John had seen the great prostitute Babylon, riding the scarlet beast and drenched in the blood of the saints. “When I saw her,” he said, “I marveled greatly” (v. 6). It seems that John was set back by the appalling vision. The angel followed up with: “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her (v. 7). This interpretation of this vision was designed to comfort John’s fear and encourage him to persevere in faith.

The angel’s message is organized by the three main portions of this passage. First, John needs to recognize the beast and the manner of his appearing. Second, he must understand the powers arrayed by the beast for war against Christ. Third, he is to marvel at the destruction that God has ordained to be at work between the harlot and the beast, displaying His sovereign power. The perspective we gain from studying this difficult chapter is intended to give us boldness to stand for God in this hostile world.

By now in our study, we are familiar with the beast, who represents violent worldly power arrayed against God and His people. He was first mentioned in chapter 11, where he briefly had power to slay the two witnesses, symbolizing the martyr church (11:7-8), until they were raised from the dead before God’s judgment on the beast (11:11-13). In chapter 12, we learn that the beast’s master, the seven-headed dragon, Satan, makes unsuccessful war against the church, which conquers him by the blood of Christ and “the word of their testimony” (12:11). In chapter 13, John again sees this beast making war on the saints, being permitted by God to conquer them for a limited period (13:5-7).

This background material fits in with the description of Revelation 17:8, “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction.” The pattern follows the record of Satan in history. The devil was and then was not, that is, he reigned over the nations in sin until Christ defeated him on the cross and overthrew his kingdom. This does not minimize the evil activity of Satan in our own time, but points out that his power has been restrained so that the gospel may go forth to the world (Rev. 20:3). Although his reign was and now is not, there will be a brief time at the end of history when he will once more be permitted “to deceive the nations” and “gather them for battle” against Christ (20:7-8). Therefore, Satan “was, is not, and is about to rise” again.

The angel’s second point to John unfolds the meaning of the seven heads and ten horns, in order to show the powers joined with the beast for the war against Christ. This passage is so difficult that we are not surprised at the way the angel introduces it: This calls for a mind with wisdom” (v. 9). Wisdom is needed not only to understand the material but also to keep its meaning in focus. The angel begins by saying that “the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated” (v. 9). This seems to be a clear reference to Rome, the city of seven hills, which was in John’s time the main representative of the beast and the seat of the harlot’s seductions. Mountains are often used in the Bible to depict spiritual powers arrayed against God (see Isa. 2:2; Jer. 51:25; Ezek. 35:3).

If the seven hills are easy to understand, what follows in verse 10 is not. There are three main theories for interpreting this verse, two of which are historical and one of which is symbolic. There are several problems with the historical approaches that cannot work without arbitrary manipulation. This leads us to consider a symbolic approach, especially since the numbers seven and ten have been used this way throughout Revelation.

Seven stands for completeness and here would represent the totality of antichrist government throughout history. Picture a beast with seven heads, five of which have been cut off. The idea is that Christ’s first coming inflicted a deadly blow to Satan and his beast, who continues fighting undaunted, employing the power of his deadly sixth head, with the seventh yet to come. The point is that war is getting closer to its end. John’s readers were not at the end – theirs was the sixth head – but the last phase was beginning. The conflict will be fierce, but the end is not far off. There will be great suffering in John’s time and in the church’s future, with a great need for courage and perseverance, but Christians face the conflict, knowing that its duration is limited and that the end is near.

When the end comes, the church will face an eighth head (v. 11). Eight is the number of resurrection, which fits the Antichrist’s attempt to masquerade as Christ. Like all the previous horns, he is bent on world domination in rebellion to God. But he is different in that he is the genuine beast. Verse 12 says that the seventh king has “ten horns,” which “are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.” Symbolically, ten is another number for completion, this time representing the subordinate powers that assist the imperial beast.

In John’s day, Rome was organized in ten provinces, and it was mainly provincial leaders who persecuted the Christians. More generally, the ten horns symbolize the mighty ones of this earth in every realm: art, education, commerce, industry, government, in so far as they serve the central authority. With such allies exercising his authority, the Antichrist will dominate all society for a brief time – “for one hour” – during which period he will exalt himself in power. Being “of one mind,” the horns will “hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb” (vv. 13-14).

The only possible result of this warfare, however greatly the church may briefly suffer, is the total victory of Christ (v. 14). Worldly powers will unite under the beast to bring great affliction to Christians for periods during history and in an intense way at the very end. But just when the Antichrist seems to be grasping victory, Christ will appear and bring him utter and final ruin, while delivering believers into His kingdom of glory.

The final lesson calls for John to marvel at the self-destructive nature of worldly society. Verse 9 showed the harlot sitting on the seven mountains, as the mighty ones became drunk from her corrupting wine. Verse 18 now describes her as “the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” The harlot symbolizes the entire economic and cultural system on which the world depends. Verse 15 describes her spread of immoral culture throughout the world. Like polluted waters flowing from Babylon, the harlot’s decadent culture spreads through her arrogant confidence, through the heart-stealing seduction of her promises of prosperity and through the brute force of the beast’s military might.

Given the close relationship with the harlot, we would expect the tyrannical beast to care for and protect her. Instead, the opposite happens as seen in verse 16. Why is this? One reason is that the pleasures of sin ultimately disappoint, turning evil men on one another in frustration. Another reason is that the beast and his worldly rulers do not love the people they have used.

Two statements directly relate to believers and urge Christians to be steadfast and faithful during evil times. First, when verse 14 tells of the Lamb’s conquest, it adds “those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” Here is a good definition of a Christian. The followers of Christ are those who have answered the call of the gospel to saving faith. They are those chosen by God’s sovereign grace, which ensures their eternal salvation. Their duty is simply to be faithful to their Savior and Lord. The faithfulness of Christians in opposing evil not only proves their salvation but makes a real contribution to Jesus’ victory in the end.

Second, we should note what the angel said about God’s sovereignty: “God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose…until the words of God are fulfilled” (v. 17). This means that God is not surprised by anything that happens in this evil age. The apparent advance of evil does not mean that God has lost control. Believers can trust Him, including His wisdom in working both against evil and through evil to glorify Himself and eternally bless His people. God’s Word is certain to be fulfilled.

Revelation 17:7-18 Study Questions:

What does it mean that the beast “carries” the whore of Babylon and gives her power (vv. 7-8)?

What explanation does the angel offer for the identity of the seven heads and tens horns first mentioned in verse 7?

What do the ten kings do first in verses 12-14?

In what way might we describe the next action of the ten kings (vv. 15-18) as “poetic justice”?

What examples can you think of in which evil ended up destroying itself recently?

What encouragement and hope do you find in this chapter and why?

How might we help those who suffer under the afflictions of the world’s systems?

Chapter 17 begins a new section of Revelation, and for it John’s tour guide is one of the seven angels who poured the bowls of wrath on the earth. This indicates that this sixth cycle will culminate in the judgment of Christ’s enemies (v. 1). Before God brings an end to the idolatrous world system, He wants John and his readers to see it for what it is. John sees worldly culture personified as a detestable harlot, awash in iniquity and violence, who has not only turned from godly virtue but used her sinful pleasures to lead multitudes into idolatry. The opening verses of chapter 17 presents five notable features in describing the great prostitute: her location, her mount, her adornment, her cup of abominations, and her name, which unfolds the mystery of her role in history.

First, her location is given in verse 3. The wilderness has several meanings in Scripture. It depicts the barren results of sin. In Matthew’s Gospel, the wilderness is inhabited by demons (Matt. 12:43) and Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1). Isaiah described the desert as the place from which invaders would come to destroy Babylon (Isa. 21:1-10). Later, Babylon will herself be turned into a wilderness (Rev. 18:2). Since Babylon is “the great city” where sin festers (17:18), the wilderness is also a place where John can view the harlot while being out of reach of her sinful allures. Persecution or social rejection will often cause Christians to be excluded from worldly society, but this very seclusion offers a refuge from the allure of sin.

Second, the brazen woman is mounted “on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns” (v. 3). There is no question that this beast is the persecuting tyrant of earlier visions, the antichrist government rulers of the earth. The seven heads correspond to the four beasts of Daniel 7, which stood for violent world kingdoms, and the ten horns identify Daniel’s fourth beast, the Roman Empire (Dan. 7:7). This composite beast thus symbolizes all “the great persecuting power which rules by brute force and is the supreme enemy of Christ and the church. The beast’s scarlet color identifies him with Satan, the red dragon, and reflects his bloody persecution of the saints. The blasphemous names reflect his idolatrous demand to be worshiped, the very danger facing John’s readers from the bestial Roman emperor.

Third, this picture is amplified with the harlot’s adorning (v. 4). The first thing we notice is the costliness of her garb: scarlet dye was expensive and purple was so costly that it was the symbol of aristocracy and royalty. She adds the gaudy shimmer of jewels and pearls to complete the impression of wealth and carnal beauty. The harlot’s luscious depravity contrasts with the true beauty of the church as the bride of Christ (Rev. 12:1; 21:11). The harlot dresses seductively, so as to lure the worldly kings to their destruction. In contrast, the outward beauty of a Christian woman is modest, seeking to edify rather than allure, and her most precious beauty is inward and spiritual (1 Pet. 3:4).

Fourth, we are shown the harlot’s cup (v. 4). The golden cup suggests riches and glory, while its contents impoverish the soul and disgrace those who drink of it. “Abominations” speaks of things especially offensive to God, such as false worship, occult practices, and sexual perversions such as homosexuality and gross indecency, while “impurities” refers to sinful corruptions in general. The point is not merely imbibing of impiety and sin but their intoxicating influence in promoting idolatry in the place of faith in the true God. Secular culture holds forth this very cup, in all the apparent glitter of gold, so as to seduce people by its contents, making them slaves of the consumer enterprise and willing servants of the idolatrous state.

Finally, John learns her name (v. 5). Harlots in Rome were said to wear headbands bearing their names. Here, the name is “Babylon the great.” This symbolizes the oppressive kingdoms of the world that disregard God and don’t recognize Jesus as King is here personified as a human female who sells herself and gives birth to abominations. It doesn’t stretch the imagination to think of young American girls who imbibe the values of secular society and early in life take on the appearance and values exemplified by this harlot. This symbolizes the spiritual harlotry of a culture that has turned from God.

The point of John’s vision of the harlot is for Christians to see the truth of the world for what it is. It works like a fairy tale in which magic of the beautiful seductress wears off to reveal a hideous and evil witch. “Do you see the world for what it is?” Revelation asks. The problem is not the world itself but the secular-humanistic world system in rebellion to God. Apart from God’s rule of grace and truth, the world falls to the deadly alliance of the prostitute’s moral corruption and the tyrant’s abuse of power.

The model for this decadent world system is the ancient Rome that dominated the world in John’s time. Rome provides an apt symbol for worldly idolatry especially in the two great threats she posed to the church, threats that organize Satan’s assaults in every age. The first of these is persecution. John’s readers could not forget the shocking torment of Christians in the reign of Nero, and they now face the deadly threat of the emperor Domitian if they continued to refuse to worship his idolatrous images. The second form of satanic attack on Christians is moral corruption. Rome was a cesspool of the worst debaucheries, especially sexual. These two strategies – persecution and corruption – continue to be used by Satan in his attempt to destroy the Christian church and witness.

When Christ’s people see the abominations of the great harlot world culture, what should be their response? The answer is obvious from the nature of this vision, but it is explicitly given in Revelation 18:4-5. Probably the best advice ever given on how to avoid the pollution of sin and the enticements of a harlot world is found in the very first chapter of the book of Psalms (Ps. 1:1-2). This says that Christians are shaped by the influence of their associations.

The message to which we open our ears and our hearts will end up determining the way of life that we will follow. On the one hand are those who live close to the world, receiving its ideas and following its fads, who then begin walking in that way and end up seated, or confirmed, in worldly corruption. On the other hand are those who live close to God’s Word, listening to the counsel of God and practicing a lifestyle that is pleasing to Him. These are the two ways that will yield two different lives.

The harlot Babylon allures with pleasure that leads to the embrace of death and despair. The Savior Jesus calls with life from God for those who believe. The only blood He bears is the blood He shed in our place, to free us from the penalty of our sin. The key to Christian living, then, is in part to see the ugly destruction of the harlot who rides the beast. An even greater key is to see Jesus, who is altogether lovely, and who imparts true beauty, life, and glory to those who take the cup of life from His hands.

Revelation 17:1-6 Study Questions:

Whose judgment does the angel invite John to observe next?

Why is the image of the “whore” used to describe Babylon and the system it represents?

This terrifying, multilayered denunciation of the out-worldly delightful and inwardly deceitful city ought to give pause for serious thought to all those of us who live within today’s glossy Western culture – and all others who look on and see our glitzy world from afar, where are we in this picture?

Babylon has worshiped idols: the quick-fix pseudo-divinities that promise the earth, take all you have to give and then leave you with nothing. What are the life-draining effects of serving false gods today?

What does it mean that the whore has become drunk with the blood of God’s people (v. 6)?

The final verses of Revelation 16 conclude the fifth major section of Revelation. As we draw closer to the end of the book, we also focus more clearly on the end of history and especially on God’s judgment of His enemies. Christians may have become weary of the unrelenting scenes of divine wrath, as God brings down His enemies one by one. But Christians may find through careful attention that the bad news of God’s wrath on His enemies is organically tied to God’s good news for believers.

Looking ahead to upcoming chapters, we find that God’s judgment on Babylon avenged and vindicated “the blood of prophets and of saints” (Rev. 18:24). The casting down of the harlot Babylon precedes the arrival of Christ’s glorious bride for the marriage feast of the Lamb (19:6-8). A blood-drenched Jesus who slays His enemies is also the Savior, mounted on a white horse, who is called “Faithful and True” (19:11). Moving back unto our passage, as the seventh bowl of wrath is poured out; the voice from heaven’s throne shouts words that thrill the hearts of biblical believers: “It is done!” (v. 17).

There is a profound redemptive-historical relationship between Christ’s cry from the cross and this loud call from heaven. Having accomplished redemption by His atoning death, Jesus uttered the Greek word tetelestai, meaning “it is accomplished.” Now, from heaven at the end of the gospel age, at the brink of His return, Jesus shouts gegonen, meaning “It has come to pass.” This perfectly fits the redemptive relationship between the two events: the salvation that Christ accomplished on the day of His crucifixion will come to pass only in the crowning victory of His day of return.

What results, then, will occur at the end of this age when Christ returns? Our passage presents four endings that arrive with the coming of Jesus and the final judgment: the end of the world, the end of worldly society, the end of sin, and the end of the gospel opportunity for salvation.

First, a clear emphasis of these verses is that Christ’s return spells the end of the world in its present form. When the seventh bowl was poured, “there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, pearls of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake” (v. 18). These violent phenomena intensify descriptions that we have previously seen about the end of the world. Revelation 6:12-14 spoke of “a great earthquake” and the sky vanishing “like a scroll that is being rolled up.” Now, with the seventh bowl of wrath thrown into the air, the physical world is assaulted by lightning, thunder, and an earthquake to end all earthquakes.

Verse 20 tells how sweeping the upheaval of this final earthquake is: “every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.” Objects that symbolize permanence – mountains and islands – are swept away in destruction. The best way to understand this is that the present physical order will be shaken and purged so as to be renewed and glorified in the new age after Christ’s return. Jesus Himself referred to the new world as the “regeneration or renewal” (Matt. 19:28). Paul spoke of the undoing of the world as its “redemption” (Rom. 8:23), when “creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption” (Rom. 8:21).

Even more pointed than the world’s end is the end of worldly society (v. 19). Scholars suggest that in John’s day, “the great city” would have referred to Rome. If that is so, Rome was identified as a symbol of the world system, together with Babylon, a city that had been deserted by then for centuries. It is not merely one city or one nation that falls under this judgment but “the cities of the nations,” that is, the entire corrupt world system in service to Satan and opposition to Christ. It’s not just Rome or some later great capital of evil that is decimated but all the worlds cultural, political, economic, and sociological centers.

This judgment reminds believers today not to be intimidated by the menacing power of the world or enticed by the seductive pull of its sinful pleasures. When Christians are tempted to desire worldly approval, we should remember this end that is in store for the city of the world. Paul urged Christians to realize, therefore, that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). Christian parents should thus be raising their children not for the world but for the kingdom of Christ. While believers live in the world, we must not be of the world so as to enter into its way of thinking and acting.

Together with the destruction of the worldly society, this passage also shows Christ’s return as bringing the end of sin. The reason that God remembered Babylon is that God keeps a close record of all sin. The Old Testament presents countless examples of God’s noting, recording, and remembering sin, as well as His obligation to punish it. Often God patiently provides a long opportunity for repentance and salvation through faith. Paul writes that “in his divine forbearance he passed over former sins” (Rom. 3:25), not fully punishing them immediately.

In the end, sin itself will be brought to an end. Paul wrote that after ascending to heaven, Christ “must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:25). In the cataclysmic end of the world, including the final judgment and its punishments, we see the end of sin in the creation made by God. No wonder the angels sing, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (Rev. 19:6). Knowing that sin will be defeated at the end of the age should decisively shape the lifestyles of those who look to Christ for salvation.

We have seen that the great cataclysm that accompanies the return of Christ brings the end of the world, the end of worldly society, and the end of sin. This being the case, it is evident that this same event heralds the end of the gospel opportunity by which sinners can be forgiven and cleansed through faith in Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 9:27-28 the writer states that Christ’s first coming, culminating with His atoning death for sin on the cross, establishes a present opportunity for salvation, through faith in Him. During this age, sinners who die without believing in Jesus face the immediate prospect of divine judgment. Then, when Christ returns at the end of the age, the opportunity of salvation is no longer offered. Instead, Jesus delivers those who have been waiting for Him even as He brings a destructive end to all those who have rebelled against Him.

John’s vision showed that even as the terrible judgment falls on the last day, Christ’s enemies “cursed God” for this severe plague (v. 21). This reaction to God’s just punishment confirms their enmity to God. As unrepentant enemies and sinners, they are smitten to the ground with “great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each,” which “fell from heaven” on them (v. 21). Great hailstone attacks from heaven are a biblical symbol of wrathful judgment on the enemies of God (see Josh. 10:11; Isa. 28:2). Hailstones of this colossal size would easily have enough force to slay all those beneath them, utterly silencing the lips that curse their God.

This judgment shows the need for the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of God’s Word. Not even the cataclysms of the end of the age can motivate Satan’s minions to repent and give God the glory He deserves, even as the seconds of gospel opportunity flee from history forever. Their example should help persuade you that now is the time to repent before your heart is so hardened in sin and unbelief that you are no longer able to do so. This call is especially urgent if you angrily rise against God in response to minor trials and judgments that you have already experienced. Joy and peace can be yours by confessing you sin to Jesus and calling on His name for forgiveness. God’s covenant of grace promises all who seek forgiveness through Christ: “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12).

Revelation 16:17-21 Study Questions:

Why does the voice from the throne announce “It is done!” after the seventh bowl of wrath is poured out (v. 17)?

As we consider this news of the impending collapse of the world’s idolatrous systems – economic, social, environmental and political systems – what does it mean to be faithful in the present?

As we have studied Revelation’s visions of the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls, we have noted that these generally refer to God’s judgments taking place throughout the church age. The sixth bowl in these series, however, refers to events shortly before the end of the age, and the seventh bowl brings us to the return of Christ. In considering the fourth and fifth bowls of wrath, and therefore, we should see them as characterizing the world’s ungodly response throughout the age as it leads up to the climatic final events.

The fourth bowl of wrath was poured out “on the sun,” to make it “scorch people with fire” (v. 8). The key to this bowl is to note it as the opposite of what the Bible promises to God’s faithful people. Psalm 121:5-6 says, “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” Similarly, Revelation 7:16 promised that the redeemed “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.” Here, the Lord is doing exactly the opposite in judging the sinful world.

As a judgment for sin, the fourth bowl addresses the situation of Western society today. Our secularist world has deliberately rejected God and tried to bar His influence. As Revelation envisions, we have replaced God with the beast of all-pervasive government, the false prophet of secular humanism, and the seductions of the harlot Babylon. The fourth bowl depicts judgment by scorching the world with “fierce heat” from a divinely cursed sun. In sin, the world becomes harsh and painful.

What is the response of the sin-corrupted secularist to the misery that results from God’s judgment of sin? We hear the answer all the time today, as media figures unceasingly blaspheme against God. John writes: “They cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory” (v. 9). On this same basis, “religion” and Christianity are publicly maligned today. Angry atheists point to widespread poverty, ignorance, disease, lawlessness, and relationship breakdowns – all of which are rooted in sin – and then curse God for them. “Where is this kind and loving God that you Christians speak of?” the secularists revile. The answer is that man’s own idolatry and sin have turned God’s face away in anger.

God not only places His curse of judgment on a faithless world, but also targets the leaders of spiritual opposition (v. 10). This judgment is based on the fourth plague on Egypt in the exodus, when God brought darkness on the realm of Pharaoh. The plague of darkness in the exodus showed God’s sovereignty over Egypt, and God likewise shows His sovereignty over Satan’s rule by sowing confusion among his earthly servants.

Although sinful people would not “repent of their deeds,” they still “gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed” God (vv. 10-11). Having their sources of security toppled – whether financial, political, or ideological – they are portrayed by John as gnawing on their tongues, seeking to maintain self-control. “There is no peace,” the Bible says, “for the wicked” (Isa. 57:21). The anxiety of sin is especially intense when God’s shadow brings dismay to the dominion of Satan, afflicting the spirits of those who will not forsake their sin or give God the glory He deserves.

While the first five bowls show God’s judgment in striking satanic powers throughout the church age, the sixth bowl, like the sixth seal and the sixth trumpet, moves us forward to the climatic events preceding Christ’s return. The vivid picture of this penultimate vision begins with the angel’s pouring “out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east” (v. 12).

The Euphrates River was the border between the lands that God gave to Israel and her enemies beyond it. Similarly, in John’s time, the Euphrates was the border between Rome and the dreaded Parthian Empire. The city of Babylon was located on the Euphrates, and in Revelation Babylon symbolizes the idolatrous world system. In the Old Testament, the parting or drying up of waters was an act of God’s intervention in order to advance the cause of His people. Here, He dries up the Euphrates “to prepare the way for the kings from the east.”

We need to be reminded again that Revelation presents visionary symbols, not a straightforward narrative of historical events. This becomes clear when we see Satan’s response to this assault from the worldly powers in verse 13.By means of his unholy counterfeit trinity – the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, signifying Satan, the Antichrist, and false teachers in society and within the organized church – Satan unleashes a spiritual assault. Demons, called “unclean spirits,” go forth “like frogs.” This points to the exodus, when God sent a plague of frogs on Egypt (Exod. 8:2-14). The frogs penetrated every household, spreading defilement and making a mind-numbing sound. It is for both the corruption and the deception of their slick and slippery speech that the demons are compared to frogs.

Added to their success in misrepresenting truth, the spirits are “performing signs,” going “abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty” (v. 14). In this way we see both Satan’s and God’s purposes in these events. In response to assault from worldly powers, Satan deceives all the nations into gathering for the climactic battle against God. It was for this purpose that God dried up the river, which symbolizes the removal of His restraint that kept earthly forces from uniting against His church.

The name given to this final battle symbolizes the cataclysmic end of the world is “Armageddon” (v. 16). This place is commonly known as Mount Megiddo. Megiddo was a fortress city overlooking the plain to the north-west of Jerusalem that hosted great battles in antiquity and as recently as Napoleon and the British army of World War 1. Some scholars envision a literal battle taking place in the future at Megiddo, in which the armies of the entire earth will be gathered to assault a future Jewish state.

This approach does not fit the symbolic nature of Revelation’s visions. Moreover, large as the plain around Megiddo was for ancient warfare, it could not hold even a single large military formation today, much less the combined armies of the world. Moreover, Revelation specifies the symbolism at work in this passage. Chapter 17 states that the reference to the Euphrates River was a symbol for “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (Rev. 17:15). Even the name Armageddon, or Mount Megiddo, is symbolic, since Megiddo is not a mountain but was a city on a small mound.

While Mount Megiddo is a symbol, it depicts a very real future event. The Bible gives abundant witness to a final conflict in which the forces of the world unite under a satanically inspires Antichrist to wage war on God’s people. It is, verse 14 proclaims, “the great day of God the Almighty,” to which the Scriptures so often looked, when Christ returns to destroy Satan and his evil powers, to rescue His church, and through the final resurrection and judgment to establish His eternal reign over a rescued and renewed creation that will fully display His glory.

Revelation 16:8-16 Study Questions:

What is the target of the fifth plague?

Why are the kings of the earth drawn into such a foolish confrontation (vv. 13-14)?

Why does John suddenly issue an encouragement to his readers to “stay awake” (v. 15)?

How do we also need to “wake up” to what is happening around us in the world?

Most everyone struggles with the terrifying descriptions of God’s wrath in the Bible. Even the prophet Malachi bemoaned, “Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?” (Mal. 3:2). It is hardly necessary, when studying the later chapters of Revelation, to argue that the Bible does in fact speak of God’s angry and violent judgment on sin. This is true not only of Revelation: hundreds of references to God’s wrath are found throughout the Bible. Yet one need only read Revelation 16:1 to prove the Bible’s teaching on this subject.

With the Bible’s teaching of wrath, the question turns to the moral acceptability of divine anger. This question is also answered in the opening section of chapter 16. Not only does the angel who speaks in verses 5 and 6 defend God, but he praises God profusely for His wrath (v.5). He further explains the reason why God’s wrath is to be praised in verse 6. The doctrine of God’s wrath and judgment on all sin needs to be proclaimed by Christians today.

Verses 1-4 describes the outpouring of the bowls of God’s wrath on the earth, beginning with His command in verse 1. Chapter 15 concluded with a picture of the inner sanctuary so filled with smoke that “no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished” (15:8). This being the case, none other than God Himself could be speaking from within His temple. This inner sanctuary is the most holy place in the entirety of creation. This fact tells us the most important thing for us to know about God’s anger: It is a holy wrath that responds in terrible violence precisely because of God’s moral perfection and the morally heinous nature of sin.

The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. God’s wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys. Here, the wrath of God is linked to His love, since He does not simply walk away in disgust from His fallen creation. The world belongs to Him and was created for the display of His glory. God in His love for His own work is utterly, irreconcilably opposed to sin, is resolved to stamp it out, and through His wrathful judgment is determined to cleanse the world for its holy destiny in the glorious return to Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:19-21).

Another aspect of God’s wrath is His vengeance against His enemies. Who are the recipients of God’s vengeful wrath? They are “the people who bore the mark of the beast and worship its image (v. 2). God’s wrath falls on the unbelieving world as servants and worshipers of His supreme opponent, the dragon and his beasts. Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Luke 11:23). Revelation shows this by depicting all mankind as bearing either the mark of the beast in idolatry or the mark of Christ through faith (Rev. 13:17-14:1). The world on which the bowls of God’s wrath are poured is a world that rejected God in rebellious unbelief and chose instead to worship the evil powers under Satan.

When we speak of the vengeance of God’s wrath, we are noting its necessity in saving His people from the wicked. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13), and it is by His wrath on the ungodly that God fully answers this prayer. Therefore, God’s vengeful wrath is also His redeeming wrath. The cataclysmic outpouring of wrath that will end the history of this age will have the result of finally delivering the people of God and granting them the victory of eternal rest.

The next feature that indicates God’s anger is the justice of His wrath (vv. 5-6). “True and just are your judgments!” adds the voice of the martyrs (v. 7). We may notice that the judgments of the seven bowls correspond closely to the previous judgments of the seven trumpets. The point for us to grasp is that these bowl judgments exact a just retribution for sin. They represent God’s justice acting in punishment for violations of God’s law. Verse 6 says that since the wicked shed the blood of God’s servants, they are given blood to drink in return. They receive in God’s wrath exactly “what they deserve” (v. 6). This is in keeping with the pattern of judgment taught all through the Bible.

One more way to see God’s wrath vindicated in these verses is to note that the testimony of the angel and the martyrs joins to rejoice in the beneficial results of God’s wrath: “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!” (v. 7). God’s wrath is beneficial because it upholds God’s law for the well-being of all creation. The world cannot be whole, good, and at peace while evil is in play. What good news it is that God’s wrath is directed at all sin and evil so that the world will be cleansed in the end and that God’s righteousness will finally reign over all.

How blessed it is when divine judgment achieves this in history, and how completely wonderful it will be when God concludes history in a holy, vengeful, and just wrath that puts everything to rights! David anticipated this joyous achievement in Psalm 58:11: “Mankind will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.’” And because of the goodness of God’s wrath in judging evil, the redeemed people of God will add their voices to those of the angels in worshiping God with great praise: “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” (vv. 5-6).

In the book of Romans, Paul started by saying that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Rom. 1:18). He added, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). Paul summarized that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and that therefore all are under God’s wrath. But the good news that we need declares that God sent His Son, Jesus, to be a propitiation for our sin, that is, a sacrifice to bear the wrath of God in the place of those who receive Him in faith.

Before this statement, everything is bad news because of God’s wrath on sin. After this provision of God’s grace, everything is good news because of the saving sufficiency of Jesus Christ. Revelation 16 has answered complaints against the wrath of God by showing that it is a holy, vengeful, just, and beneficial wrath. But for sinners themselves who are under the threat of God’s wrath, the true solution is to believe in Jesus so as to be freed from the righteous judgment that our sin deserves.

Revelation 16:1-7 Study Questions:

What are each of the four bowls of wrath poured out on and what do they have in common (vv.1-9)?

What then, are the implications and significance of these four bowls?

Why does the “angel of the waters” burst out in praise when the third bowl of wrath is poured out on the rivers and springs (vv. 4-6)?

How does the picture of God we find in this chapter reshape the way we understand the nature of “love” and our idea of how God extends His love to us?

Revelation 15 begins the fifth section of Revelation, presenting the judgments of the seven bowls of wrath. We remember the relationship between the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. There is no question that the seven seals encompassed the entire church age, with only the seventh seal corresponding to Christ’s return and the final judgment. The same is true of the seven trumpets. The sense in which the seven bowls finish God’s wrath corresponds to this sequence. The bowls show God as delivering final judgment on His enemies in history. The bowl judgments show what happens when God’s initial and partial judgments are ignored.

Revelation 15 opens up the visions of the bowls of wrath with a remarkable scene (v. 2). We saw in Revelation 4:6 that the “sea of glass, like crystal,” was before God’s throne in heaven. The saints are now standing before that crystal sea, having arrived safely through the travails of earth. The sea is a biblical image for the powers of chaos and evil that rise up against God’s creation and rule. It was from the sea, after all, that the dragon summoned the first beast to terrorize God’s people. The raging sea waves have now been stilled, showing God’s permanent conquest over evil and sin. The crystal sea is thus a glorious vision of God’s sovereign power as Creator and His triumph as Redeemer.

The saints praising God alongside the crystal sea of heaven are identified as “those who conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name” (v.2). The “beast” refers to the tyrannical powers in service to Satan, which in John’s time were concentrated in the Roman emperor Domitian. The beast’s “image” refers to his desire to be glorified as God, as Domitian demanded throughout Asia, and “the number of its name” refers to perverted worship of man-centered idolatry.

Many of the saints arrived in heaven having been cruelly put to death on earth by servants of the beast. So how can they be named conquerors over him? The answer was given to John in Revelation 12: “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev. 12:11). The saints were victorious by holding firm in their faith to the only atonement for sin, God’s gift of His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross. Since the cost of fidelity to Christ was suffering and death at the hands of the world, their willingness to experience these was their victory over the world.

Revelation 15 joins the opening vision of the worshiping saints with a vision of the opened sanctuary of God, from which wrath comes (vv. 5-6). It is the sanctuary of the “tent of witness,” the heavenly counterpart to the tabernacle in which God dwelt during Israel’s wilderness wanderings, thus connecting the victory of God’s people with the presence of God that went with them. This is the true “tent of witness in heaven,” and its opening reveals the presence, power, and covenant faithfulness of God. The “testimony” of the tabernacle centered on the law of God written on the Ten Commandments kept within the Ark of the Covenant. It is in keeping with the testimony of God’s law that the final plagues come from God’s holy presence to judge nations given over to sin.

The tabernacle also bore testimony to the mercy of God, since atoning sacrifices were offered there for the forgiveness of His people’s sin. Now that same mercy of God for His people expresses itself in the final judgment of those who persist, like Pharaoh of old, in afflicting the church. The appearing of this heavenly tabernacle should comfort Christians who face the threat or reality of worldly affliction. It says that no one can persist in the persecution of the church without in due time receiving God’s terrible wrath. Today, Christians are menaced by the most savage violence in the lands dominated by Islam. In the West, radically secular governments are becoming increasingly intolerant of Christian truth and morality, so that “soft” persecution is likely to become much harder.

As a result, the Christian church faces a dire worldwide threat that would have been unimaginable a hundred, fifty, or even twenty years ago. But what is most important has not changed. God remains enthroned in heaven, so that nothing can transpire without His will. His holy character does not change, so that sin must always be judged, both in history and at its end. His covenant faithfulness ensures that His people will be upheld under persecution so as not to falter and that their oppressors will be cast down under plagues that come from heaven. His mercy, revealed in the Bible’s covenant of grace, ensures that believers in Jesus will personally be redeemed from sin and corporately redeemed to stand beside the crystal sea of heaven rejoicing in praise.

Verse 7 emphasizes God’s eternal being, which guarantees that His judgment of evil and His covenant faithfulness to His people will never fail. As a result, no nation or power that rebels against Him and persecutes His people will be able to stand. Either they will be judged in history and destroyed or they will face the ultimate fury of Jesus Christ on the day of His return to save His church. Coming out from the presence of the ever-living God and from the tabernacle where His holy law and covenant faithfulness to His people are recorded, these angels show that no individual or nation can defy the law of God without having to suffer the consequences. The opening of the tabernacle and the appearing of the wrath-bearing angels indicate that God holds people and nations accountable to His revealed Word in the Bible.

Verse 8 concludes the chapter by stating that “the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.” Exodus 40:35 tells us that God’s glory visibly fell on the tent of meeting in a cloud of smoke and glory, so that “Moses was not able to enter” it. By saying that this glory cloud filled the sanctuary “until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished,” John indicates that nothing can halt God’s final wrath when it comes and that no mediation remains for those whose rebellion in unbelief has brought them under the plagues of God’s wrath.

The opening and the closing of Revelation 15 join in showing God’s saving His people by means of His judgment on persecuting nations and unbelieving people. The heart of the chapter’s message comes through the song that is sung in between: “the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (v. 3). If the opening tabernacle in heaven provides a warning to the enemies of Christ and His gospel, this song provides the chapter’s application to believers.

First, this heavenly song urges believers to be preoccupied not with the changing events of earth but rather with the glory and might of the unchanging and holy God. What is true of the saints above should increasingly be true of believers here below. Second, the song of the redeemed above reminds us that we should fear only God, and not the Pharaohs of this world. Third, the song of Moses and of the Lamb reminds us to focus our labors on serving the kingdom of God that has now come into the world through Christ and is now advancing through history. This means that in addition to prayer, we should be zealous in our commitment to the witness of the gospel and world missions. Finally, the song of the redeemed church in heaven reminds us that the purpose of our salvation is the eternal praise of God, and that Christ reigns gloriously in us while we worship Him on earth, amid an unbelieving world, threat of constant, and expressing through faith in His Word our confidence in the victory of Christ, which is our own hope of salvation.

Revelation 15:1-8 Study Questions:

What is significant about the seven plagues the angels bring?

Whose song do the martyrs sing?

What are the “judgments” of God mentioned in verse 4 that have been revealed in Revelation, and how do they draw the nations in to worship the Lamb?

How might we explain God’s judgments in a way that will draw people to the Lamb?

What happens in the temple after the angels are given the bowls of wrath (vv. 7-8)?

How do we see ourselves differently when we pause to consider God’s immense power, glory and the reasons why He executes judgment on the earth?

The end of chapter 14 concludes the fourth major section of the book of Revelation. In the first section (chaps. 1-3), Christ revealed His glory and addressed the seven churches of Asia. The second section introduced the seven seals (chaps. 4-7), which showed Christ as reigning throughout history for the preservation of His people. Chapters 8-11 showed the seven trumpets, with judgments announcing Christ’s inevitable victory over the rebel world. The symbolic histories of the fourth section (chaps. 12-14) have shown the spiritual warfare raging behind the scenes of church history.

At the end of previous sections we have been brought to the very brink of Christ’s return in glory, but now for the first time we actually see the coming of the Lord. John earlier wrote, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (Rev. 1:7). Now John shows us what he saw: “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” (14:14).

Jesus returns to earth bearing emblems of His glory and triumph. The white cloud reflects the dazzling glory of God. Without a doubt, the One who returns on the glory cloud is the same Son of Man throughout Scripture, who now returns to finalize salvation history. The color white reflects the absolute purity of God’s holiness, holiness so bright that in Isaiah 6:2 even the holy seraphim, the burning angels that attend God’s throne, cover their holy faces in awe.

Moreover, Jesus wears “a golden crown on his head” (v. 14). This is the Victor’s laurel wreath, which designates the Messiah as One who has conquered and thereby won the right to act in judgment. The fact that Jesus comes to judge is shown by the sickle in His hand. In his parables of the kingdom, Jesus foretold that He would return to judge, separating the righteous from the ungodly (Matt. 13:30). This depiction of Christ’s second coming is one of many in the New Testament that link His return with the immediate judgment of the world.

Jesus described the final judgment as a double harvest, in which believers in Christ will be separated to Himself for an eternal reward while those who rejected Him will be judged with an eternal punishment (Matt. 25:32-46). This twofold judgment is reflected in the vision of Revelation 14:14-20, the first half of which shows Christ’s harvest of the elect for blessing and the second half shows the harvest of the ungodly for the winepress of God’s wrath.

Verse 15 introduces “another angel,” that is, the fourth angel to appear in this chapter (see vv. 6,8,9). This angel comes “out of the temple,” meaning that it bears a message from God the Father, “calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud.” The angel announces the long-awaited harvest of the saints to be gathered into the eternal glory.

There are a number of points for us to notice in this call. First, we see Christ’s receiving instructions for the final judgment from an angel sent by God the Father. Remember that Jesus taught that even He didn’t know the day or the hour of His appearing and the final judgment (Mark 13:32). This is a remarkable instance of Jesus’ humanity and His subordination to the Father. It reminds us that we cannot know the time of the final judgment and therefore should always be ready.

Second, the godly are compared to wheat. This is made clear by the word translated as “fully ripe” (Greek, xeraino), which means “dried out,” a term used for grain that is ready to be harvested. In one parable, Jesus contrasted the godly wheat with the weeds that the enemy sowed in the master’s fields (Matt. 13:25-30). The point is that there is a qualitative difference between those who are saved and those who are condemned long before the final harvest. This difference is evidenced by their reaction to God’s Word. While many hard or worldly hearts reject God’s Word, believers receive it and bear fruit through faith. This qualitative difference does not result from any moral or spiritual superiority on the part of Christians, but only the grace of God at work in them. But this grace makes all the difference in the final harvest.

Third, the angel notes that the harvest has come because “the harvest of the earth is fully ripe” (v. 15). This statement indicates that Christ returns when the full number of God’s elect have come into the church through faith. We are thus reminded that there is a relationship between the final harvest and the ingathering of Christ’s people now. Speaking of the gospel mission of the church, Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37). This being the case, the great work of the church is the spread of the gospel through preaching, evangelism, and world missions (Luke 24:46-47). Every Christian is called to spread the gospel, through which God is gathering the harvest of His elect.

Fourth, if our work as Christians is like preparing a harvest, we are reminded of the hard labor that this agricultural metaphor involves. We live in an instant gratification age and we expect salvation to work the same way, and often arrange our ministries around this quick-results expectation. But salvation doesn’t ordinarily work this way. There must be careful plowing and planting, as a thoughtful biblical witness is given. Our message must be watered with prayer, often for long seasons. Early signs of growth need to be cultivated, pruned, and fertilized. This is why we should not be surprised when the growth of the church and the Christian nurture of our children require patience and endurance in doing God’s work in God’s way, according to God’s Word and by God’s sovereign power, all in God’s timing. Paul wrote: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

Fifth, although we are workers in Christ’s harvest fields, notice that Christ is actually the One who performs the harvesting. The Son of Man appears bearing His sickle, and at the summons from God, “he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped” (v. 16). Jesus will gather His people on the last day, and He is now calling each one with the gospel. To be saved is to personally hear Christ’s voice speaking to your heart through God’s Word, calling, “Follow me” (Matt. 9:0). To believe in Jesus is not to be saved by the church, by the preacher, or by the person who brought you the gospel. The believer in Christ has been saved by the Lord Himself and is certain to be gathered by the Lord when He returns.

All through Revelation, the good news of salvation includes the destruction of the enemies of Christ and His people. To this end, there is a second harvest, depicted in verses 17-20. John’s vision seems to follow the sequence of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 3:13). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment spoke of separating the godly from the ungodly for their different destinies (Matt. 25:32). John’s vision thus depicts two different kinds of harvest. The second harvest began with “another angel” coming “out of the temple in heaven” with “a sharp sickle” (v. 17).

Yet “another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire” (v. 18). We remember that the souls of the martyrs were gathered beneath the altar of heaven and that their prayers were offered on it (6:9-11; 8:3-4). This association indicates that the judgment of the wicked will be in part a response to the prayer of Christian martyrs for God’s justice. This angel has “authority over the fire,” which probably speaks of his role in judging the wicked. He therefore brings God’s command to gather rebellious mankind (v. 18).

The angels’ gathering of the nations depicts the certainty of judgment on all unredeemed sinners in the end (v. 19). There is no way to evade the harvest of rebellious mankind for judgment. All sin must be and will be paid in the holy court of God’s almighty justice. If your sins have not been punished on the shoulders of Jesus Christ, as He died on the cross to pay the penalty that His people deserved, then your own shoulders will have to bear the infinite weight of God’s condemnation.

Whether or not we glorify God for His judgment, or even accept the reality of this passage, we will all face God’s violent wrath unless we repent and believe in Jesus Christ. The applications of this passage are both urgent and obvious. Christians are reminded that we must be willing to be different now from unbelieving people, since we hope for such a different end from that which awaits them. Not only must Christians gladly accept the cost of following Jesus in this world, bearing a cross as He did for us, but we must urgently warn the ungodly of the judgment that will soon appear. Finally, if you have not yet confessed your sin to God and turned to Christ for forgiveness and salvation, this is the most urgent matter of your life. Through faith in the cross, you will find that Jesus suffered God’s wrath for you, so that He might gather you into His harvest of eternal life.

Revelation 14:14-20 Study Questions:

What’s the meaning of the symbols mentioned in verse 14 that are used to describe the one like the Son of Man?

What if, in the face of the great evil and injustice that millions have faced in history, God did no more than say, “There, there; Boys will be boys”? What would be the reaction of the victims of that evil?

How then might we say that judgment is good?

God will take even the wickedness and rebellion of the world and make it turn to His praise and to the salvation of His people. How does this message bring you hope today?

When Jesus was on earth, He performed miracles that showed the kind of comfort and aid that only He can give. Christians can assist someone who is born blind, but Jesus can give him sight. We can sympathize with those who grieve, but Jesus can raise our loved ones back to life. Given His divine power, Jesus speaks to the churches of Revelation that are facing persecution with the greatest comfort imaginable. Others are able to bless the living, but Jesus declares: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (v. 13). In light of this comfort, His followers throughout history have been able to face death in the spirit of Romans 8:37, as “more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Christ’s blessing on those facing death for Him shows more clearly than ever the great difference between the Christian and the non-Christian. In life there is a profound difference between the two. The believer is at war with the devil and sin but at peace with God; the unbeliever is at peace with the devil and sin but at war with God. The divide between the two is even greater in death. Revelation 14:11 speaks of the eternal judgment of those who loved the world and rejected Christ: “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day and night.” In the greatest contrast, Christians are blessed in death to “rest from their labors” (Rev. 14:13).

Revelation 14 provides a respite of good news to readers who may be reeling from the conflict described in chapters 12 and 13. There, we saw Satan as a dragon who is fanatically driven to destroy Christ’s people, with the help of his terrible beasts. Chapter 14 shows the church as having been saved from this conflict, assembled on Mount Zion with the Sovereign Lamb (14:1). Knowing Christ’s triumph and seeing the fall of the harlot empire Babylon, Christians should persevere in faith and in obedience to God’s Word despite their suffering. Christ expects us to be willing even to die for our faith, so a voice from heaven speaks assurance of His eternal care for our souls: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (v. 13).

It is apparent from verse 13 that Christians should know the Bible’s teaching about life after death, since knowing our blessing in death equips us to live boldly in life. We can summarize the Bible’s teaching in this topic with three points. First, immediately upon dying, the soul is separated from the body, until the two are rejoined in the final resurrection. This is true for the believer and the unbeliever. The soul is not asleep but has departed from the lifeless body. Second, that believers’ souls are present with the Lord in heaven while the bodies await the summons to the resurrection. Paul said that to be absent from the body is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). Jesus told the believing thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Third, when believers die, our souls are immediately perfected in holiness so as to partake of the Lord’s glory. Hebrews 12:23 describes Christians in death as “the spirits of the righteous made perfect.”

John cites two particular blessings that the believers enjoy in death. The first blessing is an end to the wearisome labor that we have known in this world of sin and toil: “Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors’” (v. 13). We know that the Spirit always carries on the work of Christ. While in the world, Jesus called the weary, saying, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Now, from heaven, the Spirit promises to fulfill that invitation in the blessing of eternal life.

It’s not easy living as a believer, contending with your own sins and those of an often-hostile world. Christians are wearied from the labors of evangelism, ministry, and prayer, and even our spiritual delights such as worship and the study of God’s Word require discipline and diligence. In heaven, we will continue to worship and will work together with Christ in the fields of glory, but the toil and labor will have ended with the end of our life in this world.

The second blessing speaks of the reward that believers can expect in the presence of our Savior: “for their deeds follow them!” All our sins, trials, and torments are left behind when we die, but our good work and faithfulness to Christ in the face of persecution will follow after as a crown to our life of faith.

The Bible teaches that sinners are saved by God’s grace alone, apart from any merit on our part, and that even our faith is God’s free gift, “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:9). Yet the Bible also teaches that Christians will receive a reward for good deeds performed in gratitude for salvation and in obedience to God’s Word. Our works earn not the reward of eternal life, but rather rewards in eternal life. Jesus urged us to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20). He promised to reward His diligent workers, saying: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21).

Many Christians think too little of their works, comparing them to the more publicized accomplishments of famous preachers, missionaries, or ministry leaders and thinking that they will be overlooked. Jesus corrects this idea in His teaching on the final judgment. Having gathered His sheep, He promises to praise  their works: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt. 25:35-36). The righteous marvel, asking when they did such things for Jesus. He answers: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40).

Notice that Christ mentions not great and famous Christian achievements, but the daily acts of faith and love as the works that matter most and please Him the best. “Have I ever done anything worthy of Jesus’ praise?” the doubtful believer wonders. When we remember that our works not only are empowered by God’s grace but are assessed by the eyes of mercy, perfected by cleansing blood, and received at the throne of our loving heavenly Father, the answer is yes.

The last thing the Roman Empire would say of John’s beleaguered, impoverished, and soon-persecuted readers is that they were blessed. The world looks with similar eyes on believers today. But the voice of God’s Spirit extols us: “Blessed indeed” (v. 13). We will rest from our labors, and our deeds in Christ will follow us.

Revelation 14:13 Study Questions:

Why are those who “die in the Lord” said to be “blessed” (v.13)?

Do you feel you have ever done anything worthy of Jesus’ praise?

How has the God encouraged you through this study?

The book of Revelation points out the substantial truth: It turns out that the human race is largely controlled by unseen evil powers who use sensual pleasures to hold us in bondage. Although we have embraced the idolatries of personal autonomy and hedonistic pleasure, we realize that something doesn’t seem quite right. Satisfaction eludes us. Empowerment feels empty. We suspect that behind the veneer of secular humanism, dark powers are at work. Using its visionary images, Revelation depicts this kind of spiritual oppression. We face the dragon, Satan, who with his servant beasts controls the unbelieving world and wars against the countercultural Christian community that has discovered the truth.

Knowing this truth creates a great longing for the evil powers somehow to be defeated. This is the situation depicted by three messenger angels who appear in Revelation 14:6-12. They pronounce the overthrow of evil powers, warning of judgment for those who reject Jesus Christ and eternal wrath for those who serve the beast. Christians have one purpose, namely to warn mankind with respect to the coming judgment in order that men may turn to God in true faith.

The first angel is seen “flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth” (v. 6). John describes the angel’s message as a “gospel.” This seems unusual since he says nothing directly about Jesus, His death on the cross for sins, or His offer of salvation through faith. The message, in fact, is a warning: “the hour of his judgment has come” (v. 7). This message is good news to the persecuted church about the coming defeat of ungodly powers and thus her freedom from tyrants who afflict her.

Here, the gospel is presented in the form of a call to repent. We should remember the way in which Jesus introduced His ministry in the Gospels. Mark 1:14-15 says that Jesus came to Galilee “proclaiming the gospel of God,” in these terms: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The coming of Jesus is the good news, calling for repentance and faith. Jesus spoke of the coming “kingdom of God,” and the first angel declares that the “hour of his judgment” has come, which amounts to the same thing. He preaches his message to all “who dwell on the earth.” In Revelation, this expression refers to unbelieving people who ignore Jesus and are comfortable with sin. This unregenerate multitude covers the globe: “every nation and tribe and language and people.” The angel shows how God calls them all to take notice and heed the message of His Son’s coming.

The first angel’s having warned of judgment, the second angel shouts: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great” (v. 8). This cry introduces a new image to Revelation, yet one that apparently was widely understood in the early church. The Roman Empire of John’s time was like ancient Babylon, which destroyed Jerusalem, exiled the people of Israel, and persecuted them for observing their duties to God. Both Babylon and Rome are symbols of the world system and its rulers as they oppose God and His people.

Rome and Babylon were known not only for tyrannical oppression but also for the sinful seduction of surrounding nations. Babylon “made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality (v. 8). In our time, it is America and other decadent Western nations that export sexually permissive values and provide the appetite that fuels a vast global network of prostitution and pornography. The fall of Babylon provides a sober warning of what will happen to America if it does not repent of its sin.  This second angel warns of God’s judgment on those who drink from Babylon’s cup.

The first angel brought a warning to the spiritually indifferent world about the coming hour of God’s judgment, calling people to wake up and repent. The second angel urged the certainty of God’s judgment on wicked Babylon, answering the cup of sin with God’s cup of wrath. The third angel’s message warns us about the severity of God’s wrath in the hour of judgment (vv. 9-10). The first angel warned the spiritually negligent. The second angel threatened those who enjoy Babylon’s corruption. The third angel confronts those who have given their loyalty to the world and have thus worshiped the beast, that is, the worldly power of intimidation.

The Bible states that those who deny God glory must inevitably glory in the world and through it in the Evil One. Those who will not serve the true God must worship the false gods, behind which stands Satan. In John’s day, the beast was manifested in the Roman emperor and his demand to be worshiped as God. Today, the beast may be political tyrants, corporate titans, entertainment idols, or anyone else to whom we give the devotion of our hearts. The angel warns that the true God responds in wrath to this idolatry. Those who worship earthly idols will “be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (v. 10).

If the first two angels foretold the certainty of judgment, the third angel warns of the reality of hell. It is always easy to go along with the world, but here we calculate the cost. This angel speaks of God’s punishment in the form of “torment” from “fire and sulfur” (v. 10). We should remember Revelation speaks in symbols, so “fire and sulfur” should be taken symbolically. If the fire and sulfur of hell is a symbol, the reality can only be much worse in hell’s punishment of bodily and spiritual torment. Verse 11 speaks of “the smoke of their torment” going up. Here too, smoke is figurative, yet is serves as an enduring memorial of God’s punishment involving a real, ongoing, eternal, and conscious torment.

The fact that God has warned us of judgment in advance shows that He offers salvation to those who repent and believe. Even as the angel warns of the hour of judgment, John 3:16 still calls sinners to be saved: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Christians are called to tell people the true story of Jesus’ death and to live out His resurrection power. This is John’s application from this passage. What should we do in such a dreadful battle? John answers: “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (v. 12).

When John urges us to continue in “faith in Jesus,” he means that we must continue to look up to that gospel carried by the angel in heaven. It tells us that through faith we are forgiven by Christ’s blood and reconciled to God. It bears good news that our Savior has conquered the evil power under which we have suffered. John adds that we must also “keep the commandments of God” (v. 12). The cup of sin, sexual immorality, and worldly idolatry will be offered to us by this harlot world. God’s Word gives us wisdom to recognize it as poison.

We remember how Jesus drank the cup filled to the brim with God’s wrath in our sins so that we might be forgiven (Matt. 26:39), and out of love for Him we drink the cup of life that He gives. We can be sure that by refusing our allegiance to the world, we will suffer its wrath. But we hear the angel cry, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great” (v. 8), and our hearts are lifted up. In the day of Christ, faith and obedience will be crowned with eternal life in glory. The holy life of faith and obedience will present the very witness that the people we love need to see so that they may be encouraged to believe. And in the hour of God’s judgment, in the presence of His holy angels, Christ will reward those who bore the mark of His name, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).

Revelation 14:6-12 Study Questions:

What is the “eternal gospel,” the good news that the first angel announces to all the people of the earth in verses 6-7?

How does the spirit of Babylon still seem to live on in our own day?

What judgment does the third angel pronounce on those who are implicated in the monstrous evil of “Babylon” (vv. 9-11)?

What do these warnings show us about the character of God?

What does it look like for us to follow Jesus (v. 12) even in the face of such difficult warnings of impending judgment?

Revelation was written to convey a message of hope to John’s first-century readers. We realize this in the vision that begins chapter 14. Here, John repeats an earlier vision of the 144,000 redeemed saints, who were seen in chapter 7 amid the world’s persecutions and calamities. Now the redeemed church has reached the glorified Christ. After the deadly warfare portrayed in chapters 12 and 13, chapter 14 begins: “Behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb” (v. 1). Revelation 14 assures struggling Christians that their perseverance in faith will lead to salvation. The reason for our confidence is not our prowess in slaying dragons or wrestling beasts, but that Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain, stands exalted in sovereign authority on the heavenly Zion.

Last seen the assembly of the 144,000 was beset with many dangers in the great tribulation that is the church age, including the warfare of the dragon and his two beasts. From a worldly perspective, it might seem that none of them would arrive safely in heaven. Now on mount Zion, we find that not one of them has been lost, as Jesus promised in John 10:28. The exact number of those who begin the journey of salvation through faith arrive safely in His presence.

In presenting this view, we need to prove that the 144,000 represents the entirety of Christ’s people: past, present, and future. One way to show that the 144,000 stands for all believers is to see how it represents both the Old and New Testament eras. This number joins together the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of Christ, twelve time twelve, multiplied by a thousand to depict “a great multitude that no one could number” (Rev. 7:9). Furthermore, the descriptions given to the 144,000 in this passage are true of the entirety of the people of Christ.

Having clarified the identity of the 144,000, we may consider their location. John saw them “on Mount Zion,” with “the Lamb” (v. 1). Whereas Satan, the dragon, “stood on the sand of the sea” (12:17) in calling forth the beasts to aid his rebellion, Jesus stands on the rock of God’s holy mountain with His saints. Seeing the vast multitude of the church present with Christ on Mount Zion, we know that our victory is established and secured.

By seeing the divinely ordained end of our salvation, John and his readers are encouraged as they face Roman persecution. His example urges Christians to think from the end of history back to our present trials. Rather than starting where we are in our weakness, doubt, and earthly affliction, looking forward from them with anxiety over our future prospects, we should reverse the process. We should instead fix our minds on the certainly of our future, on Mount Zion where the Lamb stands in victory, working back to find hope in our present trials.

Christians need have no anxiety when it comes to our spiritual warfare against Satan, sin, and worldly opposition. As the clouds are parted in this vision, John is enabled to look up and see Christ standing on the mount. The Lamb holds the high ground eternally, looking down on the conflict below. Seeing Jesus standing on Zion, we are assured that all of God’s promises to us will be fulfilled, that those who bear His name will be kept safe, and that our lives of faith will be crowned with success.

Those who bear God’s name not only enjoy His protection but partake of His attributes. John’s vision thus describes the character of the redeemed, urging that for believers the ultimate question is not physical prowess, or political or economic power; it is a question of true spirituality. Just as it is Christ who secures the victory for His people, it is Christlikeness that not only marks them out in the world but gives them power in spiritual warfare.

The first description of Christian character has perplexed many readers “It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins (v. 4). It would be possible to take this verse in a number of erroneous ways. However, the answer lies in taking this statement symbolically. It means that the people have lived up to what is implied in their betrothal to Christ. Spiritual purity cannot be separated from moral purity, of course. The apostles lived in a Roman world that was even more sexually debauched than the decadent West today. For this reason, the apostles placed a priority on sexual purity, requiring believers to engage in determined repentance from sexual sins.

In addition to being pure, Christ’s 144,000 are obedient: “It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (v. 4). Where Christ calls us to go we must go; what Christ calls us to do we must do. His way becomes our way, and though it may seem narrow, it leads to eternal life. Following Christ involves belief in His teaching, submission to His commands, and the zealous promotion of His gospel cause. As Christ sacrificed Himself for us, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices in service to God, as is implied by our description as “firstfruits.” Seeing the Lamb exalted on Mount Zion, we are reminded that following Jesus leads us to salvation and glory.

John’s vision defines Christian character in terms of truthful speech: “and in their mouth no lie was found” (v. 5). The ninth commandment requires believers to speak truthfully, and among those whom Revelation 21:8 sees cast into the lake of fire are “all liars.” Christian salvation stems from the truth of God’s Word and produces lives of truth. Whereas the world “exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25), believers reject idolatry and actively promote the gospel truth by which liars and all other sinners may be redeemed. John summarizes that by this Christlike character the redeemed church is “blameless” (v. 5). The point is not that godly character merits salvation but rather that it enables us to serve God as acceptable sacrifices of thanks and praise.

John’s vision has shown us the identity, location, and character of Christ’s redeemed church. His emphasis, finally, is on the activity of the redeemed, as they worship God and the Lamb in joyful song: “they were singing a new song before the throne” (v. 3).John writes that he “heard a voice from heaven like a roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder (v. 2). He is referring to the worship of the redeemed, since only the 144,000 can learn this song (v. 3). The singing is marked only not by volume, but also by heart-uplifted passion. John compares it to “the sound of harpists playing on their harps (v.2).

John tells us that the redeemed on Mount Zion sing “a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders” (v. 3). This shows that our worship is directed to God and to the Lamb, whose throne is surrounded by these glorious beings. We sing a “new song” not because we have discovered something different from the salvation message taught all through Scripture, but because our experience has provided fresh instances of its power and glory.

If we take our eyes off the daunting opposition and fix them on the glory of our mighty Savior, seeing Christ standing on Mount Zion, we will not fear to proclaim God’s Word in sincerity and conviction, we will not think lightly about the power of prayer, and we will not allow our worship in Christ’s name to be corrupted by the world. With Christ reigning sovereign in triumph, surely when we begin to sing and praise Him in the presence of every earthly foe, relying confidently on His saving provision, we will not fail to see His victory and then rejoice to sing the new song in praise to our Redeemer.

Revelation 14:1-5 Study Questions:

Who are the people gathered around the Lamb on Mount Zion (v. 1), and where have we seen them before in this book?

Why do they have God’s name written on their forehead?

Why is this crowd said to be “first fruits” for God and the Lamb?

If we are likewise to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, we first need to answer; where is He going? How would you answer that?

What lies about God and the world does the accuser tell you? How might we resist these lies and follow the Lamb in truth and faithfulness?