Revelation 14
The Tide of the War for the World has turned.
Part 1
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
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:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
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 is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
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, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Jesus stands on His holy hill, Zion. Beneath Zion the Beast from the Abyss empowered by Satan
has crawled ashore.
On the Earth, death stalks all that refuse Satan and turn to
Jesus. Around Jesus on Mt. Zion stand His servants.
* They stay SECURE in the FACE OF DANGER for Jesus is with them.
* They stay JOYFUL in the MIDST OF DESOLATION for Jesus is with them.
* They stay PURE in a sea of filth for Jesus is with them.
* They stay TRUTHFUL in a WORLD OF LIES for Jesus is with them.
* They stay HOPEFUL in the LAND OF DOOM for Jesus is with them.
No place in all the Word of God is the COMPASSION of Jesus more clearly
seen. Discover the COMPASSION OF JESUS in sending the everlasting
gospel through the 144,000 witnesses, the angelic messenger and announcing
the limits of His compassion.
When Jesus walks this World of woe, His heart wells up with compassion. The
most frequent emotion of Jesus noted by those who knew Him, walked with Him
and observed Him closely for 3 ½ years is COMPASSION. To see Jesus is to
see the love, mercy and compassion of God toward fallen sinners.
Compassion is the most frequently recorded emotion of Jesus.
Watch Him in Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes,
He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd;
Matthew 14:14
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed
their sick;
Matthew 15:32
Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude,
because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry,
lest they faint on the way”;
Matthew 20:34
So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes
received sight, and they followed Him. (Others are Mk. 1:41, 6:34, 8:2; Lk. 7:13)
as noted in Benjamin Warfield,
The Person And Work Of Christ,Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Book House, 1950, p. 96.
Doubters look around them at their circumstances, the faithful look to Jesus. We
are transported to Mount Zion, the first time Zion is mentioned in the book.
Zion, the place where God dwells on His Throne signals that the invasion has
been launched. The general Himself, The Lamb of God stands on Zion with His
own and signals the end is near.
There are two parts to this chapter.
In the first 7 verses we see the DELIGHTS
OF LIFE WITH JESUS: With Jesus is:
* SECURITY IN THE FACE OF DANGERS V. 1-2
* JOY IN THE MIDST OF DESOLATION v. 3
* PURITY IN THE SEA OF FILTH v. 4a
* TRUTH IN A WORLD OF LIES v. 5
* HOPE IN THE LAND OF DOOM. v. 6-7
* In the second half of this chapter we are confronted with the DOOM OF LIFE
WITHOUT JESUS.
* Apart from Jesus there is only v. 8-11 hopeless and indescribable torment
* A note of hope sounds in v. 12-13
* Apart from Jesus there is only v. 14-20 senseless and immeasurable
bloodshed.
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
Revelation 14 The Tide of the War for the World has turned. Part 1