Interpretation of angels in revelation chapter 14. Revelation of John
8. FINAL EVENTS ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN (chapters 14-15)
A. 144,000 on Mount Zion (14:1-5)
Chapters 14 and 13 present new events and details of what is happening in heaven and on earth - on the eve of the final judgments - the judgments of the seven bowls of God's wrath (chapter 16) and the ongoing judgments (chapters 17 and 18).
Open 14:1-2. Here we again meet those 144,000 “sealed” spoken of in chapter 7; John sees them standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. There is, in fact, reasonable reason to believe that these are the same 144,000, only “pictured” during the final period of the great tribulation.
The vision “anticipates” the triumph of these people, who survived the terrible time of the Lord’s punishment without harm to themselves and, now, waited for the return of Christ to earth. Unlike many others, these will not become martyrs. However, they will not be the only survivors, since many others - pagans and Jews - will turn to Christ at the end of times and, having somehow avoided martyrdom, will be honored to welcome Christ at His return.
In the scene seen by John, there is again the sound of many waters and... the sound of strong thunder... and the voice of harpists... The sound of thunder is also spoken of in 4:5; 6:1; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18; 19:6.
Open 14:3-5. John writes: They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders... It is not certain that it is these 144,000 who are singing; we are talking here about the heavenly choir, perhaps about that multitude of people dressed in white clothes mentioned in Rev. 7:9-17. However, there is no reason to consider Mount Zion as a symbol of heaven. The “choir” could also be the mentioned 144,000 (Rev. 14:1), who remained alive until the coming of Christ, and, behold, are literally with Him on Mount Zion.
The mention that they did not defile themselves with their wives can also be understood in a “narrow” sense (during the days of the great tribulation they abandoned normal family life or refused to marry in order to isolate themselves from the anti-Christian world) and at the same time in an expanded sense - as a symbol of their spiritual purity (compare with the symbolism of “virginity” in 2 Kings 19:21; Isaiah 37:22; Jeremiah 18 :13; 31:4,21; Lamentations 2:13; In 2 Cor. 11:2 the entire Church is likened to a “pure virgin,” although it is composed of both women and men.
Some theologians believe that the 144,000 are evangelists who will live during the great tribulation. However, Scripture does not say that they were preachers or prophets; only about their purity and that they will not be killed, like many others. they follow the Lamb wherever He goes. And further the Apostle Paul says that They were redeemed from among men, as the firstborn to God and the Lamb. "Firstborn" perhaps means that these Jews were the first of their fellow Jews to turn to Christ at the end of time (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:15,26-27). They are called blameless, and, in addition, they are spoken of as people who, during the period of the triumph of lies, did not defile their lips with deceit (i.e. falsely).
Let us repeat that in general this section is a prophetic vision of the glorification that the 144,000 will receive at the return of Christ to earth.
b. Announced by three Angels (14:6-12)
Open 14:6-8. John then sees an Angel flying through the sky who has the everlasting Gospel. He is commissioned to preach the gospel to all who remain alive on earth. Because of the words “gospel” and “evangelize”, some believe that this refers to the preaching of salvation or good news regarding the coming kingdom of God.
Actually, attempts to awaken human conscience will obviously be undertaken by the Heavenly Father until the last moment, however, from this context it follows that the message here is not about salvation, but, on the contrary, about the coming of the hour of His judgment and condemnation. That’s why the Angel calls: Fear God and give glory to Him! So the “everlasting Gospel” rather appears here as the news of God’s just punishments in the light of His righteousness.
The first Angel was followed by the second, proclaiming the fall of Babylon, which made... all nations drunk with the furious wine of its fornication. (On Babylon interpretation on chapter 18.)
Open 14:9-12. And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will drink the wine of the wrath of God, whole wine (a symbol of the fact that the wrath of God coming on them will not be mitigated His mercy)… In other words, these people will be doomed to endless torment along with Satan, his angels and other unsaved sinners. The eternal nature of their torment is clearly stated in verse 11: And the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they will have no rest day or night...
Those who remain faithful to Jesus and God's commandments are called to patience (verse 12; compare 13:10).
The doctrine of eternal punishment is, of course, difficult to understand; It is unpopular among liberal theologians. And yet. The Bible affirms this very doctrine. Moreover, in Revelation, Jesus Christ and the Apostle John speak more and more definitely on this topic than is said about this in the rest of the Bible.
V. On the blessedness of those who are faithful to the Lord (14:13)
Open 14:13. After the terrible and solemn assurance uttered by the third Angel, John heard a voice from heaven, which commanded him to write down what that voice said: From now on blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; to her, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors, and their works will follow them.
This verse is often applied to all believers, but from the context it is clear that the promise of blessedness is given here to those who die in the days of great tribulation. For them, death will be deliverance from persecution and torment; through it they will enter into the glorious presence of the Lord.
d. Announced by the second group of three angels (14:14-20)
Open 14:14-16. John was further shown...a bright cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man. On his head is a golden crown, and in his hand is a sharp sickle. Some believe that this is an Angel, but it is more likely that it refers to Jesus Christ, who is often called the “Son of Man” in Scripture (compare 1:13). In the Gospel of Matthew alone, he is named this way more than 25 times (Matt. 8:20; 9:6; 11:19; 12:8,32; 13:41 et seq.). The sickle in the hands of “He who sits on the cloud” is an instrument of judgment, as confirmed by the words of the next three Angels (Rev. 14:15-20).
The angel who “came out of the temple” called on Christ: Let go of your sickle and reap, because the time of harvest has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. The Greek word used here is exerarnte. which means “overripe”, “began to fade.” And the one sitting... cast his sickle on the ground, and the ground was reaped, that is, the judgment was completed.
Open 14:17-20. And... an Angel came out from the heavenly temple, also with a sharp sickle. And another Angel, having power over fire (probably, by order of God, controlling the element of fire), came out from the altar... Let us remember that it was from the heavenly altar of burnt offerings that the souls of the righteous offered their prayer for vengeance on the wicked who tortured them; in light of this, what happens next can be perceived as an answer to their prayer.
So, the Angel, “having power over fire,” cried out to that Angel who came out of the temple, saying: Let out your sharp sickle and prune the bunches of grapes on the ground, because the berries are ripe on them. And the angel obeyed, and cast his sickle into the ground, and cut off the grapes on the ground, and threw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the berries were trampled in a winepress outside the city (outside the city; we are apparently talking about Jerusalem).
In former times, juice from grapes was squeezed out in pits prepared for this purpose, where the grapes were trampled underfoot. Hence this image, which is revealed in verse 20: And the berries were trampled, and blood flowed from the winepress even to the horse's bridles, for 1600 stadia (i.e., approximately 300 kilometers). At 300 km. a bloody massacre will take place in the area of Jerusalem - this place can be taken literally, but it is impossible to imagine that the flow of blood would rise to such a height (“to the bridles of horses”); this appears to be a metaphor expressing the scale of the carnage (compare Isa. 63:1-3). From other passages of Scripture (for example, from Rev. 16:14; Dan. 11:40-45) it is clear that before the second coming of Christ, wars of an unprecedented scale will break out on earth, and in this case we are perhaps talking about one of the battles that time.
Taken as a whole, the 14th chapter of Revelation implies - on the one hand - the preservation in the days of the great tribulation of people "sealed" by God - in the amount of 144,000 and "presents" them to us; on the other hand, it describes the terrible judgments that will befall the world that rejects Christ and follows the Antichrist.
Theologian William Kelly sees this chapter as a kind of blueprint for major end-time events:
1) the appearance of the God-fearing remnant of Israel;
2) final appeal to the pagans;
3) the fall of Babylon;
4) the doom of those who worship the “beast”;
5) the blessedness of martyred saints;
7) the outpouring of God's wrath on the wicked world.
A vision of 144 thousand glorified virgins singing a new song that no one understood (1–5). Vision of an Angel flying through the sky with the eternal Gospel and calling for repentance (6–7); the vision of two other Angels with the news of the fall of Babylon (8–11); comfort and encouragement to the righteous (12–13). A vision of one like the Son of Man, sitting on a cloud with a sickle in his hands. Harvest (14–16). An angel cutting grapes with a sickle for the winepress of God’s wrath (17–20).
Rev. 14:1. And I looked, and behold, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him an hundred and forty-four thousand, having the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
In order to further shed consolation into the hearts of true Christians, John sees and describes a new, not earthly, but heavenly, joyful phenomenon. The gaze of Christians is raised to heaven, to God. the throne and the hosts of celestial beings surrounding it. On Mount Zion, which is the heavenly temple where the Lord dwells among the Angels and glorified people, John sees the Lamb and with Him 144 thousand, who have His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. Who are these 144 thousand? They are not the ones mentioned in Rev. 7:9-17. They are different. First of all, they are glorified Christians, for they appear not on earth, but in heaven and together with the Lamb. The name of the Lamb and the name of His Father are written on their foreheads, as a reward for the previous exploits of earthly life. Their earthly life, their Christian deeds, their steady adherence and imitation of Jesus Christ - the Immaculate Lamb, so permeated their entire being that they seemed to be reflected on their foreheads and spoke of their belonging to God and the Lamb, and therefore of the deservingness of their bliss.
Rev. 14:3. They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn this song except these hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
The heavenly bliss of the glorified consists in hearing and participating in the heavenly song, which was heard from heaven, that is, from the same Mount Zion, from the same heavenly throne. When singing, the voices merged into one wondrous harmony with the melodic and quiet sounds of the harp. In terms of content, the song is called new - new in the sense that it contains praise and gratitude to the 144 thousand for all the Divine blessings that they received in their time. Therefore, no one could learn this song (Rev. 2:17) and understand it, except those 144 thousand who themselves witnessed all this (1 Cor. 2:9)
Rev. 14:4. These are those who have not defiled themselves with their wives, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are redeemed from among men, as the firstborn of God and the Lamb,
Rev. 14:5. and there is no guile in their mouth; they are blameless before the throne of God.
The praise and special dignity of the perfect is given to the fact that they were strict virgins. IN last times these chosen and perfect ones, in order to remain faithful to Christianity, during the terrible persecution of the Antichrist under impossible conditions, had to completely renounce married life, which could connect them with unwanted ties to the anti-Christian world. Their virginity is virginity in the broad sense of the word, as the highest Christian virtue or as the totality of all Christian virtues with complete chastity. They are the chosen ones, because, having despised married life, all the blessings of family life, they have given themselves up to the complete service of God and in this sense follow the Lamb everywhere. They are the firstborn in the sense of the best and most chosen, they are completely free from lies and completely blameless. So, these 144 thousand, standing together with the Lamb on Mount Zion, are the most chosen and most perfect Christians and primarily Christians of the last anti-Christian time. There are 144 thousand of them, for a number was taken that expressed the completeness of all the chosen and perfect Christians who have achieved and will achieve perfection.
Rev. 14:6. And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, who had the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people;
From the sky, where the previous phenomenon took place, the gaze of the seer from Art. 6. turns to the ground. He sees another mysterious Angel, who was a real Angel for him, one of the many servants of God. disembodied messengers of God. will. He flies in the middle of the sky so that the whole world can hear what he proclaims, for this really matters to him (the world) important. In the hands of the Angel is the eternal Gospel, that is, a certain scroll, a book (Rev. 10:2), containing a certain content. This Gospel is called eternal because it contains the word of God, which is incorruptible, living and abiding forever (1 Pet 1:23-25). The Angel held the Gospel as a sign that he was sent to preach the gospel to everyone living on earth, without exception or division, not only to sinners and pagans, but also to the righteous.
If people, through the action of the devil, out of fear of his violence and under the influence of his wiles, worshiped the beast-Antichrist (Rev. 13:7), now, in contrast to this, they are called, out of fear of God, to give Him glory as the real Ruler of the World . The last hour of opportunity for repentance has come for people, for the last hour of judgment has come, after which this opportunity will no longer exist. This vision of the Angel serves as a complement to the appearance of two witnesses (Rev. 11: 3-12) in the second order, it may even be that these are the witnesses here; but in any case these are persons similar to them; these are the preachers-apostles of the last time, as they were in the first days of Christianity.
Rev. 14:8. And another angel followed him, saying: Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the great city, because she made all nations drink of the wrathful wine of her fornication.
The second call to repentance through another Angel is an indication of the real life of the anti-Christian world. This plague is the fall of Babylon. Although it is said here that Babylon has fallen, it appears to have fallen only in a vision, and only in a vision is this indicated to the people of anti-Christian times. This fall of Babylon will be the beginning of judgment, the first stone thrown into the world in God's condemnation (Rev. 18:21). In accordance with this, the very name of Babylon must be explained. Babylon is an excellent example for any city hostile to God. And since even in the last anti-Christian time, the kingdom of anti-Christ sets the goal of replacing everything holy and divine with human and anti-Christian things, then main city This kingdom could not be more reminiscent of ancient Babylon. Therefore, by the fall of Babylon it is most natural to understand the fall of the future Babylon, the main city of the future anti-Christian kingdom, if not with the same proper name, then with the same character of its inhabitants and with the same properties and tasks of the power of its ruler. The cause of the fall of the future Babylon is put forward as idolatry, called fornication. This fornication is called furious wine in the sense of its power to ignite the human body, human passions. The concept of fornication itself and fornicators from St. Scripture is very often used in relation to cities (Isaiah 1:21; Nahum 3:4) and usually points to all the corrupting influence that certain cities have on nations through their trade, their morals and their idolatry.
As if to enhance the impression of the fall of Babylon, the third Angel, in a loud voice, addresses all those who worship the beast and accept his mark with a loud voice. The threat is obviously addressed to the very people who, according to the image of Art. 8. drank and enjoyed the furious wine of Babylonian fornication, that is, the luxurious anti Christian life. Now, in contrast to this, they are threatened with the impending necessity of drinking the cups of the wrath of God. They will drink undiluted wine, which signifies the wrath of God, in no way softened by divine mercy. Sinners who worshiped the beast will be tormented in fire and brimstone, which is part of the torment of hell. The expression that torment will take place before the Lamb and before the holy Angels, that is, as if in view of them, indicates the special power of torment, the bitterness of which will increase even more from the fact that those tormented will compare their torment with the bliss of the saints and constantly think about those for whose enmity they became worthy of eternal punishment.
Rev. 14:9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
Rev. 14:10. he will drink the wine of the wrath of God, the whole wine prepared in the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb;
Rev. 14:11. and the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they who worship the beast and his image and who receive the mark of his name will have no rest, day or night.
The torment of sinners will be constant; there will be no break for them, and the sinner who worshiped the beast, tormented day after day, will not have a single minute of peace, not the slightest time free from this torment.
Rev. 14:12. Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.
In the threat of terrible punishments to sinners, the saints must draw consolation and encouragement for themselves, overcome cowardice in their constant confession of the Christian faith in the midst of anti-Christian persecution, and nourish the firm hope that these persecutions will soon end.
Another consolation to the saints is announced by a new heavenly voice, which commands John to write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” The command says that the truth of this revelation must occupy a prominent place and significant significance among other truths that have already been proclaimed to it and that will be proclaimed. Here by dying we mean all Christians who die in true faith and in firm hope of His mercy. In their very lives they prove that they are worthy of bliss as a gift of God’s love, for they themselves loved the Lord, proving this by fulfilling His commandments, by their entire Christian life, which is unceasing labor, unceasing work and unceasing bearing of the cross.
Rev. 14:14. And I looked, and behold a bright cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man; on his head is a golden crown, and in his hand is a sharp sickle.
The measure of God's long-suffering has been exhausted; the hour of reward has come for both the righteous and sinners. In a new vision, John sees among the bright clouds someone like the Son of Man, who has a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. A bright or white cloud constitutes, so to speak, an essential feature of the future second coming of the Lord (Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27). Therefore, Jesus Christ Himself obviously appeared, the Messiah in His image as the Son of Man, who is about to come to judge the world. – The sickle in His hands is an instrument of harvest and speaks of judgment on the world.
Rev. 14:15. And another angel came out of the temple and exclaimed with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud: put out your sickle and reap, because the time of harvest has come, for the harvest on earth is ripe.
An angel coming out of the temple addresses the one sitting with a sickle, addressing him as a messenger of God. commandment ordained from time immemorial. Therefore, here we are not talking about a command from an Angel, but about a command through an Angel. The command comes from God Himself; but Jesus Christ Himself repeatedly testified that His activity as the Son was always consistent with the will of the Heavenly Father. The harvest, and according to the word of the Savior, is the end of the world (Matthew 13:39), and, therefore, the apocalyptic harvest is the gathering of all the faithful (1 Thess. 4:17) and their separation from the wicked before the pronouncement of the final verdict after the Last Judgment. It will be at a time when the world in its development of both good and evil will reach the limit predetermined by God.
Rev. 14:16. And he who sat on the cloud cast his sickle into the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Rev. 14:17. And another Angel came out of the temple in heaven, also with a sharp sickle.
Rev. 14:18. And another angel, who had power over the fire, came out from the altar and cried with a great cry to the one who had the sharp sickle, saying: Let out your sharp sickle and prune the bunches of grapes on the ground, because the berries are ripe on it.
Next, John sees another new Angel coming out of the temple. This is obviously one of the simple Angels, servants of God and executors of His will. Following this Angel, another new Angel appears. But he no longer comes out of the temple itself (Rev. 11:19), not from the sanctuary, but from the altar and is called having power over the fire. Consequently, this Angel belongs to the number of those Angels, the servants of God, who control certain elements in the world. He comes out from the altar of burnt offering (Rev. 6:9), from which the prayer of the murdered righteous was offered for vengeance on the wicked, that is, for judgment on the world. Now, as if in answer to these prayers, an Angel comes out from that altar with a command from God to carry out judgment on the wicked.
Rev. 14:19. And the angel cast his sickle on the ground, and cut off the grapes on the ground, and threw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev. 14:20. And the berries were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress even to the horse's bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
A New Song on Mount Zion
1 I looked and saw the Lamb. He stood on Mount Zion# 14:1 Mount Zion is a hill in the eastern part of Jerusalem on which the temple of God was built (see Ps. 47:2-3). Later the word “Zion” became synonymous with Jerusalem (see 2 Kings 19:31). Also in Scripture, Mount Zion is mentioned in connection with the heavenly Jerusalem (see Heb. 12:22)., and with Him were one hundred and forty-four thousand men, who had the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.2 I heard a noise from the heavens that was at once reminiscent of the sound of mighty waters, the clap of great thunder, and the sound made by harpers playing their harps.3 They sing a new song before the throne, before the four living beings and before the elders. No one could learn this song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.4 These were those who did not defile themselves with women, remaining virgins# 14:4 Probably, this image symbolizes the spiritual purity of these people - they were not defiled by a depraved life and worship of the beast.. They followed the Lamb wherever He went. They were redeemed from all mankind and sanctified as the first fruits# 14:4 The first fruits - the first harvest, the firstborn of animals and people in ancient times were considered sacred and dedicated to God (see, for example, Exod. 13:1-2; Lev. 23:9-14; Num. 3:12; 15:20- 21; Deut. 15:19-20;for God and the Lamb.5 There was no lie in their words, they are blameless# 14:5 See Zeph. 3:13..
Three angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the middle of the sky. He had the Good News, which is eternal, to proclaim to those living on earth - to all tribes, kindreds, languages and peoples.
7 “Fear God,” the angel said loudly, “and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come.” Worship the Creator of heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water# 14:7 See Ref. 20:11; Ps. 145:6..
8 A second angel followed him. He said:
– The great Babylon has fallen, fallen!# 14:8 See Isa. 21:9.He made all nations drunk with the maddening wine of his depravity# 14:8 See Isa. 13:19-22; Jer. 50:39; 51:6-8..
9 The third angel followed them. He spoke loudly:
– Whoever worships the beast and his image and whoever receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,10 he will drink the wine of God's wrath, undiluted wine, prepared in the cup of His wrath, and will be tormented in burning brimstone in the sight of the holy angels and the Lamb.11 For those who worship the beast and his image and for those who have accepted the mark with his name, there will be no rest day or night, and the smoke of their torment will rise forever# 14:11 See Isa. 34:10.. 12 Here patience is required of the saints who keep the commandments of God and believe in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven:
– Write down: from now on, blessed are those who die with faith in the Lord.
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “now they will rest from their labors, and their deeds will follow them.
Harvest on earth
14 I looked and saw a white cloud. There was Someone sitting on a cloud, “like the Son of Man”# 14:14 Or: “someone who looks like a person.” This is obviously talking about Jesus; the expression “like the Son of Man” echoes the vision of the prophet Daniel, who saw the exalted King, whose Kingdom is eternal (see Dan. 7:13). When Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, see, for example, Matt. 8:20, He made it clear that He is the same King from the vision of the prophet Daniel, i.e. the Messiah.. On His head was a golden crown, and in His hand He held a sharp sickle.15 Then another angel came out of the temple and said loudly to the One sitting on the cloud:
– Send out your sickle and reap, because the time of harvest has already come and the harvest of the earth is already ripe.
16 Then He who sat on the cloud cast His sickle on the earth, and a harvest was gathered from the earth.
17 Then another angel came out of the heavenly temple, he also had a sharp sickle in his hand.18 And another angel came out from the altar, where he was in charge of the fire. He shouted loudly to the angel who had a sharp sickle:
– Send your sharp sickle and gather bunches of grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because its berries are already ripe.
19 The angel threw his sickle to the ground, picked grapes and threw them into the great winepress.# 14:19 Press - in those days, grapes were pressed in special recesses carved into the rock, from where the juice flowed out through a special hole. God's wrath.20 The grapes were trampled in a winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from it like a river. This river of blood was sixteen hundred furlongs long# 14:20 That is about 300 km.and in depth reached the horses' bridles# 14:17-20 See Isa. 63:1-6; Joel 3:13..
Revelation 14, 1
And I looked: “I saw” fits better.
On Mount Zion: see Ps.47:3; Rev. 14:1-5 is closely related to Rev. 13:11-17. Shown here are the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb and their victory over the beast and his image. Previously, John had seen them enduring terrible trials; he saw them condemned to death, but in the most terrible hour they were delivered and now they stand with the Lamb. Eternity brought them eternal rest and peace from the battles and battles of the earth.
144,000: see Rev. 7:4.
The Name of His Father: in terms of its content, it is more respectful to read: “His name and the name of His Father.” Rev. 7:3 says that the 144,000 will be sealed on their foreheads. Therefore, there is a close connection between the seal and the Divine name. Apparently the seal that John saw in the vision had the name of the Father and the Son. Ancient seals contained the name of the certifying person. For an example of such seals, see Rev. 7:2.
Applying this to the 144,000 the names represent: 1. Property: The 144,000 belong to God. 2. Character: 144,000 fully reflects the image of Jesus.
Wed. with Rev. 13:17, where the mark of the beast and the name of the beast are closely related.
. On the foreheads: compare with the mark of the beast on the foreheads (Rev. 13, 16).
Revelation 14, 2
And I heard a voice: or “I heard sounds.” Some think that the harpists, the singers in question here, are not 144,000 but angels, and that only 144,000 can understand the words of their song. But in Rev. 15:2-3 we see 144,000 again with harps singing, so we are talking about 144,000 here too.
The sound of many waters: or “the sound of many waters” (Rev. 1:15).
The sound of strong thunder: the presence of thunder speaks of the Divine presence (see Job 37, 4; Rev. 4, 5; 6, 1).
The voice of the harpists: John may not have seen the players, but only heard them.
Revelation 14, 3
They sing: transmission using a present tense verb enhances the poignancy of the thought being conveyed (cf. Rev. 13:11).
The throne: the throne has already been discussed (Rev. 4: 2).
Before the four living creatures: see Rev. 4:6.
Elders: see Rev. 4, 4. . No one could learn: the content of the song is of such a deeply personal nature that only those who have gone through all the torment they have experienced can appreciate and understand the meaning of this song. For them, this song is a confirmation of the outcome of all those experiences that they experienced in the final days of the struggle between good and evil.
Redeemed: "purchased, acquired." This word is translated "bought" in Rev. 3:18 and 18:11. Cf. with the sentences: “He redeemed us to God” (Rev. 5:9), “redeemed from among men” (Rev. 14: 4). Wed. with Rom.3, 24; 1 Cor. 6:20.
Revelation 14, 4
Not defiled: in Greek. “to get dirty”, “to soil your conscience” 1 Cor. 6, 7 v., or clothing Rev. 3, 4. Here, of course, figuratively, we are talking about defilement and illegal connections. See below com. to the word "virgins". The woman symbolizes the combination of religious elements that will put any pressure on the saints to force them to change God, His commandments and join their organizations. see Rev. 16, 14; 17:2, 6. And any concession will be considered an act of desecration. And now, standing victorious on Mount Zion, the saints rejoice in their faithfulness.
Wives: "woman", often used in Scripture as a symbol of the church. A pure woman is as a symbol of the true church, and an immoral woman is as a symbol of the apostate church Rev. 12, 1 and Rev. 17, 1-5. See com. In the same place. The Roman Church and the various other apostate churches that followed in its footsteps are symbolized by the corrupt woman and her daughters. The prophet is talking about such churches here.
Virgo: This term applies to both women and men, but here we are talking about men. This is evident from the Greek form of the word "virgins" who were not defiled by their wives, but from the fact that this whole verse is presented figuratively and pictorially, the literal "virginity" as regards men and women cannot be considered here and is not even taken into account. attention. If we think on the contrary, then this verse would contradict other places of Holy Scripture, where marriage unions are approved (1 Cor. 7, 1-5 vv.). The saints here are called virgins because they kept themselves away from Babylon and had no connection with Babylon and her daughters, while they were agents of Satan in his last attempts to destroy the saints of Rev. 13, 15. They were not defiled by any alliance with religious movements controlled by Satan, although they may have belonged to some other movement in the past.
They follow the lamb: a special advantage that will be enjoyed by the 144,000. More details are unknown. compare with Rev. 7, 14-17 Art.
Redeemed: See verse 3. . Firstborn: Greek for “first fruits.” Greek The verb form of this word means "to bring forth the first fruits." In ancient times, the Israelites brought the first fruits to the Lord, both personal (Deut. 26: 1-11) and national (Lev. 23: 10, 17) offerings. The firstfruits offering is an offering of gratitude to God for His mercy and kindness in the harvest. The national offering also had a typical meaning (see 1 Cor. 15:20).
As for the 144,000 thousand, the term “firstborn” can be understood in two ways:
1. As the first installment of a great harvest. 144,000 are those who emerged victorious in the great conflict with the beast and his image (see Rev. 14: 1). They have been delivered from this battle and are now before the throne of God. They, taken from the earth from among the living, are considered as the firstborn to God and the Lamb (V. B. p. 49).
2.
In the meaning of gift or offering, in the translation of seventy it is often found in the meaning of “offering”, “donation” is translated from Hebrew as an offering of the Israeli people for the construction of the sanctuary. Often the same word is translated as “exaltation” (Num. 5, 8). Ancient manuscripts indicate that the word "offering" was used as a gift brought to the goddess, and this gift was not determined by time.
Therefore the 144,000 may be regarded as the firstborn, in the sense of a certain portion taken from a great harvest, or as a gift or offering to God.
. In their mouths they are not (not found): the Greek form of the verb, “not found” indicates a certain time of investigation or during the inspection it was discovered that 144,000 thousand had no vice or sin. This does not mean that they never made mistakes, but that through the grace of God they overcame all the imperfections of their character.
Cunning: "cunning, deceit, fraud, deceit." According to the content of the text, most likely treachery, a lie." The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes the sinful nature of an erring person who does not have pretense, counterfeitness, deceit and sin.
Blameless: without blemish, blemish (see Eph. 1, 4; cf. Prov. Chron. 69 p.).
Before the throne: due to the content of the text, these words can be omitted.
Revelation 14, 6
And I saw: a new scene begins, new picture. According to the principle of chronological sequence, the events presented in this form precede the events described in Art. 1-5.
Other: another of the same kind. Many angels have already been mentioned before (Rev. 1: 1, 20; 5, 2; 7, 1, etc., so the definition of another is necessary here).
Angel: This is a symbolic vision. This angel symbolizes the children of God taking part in the proclamation of the everlasting Gospel at a special time. When the hour of judgment came (v. 7). Of course, it is true that heavenly angels help people proclaim the Gospel, but that is not the main idea here.
In the middle of heaven: Rev. 8:13. An angel also flies in the middle of heaven. The scale of the flight indicates the worldwide nature of the angel's work and message. The work grows and develops until it eventually becomes the property of all mankind.
Eternal: see Matt. 25:41. Scripture speaks everywhere of the glorious gospel. 2 Cor.4, 4; 1 Tim. 1:11 and only here is the word "eternal" used with the gospel of the grace of God. There is only one gospel that can save people. And it will exist as long as there are people in need of salvation. There will never be another Gospel given.
Gospel: see Mark.1, 1st.
Evangelize: proclaim good news. Rom.1, 15; 10, 15.
To those living on earth: as a result of the worldwide advancement of the Gospel.
To Every Nation: The comprehensive nature of this message is emphasized by the words “to every nation,” as well as by the expressions that follow.
Revelation 14, 7
Loud Voice: The first and third angel's messages are given "with a loud voice" (verse 9). “A loud voice indicates that the message will be proclaimed so that all will hear it. It also indicates the importance of the message.
Fear: "to revere." The expression “fear” is used here in the sense of fearing God in order to come to Him with reverence and reverence. This word conceals the idea of absolute fidelity to God, complete surrender to his will (cf. Deut. 4:10).
God: To fear God is a message given for our times when people worship the gods of materialism, pleasure and many other items of their own personal invention.
Glory: See Rom.3.23. Here “glory” means “honor, praise, respect” (Ps. 116: 1; Is. 42: 12; 2 Peter 3: 18; Jude 25).
Hour: or time, but not the literal hour. Wed the use of the word "hour" with John 4: 21, 23; ;5: 25, 28; Rev. 14, 15. Imagined in this context, then it is not difficult to understand the expression “hour of judgment” as the general time when the judgment will take place, and not as an exact indication of the moment of its beginning. Thus we can say that the first angel's message was announced before 1844, when the work had not really begun.
Judgment: "Seventh-day Adventists understand that this is a judgment that began in 1844, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. This judgment is not of an executive nature, as it will be at the coming of Christ, when each will receive his reward. This is evident from the fact that the three angels the message in Rev. 14: 6-12 v. precedes the Second Coming of Christ (14 v. ff.).
The message of judgment is accompanied by a call to conversion and warning, which indicates that the day of salvation is not yet over. People still have the opportunity to turn to God and avoid the coming wrath. Approaching this historically, it can be said that the preaching of William Miller and his fellow workers during the period from 1833 to 1844 regarding the end of the period of 2300 days in 1844 is considered as the beginning of the first angel's message" (F. D. Nichol, "The Midnight Cry" 284) .
And this message still retains its force and will be preached until the door of grace is closed on the possibility of man's salvation.
Bow: "Salute, bow." He will worship God instead of the beast (Rev. 13: 8, 12), and his image (15 v.). In the coming crisis, the inhabitants of the earth will have to make a choice, as the three Jewish youths did in ancient times, between worshiping God and false gods (Dan. 3 ch.). The first angel's message prepares people to make appropriate choices and stand firm in times of crisis.
To the One who created heaven and earth: the Creator of the Universe is the true and only goal of worship. No man or angel is worthy of worship. This exclusive right belongs to God alone. Creative power is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the true God compared to false gods (Jer. 10: 11-12).
The call to worship God as the Creator was given very timely, when the theory of evolution began to rapidly spread. And besides, the call to worship the heavenly God as the Creator of all that exists means to pay due attention to the sign of God’s creative works - the Sabbath of the Lord (Ex. 20: 8-11).
If the Sabbath had been kept as God desired, it would have been strong defense against unbelief and evolution (see Acts 14, 15). The Sabbath will be a particularly controversial issue in the coming crisis (Rev. 13:16).
Revelation 14, 8
Another angel: according to the content of the text, it is more convenient to say “second”. In some manuscripts, instead of “other” angel, “second” is written.
Followed: in Greek. “accompanied, followed another” (see Matt. 19:27; Mark 1:18, where the word has the meaning of “accompanying Jesus personally”). This verse seems to have a double meaning. In terms of time, the second angel followed the first, but it is also true that the first angel was still working when the second angel joined him. In this understanding, the second angel's message accompanies the first.
Saying: the first and third angel's messages are proclaimed with a loud voice (verses 7, 9). The message of the fall of Babylon is also preached with a loud voice (Rev. 18:1-2).
Babylon: in ancient times it was a city, but in the days of John it was a heap of ruins (Isa. 13, 19). Taking into account the various terms and expressions in Revelation relating to Babylon, the meaning of this name can be better understood in terms of its historical role in Old Testament time(Isa.47, 1; Jer.25, 12; 50, 1; Rev. 16: 12, 16). The expression "the mystery of Babylon", in Rev. 17, 5. speaks of the figurative meaning of these words (see Rom. 11, 26; Rev. 1, 20; 17, 5; cf. Rev. 16, 2).
In Babylonia, the words “Babel” or “Babilon” mean “gate of the gods,” but the Jews deliberately ironized this word by expressing it in the contemptuous form “babal,” which translated means “confusion, confusion” (Gen. 11:9). The rulers of Babylonia, of course, called their city "the gate of the gods" in the sense that this place was the place where the gods communicated with people to help them in the management of the earth, from this it can be concluded that the Babylonian kings believed that they were entrusted with the gods rule the world (Gen. 11:4).
Babylon was founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10, 10; 11: 1-9). From the very beginning, the city was a symbol of disbelief in the true God and disobedience to His will. And his tower served as a monument to retreat, a citadel of rebellion against God. The prophet Isaiah identifies Lucifer with the Babylonian king (Is. 14: 4, 12-14). And indeed Satan intended to make Babylon the center and instrument of his grand plans to have complete control over the human race, just as God intended to carry out His plans and work through Jerusalem. Thus, throughout Old Testament times, these two cities represent the forces of good and evil at work on the human race. The founders of Babylon planned to establish a state that would be completely independent of God, if He had not intervened in this, they ultimately had absolute success in driving out and destroying righteousness on earth (Dan. 4, 17-19). For this reason, God provided for the best to destroy the tower and scatter its builders (Gen. 11: 7-8). Then follows more than a thousand years of temporary success in the conquest of other nations and conquests (see Num. 13, 1; Dan. 2, 37).
When Nebuchadnezzar built Babylon, it became one of the wonders ancient world. His plans to make his kingdom universal and eternal (Dan. 3:1) were successful in terms of beauty, power and greatness. Indeed, the new Babylonian Empire surpassed the previous kingdoms. Nevertheless, this state, with its arrogant and heavy hand, oppressed and oppressed the people of God, regarding the people of Israel as a nation. Then follows a series of tragic events where God humbles Nebuchadnezzar. But his followers refused to humble themselves before God (Dan. 5: 18-22), and ultimately this kingdom, weighed on the heavenly scales and found to be very light, was forced by the decision of the Divine Guardian to lay down its sovereign scepter. For some time, Babylon remained the capital of the Persian Empire, but was destroyed by Artaxerxes. Over the centuries, the city loses its former glory, splendor, splendor, significance, and, finally, by the end of the first century AD. completely disappears (see Isa. 13, 19; Rev. 18, 21).
Since the fall ancient Babylon Satan has always sought to rule the world through world states alternating in their existence, and perhaps he would have succeeded a lot if not for the constant intervention of God (Dan. 2: 39, 43). Without a doubt, it can be said that his most impudent and closest goal to success was the work carried out through the papacy, especially in the Middle Ages (Dan. 7, 25). But God constantly intervened in his work and carried out His plans (Rev. 12: 5, 8, 16), and the peoples of the whole world could not “mingle, merge together” (Dan. 2, 43). Evil, in all its heredity, is not whole, but divisible. But nevertheless, at the end of time, Satan will be allowed to have corresponding success in this regard (Rev. 16: 14, 16; 17: 12-14).
Apparently by the end of the first century AD. Christians already referred to the city of Rome and the Roman Empire, using the symbolic name of Babylon (1 Peter 5, 13). By that time, the once magnificent city lay in ruins and desolation, and thus its living geographical picture became a symbol of the impending fate of the mystical Babylon. The Jews suffered very cruelly under the merciless hand of Rome, as in the past under the yoke of Babylon, and Christians also suffered no less. For both Jews and Christians, Babylon became a symbolic term in the depiction of criminal Rome.
In the first centuries of the Christian faith symbolic meaning Babylon in the city of Rome and the Roman Empire stands out both in Jewish and also Christian literature, where for example Rome is called a “wicked city”, having a bloodthirsty heart and a godless mind and where many faithful saints “the Jews perished.” And for this, the ancient writer predicts a terrible fate: “God will destroy you and everyone living in you” (Charles. Apocrypha and pseudography Old Testament" t.2.p.400).
Babylon, both literally and figuratively, was considered the traditional enemy of the truth of God and His people. On the pages of the book of Revelation, this name is a symbol of all the fallen religious movements and their leaders. From the hoary depths of ancient centuries, until the end of time, this symbol retains its meaning and meaning (Rev. 17: 5, 18; 18, 24), when comparing many passages from the Old Testament, where the sins and fate of literal Babylon appear in all their nakedness. The place of the “mystery of Babylon” in the book of “Revelation” becomes clear and definite (Is. 47: 1; Jer. 25: 12; 50: 1; Rev. 16: 12-21; 17, 18). A careful study of these and other passages reveals the value of a complete study of the Old Testament as it relates to literal Babylon as a basis for understanding the importance of the New Testament passages regarding the "mystery of Babylon."
Fall, fall: These words sound like an echo from the pages of the book of St. Isaiah (21, 9). The repetition seems to intensify the burning term that John uses to describe all the religious churches and movements that have fallen away from the truth. This fact requires us to view this “fall” as progressive and cumulative.
This prophecy of the fall of Babylon finds its fulfillment in the removal of Protestantism from the purity and simplicity of the Gospel. Historically speaking, this message was first preached by the Adventist movement known as Millerism in the summer of 1844 to churches that rejected the light of truth. Towards the end of time, this message will gain more and more strength and reality in its meaning and will find its full completion and fulfillment in the unification of various religious movements under the control of Satan (Rev. 13: 12-14; 17, 12-14. In Rev. 18 : 2-4 speaks of the complete fall of Babylon. The people of God, scattered among various religious associations, will be separated from them.
Great City: The term “great” continually refers to Babylon throughout the book of Revelation (Rev. 16:19; 17:15; 18:2, 10, 21).
All Nations: The universal nature of the apostasy is described here. The replacement of God's law with human laws and coercive measures taken by the state will be widespread (Rev. 13:8).
Gave him to drink: a figurative description of accepting false teachings. Religious associations will put pressure on state power in carrying out their decrees.
“Wine of rage” is what the English translation says. This figurative expression is apparently borrowed from the book of St. Jeremiah (25:15), where Jeremiah was commanded to take the cup “of the wine of wrath” and make all nations drink from it. But Babylon does not at all set as its goal to feed the nations with “rage.” Babylon is fighting so that its wine, presented to people, will bring peace to the nations (Rev. 13:12). Nevertheless, the ingestion of this wine provokes the wrath of God.
Fornication: a figurative expression denoting the connection between the church and the world or the state. The Church is married to her Lord, but when she seeks the support of the state then this means that she leaves Her “legitimate spouse”. With her new relationship she commits religious adultery" (cf. Ezek. 16:15).
Revelation 14, 9
Third angel: compare with verses 6 and 8.
Followed: see Art. 8.
In a loud voice: see 7-8 art.
Who: from Greek forms of the expression "one who".
Worshiped: see 7th Art.
The beast: i.e. the beast described in Rev. 13: 1-10 (see commentary there). The second beast will demand people's worship of the first beast (Rev. 13, 12). It should be noted that this warning will have final force only after the mortal wound has been healed (Rev. 13:3), and the formation of the image of the beast (v. 14) will take place when the mark of the beast has become a decree (v. 16). Since this message is preached today, it is a warning regarding the decrees that will be issued; a warning that should enlighten people to the unfolding struggle and help them make wise choices.
His image: see Rev. 13, 14. The union “and” connects those who worship the “beast” with those who worship his image. And the further formulation of the proposal connects these fans with those who will accept the mark. The beast and the image are united in their goals and politics and they have one demand: that people receive the mark of the beast. Therefore, the one who worships the beast worships his image and becomes the bearer of his mark.
Mark: see Rev. 13, 16.
Revelation 14, 10
Wine of Fury: Literally "mixed". When preparing, the medicine is mixed with water. This is a figurative expression, perhaps borrowed from Ps. 75:9, where wine is mixed with various spices to increase its intoxicating power.
The cup of His wrath: or "the cup of His wrath."
He will be tormented: the seven last plagues will be poured out on those who worship the beast and his image (Rev. 16:1). In addition, these worshipers of the beast will rise again at the second resurrection and receive their punishment (Rev. 20: 5, 11-15). It is not entirely clear what kind of punishment John is talking about here. It is possible that he is referring to these two points. In both cases, death awaits them. In the first case, at the coming of Christ (Rev. 19: 19-21), in the second, in eternal death (Rev. 20: 14).
Fire and brimstone: this figurative expression is apparently borrowed from the book of St. Isaiah (34: 9-10. cf. Gen. 19:24), where fire and brimstone rise during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Before: the foreign translation says: “in the presence of angels and the Lamb.” As the plagues before, as well as the destruction of the wicked after the thousand-year reign, will take place on the earth. Christ will be with His people and no doubt many angels will be there.
Revelation 14, 11
Forever and ever: and the question immediately arises: “does this sentence not speak of eternal torment? Doesn’t the expression “forever and ever” further emphasize the unceasing duration?”
It is possible that the very combination of this expression “forever and ever” makes us look for an explanation in it. The main question is that those who worship the beast will suffer in fire, i.e. must die. How long can a person live in such an environment? Of course, there is very little time, and the expression “forever and ever” is an expression of time, i.e. until the person dies, therefore from this we can conclude that death will be instantaneous.
The figurative expression about the rising “smoke of torment” is borrowed from the book of St. Isaiah (34:10), which describes the devastation of Edom. And the prophet of antiquity himself did not see this fire as eternal, because the country turned into a devastated desert inhabited by wild animals (v. 11). This picture expression speaks of complete destruction (Mal. 4: 1).
There will be no peace: there will be no release from punishment until the destruction has completed its work.
Neither day nor night: i.e. day and night time. The time of day doesn't matter. The torment will begin and end.
Beast Worshipers: This classification or grouping is repeated to emphasize the expression. The third angel bears the most terrible threat. The inhabitants of the earth will remain without apology or mercy. Each person must make an effort on his part to discover and understand the beast, his image and mark, and also to know his insidious tricks and cunning.
Revelation 14, 12
Patience: i.e. “Unshakable endurance” is an expression that perhaps best describes what will be required of God’s people; This verse draws attention to the terrible struggle with the beast and his image. Everything will be set in motion to force the remnant to "join the movement created by the second beast, even under the threat of exile and death (Rev. 13: 11-17). At the same time, Satan will work with every kind of "unrighteous deception" (2 Thess. .2, 10), creating the appearance that the power of God is at work in this movement. And all this the faithful remnant must go through with unshakable endurance and maintain their steadfastness. Their steadfastness deserves special praise and reward.
Saints: see Rom. 1:7.
Keeping God's commandments: these words take on special meaning in this text. The world, captured by Satan's deception, will worship “the beast and his image” and will carry out his instructions and decrees (see Rev. 13, 8), on the other hand, the saints will refuse to give in to his demands, for they keep the commandments of God. And the Ten Commandments will become a particularly controversial issue. Ever since early period During the Christian era, people began to eliminate the seventh day "Sabbath" and replaced it with the first day of the week as a day of worship (Dan. 7:25). Sunday keepers today offer all sorts of reasons why they observe the first day of the week instead of the seventh, and why they consider themselves free to disregard the requirements of the original commandment. Some argue that the Ten Commandments were eliminated along with the Old Testament laws. Others put forward the point of view that the element of time in the fourth commandment is formalism, ritualism, and most importantly, in general, celebrating one day out of seven is already a moral duty. But such views have no basis in Holy Scripture. The Catholic view is "that the Roman Church, endowed with Divine authority, has the right to transfer and change the sanctity of the day." Protestants cannot accept this position because the Bible, the Bible alone, is the rule of faith. And this matter will eventually reach its crisis when the great Babylon will force the secular authorities to make the observance of Sunday a matter of civil law and will punish all who disobey this decree. This is stated in Rev. 13, 12-17 (see com, especially from 1-16 vv.).
In this dark hour, the children of God will cleave to the Bible with all the strength of their consciousness and refuse to give preference to any other authority than Christ. Among other dominant features or characteristics in the life of God's people, the prophet especially emphasizes keeping the commandments of God and faith in Jesus.
Faith in Jesus: translated from Greek. can be understood as "the faith of Jesus." But the majority prefer to consider “faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:22). Faith in Jesus and keeping the commandments are two serious aspects of the Christian life. God's commandments are a copy of God's character. They set forth a Divine pattern of righteousness which God desires man to attain, but which man in his unregenerated state cannot do. The carnal mind does not submit to the law of God (Rom. 8:7), and indeed cannot. Despite his best efforts to achieve the glory of God, man fails, but Jesus came to help man regain the Divine image. He came to show people the Father and in this sense push the boundaries of the moral law. Through Him, people were able to observe or fulfill the Divine requirements (Rom. 8: 3-4), and in this way reflect the Divine image.
The "remnant" church thus honors the commandments of God and keeps them not in the sense of formal dry legality, but as a revelation of the character of God, Jesus Christ, who dwells in the heart of every true child of God (Gal. 2, 20).
Revelation 14, 13
Voice: John did not see who the voice he heard belonged to, but apparently it was different from the voice of the third angel (Rev. 14: 9-12).
Write: see Rev. 1, 11.
Blessed are the dead: this is one of the seven beatitudes in the book of Revelation (cf. Matt. 5, 3. Others are in Rev: 1, 3; 16, 15; 19, 9; 22: 7, 14).
In the Lord: here beatitude is pronounced only over those who died in the Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 15: 18; 1 Thess. 4: 16).
From now on: this of course refers to the period of the three angels' messages, which covers the period of persecution by the beast and his image. And all who died at this time are now resting, but they will have the special advantage of rising on a special resurrection, which will be before the general resurrection of the righteous (Dan. 12: 2).
Spirit: see Rev. 1, 4.
Labor: in Greek, “exhaustive labor, exhaustion, strenuous effort” (cf. the use of this word in 2 Cor. 6: 5; 11: 23, 27; 1 Thess. 1: 3). Death is a rest from the exhausting labors of life.
Affairs: in Greek "activity".
Following them: this expression is explained in two ways: 1. On the basis that in Greek it reads “follow them,” i.e. accompany them, some believe that John here meant a temporary cessation of the labors of life and a continuation awaits them in the future. Of course, all human activity ceases with his death (Ps. 145: 4; 2 Cor. 5: 1-3).
2. Others view the expression "and their works follow them" as a reference to the influence that good people leave behind them.
Revelation 14, 14
The bright cloud: verses 14-20 are a symbolic vision of the coming of Christ (see Acts 1: 9-11; cf. Matt. 24: 30; Luke 21: 27; Rev. 1: 7). The nature of the three angels' message and the immediate coming of Christ suggests that the three angels' message is God's last message of warning to this world (Rev. 18: 1-4).
Son of Man: see Rev. 1:13.
Crown: crown of victory (cf. Rev. 12:1). The golden crown is opposed.
"crown of thorns"(Matt.27:29).
Sharp sickle: Jesus as the reaper coming to gather the harvest (Rev. 14: 15-16).
Revelation 14, 15
Another Angel: i.e. in addition to the previous three, who are assigned to bear the message of warning before the Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 14: 6, 8, 9).
From the temple: the Greek word is “naos” (Rev. 3:12). Already earlier, in prophetic pictures, John spoke about the temple (see Rev. 11: 1-2, 19). It should be noted that John often refers to things that have already been said before. The environment remains the same. For example, the “four living creatures” in Rev. 4: 6 are often repeated in the following visions (Rev. 7: 11; 14: 3; 15: 7; 19: 4).
Harvest: Verses 15-20 describe the great harvest at the end of the world. The harvest contains two Christian events. One of them is described in verses 16, and the other in verses 17 to 20. The first speaks of the gathering of the righteous, represented here by ripe wheat, the other of the wicked, represented by bunches of grapes with ripe berries.
Ripe: the grain has become “dry”.
Revelation 14, 16
Reaped: we are talking about the gathering of the righteous (cf. Matt. 13: 30; Luke 3: 17).
Revelation 14, 17
Another Angel: cf. 15th century.
Temple: see Art. 15
Sickle: compare with 15 tbsp.
Revelation 14, 18
Altar: apparently the altar mentioned in Rev. 8:3-5; 9:13.
Power over fire: the reason why it is mentioned here that this angel has power over fire is not clear (cf. the expression “Angel of the waters” Rev. 16: 5).
Exclaimed: Wed. from Rev. 14: 15 Art.
Bunches of Grapes: The symbolic image of two harvests is borrowed from the ancient Palestinian economic year, which consisted of two main harvests: the grain harvest and the grape harvest. In this case, the harvest of grapes symbolizes the wicked gathered for destruction.
Revelation 14, 19
Grindstone: This picture word aptly describes the color of the wine, which resembles blood. Apparently this symbolism is borrowed from the book of St. Isaiah (63: 1-6).
The wrath of God: we are talking, apparently, about the seven plagues.
Revelation 14, 20
Trampled: every press in ancient times worked under the pressure of people’s feet (Is.63: 2-3).
Outside the City: It is possible that this part of the scene is taken from the Old Testament prophetic descriptions of the destruction of the enemies of God outside the walls of Jerusalem (Joel 3:12-14).
Horse bridles: This symbolic expression indicates the great and final battle of the wicked armies. We encounter a parallel scene in the apocryphal book of Enoch:
"And in those days the fathers and the sons will be slain. And the brothers will fall one by one in battle, until a stream flows from their blood. And the horses will walk on the pond in the blood of sinners. And the chariots will be filled to the brim with blood" (Charles , "Apocrypha" vol.2.p.271).
Stadia: 1600 stadia is approximately 184 miles. Jerome says this is a reference to the length of Palestine. But this does not shed complete light on the issue. The main idea here is that the enemies of the church of God will be completely and completely defeated. Therefore, the church can look with hope to the absolute and complete deliverance from all its enemies and look forward with joy to the coming of the kingdom of God.
Chapter 14anticipates the events of the 15th: shows the preparation of the Earth for the pouring of the seven bowls of God's wrath on the Earth. By this time, it should be from Earth" put away " into the bins of God of all whom He wishes to see in the new world, this"cleaning" /the final harvest from the sowing of the word of God in this age - and the chapter shows. This process is also described by Matthew 24:29-31,40 (first, the co-rulers of Christ are gathered into heaven, then the remnant of the living is sorted into those suitable for the new world or those left for Armageddon).
It begins with a description of the co-rulers of Christ standing on Mount Zion. How did they get there?
In the process of harvesting.
The harvest helps to gather, first of all, the co-rulers of Christ in the first resurrection (Matt. 24:29-31), figuratively - “wheat” into the heavenly “bins” of God, as a result of which they, as the firstborn or the first fruit of the spiritual harvest, will be able to stand in full composition with Christ on the heavenly Mount Zion (Cor.15:52,1 Thessal.4:16,17; Rev.11:15;14:1,20:6)
And a little later - for the winepress of God’s wrath, the unusable “grapes” will be pruned: these are all the wicked of the earth, both from the people of God, and the rest from the “outer darkness.” Mbetween the wheat harvest
In the spiritual sense, as the chapter shows, it will be the same:
after harvesting 144,000/wheat and before cutting off the bad"grapes" - Quite a lot of time will pass. During this time he will have time"to come to your senses "spiritual"corn": these include all people who repented during the period between the rapture of the firstborn to the church and the circumcision of the wicked"grapes" .They will have time to die in the Lord before Armageddon, and thus will also be preserved for the new world (see. Matthew 24:40
; Rev.14:1,13; 11:13). As a result of the "harvest" By the time the bowls of Jehovah's wrath are poured out, everyone whom God wishes to see in the new world will be collected in the bins of God's memory, and only the bad will remain on earth " grape " . Thus
14:1
the earth will be ready for Armageddon: the destruction forever of all the “goats” that exist during the end of Satan’s world (Matt. 25:41).
And I looked, and behold, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him an hundred and forty-four thousand,
The Lamb is Jesus Christ. As we remember, at the moment the last 7th trumpet sounds, the first resurrection will begin (Cor. 15:52; Rev. 11:15) Therefore, all 144,000 co-rulers of Christ will go to his heavenly “Zion” (the meeting of Christ with the church of the firstborn, as is known, will take place on heavens, 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)
Mount Zion in the earthly world order was identified with the city of Jerusalem (Jerusalem is called the “daughter of Zion”, 2 Kings 19:21; Isa 1:8; Zech 9:9, etc.), where the temple of God (His figurative habitat) was located. Therefore, Jesus Christ called earthly Jerusalem the city of the great King, God Almighty (Matt. 5:35).
In other words, all the co-rulers of Christ will go to the heavenly Jerusalem - the so-called true place of residence of God, His Christ and all the other inhabitants of heaven, as it is written:
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and to ten thousand angels
(Hebrews 12:22).
So, all co-rulers must join the huge heavenly family of God -
from the moment of his resurrection and gathering in heaven.
who have His Father's name written on their foreheads
Before all 144,000 appeared in heaven - on earth, they were figuratively marked with the seal of God as His servants (Rev. 7:3). According to this text, they will be marked not by the name of Jesus Christ, but by the name of Jehovah, the Father of Jesus. That is, while they lived on earth, each of them worshiped Jehovah God, recognizing the head above them - the head of the Christian congregation, the Lamb - Jesus Christ, who was slain for them.
14:2,3
The name of the “seal” of the 144,000 co-rulers means “Christians who worship Jehovah.”
Here again the vision is accompanied by the sound of voices like many waters and the sound of great thunder (4:5; 11:19; 16:18; 19:6). Such noise accompaniments speak of God's presence and the fact that everything that happens happens by His good pleasure and with His knowledge.
I heard the voice of harpists playing their harps
3
They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders;
The same point is shown in Rev. 15:2,3 - with some clarifications:
2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mixed with fire; and those who conquered the beast and his image, and his mark and the number of his name, stand on this sea of glass, holding the harp of God
(i.e. co-rulers of Christ)
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Righteous and true are Your ways, King of saints!
That is, 144,000 co-rulers of Christ sing in the throne room of Jehovah before Him and His entire team of spiritual assistants (see Rev. 4:2-4, 6)
and no one could learn
(learn, Strong)
this song, besides these hundred and forty-four thousand, redeemed from the earth
Until now, no one has sung, heard, or been able to assimilate this new song for the inhabitants of heaven: only the co-rulers of Christ, who went through all the trials of the hardships of earthly imperfection in the human body, were able to experience for themselves what the meaning of Moses’ song about great and wonderful deeds means to them. Jehovah God for humanity.
They did not worship the beast of the devil and the devil himself in any of its manifestations; they achieved spiritual holiness, being in imperfect bodies: celestials who were spirits initially from their birth into the light of God - it is impossible to comprehend such a path of passage through the spiritual miracles of God. Therefore, the song for them, coming from the co-rulers of Christ, was new and difficult to assimilate.
14:4
These are those who have not defiled themselves with their wives, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are redeemed from among men, as firstborn of God and the Lamb,
(as the FIRSTfruits of God and the Lamb, as the firstfruits or firstfruits - other translations).
144,000 is the church of the firstborn (Heb. 12:23), the first fruit of the activity of Jehovah and His Christ in “cultivating the field” of the descendants of Adam, this is the first spiritual “harvest” of people gathered by Jehovah and His Christ for eternal life; they are to live with Christ in heaven as his co-rulers and priests of Jehovah (Rev. 20:6, at the end of 1000 years there will be a second spiritual harvest of people who will live forever on Earth, Matt. 5: 5; Rev. 21: 3, 4).
The mention of the virginity of all 144,000 co-rulers of Christ, who exactly and obediently follow in the footsteps of the Lamb is figurative: for example, the Apostle Peter, who should take his place in the group of heavenly co-rulers of Christ, was married (Mark 1:30; Luke 22:28-30 , Phil.3:20).
In 2 Cor. 11:2 the entire church of the firstborn/anointed is likened to a “pure virgin” or virgin, although it is composed of both women and men, both married and not. That is, here we are talking about moral and spiritual integrity: they were not defiled by betrayal of God and His Christ - with other “gods” and human idols, they remained faithful to them in any trials that they had to face as evangelists and associates of true Christianity.
14:5
and in their mouth there is no guile; they are blameless before the throne of God.
They did not follow the example of the false apostles, “wicked workers” with a crafty tongue, who with flattery attracted people to themselves and not to God;
14:6
they did not pretend to be angels of light - but they were such in truth; they worked in the work of the Lord with all their strength and diligence, taught the word of truth faithfully and shone as children of God with true spiritual light (1 Cor. 11:13, 2 Tim. 2:15, Phil. 2:15). That is why they are blameless in the eyes of God: the redemption of Christ washed them from the vice of Adam, and they themselves worked hard in the fight against sinful inclinations, and therefore were able to achieve spiritual integrity even in this century.
And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, who had the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people;
Angels help God's servants on earth to carry out His assignments (Heb. 1:14). In this period of time, when all the co-rulers will be gathered in heaven, the preaching task on earth will nevertheless be carried out. Firstly, as stated in Matthew 24:14, attempts to awaken the human conscience to repentance and recognition of God will be undertaken by the Heavenly Father until the last moment. Secondly, at this time there will be someone on earth to bring God’s word to the masses: from the sign of the resurrection last prophets
14:7
, as we remember, 9/10 parts of the “city of Jerusalem-Sodom” (rulers among the people of God) will come to their senses, giving Him glory (Rev. 11:12,13). They will be entrusted with the mission of continuing the work of the latter.
Even in this period on earth after the murder of the last prophets, God will still give people a chance to turn from their evil ways and give glory to Him - the message that the judgments of God have come (the time to give just reward to both the saints and those who fear His name, and the wicked, Rev. .11:18) It is clear that it is not the angels themselves in the literal sense who will speak about this on earth, but those servants of God who are among the “rest of the seed” (see Rev. 12:17, who will take up the work of the last prophets of God) : angels will help them in this.
And a little about the hour of judgment: as a result of the onset of God’s just judgment, the saints have already found themselves in God’s abodes as co-rulers of Christ, but the rest still have a chance to repent and avoid death in Armageddon.
At this moment, when all 144,000 are gathered in heaven, the hour of Jehovah’s judgment has come: in the process of discussing the highest, there is a division into sheep and goats for those people who, during the life of the 144,000, encountered the lesser brothers of Christ (with future co-rulers, Matthew 25:31- 46). It is in this period of time that it will be decided whether those who have died by this time and those living in this period will end up - both from the people of God and from outside it.
14:8
And another angel followed him, saying: Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the great city, because she made all nations drink of the wrathful wine of her fornication.
In addition to the message about the opportunity to be saved from death in Armageddon, there will be a message about the upcoming fall of Babylon: the fall of Babylon is also part of the execution of the sentences of God’s judgment, its fall is part of God’s intention.
The angel, through the eyes of the prophet, already clearly sees its fall, although according to prophecy, the fall of Babylon is expected in the near future: the sixth bowl of wrath will destroy the system of government of “Babylon”, drying up the waters of the spiritual “Euphrates” - everything that protected and supported this “city” (Rev. 16 :12).
As a result, the way for the kings of Jehovah (Jesus and his co-rulers) to “Babylon” will be ready to destroy the age of Satan at Armageddon along with the wicked kings of the earth and the spirits of evil.
Later, in Rev. 17 and 18 will show the details of the death of Babylon by Satan from the pouring out of the 6th cup (there will be no other cup for him): from the inconsistency of the 10 kings - world rulers, the entire system of wicked laws, connections and associations that support the system of government of this age will fall (Rev. 17 :16, 18 chapters). The fall of Babylon will be discussed in more detail in chapters 17 and 18.
The news of his fall will sound a warning: the verdict on Babylon has been pronounced, and everyone who does not leave it urgently may suffer the same fate as it (Rev. 18:4, the meaning of leaving Babylon will be discussed in more detail in Rev. 18)
14:9-11
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 He will drink the wine of the wrath of God, the whole wine prepared in the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb;
11 And the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they will have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name.
The third content of the message distributed on earth after the ascension of the church of the firstborn into heaven will concern a warning to those who worship the beast that emerged from the abyss: since at this moment the beast (the last king of the north) will become the main “hero” of the narrative of Revelation and the history of mankind (he will oppress the people Jehovah, will kill the last prophets and will wage war with the king of the south, Rev. 11:7; Dan.7:25; 11:40-45) - this message will concern everyone who makes the beast their idol. will accept the values imposed on them (see Rev. 13). Eternal destruction awaits them in the “lake of fire”, symbolizing Gehenna (the garbage dump outside Jerusalem in the OT) and meaning eternal destruction (what constantly burns like garbage in a landfill, there is no rebirth to life, see also Rev. 20: 10).
Messages about the eternal smoke of torment for those who worship the beast and all those who like to erect visible idols for themselves figuratively show that this kind of people will no longer exist in God’s universe.
14:12
Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.
With these warnings, all of those who keep the commandments of God and the faithful of Jesus who remain on earth in this period are called to the same steadfastness and patience of the saints of the Most High as were the remnant co-rulers.
After the remnant of Christ’s co-rulers go to heaven, it will not be easy on Earth to maintain steadfastness in the faith: under the conditions of rule in the temple of the lawless God and against the backdrop of the general agony of the chaos of this age, difficult economic and social conditions will be created on Earth, the world will inevitably move towards humanitarian catastrophe (a state of society characterized by the threat of its destruction as a result of migrations, famine, epidemics and violence against civilians). It will be extremely difficult to stand in faith during this period. But, nevertheless, God will give another opportunity to the people of this period to repent and turn to Him.
14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Write: From now on blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; to her, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors, and their works will follow them.
From the moment the co-rulers ascended to heaven ( from now on) - everyone who in the subsequent period can still endure to the end in faith and die without renouncing the Lord - one might say, will be very lucky: times will be so difficult that the dead will be better off than the living, and the dead in the Lord there will be hope for the resurrection in the millennium of Christ.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the chapter analysis - between the harvest"wheat" and collecting bad things"grapes" enough time will pass for that to be collected spiritual "corn" who can repent during this period and turn to God.
Let us recall from Rev. 12:12 after the death of the remnant of the co-rulers, the accession of Christ, the ascension of the 144,000 and the throwing of the devil to earth - there will still be some time left before Armageddon, approximately the same amount that has passed since the murder of Christ until the “mini” Armageddon for Judea in the 1st century (40 years).
During this time, the remainder of those living on earth will have time to decide on their choice and die in the Lord, if, of course, this particular choice is made.
14:14-20 In these texts a figurative description of the picture of the preparation of the earth for Armageddon is shown: a metaphor preceding the pouring out of the seven bowls of the wrath of the Almighty on the earth and leading all the co-rulers in heaven to Christ on Mount Zion. It prepares us for what to expect from the end of this age. Jesus spoke about this harvest as the gathering of the harvest (summing up the results of the judgment) - at the completion of this system of things (Matt. 13: 37-43).
In Israel, in connection with the harvest, two holidays were celebrated: the harvest of cereals (the first early harvest of wheat) and the collection of the rest of the harvest from the threshing floor and from the winepress, that is, when the grape juice of the latest fruit, the grapes, was squeezed out (the last late harvest, Ex. 23:16, Deut.16:9-13). After harvesting two harvests, Israel entered a state of winter “rest.”
That is, this vision of the harvest figuratively shows the picture of the end of this age in the form of the “harvesting” of two spiritual harvests: the first and the last.
Let's take a closer look at each of these texts:
14:14
And I looked, and behold a bright cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man; on his head is a golden crown, and in his hand is a sharp sickle.
In Revelation 1:13, Jesus Christ is called “like the son of man.”
14:15
Scripture calls Jesus Christ the Son of Man repeatedly (Matt. 8:20; 9:6; 11:19; 12:8,32; 13:41, etc.). The golden crown (not the royal diadem) speaks of the conqueror of this world and the devil - from the human race. That is, Jesus Christ is shown here with a sickle for harvesting “cereals.”
And another angel came out of the temple and exclaimed with a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud:
As we remember, from the moment of Christ’s accession the ark of the covenant was opened in heaven (Rev. 11:19). That is, the Holy of Holies, here called the “temple”-naos, is the abode for all the holy angels of God. The fact that the angel comes out of the temple suggests that he is acting in accordance with God's plan.
put in your sickle and reap, for the time of harvest has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. The harvest, as Jesus explained to his disciples earlier, is the end of this age (Matt. 13:39). Metaphorically, it is shown in the form of gathering two harvests: as a result of the end of this age (harvest), the whole earth will be ready to enter into new world
God.
The first harvest is the time of harvesting the first harvest.
That is, it figuratively shows how the text from 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 about the “march” of Jesus Christ for his co-rulers will be fulfilled. Jesus Christ, having figuratively descended from heaven, will “gather” to himself from earth to heaven all the “ripe wheat”: all his co-rulers who have “acquired” on earth all the necessary qualities of the spiritual maturity of the saints (Matt. 13:38,39).
14:16
And he who sat on the cloud cast his sickle into the earth, and the earth was reaped.
The “gathering” of the first spiritual harvest will be manifested in the first resurrection: all participants in the first resurrection will be “cut off” from the earth (reaped) and gathered into the heavenly “bins” of God as co-rulers of Christ (Rev. 20:6; Matt. 24:29-31) .
That is why at the beginning of the chapter we see a picture of 144,000 co-rulers of Christ gathered to him on the heavenly Mount Zion. The metaphor of the wheat harvest shows how this happened.
14:17,18
And another Angel came out of the temple in heaven, also with a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel, who had power over the fire, came out from the altar and cried with a great cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Let out your sharp sickle and prune the bunches of grapes on the ground, because the grapes are ripe on it.”
Two other angels coming out from the temple and altar before God (Rev. 9:13) also hint at the fulfillment of God’s will.
Here is a picture of the grape harvest on earth (the last spiritual harvest). All grape “berries” are ripe and ready for further use. They represent all the other inhabitants of the Earth living before Armageddon - except for the co-rulers of Christ.
14:19
And the angel cast his sickle on the ground, and cut off the grapes on the ground, and threw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
As we see, in this period there was not a single “berry” that was not thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath: every single person in this period, from the point of view of Jehovah, is a bad “berry” that deserves punishment. The following text shows which one:
14:20
And [the berries] were trampled in a winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress even to the horse's bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
(about 300 km.)
Here is a picture of the final judgment of the wicked of the Earth at Armageddon :
the same harvest with which Jesus marked the end of this age (Matt. 13:39, the reign of Satan).
As a result of the harvest process, which begins with the gathering of grain (wheat, 144,000, Rev. 14:1)
and ending with the collection of the latest culture, grapes (as was the case in Israel, Ex. 22:29) - everyone whom He wishes to see in His world will be gathered into the bins of God: those in heaven (144,000), those on earth who are to be resurrected in the Millennium (Rev. .14:13, intermediate “culture” between the ripening of “wheat” and “grapes”, see the beginning of the chapter analysis); and also those on earth who are to be trampled in the winepress of the wrath of God, culminating in Armageddon (bad grapes).
Outside the city: wine presses were located in rural areas, outside of cities. Since this chapter shows Mount Zion (Rev. 14:1), the city in question here is Jerusalem (Jerusalem was located on Mount Zion). But since Mount Zion, on which Jesus and the 144,000 stand, is a heavenly “mountain” (symbolically so designated by the heavenly “Jerusalem”) - the idea here is shown that all the bad grapes will be trampled on Earth in Armageddon - outside the heavenly Jerusalem: those who are in the city are not considered bad grapes and therefore will not be “trodden on.”
The picture of the judgment of the wicked of the Earth in Armageddon looks like a bloody mess: with the help of this image, God shows that all the earthly berries of this period (at the end of the harvest), except for the co-rulers of Christ, will be destroyed in the winepress of the wrath of God.
As we see, there will not be a single one among them who will survive Armageddon. Only the co-rulers of Christ will be able to experience it in the sense that they will see this event from the heights of heaven.
The very “press” of wrath will be presented below, in chapter 16: God “prepared” it in the form of seven bowls of wrath. And Jesus Christ will “trample” the winepress of the rage and wrath of God Almighty (Rev. 19:15).
That is, the end of this age will not happen in one day: it will last for some time - until all the “good fruits” are gathered by death (Rev. 14:13); and all the unprofitable “berries” of the end of this century will not go through certain punishments, up to and including destruction at Armageddon.