(Chapter 14 is written about events on earth after the victory, i.e. the first day of the Millennium, the LORD'S day. It has a great deal to do with what is happening on the earth at the time Satan is in his role of the Antichrist, and during his religious system's [Babylon's] fall. While chapter fourteen deals with the events taking place here on earth, chapter fifteen will deal with those events going on in heaven at the same time. This period is just ahead of us, and in our generation. So from these two chapters, the fourteenth and the fifteenth, we can have a pretty good idea of the total picture of when Satan and his system are defeated.)
Revelation 14:1 And I looked and lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads.
(This "Lamb" is Jesus Christ. Christ has returned at this time, and is standing on Mount Sion with his saints. Earilier we saw one "that looked like a Lamb", yet spoke like a dragon, and he was Satan. So Christ has returned here, and is with the 144,000 sealed, of Chapter seven. Remember that the 144,000 sealed of the tribes never went anywhere, but remained here on earth during the entire time of the Antichrist. Not one of these saints yielded to Satan, nor took his name, nor his number. They did not take the "Mark of the Beast" because they had "their Fathers name in their foreheads". They knew how to identify Satan, and that the first Messiah was the fake.
That marking was placed in their minds back in chapter seven, when God told the "four Spirits of God" to hold their position, until this group could be sealed. Then they were allowed to open the seals. That sealing is in the process today, and many are seeing and understanding the truth of God's Word, as events are going on before our eyes daily.)
2 And I heard a voice from Heaven as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.
(This is a heavenly time, with many people [waters] singing with a great thunder and playing their harps in praise of our Lord's return to earth.)
3 And they sang, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four living beings and the elders; and no man could learn that song, except the hundred and forty and four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
(This is the 144,000 that are finally redeemed [purchased by Christ's blood] from the earth. They are in their spiritual [soul] bodies, which are eternal, incorruptible, and immortal. This is because the last trumpet has sounded, and all people were changed in a twinkling [wink] of an eye [I Corinthians 15:50-54]. Christ is standing with this group on the mount of Olives. They have been "purchased" from this earth age with the blood of the Lamb. They no longer belong to this earth age, but to the next age to come; the Millennium.)
4 These are they that were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
(Both instances no gender intended. A "virgin" is "a pure, undefiled bride, that upon marriage presents herself pure and chaste to their husband". In Isaiah 62:5, and 6, foretold of what Revelation 14:4 is saying.
Isaiah 62:5 "For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee [Christ]: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee."
Isaiah 62:6 "I have set watchmen upon the walls, O Jerusalem [referring to Christ's church today] which shall never hold their peace day or night: they make mention of the Lord, keep not silent."
Spiritually, these virgins are Christ's church, His elect, with no reference to gender. They were the "watchmen on the wall" who knew when the enemy was to come, and went not into the false Christ's chambers [churches]. They knew their husband, and waited for Him, and His appointed time. There is no secret when this wedding is, for it will be at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. God gave us His Bible, and it is our instructions, to keep us from attending the wrong wedding. However, most Christians simply don't care to know when the wedding date is set for.
This "virgin", or bride of Christ will "follow the Lamb", by their study of God's Word, and will know the voice of the true Lamb; not the lamb that has the voice of the dragon as we saw in Revelation 13:11. This virgin bride, or 144,000 of Israel, are the firstfruits, even before those who allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through them. The "firstfruits" are not those taken in any rapture, because there is no rapture, and those relying on a rapture will be taken by the Antichrist, the wrong husband.
The "elect" of God are the firstfruits in the age that was; that first earth age that ended with the flood of Genesis 1:2. The "elect" will stand also for Christ in this earth age, however, the 144,000 sealed of God are overcomers only from and in this earth age of the flesh. They are not the only overcomers, but they are the firstfruits to God, and the Lamb [Christ]. They were lost souls in the first earth age.)
5 And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
(The spoken words of these 144,000 souls that followed the Lamb, were only the truths from God's Word. They did not repeat the false doctrines of Satan, or the Kenites, or push themselves off as authorities of God's Word; when all they would say is the simple truths Christ has given us in His Word. Many today call themselves higher critics, when the only purpose of their existence is to twist and pervert the Scriptures to fit their dogma.
The reference to "without fault [blemish]", is not talking about sin, sex, or as such, but being able to know the difference the two Christ's, and God's Word, from the Antichrist's babblings. They serve the Living God only.)
6-20. The Fifth Vision "On Earth". The Six angels and the Son of Man.
6. The first angel.
7. His proclamation.
8-. The second angel.
-8. His declaration.
9-. The third angel.
-9.-13. His denunciation (-9-11). His consolation (12,13)
14-. The Son of Man.
-14. What He had. A sharp sickle.
15-. The forth angel. the harvest.
-15,16. His command to the Son of Man.(-15). Its execution (16). the harvest.
17-. The fifth angel.
-17. What he had. a sharp sickle.
18. The sixth angel. the vintage.
-18-20. His command to the fifth angel (-18). Its execution (19,20). the vintage.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
(Remember that the wings that angels have are not on their body but what they fly in. What does an airplane have? wings. We were created in the image of God and the angels. Look behind you do you have wings attached to your body?)
having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred, and tongue and people,
(The angel preached God's Word to everyone on earth, and what might be confusing about this, is the fact that Satan is gone at this time, and cannot muddy the Word with his twisted doctrines here. The Antichrist is defeated, and Christ has returned to earth. So if the age is over, and Christ is back on earth, why preach the gospel? Who is there to preach this gospel to, and what is this gospel that will be preached?
The "gospel of Christ" is the everlasting gospel. God loves His people, and He will judge no one in their ignorance. By what is taught today in many churches, you can understand why God sent the Spirit of Stupor upon them, for the truth is far from being taught. There is going to be time of teaching and discipline in the Millennium age kingdom.)
7 Saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His Judgment is come.
(= the day of wrath, & the great white throne judgment.)
Worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea and the fountains of waters."
(Do you remember what this is saying? Jesus went into the temple, and started to read from Isaiah [Luke 4:19], and when He had read half of Isaiah 61:2 he stopped in mid-sentence: He then closed the book and left. This is the last half of that verse that Jesus read. It's the part He did not read, for it had not yet come to pass.
Christ read, "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord," and then He stopped. This was the first advent. [Isaiah 61:2] The rest of the verse is for a time to come very shortly; "and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn;" This is yet to come, and will happen at the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
The "mourning" is to comfort all them that are concerned for those who have fallen to Satan. God's punishment, or vengeance is only on those who have fallen to the Antichrist. His love and protection continues to cover His elect and his sealed 144,000 of Israel. Those that fell to Satan the Antichrist will only be saved by their works following and done within the Millennium age, as we will discuss in the twentieth chapter.)
8 And there followed another angel, saying, "Babylon is fallen! Fallen is that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
(= idolatry, seducing by religion.)
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any man
(No gender intended.) worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand,
(= doing his work.)
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out unmixed into the cup of His indignation;
(This is the cup that Christ prayed would pass from Him.)
and he shall be tormented with fire
(I.e. not a literal fire burn a fire that burns within oneself. See 9:5.)
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
(It is at this time that those lost souls will be praying for the mountains to fall upon them. Many are misled, and have attended church all their lives, trying to do what was right and listening Sunday after Sunday to the babblings of ignorance coming forth.
They had not been taught there were two Christ's coming, and the first was the fake. They were told Revelations is confusing, and the Old Testament was outdated, and just didn't matter. Don't worry, they were told, you will fly away and be gone; or any of many other false doctrines.
When Satan came with his angelic army and in all his cheap splendor; all those who will drink of God's wrath will be the ones that had chase after the Antichrist and his religious system. This is the "cup of wrath" that Jesus talked about when He said, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will." [Matthew 26:39]
Jesus understood the "wrath of God" that would come upon these misguided souls, as he prayed this prayer in the garden, the night before His crucifixion. He loved all of them, yet the will of His Father came first. As you sit in the pew and listen to everything but God's warnings Sunday after Sunday, you are not going to have any armor [spiritual armor] on when Satan and his angelic hosts of fallen angels arrive on the earth. The sputtering of dos and don'ts just won't matter any more once your fleshly knee bows to the Antichrist. Remember in Revelation 9:4, 5, God said that once the sealing process is over, it is He that will give you over to Antichrist. We are in that time of sealing, but the time is very short.)
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image,
(I.e. Antichrist = Satan & the one world order.)
and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
(The smoke of their torment, is their response to the deception; their words, and deeds given for the Antichrist in this earth age. Once you participate, you are marked from then on. If you know the truth, and still follow Satan, there is no grace offered to you, ever. If your soul survives beyond judgment, it will be through, and by your works in the Millennium age only.
This verse is to let you know that not only will God remember your acts and deeds, but you will also. If you fail then, then your very soul will be turned to ashes, following the Millennium and the judgment. This will be discussed in detail in the twentieth chapter.)
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(The "rapture belief" is the beginning of accepting the Mark of the beast. It teaches you to worship the first Messiah that comes in the clouds. John says, "here is the patience [endurance] of the saints." These saints are those that know what is to come, and held to their faith. They have stood fast through every deception, and trick the Antichrist could pull, and they kept the commandments of God.)
13 And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying unto me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth.'"
(I.e. from John forward. See 1 Pet. 3:18.)
"Yea," saith the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them."
(This "voice" is from heaven, yet many pastors tell their people their "works don't count". Here is God speaking from heaven, and He is letting you know once and for all, your works do count, and they will follow you right into eternity. For the seeds of the words you plant in the minds of those around you, will be well rewarded, and every work you do in the name of the Lord is remembered, and will have it's reward also in the eternity.
There is forgiveness through the blood of Christ now, through your repentance; however, once the Antichrist comes, God will allow Satan to have his way with you. The time to arm yourself against Satan is now. The arming of yourself is the sealing in your mind, of knowledge from God's Word that you get through studying. That knowledge will allow you to understand who Satan is, and what God's plan is.
Your works are the only thing you can take with you out of this earth age that is of value. It is presented in the Greek text, that "your labor and the works are a close companion of yours." These acts for the Lord, are what weaves the white sacred garment that you will wear in heaven [the eternity]. Revelation 19 will discuss this in detail.)
14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and upon the cloud sat one like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown and in His hand a sharp sickle.
(The one sitting on the white cloud and holding the golden crown is Jesus Christ, coming with His saints. It's harvest time.)
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, "Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time has come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
(Lit. dried up. These are not His children but the tares = the Kenites = the sons of Cain = the sons of Satan.)
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
(This is the time that the wheat and the tares are separated. Remember Mathew 13:37-42.
Matthew 13:37 He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [age]. 41 The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend [cause stumbling], and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Jesus gave this in answer to the parable of the tares while he was with his disciples, and here in the vision of the John, Jesus is giving the same lesson to us again as to what shall take place of that dreaded day of the Lord.)
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in thy sharp sickle
(The sickle for the grain, = the tares of v.15, not for the grapes.)
and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth,
(= Antichrist = Satan.)
for her grapes are fully ripe."
(This is the point John is writing, as Jesus revealed it to him. In a spiritual sense, it's going to be a mess for those that have it coming. The grapes represent those Christians who would not wait to be picked in season, at the seventh trumpet, but were harvested out of season, at the fifth trumpet. They will not be picked as precious fruit, but slaughtered as with the sickle as stubble for the trash pile to be burned.
Do you get it? When you allow yourself to be taken out of season by the Antichrist, this is exactly how God values you, and the fruit you bear. You then become a brush pile, and not the fruit basket He desires.)
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
(The wrath you receive here is not the wrath of Satan and his system, that of tricks and deception; but of the wrath of Almighty God. We are told in Luke 12:4 by Jesus, "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do." Jesus goes on to say in verse five, "But I forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him."
The physical body hasn't much time left in this age; Then it becomes a matter of the life of your soul. Which do you fear, God or Satan? Remember, God promised His elect, those sealed in their minds, protection from Satan, through the sealing in their minds. When you understand the outcome of events ahead of time, the chance of selection is gone, and you then rest in the knowledge God has given you through His Word.)
20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press, even unto the horse bridles, for the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
(= 180-200 miles. If you have the right faith, and the endurance to wait on Jesus' return at the seventh trumpet, you have nothing to fear. God's wrath will not touch you. Only God's love and rewards are then given you eternally.)