The Revelation · New Testament
Revelation 14
Revelation 14: three angels, a blessing and two harvests
General context
John sees a Lamb on mount Sion with a hundred forty and four thousand who have a name written in their foreheads, and hears a voice from heaven like many waters and like thunder, with harpers playing. They sing a new song that only that number could learn, and the text describes them as undefiled, following the Lamb wherever he goes, redeemed as firstfruits, and without guile or fault. An angel flies through heaven with the everlasting gospel, calling people to fear God because the hour of his judgment is come. A second angel announces that Babylon is fallen. A third warns that anyone who worships the beast and takes its mark will drink the wine of the wrath of God and be tormented with fire and brimstone without rest. A statement about the patience of the saints follows, and then a voice tells John to write a blessing on the dead who die in the Lord. John then sees one like the Son of man seated on a white cloud with a golden crown and a sharp sickle; an angel calls for the reaping and the earth is reaped. Another angel gathers the vine of the earth into the great winepress, which is trodden outside the city.
Cited passages: Revelation 14:1, Revelation 14:2, Revelation 14:3, Revelation 14:4, Revelation 14:5, Revelation 14:6, Revelation 14:7, Revelation 14:8, Revelation 14:9, Revelation 14:10, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 14:12, Revelation 14:13, Revelation 14:14, Revelation 14:15, Revelation 14:16, Revelation 14:17, Revelation 14:18, Revelation 14:19, Revelation 14:20
Revelation 14 (KJV)
1And 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.
2And 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:
3And 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.
4These 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.
5And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
6And 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,
7Saying 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.
8And 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.
9And 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,
10The 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:
11And 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.
12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13And 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.
14And 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.
15And 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.
16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18And 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.
19And 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.
20And 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.
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Historical context
The chapter describes the hundred forty and four thousand in its own words at verses 4 and 5 and repeats the number given at 7:4, without saying whether the two passages speak of one group. Babylon is named here for the first time in the book, called "that great city", and charged only with one thing, that "she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication"; the text supplies no location, ruler or nation for her. Mount Sion is named as where the Lamb stands, and nothing else is said about it. The figure on the cloud is described as "one sat like unto the Son of man", the same comparison used of the figure at 1:13, and is not named in either place. The winepress is trodden "without the city", and which city is not stated. The measurements of blood and distance at verse 20 are given as printed, and the torment described at verses 10 and 11 is left as the text states it.
Cited passages: Revelation 14:1, Revelation 14:4, Revelation 14:8, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 14:14, Revelation 14:20, Revelation 7:4, Revelation 1:13
Literary context
The chapter runs on announcements. Three angels follow one another with speeches, then a voice from heaven dictates a blessing, then two more angels call for harvests, so almost everything here is said aloud rather than done. Two reapings close the chapter and are deliberately unequal: the first is a single instruction and a single stroke, "and the earth was reaped", while the second takes three verses, adds a second angel with power over fire, and ends at a named destination, "the great winepress of the wrath of God". Rest is used as a hinge. Those who worship the beast "have no rest day nor night", and a few verses later the dead in the Lord "rest from their labours". The chapter also reaches back with near-repeated wording. The opening vision described a voice "as the sound of many waters" and here John hears one "as the voice of many waters"; the beast account said "Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" and verse 12 says "Here is the patience of the saints".
Cited passages: Revelation 14:2, Revelation 14:6, Revelation 14:8, Revelation 14:9, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 14:12, Revelation 14:13, Revelation 14:16, Revelation 14:18, Revelation 14:19, Revelation 1:15, Revelation 13:10
Key moments
- The Lamb on mount Sion (Revelation 14:1). John sees the Lamb with a hundred forty and four thousand marked in their foreheads.
- A song only they could learn (Revelation 14:3). The new song is said to be unlearnable by anyone else.
- The everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6). An angel flies through heaven with a message for every nation.
- Babylon is fallen (Revelation 14:8). A second angel announces the fall of the great city.
- Warning about the mark (Revelation 14:9). A third angel warns against worshipping the beast and receiving its mark.
- A blessing dictated (Revelation 14:13). A voice tells John to write that the dead who die in the Lord are blessed.
- The winepress trodden (Revelation 14:20). The gathered vine is trodden outside the city and blood flows to the horse bridles.
For reflection
Between the warning of unending torment and the blessing on the dead who die in the Lord stands a single sentence about the patience of the saints. What weight does that one line carry where the text has placed it?
