Revelation 14

Re 14:1-20.

THE

LAMB

SEEN ON

ZION WITH THE 144,000.

THEIR

SONG.

THE

GOSPEL

PROCLAIMED BEFORE THE

END BY

ONE

ANGEL:

THE

FALL OF

BABYLON, BY

ANOTHER:

THE

DOOM OF THE

BEAST

WORSHIPPERS, BY A

THIRD.

THE

BLESSEDNESS OF THE

DEAD IN THE

LORD.

THE

HARVEST.

THE

VINTAGE.

In contrast to the beast, false prophet, and apostate Church

(Re 13:1-18)

and introductory to the announcement of judgments about to descend on

them and the world

(Re 14:8-11,

anticipatory of

Re 18:2-6),

stand here the redeemed, "the divine kernel of humanity, the positive

fruits of the history of the world and the Church"

[AUBERLEN]. The fourteenth through sixteenth

chapters describe the preparations for the Messianic judgment. As the

fourteenth chapter begins with the 144,000 of Israel

(compare

Re 7:4-8,

no longer exposed to trial as then, but now triumphant), so the

fifteenth chapter begins with those who have overcome from among

the Gentiles (compare

Re 15:1-5

with Re 7:9-17);

the two classes of elect forming together the whole company of

transfigured saints who shall reign with Christ.

1. a--A, B, C, Coptic, and ORIGEN

read, "the."

Lamb . . . on . . . Sion--having left His

position "in the midst of the throne," and now taking His stand on

Sion.

his Father's name--A, B, and C read, "His name and His

Father's name."

in--Greek, "upon." God's and Christ's name here

answers to the seal "upon their foreheads" in

Re 7:3.

As the 144,000 of Israel are "the first-fruits"

(Re 14:4),

so "the harvest"

(Re 14:15)

is the general assembly of Gentile saints to be translated by Christ as

His first act in assuming His kingdom, prior to His judgment

(Re 16:17-21,

the last seven vials) on the Antichristian world, in executing which

His saints shall share. As Noah and Lot were taken seasonably out of

the judgment, but exposed to the trial to the last moment

[DE BURGH], so those who

shall reign with Christ shall first suffer with Him, being delivered

out of the judgments, but not out of the trials. The Jews

are meant by "the saints of the Most High": against them Antichrist

makes war, changing their times and laws; for true Israelites

cannot join in the idolatry of the beast, any more than true

Christians. The common affliction will draw closely together, in

opposing the beast's worship, the Old Testament and New Testament

people of God. Thus the way is paved for Israel's conversion. This last

utter scattering of the holy people's power leads them, under

the Spirit, to seek Messiah, and to cry at His approach, "Blessed is He

that cometh in the name of the Lord."

2. from--Greek, "out of."

voice of many waters--as is the voice of Himself, such also is

the voice of His people.

I heard the voice of harpers--A, B, C, and

ORIGEN read, "the voice which I heard (was) as of

harpers."

3. sung--Greek, "sing."

as it were--So A, C, and Vulgate read. It is "as it were"

a new song; for it is, in truth, as old as God's eternal

purpose. But B, Syriac, Coptic, ORIGEN, and

ANDREAS omit these words.

new song--

(Re 5:9, 10).

The song is that of victory after conflict with the dragon, beast, and

false prophet: never sung before, for such a conflict had never been

fought before; therefore new: till now the kingdom of

Christ on earth had been usurped; they sing the new song in

anticipation of His blood-bought kingdom with His saints.

four beasts--rather, as Greek, "four living creatures."

The harpers and singers evidently include the 144,000: so the parallel

proves

(Re 15:2, 3),

where the same act is attributed to the general company of the

saints, the harvest

(Re 14:15)

from all nations. Not as ALFORD, "the harpers and

song are in heaven, but the 144,000 are on earth."

redeemed--literally, "purchased." Not even the angels can learn

that song, for they know not experimentally what it is to have

"come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes white in the

blood of the Lamb"

(Re 7:14).

4. virgins--spiritually

(Mt 25:1);

in contrast to the apostate Church, Babylon

(Re 14:8),

spiritually "a harlot"

(Re 17:1-5;

Isa 1:21;

contrast

2Co 11:2;

Eph 5:25-27).

Their not being defiled with women means they were not led

astray from Christian faithfulness by the tempters who jointly

constitute the spiritual "harlot."

follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth--in glory, being

especially near His person; the fitting reward of their following Him

so fully on earth.

redeemed--"purchased."

being the--rather, "as a first-fruit." Not merely

a "first-fruit" in the sense in which all believers are so, but

Israel's 144,000 elect are the first-fruit, the Jewish and

Gentile elect Church is the harvest; in a further sense, the

whole of the transfigured and translated Church which reigns with

Christ at His coming, is the first-fruit, and the consequent

general ingathering of Israel and the nations, ending in the last

judgment, is the full and final harvest.

5. guile--So ANDREAS in one copy. But A, B,

C, ORIGEN, and ANDREAS in

other copies read, "falsehood." Compare with English Version

reading

Ps 32:2;

Isa 53:9;

Joh 1:47.

for--So B, Syriac, Coptic, ORIGEN,

and ANDREAS read. But A and C omit.

without fault--Greek, "blameless": in respect to the

sincerity of their fidelity to Him. Not absolutely, and in themselves

blameless; but regarded as such on the ground of His

righteousness in whom alone they trusted, and whom they faithfully

served by His Spirit in them. The allusion seems to be to

Ps 15:1, 2.

Compare

Re 14:1,

"stood on Mount Sion."

before the throne of God--A, B, C, Syriac, Coptic,

ORIGEN, and ANDREAS omit

these words. The oldest Vulgate manuscript supports them.

6. Here begins the portion relating to the Gentile world, as the

former portion related to Israel. Before the end the Gospel is

to be preached for a WITNESS unto all

nations: not that all nations shall be converted, but all nations

shall have had the opportunity given them of deciding whether they will

be for, or against, Christ. Those thus preached to are "they

that dwell (so A, Coptic, and Syriac read. But B, C,

ORIGEN, Vulgate, CYPRIAN, 312, read, 'SIT,' compare

Mt 4:16;

Lu 1:79,

having their settled home) on the earth," being of earth earthy:

this last season of grace is given them, if yet they may repent, before

"judgment"

(Re 14:7)

descends: if not, they will be left without excuse, as the world which

resisted the preaching of Noah in the the hundred twenty years "while

the long-suffering of God waited." "So also the prophets gave the

people a last opportunity of repentance before the Babylonian

destruction of Jerusalem, and our Lord and His apostles before the

Roman destruction of the holy city" [AUBERLEN].

The Greek for "unto" (epi, in A and C) means literally,

"upon," or "over," or "in respect to"

(Mr 9:12;

Heb 7:13).

So also "TO every nation" (Greek,

"epi," in A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac,

ORIGEN, ANDREAS,

CYPRIAN, and PRIMASIUS).

This, perhaps, implies that the Gospel, though diffused over the

globe, shall not come savingly unto any save the elect. The

world is not to be evangelized till Christ shall come: meanwhile, God's

purpose is "to take out of the Gentiles a people for His name," to be

witnesses of the effectual working of His Spirit during the

counter-working of "the mystery of iniquity."

everlasting gospel--the Gospel which announces the glad

tidings of the everlasting kingdom of Christ, about to ensue

immediately after the "judgment" on Antichrist, announced as imminent

in

Re 14:7.

As the former angel "flying through the midst of heaven"

(Re 8:13)

announced "woe," so this angel "flying in the midst of heaven" announced

joy. The three angels making this last proclamation of the Gospel,

the fall of Babylon

(Re 14:8),

the harlot, and the judgment on the beast worshippers

(Re 14:9-11),

the voice from heaven respecting the blessed dead

(Re 14:13),

the vision of the Son of man on the cloud

(Re 14:11),

the harvest

(Re 14:15),

and the vintage

(Re 14:18),

form the compendious summary, amplified in detail in the rest of the

book.

7. Fear God--the forerunner to embracing the love of God

manifested in the Gospel. Repentance accompanies faith.

give glory to him--and not to the beast (compare

Re 13:4;

Jer 13:16).

the hour of his judgment--"The hour" implies the definite

time. "Judgment," not the general judgment, but that up on Babylon,

the beast, and his worshippers

(Re 14:8-12).

worship him that made heaven--not Antichrist (compare

Ac 14:15).

sea . . . fountains--distinguished also in

Re 8:8, 10.

8. another--So Vulgate. But A, B, Syriac, and

ANDREAS add, "a second"; "another, a second

angel."

Babylon--here first mentioned; identical with the harlot,

the apostate Church; distinct from the beast, and judged

separately.

is fallen--anticipation of

Re 18:2.

A, Vulgate, Syriac, and ANDREAS support the

second "is fallen." But B, C, and Coptic omit it.

that great city--A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and

Coptic omit "city." Then translate, "Babylon the great." The

ulterior and exhaustive fulfilment of

Isa 21:9.

because--So ANDREAS. But A, C,

Vulgate, and Syriac read, "which." B and Coptic

omit it. Even reading "which," we must understand it as giving the

reason of her fall.

all nations--A, B and C read, "all the nations."

the wine of the wrath of her fornication--the wine of the

wrath of God, the consequence of her fornication. As she

made the nations drunk with the wine of her fornication, so she herself

shall be made drunk with the wine of God's wrath.

9. A, B, C, and ANDREAS read, "another, a

third angel." Compare with this verse

Re 13:15, 16.

10. The same--Greek, "he also," as the just and

inevitable retribution.

wine of . . . wrath of God--

(Ps 75:8).

without mixture--whereas wine was so commonly mixed with

water that to mix wine is used in Greek for to pour

out wine; this wine of God's wrath is undiluted;

there is no drop of water to cool its heat. Naught of grace or hope is

blended with it. This terrible threat may well raise us above the fear

of man's threats. This unmixed cup is already mingled and

prepared for Satan and the beast's followers.

indignation--Greek, "orges," "abiding wrath," But

the Greek for "wrath" above (Greek, "thumou") is

boiling indignation, from (Greek, "thuo") a root

meaning "to boil"; this is temporary ebullition of anger; that is

lasting [AMMONIUS], and accompanied with a purpose

of vengeance [ORIGEN on Psalm 2:5].

tormented . . . in the presence of . . .

angels--

(Ps 49:14; 58:10; 139:21;

Isa 66:24).

God's enemies are regarded by the saints as their enemies, and when the

day of probation is past, their mind shall be so entirely one with

God's, that they shall rejoice in witnessing visibly the judicial

vindication of God's righteousness in sinners' punishment.

11. for ever and ever--Greek, "unto ages of ages."

no rest day nor night--Contrast the very different sense in

which the same is said of the four living creatures in heaven, "They

rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy"; yet they do "rest"

in another sense; they rest from sin and sorrow, weariness and

weakness, trial and temptation

(Re 14:13);

the lost have no rest from sin and Satan, terror, torment, and

remorse.

12. Here, &c.--resumed from

Re 13:10;

see on

Re 13:10.

In the fiery ordeal of persecution which awaits all who will not

worship the beast, the faith and patience of the

followers of God and Jesus shall be put to the test, and proved.

patience--Greek, "hupomene," "patient, persevering

endurance." The second "here" is omitted in A, B, C, Vulgate,

Syriac, Coptic, and PRIMASIUS. Translate,

"Here is the endurance of the saints, who keep," &c.

the faith of Jesus--the faith which has Jesus for its

object.

13. Encouragement to cheer those persecuted under the beast.

Write--to put it on record for ever.

Blessed--in resting from their toils, and, in the case of

the saints just before alluded to as persecuted by the beast, in

resting from persecutions. Their full blessedness is now

"from henceforth," that is, FROM THIS TIME, when

the judgment on the beast and the harvest gatherings of the elect are

imminent. The time so earnestly longed for by former martyrs is now all

but come; the full number of their fellow servants is on the verge of

completion; they have no longer to "rest (the same Greek

as here, anapausis) yet for a little season," their eternal

rest, or cessation from toils

(2Th 1:7;

Greek, "anesis," relaxation after hardships.

Heb 4:9, 10,

sabbatism of rest; and Greek, "catapausis," akin

to the Greek here) is close at hand now. They are

blessed in being about to sit down to the marriage supper of

the Lamb

(Re 19:9),

and in having part in the first resurrection

(Re 20:6),

and in having right to the tree of life

(Re 22:14).

In

Re 14:14-16

follows the explanation of why they are pronounced "blessed" now in

particular, namely, the Son of man on the cloud is just coming

to gather them in as the harvest ripe for garner.

Yea, saith the Spirit--The words of God the Father (the "voice

from heaven") are echoed back and confirmed by the Spirit (speaking in

the Word,

Re 2:7; 22:17;

and in the saints,

2Co 5:5;

1Pe 4:14).

All "God's promises in Christ are yea"

(2Co 1:20).

unto me--omitted in A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and

Coptic.

that they may--The Greek includes also the idea, They are

blessed, in that they SHALL rest from

their toils (so the Greek).

and--So B and ANDREAS read. But A, C,

Vulgate, and Syriac read "for." They rest from their

toils because their time for toil is past; they enter on the

blessed rest because of their faith evinced by their works

which, therefore, "follow WITH (so the

Greek) them." Their works are specified because respect

is had to the coming judgment, wherein every man shall be "judged

according to his works." His works do not go before the believer, nor

even go by his side, but follow him at the same time that they

go with him as a proof that he is Christ's.

14. crown--Greek, "stephanon," "garland" of

victory; not His diadem as a king. The victory is described in

detail,

Re 19:11-21.

one sat--"one sitting," Greek, "cathemenon

homoion," is the reading of A, B, C, Vulgate, and

Coptic.

15. Thrust in--Greek, "Send." The angel does not command

the "Son of man"

(Re 14:14),

but is the mere messenger announcing to the Son the will of God the

Father, in whose hands are kept the times and the seasons.

thy sickle--alluding to

Mr 4:29,

where also it is "sendeth the sickle." The Son sends His

sickle-bearing angel to reap the righteous when fully ripe.

harvest--the harvest crop. By the harvest-reaping the

elect righteous are gathered out; by the vintage the

Antichristian offenders are removed out of the earth, the scene of

Christ's coming kingdom. The Son of man Himself, with a golden crown,

is introduced in the harvest-gathering of the elect, a mere

angel in the vintage

(Re 14:18-20).

is ripe--literally, "is dried." Ripe for glory.

16. thrust in--Greek, "cast."

17. out of the temple . . . in heaven--

(Re 11:19).

18. from the altar--upon which were offered the

incense-accompanied prayers of all saints, which bring down in answer

God's fiery judgment on the Church's foes, the fire being

taken from the altar and cast upon the earth.

fully ripe--Greek, "come to their acme"; ripe for

punishment.

19. "The vine" is what is the subject of judgment because its

grapes are not what God looked for considering its careful culture, but

"wild grapes"

(Isa 5:1-30).

The apostate world of Christendom, not the world of heathendom who have

not heard of Christ, is the object of judgment. Compare the emblem,

Re 19:15;

Isa 63:2, 3;

Joe 3:13.

20. without the city--Jerusalem. The scene of the blood-shedding

of Christ and His people shall be also the scene of God's vengeance on

the Antichristian foe. Compare the "horsemen,"

Re 9:16, 17.

blood--answering to the red wine. The slaughter of the apostates

is what is here spoken of, not their eternal punishment.

even unto the horse bridles--of the avenging "armies of heaven."

furlongs--literally, "a thousand six hundred furlongs off"

[W. KELLY]. Sixteen hundred is a square number;

four by four by one hundred. The four quarters, north, south,

east, and west, of the Holy Land, or else of the world (the

completeness and universality of the world-wide destruction being

hereby indicated). It does not exactly answer to the length of

Palestine as given by JEROME, one hundred sixty

Roman miles. BENGEL thinks the valley of Kedron,

between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, is meant, the torrent in

that valley being about to be discolored with blood to the extent of

sixteen hundred furlongs. This view accords with Joel's prophecy that

the valley of Jehoshaphat is to be the scene of the overthrow of the

Antichristian foes.