REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 14.9

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

                                                                           

Chapter Fourteen

The Great Tribulation

A Parenthesis

The Seven Trumpets

Trumpet Number 7: Woe Number 3

 

 

Overview

Angels play a dominant role in Chapter 14. Especially from verses 6 through 11, three angels engage in three distinct actions:

1. By proclaiming the everlasting Gospel (verses 6-7)

2. By predicting the fall of Babylon the Great (verse 8)

3. By pronouncing punishment on the world (verses 9-10)

 

The following verses continue the narrative from the previous study…

 

 

(Verse 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,

(Verse 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:

 

In an exceedingly loud voice, a third angel, unlike the prior two, is heard by John giving a dire warning that anyone who received the mark of the beast, either on their hand or forehead, and worshipped the Beast will drink the wine of the wrath of God.

 

The wine of the wrath of God is a figure of speech for God’s anger and fury. In Old Testament times, wine was not diluted. However, wine in antiquity was commonly mixed with water and or spices for banqueting purposes. But in this instance, the mixture is undiluted so that its fermentation reached full strength. Such examples in Old Testament recordings include:

Psalm 75:8 – For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and He poureth out of the same: but the dregs (sediment, residue, sludge) thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

 

Isaiah 51:17 – Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

 

Jeremiah 25:15 - For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

 

So, the character of punishment in Revelation prophecy is indeed graphic. Notice:

 

The wrath (unrestrained passionate anger or rage) of God, which is poured out without mixture (in full strength) into the cup of His indignation (violent abhorring vengeance)

 

Interestingly, the Hebrew book of Nahum also painted this picture beforehand:

Nahum 1:2 - God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.

 

The Cup

Figuratively, the cup is being used as a vessel of fate. Only one human in history drank from that cup and survived. In the Garden of Gethsemane, God’s only begotten Son took this cup in exchange for ours when the sin of the world was poured out upon Him. At that point, God’s fury was so intense that Luke the physician recorded Jesus was sweating drops or clots of blood, so much so that an angel had to come and strengthen Him. Jesus cried:

Luke 22:42-44 – [Jesus] Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

 

Most interestingly, angels will be witnesses to those who reject the Gospel being cast into fire and brimstone.

 

And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb

Everyone who refuses God’s final offer will be eternally doomed to Hell. The phrase shall be tormented indicates a surety of coming to pass. In His parable of the weeds, Jesus foretold:

Matthew 13:41-42 - The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

Paul also addressed this warning earlier in a letter to the Thessalonians:

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 – In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power;

 

Not only will God’s holy angels be witnesses to the tormenting, but more importantly, it will occur in the presence of the Lamb! The message: If people persist in their sins, they have only themselves to blame.

 

 

(Verse 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.

 

Unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, fire and brimstone will be a continuous torment unto ages and ages. The smoke of Antichrist’s allies ascendeth forever and ever.

 

No Rest

The demise of the lost will have no rest from Satan, their sin, terror, or torment. Now contrast the above unsaved to the four living creatures of Revelation as they, without ceasing, praise and worship the Lamb.

Revelation 4:8 - And the four beasts (living creatures) had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

 

Consistent with Hell, verse 11 confirms its eternality. Said figuratively by John the Baptist:

Matthew 3:12b - He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 

Commentary

The ultimate result of sin is separation from God. No one is forced to be eternally separated. One chooses by will. Jesus invites all to open the doors of their hearts for eternal fellowship with Him. Recall:

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.

 

Three angels deliver God’s last call for repentance to the remaining unsaved world before the final vials of judgment are loosed. But God’s gracious warnings go unheeded by most of the sinful unregenerate world, thus supporting the former words of Jesus:

John 3:18-20 - He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved (rebuked, convicted).

 

Hence, the choices people make in this life will irreversibly chart the course of their eternal destiny. The two choices substantially remain:

A. Eternal punishment

B. Eternal bliss

 

All men’s souls are entrusted to God’s Son Jesus. His voice will quicken the dead. In substantiation, John’s Gospel confirms only two universal resurrections for all mankind:

John 5: 28-29 - Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves (including the sea, and those cremated) shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Note: There are no other alternatives. At this point, the dispensation of mercy will reach its conclusion.

 

 

(Verse 12)

 

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

 

With all the warnings of God’s righteous indignation, some final words of encouragement are given to the saints who have been waiting for God’s justice to be served. Here is the patience of the saints:

 

Patience (hupomonē) is a continuance and consistency in waiting. Its secret is trusting in and obedience to the Lord. Those who keep God's commandments, have faith in Jesus Christ, and follow Him can endure their sufferings. The Holy Spirit confirms this promise:

Isaiah 66:24 - For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain (endure).

 

Matthew 5:10 – Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Matthew 24:13 - But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

 

In the succeeding study, a voice from Heaven pronounces the second of seven beatitudes of Revelation. And, the identity of the One who sat on a white cloud is revealed.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.   What are the missions of the three angels in verses 6-9?

2.   Explain the wine of the wrath of God.

3.   What is the significance of the cup?

4.   Explain torment without rest.

5.   State the Gospel from John 3 and 1 Corinthians 15.

6.   What are the two eternal choices given to mankind?

7.   What is the patience of the saints?

 

 

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