Chapter 14 (Spotlight)

REVELATION CHAPTER 14

As the history of time winds down, the breaking of a New Age is on the horizon. Chapter 14, another Spotlight Chapter, displays images and gives details concerning the 144,000 Jewish witnesses and three angels. It sheds light upon the destruction of Babylon and the battlefield of Armageddon. Chapter 14 will be explained in a flashback.

The 144,000 Jewish Witnesses

Revelation 14:1–5 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.

v. 1 “a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand” Herein resumes the 144,000 Jewish witnesses from Chapter 7:1–8. These have already been identified as Jews from the twelve tribes of Israel. At this present time, the location of these 144,000 has changed from the earth to heaven.

One is also given great details concerning the sex of the 144,000; they are Jewish virgin men (v. 4), which argues for the integrity against any religion endeavoring to name the 144,000 a group of “anointed” men and women. Not only are they Jewish, but they are virgins as well (never married). It can be positively conjectured the reason for the nonmarriage of these Jewish men is the short time (three-and-a-half years) they have in their commission to save Israel during the first half of the Tribulation.

The 144,000 have been redeemed or raptured from the earth just slightly after the Great Tribulation has begun, for their mandate has been finished successfully, wherein the believing Jews have fled to Petra during the last half of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:6, 14) commencing the appearance of the two witnesses (Revelation 11), centered at the heart of Jerusalem where the Antichrist is, who will prophesy the remainder of the Great Tribulation (See Master Timeline for order of events).

Angels Who Preach?

Revelation 14:6–7 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 judgement is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

v. 6 “I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth” Some commentators speculate whether “angels” will preach the gospel. One can positively adopt this thought since ministers, who are also depicted as “angels of the church,” do not possess wings to fly. Hence, interpreting the Scriptures literally, these “angels,” during the Great Tribulation epoch (a time in which wonders will be seen in the heavens, Acts 2:19), are flying through the heavens preaching; wherefore verse 7 declares that which they speak, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come.”

Revelation 14:8 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.

v. 8 “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city” This has yet to happen, but its pronouncement of coming destruction and utter fall is proclaimed. Chapters 17 and 18 provide the utter damnation and destruction of Babylon; thus, it will be examined later.

The Door of Salvation Shut?

Revelation 14:9–11 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.

v. 9 “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand” It has been stated that after the Rapture, no one can be saved; this book cannot support that position. In keeping with numerous Scriptures supporting the saving of men post-rapture, Jesus’ superabundance of grace and love is readily seen to the saving of men throughout the Tribulation (Revelation 7:9–11; Acts 2:21).

In contrast to when the “doors of salvation” shall be closed precisely, verses 9–11 indicate the utter sealing of one’s fate: he who worships the beasts and takes the mark of the beast (v. 9). Then and only then shall one seal his fate with that of Satan. Against this backdrop, God does not “cut off” salvation, so to speak, but man shreds to pieces the invitation to receive everlasting life in the face of God when he takes the mark of the Beast. Consequently, “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God . . . whosoever receiveth the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:10–11).

Revelation 14:12–13 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.

v. 12 “Here is the patience of the saints” “The words contain a solemn intimation of the severe trials to which God’s faithful servants will be subjected to during the reign of the Beast.”²⁷⁹ Once again, these are Tribulation saints, those who have professed Christ after the Rapture.

An Inner Preview of Armageddon

Revelation 14:14–20 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.

v. 20 “And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles” These verses convey the preview of the bloodshed of the war of Armageddon. These versus continue from Revelation 6:12–17 and 11:15–18. It will be best to compile the list of casualties in world wars to date. Thus, the casualties lost in WWI²⁸⁰ and WWII²⁸¹ were:

Should these numbers appear staggering, this inner preview of the end of the war of Armageddon enumerates the “Battle Deaths”:

Revelation 9:16 addresses this massive army of mounted troops, “two hundred thousand thousand” (two-hundred million), on their way to the battle of Armageddon. “Armageddon, as described, is the scene of the final conflict between Christ and Antichrist, which results in the deaths of two-hundred million men; ergo, the bloodshed will be deep as blood would be in a field of slaughter where it would come up to the very bridles of the horses.”²⁸² “The idea is that there would be a great slaughter ‘by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs’ (that is, two hundred miles)—a lake of blood.”²⁸³ Set against this backdrop, who is man that he would fight against his Creator?

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