The same truth is most evident from the scriptures, whether we take the psalms or the prophets. By their loyalty and stedfast adherence to Christ: They follow the Lamb withersoever he goes; they follow the conduct of his word, Spirit, and providence, leaving it to him to lead them into what duties and difficulties he pleases. It could mean that the gospel is the eternal purpose of God for man. It reveals the events that will take place and helps us to prepare for the judgement that is to come. Now what did Jesus say would have to happen before the end could come? The devil will therefore put forward two main instruments as leaders of systems that express human nature on either side, exactly suiting what the heart of man seeks and will have. Such is the revealed course of the dealings of God with the great enemy of men from first to last. However this may be judged by those who hear it, we must remember that there will be also another cause of a most solemn nature, which is plainly revealed: God is going to pour out a judicial delusion on Christendom. Having the names of God and Christ written upon the forehead symbolizes thoughts and dispositions conformable to the will of God. We have the same idea in the Book of Enoch: "I will give them over (the wicked) into the hands of mine elect: as straw in the fire, so shall they burn before the face of the holy: as lead in the water shall they sink before the face of the righteous, and no trace of them shall be found any more" (Enoch 48:9). The only question is, what best satisfies the word of God, what most faithfully answers not merely to the letter of it, but to its grand principles? They are worshipping, as Paul said, "the creature more than the creator"( Romans 1:25 ). When the glorified saints are caught up to heaven, they no longer require what was set forth by the laver and its water to purify; for the sea of glass attests that the purity was fixed. Christ is with his church and in the midst of her in all her troubles, and therefore she is not consumed. But then it may be asked, why should the birth of the man-child be introduced here, seeing that it was a patent fact that the Lord had been born, had lived, and died, and gone to heaven long before? Then we find the enemy, baffled by God's provision, using other efforts. But never earl we understand anything aright as long as we reason and conclude thus. It is evident, therefore, that we have here an apostate and idolatrous state of the world. But the gospel has of necessity a double-edged quality. (ii) It was like the voice of great thunder. It describes the unsullied purity of those who are in the company of the Lamb, but in what does that purity consist? It was just a part of the whole ceremony. Among all the mountains of the earth none was to be found so famous as Sion. Joel has a picture of all the nations gathered into the valley of Jehoshaphat and judged there ( Joel 3:2; Joel 3:12). THE SCENE of this marvellous and magnificent vision is laid upon Mount Sion; by which we are to understand, not Mount Sion upon earth, but Mount Sion which is above, "Jerusalem, the mother of us all." Their congratulations and songs of praise, which were peculiar to the redeemed (Revelation 14:3; Revelation 14:3); their praises were loud as thunder, or as the voice of many waters; they were melodious, as of harpers; they were heavenly, before the throne of God. It is good news for those who receive it but it is judgment to those who reject it. Having thus brought us down to the close in a comprehensive manner, the Lord turns back, and specifies a particular part of that history in a confined sphere, namely, from the time that the abomination of desolation is set up in the holy place. We begin now what may be called the second volume of the Revelation. It was indeed a mighty sound; it seemed to make heaven itself ring again. PDF Life Application Bible Commentary: Revelation - Tyndale The writer to the Hebrews lays it down: "Let marriage be held in honour among all" ( Hebrews 13:4). The other picture is of the cup of the wrath of God. Read, His Name and His Fathers Name. The very words which the Revelation uses are echoes of those in which the ancient prophets had foretold that fall. Now, suppose waterfalls dashing upon waterfalls, cataracts upon cataracts, Niagaras upon Niagaras, each of them sounding forth their mighty voices, and you have got some idea of the singing of paradise. "These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. But some souls here and there will receive them, not only treating them kindly, but this because they receive the message. Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. The dragon represents the enemy of Christ in his political employment of the Roman empire, and this from first to last; so that the heads or successive forms of power are said to be crowned, not the horns, which were only as a fact to be developed before the close of its history at the earliest not before the Gothic barbarians broke up the empire of the west. Now, men foolishly are worshipping the heavens. Some of our friends were then present, when we concluded our service with that glorious hallelujah. It means those glad tidings that always have been and always will be true: whatever else God has made known to man, this has always abode unchanging. For the church is united to Christ. And the great dragon was cast [down], the ancient serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world, was cast unto the earth, and his angels were cast with him. Their melody in praise of the Lord was none the worse for the sea of tribulation through which they had passed into His presence. Commentary on Revelation 13 by Matthew Henry - Blue Letter Bible The ark of His covenant is the sign of the unfailing certainty of that to which He bound Himself. That is twelve thousand from each of the tribes. By way of recalling what was revealed in the preceding chapter, two great enemies of God's people were presented: (1) the sea-beast and (2) the land-beast. But in heaven he is in the midst of his friends, and therefore he, Looks like a lamb that has been slain, And wears his priesthood still. They are marked with his name and with the name of his Father on their foreheads. An imperial system or empire, but withal refusing to recognize God above. [5] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. Clearly, therefore, judgment from heaven becomes yet more unsparing in its blows on man here below. Then (Revelation 16:1-21) we have these seven bowls poured out. Let it then be observed, that here the Spirit of God is not proceeding with the course of the prophecy. [Note: E.g., Ladd, pp. Some commentators get mixed up here by paying too much attention to the various angels, who with regard to the judgment (all of them) are but the instruments of Christ (Matthew 13:41,49) and are merely part of the scenery of the vision. [Note: See Newell, p. 209; and McGee, 5:1006.] And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus." Just as Jesus is Jehovah as well as Messiah, so this vessel of Satan's power in Jerusalem will emulate what God did by Elijah to disprove the claims of Baal. Certainly these Gentiles were wrought in by divine grace, yet very evidently they will not be what you would call "intelligent." I am aware that differences of thought exist here as in almost everything else. You who love the old Puritans, you have no right to quarrel with me; for where will you find a Puritan who was not a strong Calvinist? "Woe", however, it is added at this time, "to the earth and to the sea, for the devil has, come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath a short season." ( Revelation 14:1-3) The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion. (2) "The 144,000 who had His name and His Fathers name written on their foreheads." Now, I believe that we should seek to preach the gospel to every nation, but I do not believe that our failure to do so is hindering the return of Jesus Christ. But why so loud? And you will further notice that this Lamb is said to stand . 14:4a These are they who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no one was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled." Any one who has looked into it will see that even as to our blessed Lord Himself, the general bent is to show what He was on earth not what He is in heaven. They were then trampled with the feet and the juice flowed down the connecting channel into the lower trough. A feature of the last days will be "the spectacle of righteous judgment in the presence of the righteous" (Enoch 27:2, 3). 1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. ", 14:8 And another angel, a second angel, followed him saying: "Fallen, fallen is the great Babylon, who made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.". "And the gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all nations and then shall the end come" ( Matthew 24:14 ). Revelation 14 | KJV Bible | YouVersion It "drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth; and the dragon stands before the woman that was about to bring forth, that he might devour her child as soon as she should bring forth. This is precisely the spirit which was to beget the monasteries and the convents, and the implication that everything to do with sex and the body is wrong. Who is this that comes with garments stained with blood? So much the more tremendous His vengeance on the earthly religionists who despise Christ and the cross in deed if not in word. "He worketh great signs that he should even make fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of those signs which it was given him to work in the sight of the beast.". The people imagining a vain thing, that they could actually overthrow Jesus Christ and prohibit Him coming and establishing His reign. It is the temple of God that is particularly seen, where the man of sin sets himself up as an object of worship. The words of the angel are interesting. This would then mean that the first half of Revelation 14:4 is not the words of John at all but the comment of a scribe. Delivered on Sabbath Morning, December 28th, 1856, by the REV. Throughout the Revelation Rome is described as Babylon, a description which was common between the Testaments. 14:2-3 And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the voice of great thunder, and the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps. I think he is of the tribe Foolish. The dragon has seven heads i.e., the completeness of ruling authority; and ten horns, not exactly completeness, but at any rate a very large distribution approaching it, in the instruments of the power wielded in the west. It is a closing scene of fearful trial. The prophetic part of the book divides into two portions at this point. Man has come to the fullness of rebellion against God and the time of God's final judgments have come and so the order to thrust in the sickle. III. Verse by Verse Ministry International is a non-profit, non-denominational, unaffiliated Christian ministry that is dedicated to promoting the preaching and teaching of God's Word clearly and boldly. All that is at work is bringing about this earthly and godless state of things. The picture of Chapters 12 and 13 might tend to discourage Christians. . The tabernacle above may be blasphemed, and those that dwell there Satan may revile, but he cannot touch cannot even accuse longer before God. God gives them over to reprobate minds. Often the slave was branded with his owner's mark, as sheep and cattle are branded. R.S.V. "And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood." Then, in the portion which begins with the last verse of Revelation 11:1-19, we return for a special prophecy. That is, there are men, apparently apostates, under the latter designation, as well as the general mass of mere nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples. Therefore to worship the one is pretty much to worship the other; just as in regard to the true God, there is no worship of one person in the Godhead without the same homage to the others. It is not here a question of gathering in. It is not that she is delivered yet; but she is seen by the prophet according to the mind of God. But the Lord has designs which neither side knows nor regards, and He is no indifferent spectator. "I looked, and, lo, a Lamb!" Many have been the persons who have told me that they could but weep when they heard you sing in this assembly, so mighty seemed the sound when all the people sang, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. There is a curious third or fourth century papyrus letter from a son to his father Apollo. It was really the expression of Satan. This means full consecration, complete obedience. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast [down], who accused them before our God day and night. [8] James Moffatt, The Expositor's Greek New Testament, Vol. I would not receive much comfort out of that if I were a Dane, because they are the one tribe that is not sealed of the one hundred and forty-four thousand. kai eidon) introduces three scenes in chapter 14 (Revelation 14:1; Revelation 14:6; Revelation 14:14), as this phrase did twice in chapter 13 (Revelation 14:1; Revelation 14:11). --"AND NO ONE COULD LEARN THAT SONG EXCEPT THE 144,000 WHO HAD BEEN REDEEMED FROM THE EARTH" that new song the 144,000 (that is, THE WHOLE UNIVERSAL CHURCH OF ALL AGES) understands. As to the numbers, they are many, even all who are sealed; not one of them lost in all the tribulations through which they have gone. The first-fruits were the best of the crop; they were a symbol of the harvest to come; and they were a symbolic dedication of the whole harvest to God. Can you not hear it? In our day the individual Christian is still of paramount importance, but his function now is not usually to protect the faith by being ready to die for it, but to commend it by being diligent to live for it. Nobody ever heard the gospel that is preached now till Jesus died and rose and even went to heaven. "( Matthew 19:25 ). A Lamb stood on the mount Sion This represents Jesus Christ in his sacrificial office; mount Sion was a type of the Christian Church. And the gospel shall be preached as a witness to all nations. Have you "a good hope through grace" that you shall? Stood on the mount Zion - That is, in heaven. The promoters of it the persons that exercise the influence, sometimes unseen, sometimes publicly are as a rule those that put religion forward. If we are to treat it honestly, we cannot avoid the conclusion that it praises celibacy and virginity and belittles marriage. So, there is no reason at all not to believe that these one hundred and forty-four thousand are the same group that we saw back in chapter seven sealed in their foreheads. Not a word is said of His life; not a word even about His death and resurrection. The importance of this statement was to guard the saints themselves from taking power peremptorily into their own hands. 1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. idou, cf. And she would be there with all of her unmarried girl friends waiting excitedly for these guys to come up the street with the groom. . It is not at all a connection that pertains to the new man. It seems as if the same feeling possessed the breast of Christ. The first beast shall fall (Babylon, Revelation 14:8), her doom being pronounced in the prophetic past tense as something already accomplished, and as certain as if it had already occurred. To the Hebrew mind Mount Sion was a type of heaven, and very justly so. The general strain of John is to dwell on Christ manifesting God here below. We take this half verse by itself, for it is one of the most difficult sayings in the whole of the Revelation, and it is of the utmost importance to get its meaning clear. Let it suffice to give what I believe to be the truth revealed about it as we pass onward. 2 Samuel 5:7; Psalms 48:1-2; Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 24:23; Joel 2:32; Obadiah 1:17; Obadiah 1:21; Micah 4:1-2; Micah 4:7; Zechariah 14:10). Revelation Chapter 1 Verses 1-2 Verses 3-8 Verses 9-20 Chapter 2 Verses 1-7 Verses 8-11 Verses 12-17 Verses 18-29 Chapter 3 Verses 1-6 Verses 7-13 Verses 14-22 Chapter 4 Verses 1-7 Verses 8-11 Chapter 5 Verses 1-5 Verses 6-14 Chapter 6 Verses 1-2 Verses 3-8 Verses 9-17 Chapter 7 Verses 1-12 Verses 13-17 Chapter 8 Verses 1-6 Verses 7-13 Chapter 9 Barclay believed that "'it might indicate ownership, loyalty, security, dependence and safety of the Christian. "If any man have an ear, let him hear. It may refer either to the New Jerusalem (compare Heb. 216.] Verse Revelation 14:1. The grounds of this assertion, however, depend on Revelation 17:1-18, so that I cannot now enter into minute evidence, nor do I wish to anticipate what will come before us in the next lecture. Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up for ever. and the sea, [and the river, the streams and the lakes]. It is not the voice of one ocean, but the voice of many, that is needed to give you an idea of the melodies of heaven. Only we must remember that we must read scripture with scripture. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God ( Revelation 14:5 ). But why should it keep any one from going to Christ? It could mean that the gospel has existed from all eternity. There will be differences. Standing is the posture of triumph. Jesus did say "Whoever forsaketh not all he has cannot be my disciple." 1, 11). Popery is much more antichurch than antichrist. Both in the Old Testament and in the books between the Testaments there was a line of thought which held that the Gentiles would be brought to Jerusalem and judged there. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb [that is out of this Great Tribulation period] ( Revelation 14:4 ). However, even preceding that announcement (Revelation 14:7), there was foretold the fulfillment of that great event which must come before the final judgment; namely, the preaching of the truth to all nations, as Jesus prophesied, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). This picture goes on to depict judgment in two metaphors familiar to Scripture. Does not this most strongly confirm the same view? 177.]. "She brought forth a male son, to rule all nations with a rod of iron." the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." "Follow Me" in all circumstances of prosperity and adversity. That is, he imitates the power not only of Christ but of God. translates "The four living creatures" as in 4:7--"The four living creatures" indicate MAN REDEEMED IN THE WORLD) and "the elders" (as in 4:7 and 5:8)--the leaders of the church. That is, he here endeavours to stir up the nations (such as are, I suppose, in a state of disorganisation) to overwhelm the Jews. The solemn threat of His speedy judgments is a ground of pressing on the blinded consciences of man the claim of the honour solely due to Him. Since this is not literally true of Christians, it must be understood as a mark of their identification with Christ and with God. This is no mean evidence by the way, that the idea of applying all this to the papacy as its full meaning is a mistake; for the essential feature of the papacy lies in its assumption to be a living earthly representative of Christ's priesthood. 14 is the counterpart to ch. But how great shall be that sight, when Christ shall be seen as a conqueror, and when all his warriors, fighting side by side with him, shall see the dragon beaten in pieces beneath their feet. On Mount Zion stood the Lamb - The chronology of this verse is not clear. He tells them to change where they are doing wrong things. I do not hesitate to say, both that it is against the best witnesses, and that it conveys a heterodox meaning, and is consequently mischievous. Before this is effected, the enemy is shown in his character of rebellious apostate power. Deliberately contrasts the beasts mark in Revelation 13:16-18 (compare Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4; Revelation 22:4). The fate of the 144,000. Why is it called "everlasting"? Revelation Chapter 14 Explained - Discover Books of The Bible "And another angel came out of the temple that is in heaven, having himself also a sharp sickle. It is no use for people to call it the general judgment, or the judgment of our works. In the humbler classes there is in another way that grossness of love for sensible objects and show that will prepare them for idolatry. We received life to make of it a sacrifice to God; and that which is offered to God must be without blemish. To the saints the Lord Jesus stands undoubtedly as their Lord and master; but king is a relationship with a nation living on the earth. Ah! - CBSC, written on their foreheads . 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a . A Lamb stood on the mount Sion This represents Jesus Christ in his sacrificial office; mount Sion was a type of the Christian Church. These three wonderful things which John says in his symbolism in verse 2 give us an indication of the kind of endless inspiration the reader will find throughout life, if, in his reading he keeps consistency in interpreting the symbolism of Johns book. - MSB, Mount Zion . Now this is the very time when the ten horns receive authority as kings; it is simultaneously and continuously with the beast, as Revelation 17:1-18 informs us; and hence the horns of the beast are seen crowned (not merely the heads, as in the dragon's case previously). 1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. The one hundred and forty-four thousand cannot sing that song. VERSE BY VERSE MINISTRY . There are Engl-ish, and Swed-ish. (4) TRUTHFULNESS, verse 5. Again, in the second psalm, we find that the one who is not merely the child of Israel, but acknowledged and honoured by God Himself as the Son, was to rule the nations with a rod of iron. He claims to be the Jehovah God of Israel. You are to suppose ocean piled upon ocean, sea upon sea, the Pacific piled upon the Atlantic, the Arctic upon that, the Antarctic higher still, and so ocean upon ocean, all lashed to fury, and all sounding with a mighty voice the praise of God. They are called to fear God and give glory to Him; and this is on the ground that He is Judge, just about to deal with His own world. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, as high as the horses' bridles, for sixteen hundred stades. Ye must learn to sing, "Jesus, I love thy charming name, 'Tis music to my ears. But there were others. How can we act intelligently or rightly as Christians unless we, knowing what it means, believe we are Christians? I. Here are the patience of the saints at this point. "She was with child, and crieth, travailing in birth, in pain to be delivered." So, you have Dan's man. Let it be observed that the second beast it is which more particularly resembles in wickedness what the Lord Jesus was in goodness. In the Acts of Paul and Thecla (11) it is the charge of Demas against Paul that "he deprives young men of wives and maidens of husbands by saying that in no other way shall there be a resurrection for you save by remaining chaste and keeping the flesh chaste." And then it goes on to say to the carping objector "Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? 11:19; John 1:29). (a) They had suffered. Babylon is said to have made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark on their right hand, or on their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Another remark seems to me just. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing . The fact is that Christ being born of Israel, there is and ought to be first set forth the tracing of His connection with Israel. Warning has already been given of the power of the beast and of the mark that the beast will seek to set upon all men ( Revelation 13:1-18). Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. We find the martyred saints have their own song in chapter seven. This is the one here described: "And I saw one of its heads as it were wounded to death; and its deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Now, my friends may not like what I am going to say; but if they do not like it, their quarrel is with God's Bible, not with me. In this phrase two Old Testament conceptions have been fused into one. They are not spoken of as conscious of any such relationship, as it is not a question of their Father, not of His Father and their Father.
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