REVELATION 14.8-13
A second angel now cries out in 14:8 Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
· The city of Babylon was built by Nimrod after the flood and is infamous for the tower of Babel, which was a symbol of man’s pride and rebellion. Babylon became the headquarters of Satan’s ancient counterfeit strategy to destroy and corrupt the knowledge of God as well as God’s plan of salvation as anticipated in Gen 3:15.
· The term “Babylon” is open to at least four major interpretations. (1) Babylon could be a reference to the literal rebuilt city of Babylon. (2) Babylon could be a reference to the worldly system symbolized by Babylon. (3) Babylon could be a reference to the religious system of the Beast. (4) Babylon could be a veiled reference to ancient Rome.
· Since the downfall of Babylon is described in detail in chapters 17-18 we can say without reservation that the point of this proclamation is that the system (of which the Beast is the head) is doomed. If Babylon is fallen, then so is the Beast! The system that has overcome the world and the saints is indeed, short-lived. How foolish to fall before the Beast or his image, when Babylon is destined to fall.
· Oh how we need to remember beloved that we have been saved to live for The Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, and not this world system and the emptiness that goes along with it.(Vanity in Ecclesiastes)
o 1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
· The combination of the words “wrath” (orges, settled indignation) and “indignation” (thumou, vehement fury) stresses the reality and severity of God's hostility.
· The idea that God holds a cup of wrath, which He makes those under judgment drink is expressed more than thirteen times in the Bible. This is the idea behind the cup that Jesus wanted to avoid if it were possible (Matthew 26:39). Jesus willingly took the cup of the Father’s wrath that we deserved; here, the enemies of Jesus have no choice - the cup is forced upon them.
· Beloved how important it is for us to remember that the character of God is the sum total of all of His perfections that in operation at the same time. Praise God that He is a God of love and mercy, but let us never forget that He is also a God that is holy and just and cannot wink at sin.
o Ro 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God.
o Psa 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
o May The Holy Spirit set us free from being creating a God of only one dimension.
· The Greek scholars tell us that the words he shall be tormented there in verse 10 is a verb that describes is an experience that everyone who rejects Christ must face alone. The torture will be physical, mental, and emotional. The teaching that there is no such a place called hell or such a thing as eternal torment for those who reject the truth of God that is a damnable heresy.
o Lu 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
o And these are the very words of The Lord Jesus Christ Himself my friend.
· The lake of fire is prepared for Satan and his angels (Matt 25.41). It is not God’s desire for anyone to spend eternity there. Unbelievers make that choice of their own accord.
· Fire and brimstone” refer to the ingredients or content of the lake of fire already prepared for Satan and his angels (Matt 25.41). These are one and the same. The lake is the place and the fire and brimstone the ingredients (Rev 20:10; Matt 25:41, 45; Rom 2:3-9; 2 Thess 1:6-9). Rob Bell, there is no hell!
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
· The torment never lets up. For ever and ever is literally “unto ages of ages ascends up.” This is the strongest Greek expression for eternity. The original language here stresses the idea of infinite duration.
· This passage shows the error of the view or belief that God will annihilate the unsaved. “And they have no rest day or night.” “No rest” (anapausis) signifies rest that comes from a temporary cessation from something. They won’t know even a moment’s rest from this torment. Remember it is “undiluted.” “Day or night” further emphasizes the concept of no rest.
· A person who lives outside of the will of God in Christ Jesus knows no rest in this life as well.
o Isa 57:20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
· But for all that are here today who have yet to trust their souls to Jesus Christ, The Father in His providential love has once again provided you an opportunity to enter into the rest that Christ provides for all that trust in Him.
o Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (refreshment, ease). 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
§ Here is the gracious invitation of the gospel. He drives none away: He calls all who are weary to Himself. Jesus promises “rest”, as His gift to all who come to Him by faith.
As God looks upon the wickedness of man, his rejection of His Son and his worship of the Beast, He is left with only three choices: (1) He can indulge it and allow it to go on forever. That means that all the injustice, pain, and suffering in this world would continue indefinitely. Neither man nor God want that. (2) God can force man to obey. But this would take away our capacity to give our love to God freely. (3) God’s only other remaining choice is to withdraw Himself from those who refuse His love. He must let them have their way forever. God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. You’ll have to step over the body of Jesus Christ to get there!
· I urge any and all who have never received Christ as Lord to do so this morning. the grace of God is here to receive you the very moment that you open your heart to Jesus Christ….we would love to pray with you afterwards…..
C.S Lewis wrote something to this effect: On judgment day there will be 2 groups of people, those who repent of their sin and have lived their lives on earth by the motto, Thy will be done; and then there are those who are self righteous and see no need to repent and trust in Christ’s sacrifice to whom God will say, thy will be done.
The Scriptures make it clear that if a person rejects Jesus Christ, he/she is condemned eternally.
· 2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power
Why would the Lord tell tribulation believers here is the patience of the saints? For the mere fact that the tribulation saints will suffer great persecution for refusing to take the mark. They will see unbelievers who take the mark avoid the persecution they are experiencing.
Verses 9-12 gives to all believers of all ages the big picture, or life from God’s perspective. Beloved, it is only by seeing the big picture that we can fight the good fight of faith, resist the fleeting temptations of this world, and govern our lives with eternal instead of temporary principles.
In 14:13, the Lord gives a positive incentive to remain faithful that balances the negative warning previously given (14:9-12). John hears a voice from heaven say, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’”
· This “voice” was probably the Lord’s. The voice told John to record that it would be a blessing for the believers who live during the great tribulation to die as martyrs.
· If it has always been true that those who die in Christ are blessed, it will be particularly true in the last days of the tribulation.
· There are two reasons given in this verse for the blessedness of dying in Christ.
· The first is that by dying they will “rest from their labors.” The term “labors” stresses the pain and the persecution of living as witnesses in a wicked world which seeks to overcome them.
· The second reason for the blessedness of the saints who die in the last days is that their “deeds follow with them.”
· If there are consequences for wickedness and unbelief, so there are consequences for righteousness and perseverance.
· What is a cause for fear on the part of sinners is a cause for faith on the part of the righteous.
· As J. Vernon McGee once said, “God does not save anyone for his works, but He does reward us for our works. Our works (good or bad) are like tin cans tied to a dog’s tail; we cannot get away from them. They will follow us to the bema seat of Christ.”
· The picture that the words rest after their labors should paint in our minds is the picture of a mariner who has spent his life at sea. And after the battle of the tempest and the wave and the storm, he comes home in the port. It is the picture of a soldier who is scarred with battle. And after the misery of war and carnage and conflict, he turns his face home.
· Always remember these promises of God beloved words of
§ Hebrews 6:10: For God is not unjust so as to forget your work which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
§ 1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
§ Well done, you good and faithful servant.
In closing, I want you to note that in verse 13, this blessed is the second of seven beatitudes in Revelation (cf. 1:3; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14).
· Re 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. {from henceforth...: or, from henceforth saith the Spirit, Yea}
o Greek word for the English word blessed means: supremely blest; fortunate, well off:-- happy.
o Dr. W.A. Criswell wrote: The New Testament begins with the sayings of Jesus in beautiful beatitudes for the living. The New Testament closes with this last final Apocalypse which is a beatitude for God’s sainted dead. Beloved, the best is yet to come.
Beloved, the Big Picture according to Scripture tells us that this world is not our home: Allistar Begg writes: Lord, I would not be a citizen where Jesus was an alien. His pierced hand has loosened the cords that once bound my soul to earth, and now I find myself a stranger in the land. My speech seems to these pagans among whom I dwell a strange tongue; my manners are singular, and my actions are outlandish. A prince would be more at home in the ghetto than I could ever be in the haunts of sinners. But here is the sweetness of my circumstance: I am a stranger with You. You are my fellow-sufferer, my fellow-pilgrim. Oh, what joy to wander in such blessed company! My heart burns within me on the journey when You speak to me, and though I am a traveler, I am far more blessed than those who sit on thrones, and far more at home than those who live in their comfortable homes.
Beloved, the Big Picture according to Scripture tells us that death is an enemy. The aspirations of a man, the dreams of his heart, the tenderest ties that bind him to those that he loves [are] severed by the cruel and merciless of this pale horseman. But God in Christ hath taken the sting out of death and hath taken away the victory out of the grave. Anonymous writer
The Lord hath made even death and the grave to minister to the good and the blessedness of His children. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” The only way to die in The Lord is when you are living for The Lord.
From Genesis to Revelation, believers in Jesus Christ are given this great and comforting truth that upon death, immediately we are blessed—not at some other time, not at some other day, not at some other eon, not at some other era, not in some far-away development, but in the moment of death, the child of God is blessed in being received into the presence of the Lord. There is no exception to that in the presentation of the Holy Scriptures. When we die, we are with the Lord—“Absent from the body, present with the Lord” [2 Corinthians 5:8].
The Lord said to the thief that died at his right hand on the cross, “Today—not some future eon, but today—shalt thou be with me in paradise” [Luke 23:43]. Even as Paul avowed: “I am in a strait betwixt two, for to depart and to be with Christ is far better. For to me to live is Christ and to die is a gain” [Philippians 1:23].
The Lord admonishes us that we not look at the things which are seen, but at things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.
o Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Beloved, live with abandon for The Lord Jesus Christ…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service and be no conformed to this world. To love for the world system is a waste to time, money and God given talent.
o He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliott