Revelation 14 (July 24, 2025)

The Lamb and the 144,000

14:1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

The Messages of the Three Angels

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion[a] of her sexual immorality.”

9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.[b]

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

The Harvest of the Earth

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.[c]

Footnotes

Revelation 14:8 Or wrath

Revelation 14:12 Greek and the faith of Jesus

Revelation 14:20 About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

Revelation 14

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Summary

Revelation 14 offers a striking contrast to the previous chapter. While chapter 13 described the rise of beastly powers and the deception of the world, chapter 14 begins with a vision of the Lamb and His redeemed people standing on Mount Zion. These 144,000 are sealed and sing a new song before the throne, untouched by the lies of the beast (vv. 1–5). They represent the faithful people of God, kept by grace and marked for eternal life.

What follows is a series of proclamations by three angels (vv. 6–13). The first announces the eternal gospel to all peoples, calling for fear and worship of God. The second declares the fall of Babylon, which represents the world system opposed to God. The third warns of judgment for those who worship the beast and receive his mark. These declarations clarify that judgment is real and final.

The chapter closes with two harvest scenes (vv. 14–20). The first, led by one “like a son of man” with a golden crown, seems to depict a harvest of salvation. The second, however, is grim. It's a harvest of grapes crushed in the winepress of God’s wrath, flowing with blood. These two harvests remind us that the return of Christ brings both deliverance for the faithful and judgment for the rebellious.

Who is God

God is both merciful and just. He offers the gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people (v. 6), and He patiently calls sinners to repentance. Yet He also warns of coming judgment for those who reject Him, treading the winepress of His wrath against evil (v. 10, 19). He is the Lamb who redeems His people (v. 1), marking them as His own and making them pure (vv. 1, 4–5).

He is the Judge who will make all things right. God is not indifferent to evil, nor is He forgetful of His people. His justice is perfect, His mercy relentless, and His gospel proclamation continues until the very end.

What is our Guilt

Our guilt lies in our apathy toward both judgment and grace. We often treat eternal consequences as optional, offering worship to the idols of success, security, and self. Like those who receive the mark of the beast, we are tempted to exchange allegiance to Christ for the comfort and convenience of this world (v. 9). We also resist the idea of divine judgment, desiring grace without holiness, salvation without repentance, and heaven without a King. However, this chapter reminds us that there are only two eternal destinies: rest in Christ or wrath apart from Him (vv. 11–13). We are guilty of pretending there is a third way.

How does Grace Shine

Grace shines in the gospel’s global invitation. Even as the world bows to false powers, God sends forth His eternal message of salvation (v. 6). Grace shines in the 144,000, who stand not because of their moral perfection but because they have been redeemed, kept, and made blameless by the Lamb (vv. 3–5). Their purity is a gift, not an achievement. Grace also shines in the promise of rest.

v. 13, And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

While others drink the cup of wrath (v. 10), God’s people are brought into Sabbath rest. And finally, grace shines in the certainty of the final harvest. Christ Himself swings the sickle (v. 14), gathering His beloved to Himself. Judgment is not the absence of grace. It is the completion of it. Let us look forward to the Second Coming of Christ, when evil will be finally dealt with and the faithful will be brought home forever.

Prayer

Gracious and Righteous Father,

You are the One who reigns over all the earth with truth and holiness. You have sent Your gospel into every nation and continue to call sinners to Yourself. Thank You for the blood of the Lamb, who has redeemed us and sealed us as Your own.

Forgive us for treating eternity lightly, for fearing man more than You, and for seeking comfort instead of faithfulness. We confess how easily we are drawn to idols and how we resist the warning of judgment.

Keep our hearts fixed on the Lamb who was slain. Give us endurance to follow wherever He leads. And as we await the final harvest, help us to live in worship, in witness, and in hope—knowing that in Christ, we will rest forever.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.