Bible Studies
We will continue this verse-by-verse study of Rev. 14:6-19:21 here in Part 2, starting with Rev. 14:12.
(12) Here is the perseverance [The NIV has "patient endurance."] of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. [Compare Rev. 12:17; 13:10. It will require substantial perseverance on the part of the saints (Christians) living on the earth during the second half of Daniel's 70th week not to submit to Antichrist (cf. Rev. 13:1-18), but God's grace always is sufficient.] (13) And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, 'Write, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!" ' 'Yes,' says the Spirit [cf. Rev. 22:17], 'that they may rest from their labors [cf. Heb. 4:9-11], for their deeds [works] follow with them.' [[These words were written for the benefit and encouragement of those saints who will live on the earth during the very difficult days of the second half of Daniel's 70th week. It's also true that the message of this verse has much application for Christians of all generations. It always is a blessing, not a curse, for a Christian to die as a martyr for Christ when it is the will of God, by the grace of God. This will be especially true for those Christians who live on the earth during the three and one-half year reign of Antichrist.
Although we know that there will be many martyrs during that period (e.g., Rev. 13:15; 20:4), the words of this verse also apply to those who die (but not as martyrs) in Christ. The more difficult the times, the more of a blessing it is to escape to the rest of heaven. Their righteous deeds/works, which come by the grace/Spirit of God through faith, will follow them, and they will be ready to stand before God to be judged according to their works (cf., e.g., Rev. 22:12).]] (14) And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. [[Christ will come in glory with the clouds of heaven at His mid-week return (cf. Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9-11; and Rev. 1:7). The saints will be caught up in the clouds of heaven to meet Him in the air at the time of His return (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17). I assume that the time-setting for the scene pictured here in Rev. 14:14 is the middle of Daniel's 70th week, not long after the rapture.
The "one like a son of man," which builds on Dan. 7:13, refers first and foremost to the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; John 5:27; and Rev. 1:13), but we can probably also say that the raptured saints are included with Him under this terminology. (For a detailed discussion on the one like a son of man, see my book, "The Mid-Week Rapture" under Dan. 7:13, 14 on pages 75-83.) Even if the glorified saints aren't included in what is meant by the words "one like a son of man" here in Rev. 14:14, it's clear that they will be with Him in the clouds of heaven (cf., e.g., 1 Thess. 4:17), and that they will be reigning with Him from the time of the rapture (cf. Dan. 7:13, 14, 18, 22, and 27; Rev. 2:26, 27; 3:21; 12:5; 14:1-5; 17:14; and 19:14).
The "golden crown" goes with the reigning (cf. Rev. 6:2). The "sharp sickle" is used for the reaping mentioned in the next two verses.]] (15) And another angel came out of the temple [This angel apparently gives directions that come from God the Father. On the temple in heaven, cf. Rev. 11:19; 14:17; 15:5-8; and 16:17.], crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 'Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.' [[Many understand this to be a positive reaping of the earth, the reaping of the saints at the time of the rapture; others see both a positive and negative reaping here; I agree with the widespread viewpoint that this is a negative reaping, a reaping of judgment. The "sharp sickle" of Rev. 14:14-16 is used for judgment, even as the "sharp sickle" of Rev. 14:17-20 is used for judgment.
I believe Rev. 14:14-16 build on Rev. 14:8 and speak of the judgment and removal of Babylon the great, which will apparently be progressively destroyed throughout the second half of Daniel's 70th week. (We'll discuss this point as we discuss the judgment of Babylon under Rev. 16:17-19; 17:1-19:3.) See Jer. 51:33; Joel 3:13. Joel 3:13 says, "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great." Revelation 14:14-16 probably build on the first sentence of Joel 3:13, and Rev. 14:17-20 probably build on Joel 3:13. With the words "the hour to reap has come" (Rev. 14:15), compare the words of Rev. 14:7, "the hour of His judgment has come." (On the use of the word "hour," see under Rev. 14:7.)]] (16) And He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped. [[First Christ judges and removes Babylon the great harlot through Antichrist and his followers (Rev. 17:12-18), then He judges and removes Antichrist and his forces after gathering them to Armageddon at the end of Daniel's 70th week (Rev. 16:12-16; 19:19-21). I believe these next verses (14:17-20) deal with this judgment of Antichrist and his forces. The gathering of the grapes of the vine of the earth corresponds with the gathering of Antichrist and his forces to Armageddon. The treading of the grapes in the winepress of the wrath of God corresponds with Christ's judgment and destruction of Antichrist and his forces pictured in Rev. 19:17-21.]] (17) And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. [This sharp sickle is used in the judging of God's enemies, as is the sharp sickle of 14:14-16.] (18) And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar [Revelation 8:5 shows that the altar in heaven has fire on it (speaking of the sacrificial altar, not the golden altar before the throne [cf. Rev. 8:3-5; 6:9, 10; and 16:7]). The fire goes with the judgment of God (cf., e.g., Dan. 7:9-11; Rev. 8:5; 2 Thess. 1:7; Heb. 10:27; and 12:29).]; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, 'Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth [This "vine of the earth" can be contrasted with the vine of God/heaven, which embraces God's people (cf. John 15:1). On the gathering of Rev. 14:18, 19, see under 14:16, 20.], because her grapes are ripe.' (19) And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. [On God's end-time judgment being pictured as treading grapes in a wine press, see above under Rev. 14:15, 16; see on Rev. 19:15 in this paper (with the cross-reference to "The Mid-Week Rapture" noted at Rev. 19:11); and see Jer. 25:30.] (20) And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles." [["The city" is Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is probably used here in a symbolic, fuller sense than just the literal city (even as Babylon is used in a symbolic, fuller sense in the book of Revelation). The cities of Jerusalem and Babylon, and the kingdoms that go with these capital cities, are contrasted in the book of Revelation. Every person must make a choice for one city/kingdom, or the other. Outside of Jerusalem God's judgment will fall. On being "outside" the city of Jerusalem, compare Rev. 22:15.
"Two hundred miles" could be understood in a literal sense, but (in the Greek) it apparently is a symbolic number; this is a common view in the commentaries. On symbolic numbers in the book of Revelation, see the section at the beginning of the discussion of Revelation Chapter 21 in my paper on Revelation chapters 20-22, and see under Rev. 21:16, 17 in that paper. As in Rev. 21:16, 17, the translation of the NASB here in 14:20 obscures the symbolic number by its translation. In the margin of Rev. 14:20 the NASB has, "lit[erally] sixteen hundred stadia; a stadion was approx[imately] 600 feet." The NIV has, "for a distance of 1,600 stadia
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