Revelation Chapter 14
Revelation Chapter 14
As we head into Rev. 14 this week, it will look like people are in heaven, then
back on earth, then in heaven again. This can be very confusing. We must
keep in mind once again that everything in this book is not in chronological
order.
Have you ever seen a movie or read a book where the last scene is seen
first and then the story goes back and explains how events occurred to get to that last scene? This is kind of what we are seeing in chapter 14. While John hears the songs of praise from those in heaven during the tribulation period, he also hears the same song sung by the 144,000 after the tribulation.
I tell you this to let you know that the chronological order of things in this chapter is out of whack and what we see instead is a picture of different subjects with the general theme being the triumph of God.
In last week’s lesson, we learned a little bit more about the Beast and his
side-kick, the false prophet.
1. What do you remember the false prophet’s primary job to be?
2. Do you think that people will be tricked into getting this mark and
clueless about what this means? Why or why not?
3. Read 2 Thess. 2:3-4. How long will the man of lawlessness be revealed?
The false prophet will promote the worship of the Antichrist/Beast. I will be
using these names interchangeably. Over the years, I’ve heard many pastors and Bible teachers say that the false prophet will be the Pope. I’m not so sure about that. I think it is possible as whoever the Pope will be during the time of the tribulation will more than likely have the trust and affection of various people groups around the world. But the false prophet could be anyone.
We do not know. We cannot know. He will be an individual who will be
considered to be as gentle as a lamb, but looks can be deceiving. He will be
evil to the core of his being. As I said last week, he will be a wolf in sheep’s
clothing.
The Antichrist will have control of everything during the last 3 1⁄2 years of the tribulation; food, money, all buying and selling. The earth-dwellers will have no liberty except that which they might choose and they will find that
choosing personal liberty will lead to their eventual death.
Have you ever wondered what would have to happen to cause people to be tracked in what they buy and sell? Current culture is setting up that very scenario with the refusal of many places to take actual cash. And very soon, the penny is going to be obsolete.
It costs more to make a penny than a penny is worth. Using a
currency like our credit and debit cards is only the first layer in tracking what is purchased and where. But if we ever go to a crypto or digital currency like Bitcoin, then every transaction can be tracked from every individual everywhere! There will be no hiding where the money went. There will be no taking $20 out to give to your kids. You will not be able to pay the boy down the street $50 to mow your yard. Every single penny will be accounted for.
This is all part of the power and control the Antichrist will have in the last days. As far as the number 666 is concerned, we know that it is connected to the Beast.
4. Look back again to Rev. 13:17-18. Does it sound as if John wanted us to
know exactly who this person will be?
My guess is that God did not reveal the identity of this person to John.
Goodness, what a mystery! “Here is wisdom. Let him who has
understanding...”. Obviously, the true understanding of this verse is going to require someone with wisdom and understanding. And let me throw another wrench into this equation. In some early Greek manuscripts, the number 616 instead of 666 is the number recorded. Therefore, let’s not get too crazy with this number.
Over time, scholars have decided that there is more evidence
for the number 666 instead of 616. There’s been so much speculation over the years as to what the mark of the Beast is going to be. If anyone tells you they know with certainty, they’re lying to you. None of us know or can know at this moment in history.
What we do know is that whatever this mark is going to be, it will be a means of control. What better way of controlling the masses than to threaten starvation to those who don’t comply. This mark may appear on the surface to be linked to the economy, but it is so much more than that. Accepting this mark means that the person will be willing to worship the Antichrist. In other words, accepting the mark of the Beast is a rejection of Jesus Christ.
In an earlier lesson, we learned that the 144,000 Jewish witnesses will be sealed (set aside for a high purpose and protected as they accomplish this purpose). The person who gets the mark of the Beast is also sealed, but they are sealed for destruction and not for protection and redemption.
The stage is being set for the last days. Based on information from Sept. 2025, reports indicate that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans for a new, free-of-charge digital ID to be introduced by 2029.
The plan is for this digital ID to be mandatory for people in the UK to work. They are saying that this is in order to combat illegal immigration and the shadow economy.
Those with devious plans always present a noble reason for those plans. This sounds like a page right out of the book of Revelation. There has been so much backlash over this proposal that the plan is now optional. Once
governments tie your ability to work, buy, and sell to a digital identification, then they are only 1 step away from total global economic control.
I don’t believe that the Antichrist will have to start from scratch to build the
end-of-days economic system. Instead, I think he will walk right into a system that is already in place. This is godless socialism and we are headed in that direction even here in the US.
5. In Matthew 22, Jesus is challenged about His earthly loyalties and was
asked if it was lawful to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor Caesar. What
does He say?
Caesar had his image put on the coins of Jesus’ day. Roman citizens were to
offer incense to Caesar declaring that Caesar was Lord in order to get
documentation to trade. This in essence was a test of their loyalty. The
answer Jesus gave was brilliant and it astounded those who were there. He
basically established a separation between worldly governance (Caesar’s
kingdom) and God’s kingdom. The meaning was that we as Christians should be law-abiding citizens, but our priority should be God.
The worship of God demands that no other god be worshiped but the One true God. You could never worship Caesar and God. But there were certain laws of the land that Jesus told His followers they must do. Even Jesus paid His taxes. (He got the money out of a fish! But that is another story!) The Jews did not worship Caesar. They would not worship Caesar. That would have been a violation of their faith. So obviously, there were exceptions to the rule of worshiping Caesar.
The mark of the Beast signifies allegiance to the Beast. The Beast will be
worshiped as a god which would make the worship of anyone or anything
else illegal. This mark demands ultimate loyalty in exchange for human
survival. “Render to Caesar” sets the boundary for earthly duties, while the
mark of the Beast is the ultimate violation of that boundary, forcing people to make a choice between the Beast and God.
Keep in mind that for the Jew, prophecy is pattern. The Roman coin is the
pattern that is used, but as Emeril Lagasse would say of the Beast, he “kicked it up a notch”!
As we move into chapter 14, we are going to see a group that we’ve seen
before and we’re going to learn a little bit more about them.
6. Read Rev. 14:1-5. Who is mentioned and where are they standing?
7. Mount Zion is mentioned throughout the Bible. Read Psalm 87:2-3.
What is Mt. Zion synonymous with in these verses?
God loves this place! He put His signature on this place. It was on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem where King David built a citadel. The royal palace was also built there and became a place of power during the United Kingdom era. King Solomon built the temple on Mt. Zion. Scripture indicates that there is
another Mt. Zion.
8. Read Heb. 12:22 and explain where Mt. Zion in this verse is located.
What we can deduct from the Rev. 14 passage and the Heb. 12 passage is that there is an earthly Mt. Zion and a heavenly Mt. Zion. We know that after the millennial reign of Christ and all the judgements have occurred, then a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven. When this happens, the heavenly Mt. Zion will be on the earth.
9. Which Mt. Zion do you think Rev. 14:1 is speaking of, the one on earth
during the time of tribulation or the new one that comes out of heaven
after the millennial reign of Christ and the judgment of the wicked?
That’s actually a trick question. It could be either one. I believe it is the latter because in v. 3, we discover that those individuals who have been purchased from the earth are present and this is an indication that this is post millennium. If you look back to Rev. 7, there were 144,000 Jewish men who were witnesses for Jesus Christ. There were 12,000 from each tribe who were sealed and protected. The scene here is pastoral with harps playing and everyone singing. This indicates that more than likely, this scene is taking place in the New Jerusalem on Mt. Zion.
10. What additional characteristics do you learn about this group in these
first 5 verses?
These men are virgins and are truthful. That’s a pretty good combination!
There is some question as to what the meaning of “virgin” is in Rev. 14:4.
Depending on who is interpreting this verse, I’ve read the following
possibilities:
1. That this group of men never got married and never had sexual
relationships.
2. That they are spiritually pure and have not been defiled by what is
going on around them with all the immorality and wickedness.
11. I think Rev. 14:5 may give us a clearer indication of which one of these
might be meant. How are they described in this verse?
It is because of v. 5 that I personally believe #2 above is indicated instead of #1.
It could be either, or it could be both.
12. How is Israel referred to in the following verses?
2 Kings 19:21
Isaiah 37:22
Lam. 2:13
Jer. 18:13
Amos 5:2
13. How is the Church referred to in 2 Cor. 11:2?
Therefore, I think there is a strong biblical pattern of virgin as it is used in
these instances meaning undefiled spiritually. Either way, these 144,000 are good guys who are tasked with an enormous duty to spread the gospel.
These 144,000 Jewish male witnesses follow the Lamb/Jesus everywhere He goes and they are “among men as the first fruits to God and to the Lamb”.
The first fruits of any crop are always considered the best, the most choice
and tasty ones. John F. Walvoord in his commentary on Revelation describes them as “the godly nucleus of Israel which is the token of the redemption of the nation and the glory of Israel which is to unfold in the kingdom.” (p. 216)
In Lev. 23, God outlined for the nation of Israel, 7 feasts they were to observe. These feasts are the feasts of the Lord and are to be holy to God. When Moses was upon Mt. Sinai receiving the law, God instructed him regarding these feast days. We studied about them in depth last year and if you want to look back to familiarize yourself with them, please do.
Spring Feasts
1. Passover - occurs on the 14th day of the first month, Nissan. Passover is
the feast of salvation. The Jews were to remember the blood on the
doorpost while in Egypt and that God protected their 1st born from
being killed because of the covering of that blood.
NOTE: Jesus was killed on Passover.
2. Unleavened Bread - begins the day after Passover on the 15th of the
month of Nissan. For the next 7 days, the Jews were to eat unleavened
bread. In the Bible, leaven is often used as an analogy for sin or evil.
Eating unleavened bread for a period of time symbolized a walk in
holiness.
NOTE: Jesus was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
3. First Fruits - takes place on the morning after the Sabbath of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread. This feast was to signify the fertility of the land
that the Lord had provided. The Jews were to bring their early crops
and wave the sheaf before the Lord.
NOTE: Jesus arose from the dead on the Feast of First Fruits.
4. Pentecost - occurs on the 50th day after Passover. Pentecost marked
the summer harvest. The reading of the book of Ruth is a tradition on
the Feast of Pentecost.
NOTE: Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers on the Day of Pentecost.
Fall Feasts:
5. Trumpets - occurs on the first day of 7th month. The Jewish high priest
would blow his trumpet and all the people would cease their harvesting
to come and worship.
NOTE: The Feast of Trumpets is an allusion to the rapture of the
Church when all living believers will cease their harvesting because
our High Priest has called us out of this world! Wow!
6. Day of Atonement - occurs on the 10th day of the 7th month. A sin
offering was given to God on this day to roll back the sins of the people
for one more year.
NOTE: Jesus made atonement for our sins on the cross. However,
the Jewish people will not accept that until Jesus returns at the end
of the tribulation period for what we refer to as the 2nd coming of
Christ.
7. Tabernacles - occurs on the 15th day of the 7th month. All the Jews
were to create make-shift dwellings to live in for 7 days to symbolize the
shelter that God provided for them during the time the Jewish people
were wandering in the wilderness.
NOTE: In the Millennial age, God Himself, will tabernacle with us.
Zech. 14 indicates that during the millennial reign of Christ, all
surviving nations will have to come to Jerusalem to worship the
King of Kings and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. There will
be consequences like lack of rain or certain plagues for those
nations that do not attend.
The spring feasts have been fulfilled to the very day. There is no
doubt then that the fall feasts will also be fulfilled to the very day.
This is the pattern.
The chart below is from hiddeninjesus.com:
14. In Rev. 14:3, why couldn’t anyone other than the 144,000 learn the “new
song”?
We are not told the exact reason. But this group is different from the
multitude of Gentile believers we saw back in Rev. 7. The very nature of “first fruits” is that the number is limited. The first fruits are not the whole
harvest. They are representative of the whole harvest and are the choice
fruits.
15. What else do you discover about this group from Rev. 14:4-5?
In Rev. 12, we looked at the celestial bodies and how God uses the sun, moon and stars. We learned that one of the reasons for those celestial bodies is for the seasons which actually means “appointed feasts” in Hebrew.
Each one of the 7 Feasts of the Lord is called moed, which means a dress rehearsal. So for all those years preceding the 1st coming of Jesus, God’s people were in a dress rehearsal to get ready to welcome Him. Unfortunately, most of them missed Him. They are still in a dress rehearsal for the 1st coming of Jesus, but what they are going to discover instead is that when He comes, it will be His 2nd time coming to earth.
The Feast of First Fruits is the 3rd feast in God’s list. I’m not altogether
comfortable with how the Church celebrates Easter because it seems that the Feast of First Fruits has been confused with Easter.
16. Read Lev. 23:10-11 and explain God’s instructions for this feast.
This feast had to happen on a Sunday (“the morrow after the Sabbath”). Jesus Christ rose from the grave on the Feast of First Fruits! How amazing is this?!!!
And after Him, there certainly was and still is, a harvest of souls to come. In
ancient Babylonian culture, they saw this feast as a time when they could ask their goddess, Ishtar, also known as Easter, for new babies. One of the
symbols they used for fertility was the rabbit. That is where we got the
concept of the Easter bunny.
The other symbol they used was the egg, hence Easter eggs. Most Christians have no idea about the fact that many of the holidays we celebrate have been borrowed from ancient pagan religions and
practices. What we refer to as Easter should really be referred to as
Resurrection Sunday and the Feast of First Fruits.
17. What does the Apostle Paul have to say about the Feast of First Fruits in 1
Cor. 5:8?
18. We often forget about the other first fruits that appeared on that
Resurrection Sunday. According to Matt. 27:53, who else was a first fruit to
God?
Jesus not only brought Himself out of the grave for the harvest of first fruits, He also brought out of their graves, some of the saints who had already died. That should give us hope in the harvest yet to come.
19. 1 Thess. 4:16-17 gives us a picture of the order of the harvest at the time of the rapture of the Church. What is that order?
The 7 feasts of God are some of the most amazing events in Holy Scripture.
We did an entire study on these feasts and if you haven’t done that study yet, I encourage you to do so. Nothing escapes the careful eye of God. We know that we cannot know the day or the hour of the rapture, however, if the pattern that has already been fulfilled in the Spring feasts holds consistent, we do know the time of year it will take place. Every year, during the fall feasts, I go outside on my porch at night and look up into the sky and wonder if this will be the year of His gathering us up to heaven. I have a feeling that will happen soon. Look up precious friends, for your redemption draws nigh!
As we get deeper into Rev. 14, John is still in heaven before the throne with
the 144,000 Jewish witnesses who were sealed.
20. Read Rev. 14:6-8. Who is flying in mid-heaven and where exactly is
mid-heaven?
Remember from a recent lesson, that Scripture defines the 3 heavens:
1. 1st heaven - the earth and its atmosphere
2. 2nd heaven - outside the earth’s atmosphere in the area we would call
space.
3. 3rd heaven - where heaven is and where God dwells
Some of your translations might say “in the midst of heaven”. However, the
more accurate accord is “in mid-heaven”.
21. What message is the angel who is flying through mid-heaven delivering
and to whom?
In modern warfare, you always take care of the skies before boots are ever put on the ground. By the time this scenario plays out, Satan and his angels have been kicked out of the 2nd and 3rd heaven and are now abiding on the earth.
Have you noticed that the spiritual veil during this time appears to be
somewhat lifted so that people living on the earth can see the spiritual world?
22. Have you ever heard that Jesus could not return to earth the 2nd time
until the entire world had been exposed to the gospel? What does Matt. 24:14 say about this?
There are 17,000 recognized people groups in the world. Right now,
according to the Joshua Project, there are between 7100-7400 unreached
people groups in the world and this represents over 40% of the total world
population. That is more than 3.4 billion people. This means that of these
people groups, there is no indigenous community of believing Christians able to evangelize the rest of their people group. These groups are defined as having 2% evangelical and less than 5% professing Christian populations.
South Asia has the highest concentration of unreached people groups. And
get this, 87% of all Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists have limited, if any,
contact with a Christian. Friends, that is staggering! And when I read this
initially, it caused my heart to race because of my grief.
Many of you are likely engaged in a church with a missionary emphasis. I
have been part of a denomination who, years ago, had a campaign called
Bold Missions Thrust. This was an evangelical campaign designed with an
end goal of evangelizing the entire world by the year 2000. Well, apparently, we didn’t reach that goal.
Today, we are living in the Church Age and we are
to be about sharing the gospel and making disciples of people. And, by the
way, sharing the gospel and making disciples are 2 different things. During
the tribulation period, there are the 2 witnesses we learned about from Rev. 11 and the 144,000 Jewish men who will be preaching and spreading the gospel news of Jesus Christ. But, even with this, there will still be those who have never heard and God is going to make a way for that to happen. Those earth-dwellers who are alive at the time of the tribulation will have the opportunity to hear the gospel from an actual angel in space. How cool is that?!!!! I can envision this in my mind. The gospel will be spread to the ends of the earth via an angel.
Some Bible commentators say that this will happen via satellite. That may also be true, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be because God is all-powerful and He can and will do whatever He wants to do in order to accomplish His purposes regardless of how outlandish it may
seem to us now. These events are going to occur towards the end of the
Great Tribulation.
23. What does the 2nd angel tell the earth-dwellers?
24. How is the gospel referred to in Rev. 14:6?
25. Will people know and understand what they are doing when they receive the mark of the Beast?
The earth dwellers will not be able to say that they didn’t know what they
were doing. That excuse will not be a valid one. There is also no room here for self-deception. God is giving them one more opportunity to repent before judgment and His wrath falls upon them. It is important to note here that God never judges without first warning people. This pattern is repeated throughout the Old Testament.
When Israel and Judah split into a divided kingdom, God sent them prophets to tell them to return to Him. Those prophets preached for years and years for God’s people to repent. Eventually, both Israel and Judah were sent into captivity because of their disobedience. But they had so many warnings! When God judges a person or a nation, those people can never stand before Him and say, “I didn’t know!”.
26. This 2nd angel also makes a pronouncement on Babylon the Great. What is it?
There is a strange verb tense in the Greek language called aorist. It is a tense that refers to something that hasn’t yet happened, but it is so sure to happen that it is spoken of as if it had already taken place. Ephesians 2:6 is such a verse. If you are reading this, then you are still part of the earth. However, this verse says that we’re already seated with Christ in heaven. That fact is a sure one! So although in the chronology of Revelation, Babylon the Great has not yet fallen, it is as good as done because it is a sure fact that it will meet its demise.
27. What is going on in Rev. 14:8?
In this chapter, we are introduced to a city that will play a prominent role
throughout the rest of the book. In Rev. 14:7, we read something that is
mentioned in replication, “is fallen, is fallen”. Anytime in Scripture that
something is repeated, it is done so that we as the reader can know the
emphasis of what is repeated. To say twice in a row that a city is fallen is to
emphasize that the collapse of this city will be great and will be unexpected from an earthly standpoint.
If you had looked at New York City 50 years ago, no one would be able to believe what has happened to it today. Indeed, New York City has fallen and like Humpty Dumpty, I don’t think it will ever be put
back together again!
I want us to look at the historical significance of Babylon this week. Ancient
Babylon was located in present-day Iraq about 55 miles south of Baghdad.
We know from our readings from the book of Daniel that King
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon during Daniel’s day. Several of the prophets of God warned Judah (aka, the Southern Kingdom of Judah) that if they didn’t straighten up and follow God, doom would follow. The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah prophesied what would happen to Judah and exactly how it would happen.
28. Read Jer. 31:3-10 and explain the message from God to the people.
The Babylonians eventually burned the city of Jerusalem, the temple, and
carried off all able–bodied individuals to Babylon. They even took all the
beautiful, sacred items from the temple which God had instructed the Jews
to make after the pattern of those items in the heavenly temple. Babylon has always been a symbol of all that is in rebellion to God, spiritually, physically, financially, and socially. But Babylon was rooted in evil long before the Babylonian Empire began.
29. Read Gen. 10:8-10. Who founded a place called Babel?
Oh no! Not him again! In Hebrew, the word Babel and Babylon are the same. And once again, we are faced with the despot of despots, Nimrod, the first antichrist figure in Scripture.
30. Read Gen. 11:1-9. These verses remind me so much of the poster of the
European Union that we looked at last week. What does Gen. 11:2 say about
where the tower of Babel was erected?
31. Does it seem strange to you that if people were wanting to build a
structure to the heavens that they chose a low-lying plain? Why not start out on a mountain top and be part of the way there before you begin to build?
Why do you think they started this tower on a low-lying plain?
God even said that if their efforts were not thwarted, nothing they put their
mind to would be impossible for them. I would never presume that a tall
building could make it to heaven. Perhaps it wasn’t about the height of the
building. Perhaps it was about something else.
Gen. 10:8 states, “Now Cush became the father of Nimrod and he became a
mighty one on the earth,”
Translation from Hebrew....Now Cush became the father of Nimrod and he
began to be a Nephillim.
Gen. 10:9 states, “He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”
Translation from Hebrew....Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord;
therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter in defiance of the Lord.”
Therefore, if Nimrod became a Nephillim (the offspring of fallen angels and humans), he obviously had inside knowledge into the supernatural world that the average human did not have. I have no idea about how he began to be a Nephillim unless he was possessed by demonic supernatural entities. I say this because the translation of this verse would make it seem that Nimrod did not start out as a Nephillim, but became one at some later point in time.
Scripture absolutely leads us to believe that Nimrod would have had the
knowledge available to him to build a structure that would allow him to make it to the 3rd heaven in some form or fashion. Building a building tall enough was not the idea. Building a building that had built into it hidden secrets that made obtaining the way to heaven available was the idea.
The great pyramid of Giza is one of the structures that survived the flood.
There are some fascinating elements to this structure. This pyramid originally covered 22 acres and was encased in white limestone. Aside from the fact that the rocks forming this structure were enormous and a complete mystery surrounds how they got there (perhaps the Nephillim laid them?), an even more shocking element exists. These humongous rocks managed to be laid in perfect alignment. Scientists have noticed that from space, this structure can be seen and measured and that it is perfectly level in its measurements within 1⁄2 an inch, which is said to be humanly impossible for such a structure.
With all the technology we have today, if we tried to replicate the great
pyramid of Giza, we would not be able to do it as perfectly as it is already
constructed. This leads us to wonder if the pyramid was built utilizing fallen angel technology. I encourage you to read more on this because once you realize that it is doubtful that this was constructed by mere humans, then you realize that other structures could also have had supernatural help in construction. And by “other structures” I mean the tower of Babel.
32. Why was it bad for the people in Nimrod’s day to only stay in one place
with one language?
Obviously, God didn’t want us all to be the same. That is one reason He
separated mankind into 70 different tribes with 70 different languages. God had previously told Noah and his family to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”.
33. What does God say in Gen. 1:28?
We will continue reading about Babylon as we go throughout the rest of the book of Revelation. It is important to note that when Babylon is mentioned, it can refer to:
1. A literal city
2. A religious system
3. A political system
4. All 3 of the above at the same time
Just like the name Jezebel is used synonymously for wicked women, the city
of Babylon represents the evil in the world at the time of the beginning of the world and at the time of the end of the world.
34. In Rev. 14:8, who else suffers as a result of their relationship with Babylon?
There is a uniqueness about humanity, and God created us to be different
from one another. There is also a danger of totalitarianism when things are 1. That is why the pattern will revert back to all things being 1 at the end of time. There will be a 1-world-government, a 1-world-currency, and a 1-world-leader (the Antichrist). God never meant for it to be like this. Mankind wanted to do this at the beginning of the world and they’ll want to do it again at the end of the world.
There is nothing new under the sun. It was done in defiance of
God then and it will be done in defiance of God in the future tribulation.
Our culture is changing and not for the better. All of the Covid 19, Me Too,
Black Lives Matter, anti-ICE, anti-police, and antisemitism rhetoric, etc. is
about mind control and unity of people everywhere, but not for godly reasons. These are all soft mind-games that are being played on the world population as we approach and get ready for the time of tribulation.
But we dear friends, have the mind of Christ and we will not be duped into this type of belief system. I’m going to leave you with a question about Babylon as it is mentioned here in Rev. 14. Is Babylon an analogy of another actual place or is it the actual location of historical Babylon? We’ll get to that when we get over to Rev. 17.
35. The 3rd angel enters the scene in mid-heaven in Rev. 14:9-13. Describe
what this angel says and what the voice from heaven says back to them.
I find it quite interesting that so many denominations are teaching a false
doctrine these days concerning hell. Scripture says far more about hell than it does about heaven. False doctrines of hell say at least one of the following:
1. There is no hell.
2. When an unconverted person dies, that person just ceases to exist.
3. God will give everyone an opportunity to believe in Him and everyone
will in the end. Therefore, there is no need for hell.
4. God is love and would not send anyone to hell.
The belief that there is not an eternal hell is something that is catching
traction these days. That belief is called annihilationism. Some refer to it as
conditional immortality. People who hold to this belief think that either
people will cease to exist after death or after the judgment. Seventh Day
Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this way.
The traditional belief that hell is conscious eternal torment is what I believe and teach. When believers die, we get a new body that is fitted for eternity in heaven. We’ll look at that a little more closely when we get over to Rev. 20.
We don’t know much about those bodies, but we do know that we will be known in heaven in the same manner that we are known here on earth. The same is true of those who go to hell. If the wicked who go to hell went there with the earthly bodies they have while alive, then their bodies would be quickly incinerated.
Therefore, for eternal torment to take place, the bodies of the wicked will have to change so that there is some kind of body that will continue to exist in eternity. Hollywood actor, Kirk Cameron starred in 3 of the Left Behind movies. Those books and movies followed the theology that there is a literal rapture and a literal eternal hell.
In late 2025, he expressed that it was a “relief” to now believe that the wicked dead will just cease to exist after the judgment and
that this belief is more in line with a just and merciful God. I wonder if he will still believe this in eternity one day. Something tells me he will discard this belief 1 millisecond after death.
The strongest expression in the Greek language of eternity is used here in Rev. 14:11. It means “into the ages of ages”.
Does knowing that we are in the last days cause you to feel an urgency in
regard to sharing the Gospel? Think back a few lessons where you listed
people in your life who still need to accept Christ. For every single name you
listed, begin praying that God would draw that loved one to Himself.
A few years ago, I read a quote by Penn Jillette who is an atheist and is part of the Penn and Teller act. He said, “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them about it? I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward, how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?" Oh friends, does this statement not bring you to your knees?!!! We have but a short time on this earth to share the good news. Make your moments count!
The pronouncement of doom on those who receive the mark and worship
the Beast is followed by a voice from heaven for those who have held to their faith in God and have been martyred.
36. What does the voice of God say?
37. Many of the pronouncements given in Revelation come from various
angels. However, there are a handful of times that the voice comes directly
from God in heaven. What did God say in the following verses?
Rev. 10:4
Rev. 10:8
Rev. 11:12
Rev. 14:2
Rev. 18:4
Rev. 21:3
Obviously, these divine pronouncements are too important to allow an angel to share. Pay extra attention to these when you read them.
38. Read Rev. 14:14. Who do you think is sitting on a white cloud?
39. Look back to Dan. 7:13-14. What similarities do you find between these
verses and Rev. 14:14?
Whenever we see the words, “Son of man” used to describe Jesus, that is a
reference to His humanity.
40. In Rev. 14:14, there is a weapon of sorts in the hand of Jesus. What is this
weapon and what is it used for?
How interesting that earlier in this chapter, we saw the reference to 1st fruits in regard to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and those who died in Christ and will also be resurrected to life. This harvest is a beautiful,
celebratory harvest where believers are with God and are singing and playing harps.
It is also interesting to note here that we do not do the harvesting.
That is God’s job. While we’re here on earth, we sow the seeds of the gospel.
Another harvest is mentioned in Rev. 14:14-20, but this harvest is very
different. The word is ripe as used in v. 15 is the Greek word, exeranthe,
which actually means overly ripe to the point of becoming dry or withered.
In other words, judgment is long overdue to those who will be receiving it, to those who are rotten by God’s standards.. Yikes!
41. Who else participated in the reaping process in v. 17?
If you’re keeping count of the angels in this chapter, the one in v. 17 makes
angel #5, and just like the angel in Rev. 14:15, this angel comes from the
heavenly temple. What happens when you throw grapes into a vat and
stomp on them to make wine and grape juice? Do you see the analogy here?
This scene will be played out again toward the end of Revelation in chapters 19 and 21.. Just as the juice bursts forth from the grapes when they are harvested and stomped on, the blood from all the human carnage will burst forth from their bodies when angel #5 puts in his sickles to harvest. We will see this action completed when we get over to Rev. 19. The blood will be so great that it will come up to the horse's bridles for a distance of 1600 furlongs or 200 miles! It almost makes one sick to think about it.
More land than just Israel will likely be involved here because of the distance. Israel itself is about 160 miles long from north to south.
42. Where did the angel in Rev. 14:18 come from?
43. Look back to Rev. 6:9-11. Who was under this altar and why were they
there?
Could it be that this angel in v. 18 came as a result of the cries of the martyrs
from underneath that altar? I think so. Do you ever wonder if true vengeance will ever be served on the wicked? I do. Sometimes it seems as though the worst of the worst never get what they have coming to them. Well folks, there will be a day of reckoning and here it is.
44. In Rev. 14:18-19, how many times do we read that the sickle was thrust into the earth to gather the clusters of grapes from the earth?
We are told repeatedly in Scripture to produce good fruit. But here at the end of Rev. 14, the production of rotten fruit is getting ready to be harvested and destroyed. When we read of the gloom and doom that awaits the
earth-dwellers who refuse to put their faith in Christ, it is staggering. How
many people can heaven hold? Answer, as many as confess Jesus as Lord.
That door is closing though. There is still time to get in, but this will not
always be the case. There will be an end at some point to the grace that God
extends to humanity and here in Rev. 14, we get a bird’s eye view of that end
and it is not good. While there is time, tell others about Jesus!
Aren’t you glad that you know the end of the story?!!! GOD WINS!!!
