Revelation Chapter 14 Commentary

There is so much to consider in chapter 14.  So much to try and understand.  Again, the best way to begin understanding is to read the text itself!

Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps, 3 and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are chaste; it is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are spotless. 6  Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water." 8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion." 9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also shall drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." 12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.  13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" 14 Then I looked, and lo, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat upon the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." 16 So he who sat upon the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has power over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." 19 So the angel swung his sickle on the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God; 20 and the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press, as high as a horse's bridle, for one thousand six hundred stadia.

Let’s go back to verse one where we read:

1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

What do you recall from reading about the 144,000 in chapter 7? First it says that . . .

• They are sealed from the wrath to come

• They are servants of God

• There are 12,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel

• They are sealed on their foreheads (which we said was perhaps representational of them having the Law of God on their minds)

Now, take note of the similarity of this verse to what it says in Hebrews 12:22-23 (one of my favorite passages from Hebrews to cite) which states, 

“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” 

Fulfillment expert Steve Gregg suggests that the vision of chapter 14 reflects the contents of Psalm 2 where “the kings and rulers vainly rebelling against and resisting God and the Messiah, but declares that God “laughs” at their futile efforts to unseat Him from His sovereign position. God tells them in verse six there,

“Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion” 

Here in Revelation despite all the efforts of the dragon and the beast to eliminate the church, the Judean believers stand secure with the Lord in victory.  I love this victory represented here and believe it is emblematic of God having total victory over all created things by and through His grace and love.  At verses 2-5 we read 

2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as first-fruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

So first, what do we learn about the 144,000 here in chapter 14?  It’s a major description.  Ready?

• They are standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion

• They have the name of the Lamb and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

• They were redeemed from the earth.

• They (and only they) could learn the new song that was being sung

• They are virgins (having never been “defiled” by women) – I’d love to see even a 1000 adult male believers on earth who fit this description today, by the way.

• They follow the Lamb wherever He goes

• They are said to be redeemed from mankind as first-fruits of God and the Lamb

• In their mouth no lie was found for they are blameless (and I’d like to find just a hundred people on earth today who can meet this criteria.)

Now, according to the Pre-tribulation rapture view, these 144,000 are Jewish believers brought to faith after Jesus returns and removes the church from the earth (How they are brought to faith is a question since many who hold this view believe that the restrainer of II Thessalonians 2:6-7 is the Holy Spirit who is removed from the earth along with the Church).   But noted partial preterist scholar (at the time of publication of the following since his is a full-preterist today) Kenneth Gentry,  says in his book, Before Jerusalem Fell, (1998, pp. 232) that the 144,000 are Christians of Jewish extraction, i.e.,

• Jewish, because they are “in the land”

• Jewish, because they are from the twelve tribes of Israel

• Jewish, because they are contrasted with the multitude.

Then we also have to ask if the fact that they are termed “first-fruits” shed light on whether they are from the 60’s AD or from a time period yet to come? I would suggest that this group lived in the first century by the fact that the harvest of souls is one long event that has been occurring for nearly 2000 years and if the 144,000 are the “first-fruits” (as verse 4 maintains) then the rest of the fruits to come are justified as having happened in the harvest ever since. But if we are still waiting on the harvest of the first-fruits these 144,000 must have taken place at the beginning of this time. In other words, if this 144,000 referred to some future group living in the end times (as the futurists believe), one would expect them to be called the ‘last-fruits’ rather than the first – unless the harvest that has been happening around the worlds has been no harvest at all.  Let’s talk about the very biblical concept of first-fruits.

The word used for first-fruits in the Greek is aparche and it generally applies to the  first-fruits of a harvest, or the that which is first collected and consecrated to God as an offering of gratitude.  The idea is when the blessing of God are poured out we respond by taking the first part of it, in recognition of His love and mercy, and give it to Him.  Built within the concept is an order or rank. Additionally, first-fruits also applies to the best of the whole harvest.  Let’s say you have a grove of apple trees and you want to give the first- fruits to God.  This does not mean that the very first apples to come to the grove are God’s.  In fact, we learn from Leviticus 19:23-25 that when it came to tree first-fruits the Children of Israel were to wait for four cycles of harvests before either offering the first- fruits to God or harvesting the crop for themselves.  So, the order and rank part applies to the first acceptable harvest as a whole and then the best of that harvest.   Numbers 18:12 says it well:

“All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first-fruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.”

When it comes to humans, the first-fruits of the womb, however, are always the firstborn sons, which is naturally a picture of our Lord.  The purpose and symbolism is manifest even in our day and age as the person typically served first at an event is someone of the highest honor.  Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase.”

It goes without saying that the first-fruits, as we’ve defined them, were very important to God.  Ezekiel 48:14 says:

“And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the first-fruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.”

So, and in accordance to God and His sovereign ways and perfect foreknowledge, the idea of first-fruits – picturing His Only Begotten Son – was initiated from the beginning. Remember, first-fruits include the concepts of the best, the first, and a rank among others that are to come.  Did you hear me?  First-fruits include the notions of 1, the best of a crop, 2, the first out of a crop, and 3, of the first of other ranks to come.  When God created everything in the Garden of Eden it was good. Adam and Eve were the first-fruits of all humanity.  They were first, they were the best (God created them, right?) and they were first in rank of many to come. God gave them a choice - to love Him and therefore obey Him, or to choose their own will and way.  Did God know what they would do?  Certainly.  Which is why scripture says His Son was slain from the foundations of the world.   Did others follow in after the first and best called Adam and Eve?  Certainly.  Even all the way down to each of us today.  With the first-fruits of the human race failing to love and choose God, God elected a nation above all other nations. Romans 11:16, speaking of the Nation of  Israel and likening them to a tree God created and elected for specific purposes, Paul wrote to gentile believers in Rome:

“For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.”

But the first-fruit nation, like the first-fruit couple, failed to live the law and choose God. Now listen, this is key - 

Just as more individuals came after the first-fruit couple Adam and Eve, filling the earth, so did other nations follow in after the first-fruit nation failed to choose God and ultimately rejected the Messiah sent to them.  This other fruits would include all other Nations, right?  God has elected (based on His foreknowledge of what Adam and Eve and the Nation of Israel would choose to do) to use them so He would achieve His good pleasure and will, not because He respected them anymore but because of His foreknowledge of what they would do.  We know then that God sent His Only Begotten Son, right?  He was the first-fruits of God (now the Father) and of Mary and the only one (up until this point in history) to do His will.  In many ways, Jesus was the first-fruit of the church.

First only to come from above.

First and only born of a virgin.

First and only without sin.

First and only to come down from above.

First and only to obey the Law.

And having been the best, the first, and the first of an order of humanity, he became the first-fruits in overcoming the grave by overcoming sin and death.  1^st Corinthians 15:20 says it:

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.”

Because of Him, all of mankind (every rank) will be resurrected or as it says in 1^st Corinthians 15:23:

“But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

From His ascension on, the Church – His church, comprised of individual believers, became the first-fruits of all believers.  Romans 8:23 called them, “the first-fruits of the Spirit.”  Of the first, of a rank, of therefore, the best of all.  First-fruits plays such a role in God and His achieving His own pleasure and will, that when a person became a believer in a certain geographical area, they were even known as the first-fruits of that area. In Romans 16:5, Paul is giving greetings, and says 

“Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the “first-fruits of Achaia” unto Christ.”

Here’s the point, which we will build upon - first-fruits automatically implies that there is more fruit coming later while it stands as the best of the first harvest, the first in rank, and the first among many.  Adam and Eve were followed by more people.  The Nation of Israel was followed by more nations.  Jesus, the first resurrected, was (and will be) followed by more.   The first believers of an area will be followed by more, and the church of the redeemed, will be followed by more adding to it.  James 1:18 says it well to believers in that age:  Of his own will (of His own good pleasure) begat he us with the word of truth (according to His election based on His foreknowledge), that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.”

So, at this point, why do we suppose that John is bringing up the 144,000 again?  Perhaps it’s as an encouragement to those persecuted by the beast; that they will soon be with the Lord in Mt. Zion.  To be fair, relative to what I said earlier about virgins, it may – due to the content of what Jesus has said to the Seven Churches specifically about its relationship with the pagan whores, it could be that what is being spoken of here doesn’t refer to actual virginity among them all (nor to marital status) but they had not been defiled by the harlot, Jerusalem (which we will read more about when we get to chapter 16-18).  But then why does John describe them as blameless?  The only blameless one that has ever walked the earth is Christ Jesus, right?  Unless we include those who have been redeemed in His blood.  So, in all likelihood John is referring to the redeemed state of these souls.

Then in verses 6-8 we read: 

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 

Of course, the LDS Missionaries yank this passage right out of context and assign it to their Angel Moroni who brought the restored Gospel to the earth according to Mormon lore.   But this is not what anyone outside the LDS religion believes.  Anyway . . .

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 

I think the setting and timing of this angel is made clear here in the next verses as John adds:

7 And he (this other angel) said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

I’m not so sure anything more needs to be said of this angel as it’s job as its comments are certainly aimed at the end of that age.   But let’s talk a bit more anyway and consult the insights of others.

Steve Gregg notes that there are those (like David S. Clark) who believe that the “eternal gospel” here is simply “the announcement of the doom and judgment” which is depicted as soon to fall (page 320).  However, adds Gregg, “most expositors would see this as a reference to the regular message of salvation that Christ told His disciples to preach, and which He indicated would be preached in all the world before ‘the end comes’. (Matthew 24:14) 

J. Stuart Russell wrote: “There is a manifest allusion here to the fact predicted by our Lord that, before the coming of “the end,” the Gospel of the kingdom would first be preached in all the world…”for a witness to all nations.”  This symbol, therefore, indicates the near approach of the catastrophe of Jerusalem – the arrival of the hour of Israel’s judgment.  It is interesting that Paul told his Roman readers that their faith “is spoken of throughout the whole world.” (Romans 1:8).  And in his epistle to the Colossians he also said that “the word of the truth of the gospel,” which had come to them, had gone to “the entire world” (Colossians 1:6).  Then again at verse 23 in the same chapter Paul wrote that the Gospel had “been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” We know that devout Jews “from every nation under heaven” heard the gospel in their own languages on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5).  Do these statements not indicate that Matthew 24:14 had already been fulfilled by the time they were written?  The phrase “the whole world” here then must mean what it meant in Luke 2:1 when we are told that “the entire world” was registered in the days of Caesar Augustus, i.e. the known world or the Roman Empire (Luke 11:28, Acts 24:5, Romans 16:25-26).  Then John adds:

8Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

What is unique about this verse?  It is the first time that Babylon is mentioned in all of the revelation.  What do we know about Babylon from the text?

• She is called, “the great”

• She was “influential” in she made “all nations drink the wine;” the wine of what?  Our answer gives us another indicator of her, as it tells us that the wine was of

• her sexual immorality (in other words, she was lawless).

So, who or what is Babylon here in Revelation?   The Preterists are divided on this as some say it is Rome and others say it is Jerusalem – we will get deeper into this in chapters 16-18 so hang on!