This chapter includes 7 key events, it also has 7 angels.
It is a strange chapter in that it appears to be a table of contents for the rest of the book.
This is one of the heaviest chapters in the Book of Revelation.
Verse 1
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.”
The Lamb is of course a title for Jesus Christ.
Here is the only place in the book where Mount Sion is mentioned.
So the 144,000 are here standing on the Mount, they are on earth, but the Lamb hasn’t really returned yet, He is with them as He is with us today.
NOTE - not one has been lost, in chapter 7 we seen that they are sealed.
Mount Sion is a hill on which part of Jerusalem is built.
Verse 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:”
The voice that John hears is the voice of Christ.
Verse 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.”
They are singing a song that no-one else can share. Psalm 107 tells us that the redeemed should sing praise unto God for what he has done for us. These 144,000 will sing praise to God for how he helped them throughout this period, no-one else can join in because no-one else will understand exactly what they went through.
God delights in our praises of him.
Verse 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 firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
These people were virgins, probably both biologically and spiritually (they stayed away from idol worship)
The first fruits of the harvest were always the finest of crops and were dedicated to God.
Verse 5
“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
These people were not taken in by the lies of the anti-christ.
2 Thess 2 Paul tells us “they should believe a lie:” In the Greek it can also be translated “the lie”.
There is a very specific lie that will be promoted that everyone will believe. Many scholars today believe that it is the lie of evolution. But it is probably a lie that has yet to come, one that will be told by the antichrist himself.
Verse 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,”
This introduces us to the first of seven angels, it presents the “everlasting gospel”
This angel is preaching to those who are on earth, those that worship and love the earth.
What do we mean when we use the word “Gospel” today - 1 Cor 15: 1-4.
The term gospel means any message that is delivered from God.
Why an angel here, possibly because an angel is indestructible, the two witnesses were killed, but the angel cannot be, so God’s message will continue on.
Verse 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.”
Here we have the message that the angel delivers.
Notice it is confirming Creation.
This is bad news for those that do not worship God, judgement has arrived for them.
Verse 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.”
Here we see the second angel.
Here we have the first mention of Babylon in Revelation. Chapter 17 & 18 will deal with Babylon.
We assume today that Babylon has already fallen and therefore this verse seems strange, but Babylon has never been destroyed in the way that the Bible predicts, it has slowly fell down but there are still people living in the area. The town of Al Halah is on the site.
Babylon of course is the starting point of all the world’s false religions and was Satan’s throne.
The term “is fallen, is fallen” may seem strange, but in Gen 41 Joseph pointed out that when something happens twice it happens very quickly.
Verse 9 - 10
“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,”
“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:”
Another angel. Here we see fury coming upon the worshipers of the beast. They have made a fatal choice! This seems to be a case when if you take the mark you will be punished, no way out is given.
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.”
Eternal punishment is promised.
Verse 12
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus.”
This verse is like taking a breath from all the heaviness of the chapter. It is an encouragement to those that read.
Verse 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.”
This is the fourth angel, although it only says “a voice”, it is likely that this is another angel.
This sort of echo’s what Paul says in Philippians 1:21. Where for him to die is gain. Paul was not afraid of death, but instead favoured it.
One strange thing is that it says that it is from this time forward. Why would the angel say this?
If the rapture has already taken place, it would be understandable that the believers in that day would need reassurance, they could easily think that they had missed Heaven.
This is the problem that the Thessalonian church had. Up until this letter they had been persecuted by the Jews, but about this time was when Nero started his persecution. So they thought that he was the anti-christ and that they had missed the rapture, or that Paul had taught them wrong. They were not expecting to go through the tribulation, but to be raptured first.
Verse 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.”
This verse starts to give us a preview of Armageddon.
The cloud is the same as the cloud that left the children of Israel out of Egypt, and appears on various other occasions in the Bible.
Verse 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.”
Fifth angel.This is the harvest that Jesus speaks about in Matt 13 (parable of the sower).
Verse 16
“And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”
The harvest is gathered.
Verse 17
“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.”
Angel six.
We are going to see another harvest. The first was of wheat, the second of grapes
Verse 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.”
In Joel 3:12-17 we see a harvest of grapes and wine.
Verse 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.”
This is all getting ready for the 7 bowls judgements in chapters 15 & 16.
The grape harvest is used in the Old Testament as the Day of the Lord.
Verse 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.”
This is God’s judgement.
The blood is 4 feet deep for about 180 miles.
This happens to be the distance between Megiddo and
Basra.
All the nations of the earth are going to come here for war, which we will see in chapter 19.
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