REVELATION 14
This chapter begins with the greatest contrast possible to the suffering in chapter 13. For the first time in Revelation, we see Jesus back on earth, and with him, the 144,000 who were sealed with God's seal on their foreheads in Revelation 7:4. Taken at face value, this appears to be a picture of a Jewish Messiah returning with Jewish people to a Jewish nation. Recall that in chapter 7, these 144,000 were identified by specific tribes, and I can't think of any reason why Gentile Christians would be identified with a specific tribe of Israel.
That raises a question about where other Christians are at this time. Have they been raptured prior to the tribulation, as proponents of a pre-tribulation rapture believe? Is it possible, on the other hand, that Jesus does not just appear with the 144,000, that Jesus returns with all of his disciples throughout the ages, or at least with a multitude who were saved during the great tribulation, but only these 144,000 are specifically mentioned here because of their role as witnesses during that time? Were the 144,000 martyred during the great tribulation, and are they mentioned here as resurrected and returned to the earth in order to symbolize the defeat of the beast and the false prophet in chapter 13? Is the number 144,000 purely symbollic, thus making them equivalent to the multitude no one could count in Revelation 7:9?
I don't have an answer for these questions, though I am inclined to believe the multitude in Revelation 7:9 results from the witness and ministry of a literal 144,000 in Revelation 7:4-8. Revelation 14:4 says the 144,000 are first fruits for God and the Lamb. However one interprets this passage, the key point is that Jesus will return to the earth at the end of a great period of stress, as both the synoptic gospels and the epistles of Paul teach. Even so, Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 24:36-44 that many will be caught off guard and surprised when he returns, and this may include some professing Christians.
In any case, we are told three things about the 144,000. First, we learn about their worship of God before his throne. They are given a song of worship, unique to themselves, which no one else can learn.
Then we are told that these 144,000 have not defiled themselves with women, and they are pure. Modern translations tend to suggest that this means they are chaste, in that they followed God's rules regarding sex, which does not necessarily mean they are virgins, but older translations explicitly say they are virgins. In the latter case, it would be quite clear that they are a subset of the church, not representative of all of it. In the former case, it would emphasize how serious scripture is about prohibiting sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, etc. In either case, their service to God is rewarded because they are allowed to follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Actually, they would be a subset of the church in either case, because not having defiled themselves with women in scripture requires them to be men, and we know Jesus did not die for just one gender. Recall that women were at his tomb first.
Finally, we find that no lie was found on their lips, and they are blameless before the throne of God. Certainly no human being can be blameless before God apart from the blood of Christ, so some may argue that these have been forgiven whatever falsehoods they may have told on earth. But I believe they are honest people, who by God's grace never desired to deceive anyone.
Verses 6-13 tell us that John then saw three angels. The first proclaimed the gospel to mankind and asked men to worship, revere and adore God, their Creator. The second angel declares that Babylon has fallen, which is discussed in greater detail in chapters 17 and 18. The third angel says that those who worship the beast will drink the wine of God's wrath, they will be tormented by fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb and the holy angels, and the smoke of their torment is both constant and eternal.
Therefore, verses 12 and 13 call for the faith and endurance of the saints, blessing those who die in the Lord from now on, and saying their good deeds will follow them into eternity.
The final section of this chapter in verses 14-20 tell of the harvesting of the earth. It is not entirely clear whether the figure in verse 14 is an angel or Christ himself, and perhaps it doesn't matter, since we're not told explicitly. Verses 15 and 16 seem to tell of one harvest, and we are not being told what is being harvested. Verses 17-20 definitely refer to a harvest of the grapes of God's wrath, whose blood is shed in verse 20. If these are two distinct harvests, perhaps the first harvest is of the very last human beings to experience salvation before eternity.
Verse 20 has always been especially interesting to me. It is not clear whether this is an entirely supernatural event, or whether this is a military engagement from a human perspective. Many believe the nations of the earth have gathered at this point to do battle with each other, but God intervenes and destroys all of them. But the point I want to make here is that a battle so bloody that blood would run as high as a horse's bridle for two hundred miles would have been impossible, and even unimaginable, in the first century. Scripture doesn't tell us whether these men are killed supernaturally or by human military weapons. But no matter how efficient Roman soldiers were, they could never have created a battlefield like this. Only in modern times would this have become militarily possible. John the apostle would not and could not have made this up, because it would have been nearly impossible to imagine during his lifetime. This verse, gruesome though it is, is one of the reasons I am a Christian today. It convinced me of the reality of this vision. It's unfortunate that this is rarely quoted or taught in churches.
Another thought about how this chapter ends is with regard to the sequence of events. One would think that the moment Jesus steps onto Mount Zion, everyone would put down their swords. Yet it appears in this chapter and in chapter 19 that this beast-worshiping generation has so hardened itself against God that they will continue to fight Christ when he is physically present among them. After all of the seals, the trumpets, the bowls and the plagues they've been through, I find this really astonishing, and it gives us some sense as to why the smoke of their torment will go up forever.
Finally, chapter 14 encapsulates the three major messages of the book of Revelation. First, God the Father and Christ are to be worshiped, revered and adored, and our love for God is to be pre-eminent in our lives. Second, we are to hang in there and persevere during tough times, knowing that Jesus knows our condition and that he will reward our faithfulness and our witness for him. Finally, Revelation makes it clear that all sin will be dealt with by God, first sin in the church and then sin in the world.
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (NASB)
That raises a question about where other Christians are at this time. Have they been raptured prior to the tribulation, as proponents of a pre-tribulation rapture believe? Is it possible, on the other hand, that Jesus does not just appear with the 144,000, that Jesus returns with all of his disciples throughout the ages, or at least with a multitude who were saved during the great tribulation, but only these 144,000 are specifically mentioned here because of their role as witnesses during that time? Were the 144,000 martyred during the great tribulation, and are they mentioned here as resurrected and returned to the earth in order to symbolize the defeat of the beast and the false prophet in chapter 13? Is the number 144,000 purely symbollic, thus making them equivalent to the multitude no one could count in Revelation 7:9?
I don't have an answer for these questions, though I am inclined to believe the multitude in Revelation 7:9 results from the witness and ministry of a literal 144,000 in Revelation 7:4-8. Revelation 14:4 says the 144,000 are first fruits for God and the Lamb. However one interprets this passage, the key point is that Jesus will return to the earth at the end of a great period of stress, as both the synoptic gospels and the epistles of Paul teach. Even so, Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 24:36-44 that many will be caught off guard and surprised when he returns, and this may include some professing Christians.
In any case, we are told three things about the 144,000. First, we learn about their worship of God before his throne. They are given a song of worship, unique to themselves, which no one else can learn.
Then we are told that these 144,000 have not defiled themselves with women, and they are pure. Modern translations tend to suggest that this means they are chaste, in that they followed God's rules regarding sex, which does not necessarily mean they are virgins, but older translations explicitly say they are virgins. In the latter case, it would be quite clear that they are a subset of the church, not representative of all of it. In the former case, it would emphasize how serious scripture is about prohibiting sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, etc. In either case, their service to God is rewarded because they are allowed to follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Actually, they would be a subset of the church in either case, because not having defiled themselves with women in scripture requires them to be men, and we know Jesus did not die for just one gender. Recall that women were at his tomb first.
Finally, we find that no lie was found on their lips, and they are blameless before the throne of God. Certainly no human being can be blameless before God apart from the blood of Christ, so some may argue that these have been forgiven whatever falsehoods they may have told on earth. But I believe they are honest people, who by God's grace never desired to deceive anyone.
Verses 6-13 tell us that John then saw three angels. The first proclaimed the gospel to mankind and asked men to worship, revere and adore God, their Creator. The second angel declares that Babylon has fallen, which is discussed in greater detail in chapters 17 and 18. The third angel says that those who worship the beast will drink the wine of God's wrath, they will be tormented by fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb and the holy angels, and the smoke of their torment is both constant and eternal.
Therefore, verses 12 and 13 call for the faith and endurance of the saints, blessing those who die in the Lord from now on, and saying their good deeds will follow them into eternity.
The final section of this chapter in verses 14-20 tell of the harvesting of the earth. It is not entirely clear whether the figure in verse 14 is an angel or Christ himself, and perhaps it doesn't matter, since we're not told explicitly. Verses 15 and 16 seem to tell of one harvest, and we are not being told what is being harvested. Verses 17-20 definitely refer to a harvest of the grapes of God's wrath, whose blood is shed in verse 20. If these are two distinct harvests, perhaps the first harvest is of the very last human beings to experience salvation before eternity.
Verse 20 has always been especially interesting to me. It is not clear whether this is an entirely supernatural event, or whether this is a military engagement from a human perspective. Many believe the nations of the earth have gathered at this point to do battle with each other, but God intervenes and destroys all of them. But the point I want to make here is that a battle so bloody that blood would run as high as a horse's bridle for two hundred miles would have been impossible, and even unimaginable, in the first century. Scripture doesn't tell us whether these men are killed supernaturally or by human military weapons. But no matter how efficient Roman soldiers were, they could never have created a battlefield like this. Only in modern times would this have become militarily possible. John the apostle would not and could not have made this up, because it would have been nearly impossible to imagine during his lifetime. This verse, gruesome though it is, is one of the reasons I am a Christian today. It convinced me of the reality of this vision. It's unfortunate that this is rarely quoted or taught in churches.
Another thought about how this chapter ends is with regard to the sequence of events. One would think that the moment Jesus steps onto Mount Zion, everyone would put down their swords. Yet it appears in this chapter and in chapter 19 that this beast-worshiping generation has so hardened itself against God that they will continue to fight Christ when he is physically present among them. After all of the seals, the trumpets, the bowls and the plagues they've been through, I find this really astonishing, and it gives us some sense as to why the smoke of their torment will go up forever.
Finally, chapter 14 encapsulates the three major messages of the book of Revelation. First, God the Father and Christ are to be worshiped, revered and adored, and our love for God is to be pre-eminent in our lives. Second, we are to hang in there and persevere during tough times, knowing that Jesus knows our condition and that he will reward our faithfulness and our witness for him. Finally, Revelation makes it clear that all sin will be dealt with by God, first sin in the church and then sin in the world.
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (NASB)
posted by TAPIOCA at 12/02/2006 02:17:00 AM
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