Revelation you can Understand
A Layman's Interpretation, Understanding
Bible Revelation  Chapter 14
 

We are now up to chapter 13 and will look at chapter 14 of Revelation and you will note that most of the thirteen chapters we can understand their meanings. Of course others may disagree with the interpretation of some of the material but that is life. Now we will move into chapter 14 and we see a great event on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, son of man, with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Fathers name on their foreheads. The scene we see, a great number of Christians the number is immense because in chapter 7 where twelve tribes of Israel total twelve thousand from each tribe numbering to one hundred and forty-five thousand represents the total of Christians who become children of God and the number is in fact a number only God knows but all Israel will be saved.¹ There will not be a single person lost. The great host of people their voices like the sound of many waters, like the sound of thunder, like the sound of harpers and playing on their harps. You can imagine the voice of so many people singing and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures, we met them in chapter 4, creatures with eyes all over them and they were around the throne. Creatures, eyes indicating they see everything, reminding us that God knows everything. No one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth, those who have not defiled themselves with women for they are chaste, it is those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb and in their mouth no lie was found for they are spotless.
The fact that only those who had been redeemed can sing the new song is informative because it is us who praise Jesus because he died for my sin and yours so we praise him for that, and note they are spotless, the same as we are because we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. These verses 1-5 belong to the Christian era as well as 6-8 because an angel was flying in mid-heaven with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, every tribe and tongue and people. So the gospel is proclaimed to all of mankind because Jesus Command was, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all...”² This proclaiming the gospel to the world became in earnest after Jesus ascension to heaven and today as a writer here it is even more earnest because the day of judgement is closer today. The message is simple, “Fear God and give him glory and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water. Obviously as we proclaim to turn peoples attention to Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world. for mankind. That is our job today, during the Christian era. But the Christian era will come to end at the end and the judgement day arrives.

But then another angel followed saying Babylon the great has fallen who made all the nations drink the wine of her impure passion. Even though many commentators have various views of who Babylon is it appears to me the clue is in Chapter 17 where the Harlot and Babylon appear to be the same identity because in chapter 18 which we will discuss later, we are told in verse 2 Babylon has fallen and...”In one hour all this wealth has been laid waste...,”³ Clearly looking at the nations, merchants, commerce, those who buy and sell. Babylon has fallen at the end of the Christian era because we are also told “The fruit for which their soul longed for has gone from them and all the dainties and your pleasure are lost to you, never to be found again.”⁴

Then a third angel that followed the other two and I think we see a correct sequence here, the first angel proclaims the good news finally a time has arrived when the promises from God and warnings about to happen so, Babylon falls, all the material possessions, delights  that the world love, disappears, and finally the dreaded day is about to happen and the third angel states that any person who has the mark of the beast shall drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb, and the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever, they have no rest, day or night, that is those who worshipers of the beast and its image and whoever receive the mark of its name. This is a dramatic warning, warning of the severity of those who reject Jesus Christ. We read in Hebrews 2 : 3, “...how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation...” There is clearly no escaping.

Here is something for Christians, there is trouble coming for mankind, if you like, terrible times in the end for mankind for people who reject Jesus, but also as we have discovered Christians do need to endure, conquer to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. We, you as Christians need to hold our faith even to death. ⁵ We can quote in full this great promise from God in verse 13, And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.”. “Blessed indeed,' says the spirit, “that you may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them.”

This chapter 13 is important with its time line verse 6 Gospel proclaimed people are saved during the Christian era, then we are moving to the end so Babylon falls and God's wrath falls on those who reject Jesus and in all these events Christians are encouraged to endure to the end and often the Christian journey requires sacrifice even to death. But you as a Christian be encouraged because whatever you do for Jesus goes with you, you leave this world but in the new world you will receive your reward as a worker for Jesus Christ.

Finally the end comes, The earth is reaped ⁶ as Jesus said concerning the Kingdom of God, would happen, like a net thrown into the sea and gathered all different fishes, the fisherman tossed out the bad fish, non Christians, and keeps the good, Christians, this is what it will be like at the end of the age, the angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous. Men will weep and gnash their teeth. ⁷ Now, if you are not a Christian and you are reading this manuscript, note that what Jesus said is prophetic and will happen. It will happen to you, you might decide, Jesus is not for you, or you might say, God is a fraud, maybe there is a God or not. But the bottom line you have rejected Jesus Christ, you will regret that decision because when you die and you thought you will be gone, dead, not alive in any way, then alive you see the the great throne and Jesus will be sitting on the throne, and all people, that will be you, giving an account to God before him, unfortunately you rejected the great salvation, ⁸ How sad it will be for you, no wonder you will be weeping because you cannot undo your decision once you die. If you have heard the Good News but for some reason you said, “No Way!” you can imagine you would be bitter and gnashing your teeth, in a sense angry because God was right and you were wrong, anger of that fact burning in your soul. You can add John the Baptist where with John he said the wheat would be put in the barn and chaff burnt. Wheat the Christians and the chaff those who reject our Lord and Saviour. ⁹

We note here verses 17- 20, another angel came out also with a sharp sickle, but here the read is those who reject Jesus and God's anger is evident a picture here, the angle gathered the vintage of the earth and they are thrown into the great wine press of the wrath of God, and the wine press was trodden ed outside of the city and blood flowed from the press, as high as a horses bridle but reads two hundred miles high was the blood. There is a clear warning here that those who reject God will be dismayed. What about all those people who kill people. It is true to say that the whole world is full, of murderers who shed a persons blood either in war or at any time. Note at the end that we have just discussed that when Babylon falls in her will be found the blood of the prophets and saints all all of those who are slain on the earth. I cannot warn you enough, that day will come, all of God's prophets have always been fulfilled and these at the end of time will also happen. For the Christian the wonderful promise of the new heaven and earth where there will be no tears, mourning, crying and pain. A reason for you to endure as a Christian and if you are not a Christian then come to Jesus Christ and have you sins forgiven.

As we said earlier the the Great Day of Judgement will not be like lightning that you see lighting as a flash then gone. No my understanding is that the judgement day is over a period of time, days, months or more, but it is clearly judgement is visiting mankind because a day of vengeance from a righteous God who has pleaded with mankind to recognise the only true God and for mankind to come to his son Jesus Christ who came and died for mankind sins. But if mankind rejects this great salvation, those who do not accept Jesus Christ God's anger rests on them. You must appreciate the fact that the God who created the world, the King of Kings the Lord of Lords sent his son into the world. God has warned clearly what will happen in the end. The Bible is clear. Now the end is here, judgement has come.

Next chapter 15 shows an end of God's judgement, so I saw a great sign in the heavens great and wonderful, there we....

Let us look at chapter 15

Bible Revelation  Chapter 1   2 & 3  4  5 6  7   8  9  10  11 12  13 14 15&16  17&18  19  20  21 & 22

Bible Revelation Chapter 14  144,000 deals with people saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. Or not. Gospel preached, Babylon Fallen God's anger those who reject Jesus Christ, The earth reaped with sickle twice.