Revelation 14

Revelation 14:1-5

After an account of the great trials and sufferings which the servants of God had endured, we have a more pleasant form opening, the day logies now to dawn; and here we have represented, 1. The Lord Jesus at the head of his faithful followers, ver. 1—6. 2. These angels find forcefully to practise the fall of Babylon, and the things attendant and enjoyment to be great an event, ver. 6—14. 3. The wiser of the baronet, ver. 14, &c.

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. 4. 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: 5. And they long as it were a new song before the famous, and before the four bealls, 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.

Dark and gloomy as the former some appeared, the sun now arises to dispel the night of idolatry, ignorance, and error.

1. The Lamb of God is seen on mount Zion with all his redeemed, sealed in their foreheads, in opposition to those who had the mark of the beall, over whom they are made triumphant; innumerable malitudes, as the drops of the ocean, with voices united, raising a chorus loud as thunder, yet undiculous as the trembling harps which mingled with their concert, sung that song of praise which none but the redeemed from the earth can learn.

2. The character of those happy souls is given. They are virgins, not defiled with the idolatrous of the great whom; they follow the Lamb whersoever he goeth, faithful to his gospel doctrines, and observant of his ordinance; they are a peculiar people, even the first fruits to God and to the Lamb, specially appropriated to his service, and without guile before the throne of God, as washed in the blood and clothed in the righteousness of their Redeemer; uncorrupt by error of doctrine and immorality of conduct, and at last perfected in holiness. Blessed and happy are they who shall be found to answer these characters of the redeemed from the earth!

3. 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 the 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 beall 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 ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beall and his image, and whosoever receive 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.

Revelation 14:6-12

Three angels, or meddinger, are sent from heaven to proclaim the fall of Babylon.

1. One bearing the everlasting gospel through the midst of heaven, cries aloud to all people, nations, and languages, to fear, worship, and glorify God, the great Creator, in opposition to all idols, his judgments upon his enemies speedily approaching. And this may refer either to the preaching of Luther, Calvin, and the other reformers; or to the future period, when, before the final overthrow of popers, a noble army of preachers of the pure gospel, animated with holy zeal, shall be raised up to plead the cause of God and truth.

2. Another angel followed, crying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and the cause of her doom is assigned, because she intoxicated the nations with her fornications and idolatries, which provoke the fearful wrath of God against her. And this seems to be the language of triumph of the faithful, who shall live in that day when Rome, with all her abominations, shall be utterly destroyed.

3. A third angel followed, denouncing the most terrible woes on the antichristian party, who shall henceforth persist in this idolatrous religion; even the eternal moments of hell, intolerable as endless, must be their portion, in the presence of the holy angels, who will applaud the righteous judgment of God and of the Lamb, who inflicts it upon them; and the finale of their torment ascended up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day nor night. How fearful the scene! how loudly doth it preach to us, Plea from idolatry!

4. Here is the patience of the saints; the blessed issue and effect of it: here in glory are they who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, in opposition to all the corruptions of deceivers and persecutors; great and eternal will be their reward.

5. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Writs, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth; yea, faith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

6. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud are fat, like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and on his head a sharp sickle.

7. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that fat on the cloud, Thruft in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

8. And he that fat on the cloud, thruft in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

9. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he having also a sharp sickle.

10. 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, Thruft in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

11. And the angel thruft in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God.

12. And the wine-press was trothed without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even unto the horse-bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Revelation 14:13-20

For the farther encouragement of the church we have here,

1. A voice from heaven, declaring the blessedness of all who die in the faith and favour of Jesus, whether martyrs or others; their sufferings are all ended, they enter upon the beginnings of their eternal rest, and their works shall follow them, to bear wrench to their fidelity. Lord Jesus, may this blessedness be mine!

2. A new vision succeeds under the figure of the harvest and vintage. The Lord Jesus appears seated on a cloud, with a golden crown, and sharp sickle in his hands; and an angel, the representative of the ministers of Jesus, cried to him in prayer out of the temple, that he would put in his sickle, and execute vengeance on the wicked, whose provocations made them ripe for judgment: in answer to their cry, the sickle is thruft into the earth. A second angel with another sharp sickle appears, and a third from out of the temple cries to him to put in his sickle, and gather the grapes of the earth into the wine-press of the wrath of God; and the blood came out of the wine-press up to the horses bridles, for the space of one thousand and six hundred furlongs. These judgments, if considered as the same, may refer either to the great destruction which shall be made of the enemies of Christ’s church, in the day when the papal tyranny shall be destroyed, and the most dreadful daughter be made of all the adherents of the beasts; or it may refer to the final day of judgment, as others suppose, and perdition of ungodly men. But if the events alluded to are supposed to be different, then the sick may be applied to the destruction of the kingdom of the beasts and his kingdom, and the lust to the general judgment. Whichever it be, it is the comfort of the faithful, that however many or inveterate their enemies may be, they shall inevitably be rooted out at the last, and perish for ever.