Revelation 14:4 it is used as a metaphor. But in both cases it is likening something to the purity of a virgin. So in the verse before us we are told that the 144,000 have a purity or chastity like that of a virgin. And while I am persuaded that these men were not guilty of physical fornication, I am all the more convinced, that they were not guilty of spiritual fornication. When we commit physical fornication, we belittle ourselves. And it is an awful sin. But when we commit spiritual fornication, that is, we run after, and have to do with other gods, we belittle our God. And I just do not have an adjective in my vocabulary that will adequately describe this terrible sin.

Then we are told that these 144,000 go with the Lamb whithersoever He goes, and that they “were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” By “firstfruits” here it would appear they are the firstfruits of the tribulation time. The farmer has the “firstfruits” of his crop every year. In Revelation 7:2-3 we see the 144,000 being sealed in their foreheads before the actual tribulation begins. In verse 5 there is no guile found in their mouths. Here it is “guile”, but in the most authentic manuscripts it is PSEUDOS meaning lie. These are truthful, and we are told that “they are without fault before the throne of God”. This is not to say they are sinless. In I Corinthians 1:8 we are told that we are to be “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”. But we must remember that it is in Christ that we are blameless. So it is only in Christ that the 144,000 can be without fault before the throne of God.

Now that the saints of this church age have all been raptured, and therefore, our Lord’s churches are no longer in operation; now that the tribulation saints have fled to the wilderness where they are to be nourished by their Lord during these last three and a half years of this awful tribulation (Revelation 12:14), our Lord witnesses to this old wicked world though His angels. Here in verse 6 John sees an angel flying “in the midst of heaven”, that is, in the first heaven, the heaven that is just above our heads. This angel has “the everlasting gospel”. This word “everlasting” is from AIONION, which simply means a gospel that is applicable, or suitable in every age. Many people hit the ceiling when you tell them there is more than just one gospel. The word “gospel” comes from EUANGE LION which just simply means good news. And of course the word gospel means to you and me, good news concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and how He saves lost sinners.

John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples before Calvary preached the gospel of the kingdom, that is, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah.” So far as we may know, these preachers did not tell “How that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures: and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,” but they did tell the people that this is the one that Isaiah told about. In Isaiah 53:5 Isaiah said, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Then Isaiah goes on to say “He is brought (led) as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.”

So we see the gospel of the kingdom that John the Baptist preached was good news concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and how He saves lost sinners, but what he preached would not be applicable today. We, today, are to preach the gospel of grace as found in I Corinthians 15:3-4. And what we preach today would not have been applicable in John’s day. But the gospel this angel in Revelation 14:6 is preaching is the AIONION gospel. That is, it is the gospel that applies to every age. Please note, nothing is said here about our Lord’s future suffering and death which could only apply to the time before the cross. Neither is there anything said about His having suffered and died which can apply only to the time since the Cross.

But this gospel the angel preaches applies to all ages alike. So, what is the everlasting gospel? The angel said, “Fear God, and give glory to Him: for (or because) the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” When we consider what the angel says here we are made to wonder why it is called the gospel. The gospel we preach today “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth ... For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” But here instead of God’s righteousness we see His judgment. There seems to be no salvation connected with this gospel. People are not saved because they fear God. They fear God because they are saved. People do not worship God in order to be saved. Rather they worship Him in Spirit and in truth because they have been saved. The fact that the hour (time) of our Lord’s judgment is come does not bring people to Him. Rather it brings them to the dens and the rocks of the mountains (Revelation 6:15). So it would appear that when this time comes, the harvest is past, and those who are the non-elect are being warned. You see the lost are to be judged according to their works (Revelation 20:12). Therefore, it behooves the lost person to live a good moral life.

Then in verse 8 another angel comes on the scene saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” There is much said in our Bible about Babylon. And our authorized translators befuddle our minds somewhat here in this verse by calling this Babylon “that great city.” The Babylon we see here and also in Revelation 17 and 18 is not the old ancient city of Babylon by any means. The word “city” here in verse 8 is not found in the original, neither is it found in other translations. This is the mystery Babylon the great of Revelation 17:5. So we shall endeavor to deal with this Babylon fully when we come to chapter 17.

In verse 9 a third angel appears saying, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.” This third angel, like the first one in verses 6 and 7 is warning the wicked of their impending doom. They are told that if they worship this beast and his image they will drink “the wrath of God” “without mixture”, that is, without its being diluted. They must drink this wrath of God full strength. So they are being warned ahead of time. Through verse 11 this third angel is warning a wicked world what to expect.

“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord henceforth.” Paul tells us that in his day for him to die would be gain for him. And certainly, this old sinful world has never been too good to a faithful servant of the Lord. However, during the last few years the widespread popularity of modern neo-orthodoxy has brought about added persecution which our Lord’s saints of a generation ago knew nothing of. And we can expect this persecution to become more and more severe as we approach the coming rapture. But after we have been raptured, old Satan has been cast down to the earth, and the anti-christ has taken his seat in the temple of God, the persecution our Lord’s saints will be forced to suffer is beyond our poor, finite minds to comprehend. From that time on, during the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, it will be far better for the Lord’s people to die than for them to live.

In verse 14 John looked. And when he looked he beheld a white cloud. He also saw the Lord of glory sitting on the white cloud. In Psalms 104:3 we are told that He “maketh the clouds His chariot.” As we traverse the pages of Holy Writ we are continually meeting up with our precious Lord in His chariot, the clouds of heaven. So here is just one of the many such places where we thus meet Him, wearing His golden crown. By this we may know we are seeing the King of Kings. Here we hear no invitation “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” That time has passed away. Here the sickle is a symbol of judgment. The angel in verse 15 tells our Lord that it is time for Him to reap. And it is time for Him to reap because the harvest of the earth is ripe. You will recall that the children of Israel had to remain in Egypt until the fourth generation because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. These Amorites were not to be utterly destroyed until their iniquity was full. So now with the entire earth, her iniquity is now full. So-called Baptist professors like Bill Hamilton are proclaiming a dead God. They are saying that Jesus no longer exists. So now it is time for them to learn a thing or two, and learn they do.

I long to see those who speak thus concerning our great God hiding among the rocks and the dens of the mountains. And I am persuaded Bill Hamilton will be among the first to reach the mountains.

In verse 16 we are told that the earth was reaped. In verses 17-19 the reaping is further described. Here we are told that the “grapes are fully ripe”. In other words evil men have waxed worse and worse to the point where it is impossible to wax any worse. Law and order will have vanished from the earth. And how we see this coming to pass before our very eyes today. Laws are binding only on the law abiding people now. Others break the laws of the land today and give for their reason “they don’t like the law.” And the highest courts in the land uphold them in it. When the reaping time comes morals will have become extinct. And justice will be obsolete. Surely the grapes of the earth will be ripe for harvest.

In verses 19-20 the grapes are gathered and cast into the winepress. When you tread grapes in a winepress you get grape juice, but here we see blood coming out of the winepress. One would naturally think that Bible commentators who contend for a literal interpretation of Revelation would run into serious trouble here in these verses, but really they just, seemingly and unconsciously change the gear on their thinking and go on their way. They just tell us who the grapes are without mentioning the grapes. They are quick to tell us that all we have to do to understand Revelation is to just believe what it says. If that be true, a third grade school child should be able to understand Revelation. But I must admit, I have not found it that easy to understand. If a person sincerely and conscientiously follows a literal interpretation of this wonderful book, he would be ready to jump from a window on the top floor by the time he got to the verses before us.

The grapes before us are the armies of the world that are to be gathered together for the great battle of Armageddon. In II Kings 25 we see the beginning of Gentile world rule (called the times of the Gentiles) in Luke 21:24, and here in Revelation 14:19-20 we see the end of that “times of the Gentiles.” Our Lord with His sickle in His hand, is said to be the one who gathers these grapes, but He does it through other instrumentalities. In 16:13-14 we see three filthy, froglike spirits coming out of the mouth of old Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. And we are told that they gather the rulers of the whole world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. God not only can use old Satan and his cohorts, He does use them any time He wills to do so.

If you wish to see how these frog like spirits will perform their task, turn to I Kings 22:20-22. There we see a spirit becoming a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets of old king Ahab. Then if you turn to Ezekiel 38:9-12 you will see the working of these frog like spirits. Here we see all these rulers having an evil thought and they all have this evil thought at the same time. This evil thought is that they will go to the land of Israel and take a spoil. We know it is the land of Israel because in verse 16 God says, “Thou shalt come up against my people of Israel.” In the middle of the verse God says He brings them against His land. He brings them, but still they think they are doing all this of their own free will and accord. In verse 18 God tells them (Gog represents this great host or at least, he represents the leader of it) that when they come against Israel His fury shall come up in His face. The religious world sets God forth as just a God of love and mercy. They have manufactured them a god who is just too good to become furious. But when this time comes they will have their eyes opened that they may see.

There may be those who would say that since God brings these people against Israel He should not become furious when they come. But, beloved, He has hated these people from all eternity. Just as He hated Esau before he was born, so He has hated these enemies of His. That is God’s doing, so let us say amen to it. These people who have a little god of all love and mercy, these who cannot conceive of Him who went about doing good now causing blood to flow to the horse bridles should read their Bible. They could find much more being said about God’s vengeance, anger, hatred, and fury than is said about His love.

We are told that this winepress was trodden without the city. Jerusalem is the city spoken of here. Just as our Lord was taken outside the city to be crucified, so the great battle of Armageddon will be fought outside the city. In Ezekiel 39:4 God says to this great host, “Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel.” God could say this, not just because He knew all things but because He is the One who is to bring them there, and He is the One who will cause them to fall.

Then we are told that “blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” Since eight furlongs make a mile, this river of blood will be 200 miles long. I once had trouble seeing just how all this much blood could be brought from this army of men. But one day the Lord opened up some Scriptures to me that forever settled the question so far as I am concerned. In Ezekiel 38:22 I see God raining, among other things, great hailstones upon this great army of men. And in Revelation 16:21 I see hailstones that weigh about a talent, that is, about one hundred pounds, falling out of heaven upon these men. Hundred pound blocks of ice falling out of heaven upon these men will get the blood (all of it) out of this great army of men.