Revelation chapter 14

The Last Division of the Tribulation Week

Rev. 14:1-19:21

The Seven Parenthetical statements

Rev. 14:1-20

This sixth parenthetical passage contains seven statements which come between the seventh trumpet and the first vial as to reception, but not necessarily in fulfillment. The first five statements are necessary to explain certain things which are to transpire between the seventh trumpet and the end of the Week.

The Lamb on Mount Zion with the 144,000 Jews

“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God” (Rev. 14:1-5).

These 144,000 have been discussed in detail. This passage shows what the manchild is doing before the throne in heaven and proves that the 144,000 are no longer on earth after this time. The following three parenthetical statements concern three messenger angels who will go forth from the middle to the end of the Week during the reign of the Antichrist. They will announce certain commands and events as follows:

The First Messenger Angel: The Everlasting Gospel

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Rev. 14:6-7).

The “everlasting gospel” which will be the subject of the first messenger angel in the great tribulation, is used only here and has reference to the eternity of the message past, present, and future. Its message and scope takes in all of the intelligent creatures in the universe. Its message is threefold: first, “fear God”; second, “give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come”; third, “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” This message will have particular significance at this time, for it will be proclaimed immediately after the rise of the beasts out of the sea (Antichrist) and out of the earth (false prophet), who will deceive men by reason of the supernatural powers invested in them by Satan. God will counteract these deceptions by the ministry of the two witnesses, the multitudes of saints who will be saved and endued with miraculous powers after the catching up of, the Jewish people, the Holy Spirit who will exercise His present office work as before, the judgments of God, and by the appearance of angels in the heavens preaching their respective messages. God will permit the deception of Satan; yet in the face of them, He will still be faithful to warn men and use all legitimate means to turn men from such falsehoods which will seal their eternal doom.
The theme of this eternal message is that the Creator alone is to be feared and worshiped and that He alone will be the final judge of all. This message, although an eternal one, will have an additional incentive in the great tribulation, for the angel announces, “the hour (period) of His judgment is come,” or is already manifest, referring to the judgments of God which will be pored out during this time. This indeed will be glad tidings to those oppressed by the Antichrist, but fear the condemnation of him and his followers. Hence, the special preaching of it at this time.

The Second Messenger Angel: The Fall of Babylon

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Rev. 14:.

This angel will also fly in mid-heaven proclaiming the fall of Literal Babylon, that great city, which is to be destroyed under the seventh vial at the end of the Week, Rev. 16:17-21; 18:1-24. Such an anticipative message at this time is in keeping with God's dealings with any city or nation. God always warns of impending judgment, thus giving the guilty a chance to repent and avert the judgment.

The Third Messenger Angel: Doom of the Beast Worshipers

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 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; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:9-12).

The third messenger angel also will fly in mid-heaven during the great tribulation announcing the fact that if any man worship the beast and his image or receive his mark he will be doomed to eternal torment. This torment will be with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the angels and the Lamb. It is called the “wine of the wrath of God” which will be pored out undiluted upon all that commit this great sin. The above is one of the most solemn messages in the Bible and is an unanswerable argument on reality and eternity of hell. So awful will be this sin and so terrible its consequences that God will send an angel to warn men continually during this period of beast worship. It appears that if a man takes the mark he will likely first make a shipwreck of his conscience and faith in God, yield to the possession of demons and sell his soul to the devil, and become the habitation of all that is foul and unclean. The three messages will go forth at about the same period of time. All three will serve as anticipative warnings to men of the consequences of their sin and rejection of God. The above message seems to be also one of comfort to those who do not take the mark and worship the beast but who receive his persecution, for the statement ends in “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Cf. Rev. 12:17; 13:10.

The Blessed Dead

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

Following the messages of the three angels “a great voice from heaven” told John to write the above statement concerning the dead that die “henceforth”; i.e.,during the great tribulation of the last three and one-half years. These dead referred to are those who will be martyred because they will not worship the beast and his image or receive his mark. They are the same as those referred to in Rev. 7:9-17; 13:5-7, 15; 15:2-4; 20:4. This message of encouragement will be needed at that time by these saints to help them to be true in their trials. What a contrast between this message and the doom spoken by the third messenger angel concerning the beast-worshipers! Their “labours” and “works” probably refer to their ceaseless opposition to Antichrist and the prevailing corruption of this time, and to the trials and hardships they are to undergo in the persecution from the beast. These blessings will be only to those who “die in the Lord from henceforth.”
This is the tenth time John is told to “write.” The voice is perhaps the voice of Christ that told him to “write” on all other occasions, Rev. 1:11, 19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14. The Spirit is the one imparting this to Christ in His reception of it from the Father, Rev. 1:1. The clause, “Yea, saith the Spirit” has been expressed seven times before, “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.” There are only two other persons in the Revelation that tell John and they are the redeemed prophet who is showing John these Revelations (Rev. 1:3; 19:9,10; 22:8,9) and God the Father (Rev. 21:5).


The Harvest of the Earth: Armageddon

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped” (Rev. 14:14-16).

This “harvest of the earth” will not be the above martyrs who”die in the Lord.” This is entirely a different message. The one above pictures the martyrs who will die for the sake of Christ, while this pictures those who will die for the sake of the Antichrist at Armageddon. John saw the Son of Man (Christ) sitting on a cloud, which is associated with His coming to the earth, Rev. 1:7; 10:1,2; Mt. 24:27-31; Acts 1:9-11. This passage reminds us of the parables of the wheat, tares, and dragnet (Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50) and certainly is a reference to the same future time as a comparison will reveal. This is the last occurrence of the title “Son of man.” There are several reasons why this harvest pictures Armageddon and not the tribulation martyrs as is often thought:

1. “The Son of man” is to reap this harvest as seen in the above verses.
2. Here Christ has a “golden crown” which indicates kingship and a kingdom. He will receive the kingdom from the Father at the second advent, Rev. 19:12; Dan. 7:13,14. This shows that the passage is parenthetical and will not be fulfilled until Armageddon.
3. The harvest will not be reaped until after the fall of Babylon, as announced by the second messenger angel, and fulfilled under the seventh vial, Rev. 16:17-21.
4. The “sharp sickle” is the same as that mentioned in Joel 3:9-14 in picturing the destruction of the hosts of Armageddon.
5. The expression, “time is come for thee to reap,” shows Christ has delayed reaping and that now the time is approaching for Him to take vengeance on them which dwell on the earth, as foretold by the prophets in connection with Armageddon, Isa. 34:8; 59:17; 61:2; 63:4; Jer. 46:9,10; 2 Thes. 1:8. Therefore, martyrs cannot be the thought of the vision. In obedience to the cry of the angel, Christ will thrust in His sickle into the earth and reap, as stated in the above passages.

The Vintage of the Earth: Armageddon

“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (Rev. 14:17-20).

The vision of “the vine of the earth” is the same in theme as “the harvest of the earth” above. The “harvest” and the “vintage” are both judicial and are anticipative of the future Battle of Armageddon. In the vision “another angel” is the one to reap, thus showing that the angels will have a part in the Battle of Armageddon, 2 Thes. 1:7-10.
The vine of the earth will be cast into the “great winepress of the wrath of God.” The winepress will be trodden “without the city,” referring to the place just outside of Jerusalem where Armageddon will be fought. Blood will flow out of the winepress even up to the horses' bridles as far as 1,600 furlongs, or nearly 200 miles. This is definite proof that the gathering of the vintage refers to the gathering of the nations to Armageddon by the ministry of the three unclean spirits (Rev. 16:13-16) to fight against Christ at His coming. The winepress with the blood flowing out of it refers to the destruction of these nations when blood will flow as pictured in the above parenthetical verses.