SECOND OF THE SEVEN PROMISED BLESSINGS OF REVELATIONS

The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion

Revelation 14:1-5 Then I looked, and this is what I saw: the Lamb stood [firmly established] on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had His name and His Father’s name inscribed on their foreheads [signifying God’s own possession].  And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; and the voice that I heard [seemed like music and] was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.  And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased (ransomed, redeemed) from the earth.  These are the ones who have not been defiled [by relations] with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased and redeemed from among men [of Israel] as the first fruits [sanctified and set apart for special service] for God and the Lamb.  No lie was found in their mouth, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, beyond reproach).

The one hundred and forty-four thousand symbolize all faithful saints (see note on 7:4–8). The sealed saints are here depicted from two perspectives. First are the saints about to enter the Great Tribulation, represented by the symbolic number one hundred and forty-four thousand (vv. 4–8). A thousand was the basic military division in the camp of Israel (Num. 31:4, 5), the result of 10x10x10, a perfect cube symbolizing completeness, multiplied by 144, or 12x12.  Mount Zion is a spiritual reality (see Heb. 12:22–24), expressing the communion of the saints, not a geographical location. The Father’s name is a deliberate contrast with “the name of the beast” (13:16, 17).

The vision of persecution abruptly changes to a vision of the church in glory.

The new song is a song of redemption, which only the redeemed can understand. They are spiritual virgins who have remained true to the Lord, not having prostituted themselves through idolatry. They are without fault, unblemished because they are in Christ and are thus an acceptable sacrifice.

The Angel with the Gospel

14:6-7  Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, with an [a]eternal gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people;  and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God [with awe and reverence], and give Him glory [and honor and praise in worship], because the hour of His judgment has come; [with all your heart] worship Him who created the heaven and the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

The gospel is everlasting, in contrast to the provisional Old Covenant, and is intended to be heard universally.  It is good news to those who respond to it but judgment to those who refuse it.

Doom for Proud Babylon

14:8 Then another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality [corrupting them with idolatry].”

Doom for Worshipers of the Beast

14:9-12 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives the mark [of the beast] on his forehead or on his hand, he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, [b]mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ).  And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night—those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is [encouragement for] the steadfast endurance of the saints (God’s people), those who habitually keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus.

In the OT, Babylon was a center of idolatry, the occult, and immorality. See note on 18:1—19:10. In the NT, it is sometimes a cryptic name for Rome (see 18:9, 10; 1 Pet. 5:13). From the perspective of the eternal God, that great city, the world in every generation, has already been judged and is fallen (see Is. 13; 21:9; Jer. 51). The wine of the wrath of her fornication: Idolatry, worshiping the monster, inevitably results in the drinking of the cup of God’s wrath in judgment (see Ps. 75:8; Jer. 25:15, 16; 51:7).

Here: The fact of judgment (vv. 9–11) shows the need for patience in faith and obedience.  John experiences with his readers the tribulation, or persecution on account of their faith, with patient endurance, which is steadfast courage under unjust suffering. However, attendant to the trials involved in the Christian life is the glory of the kingdom.

14:13 Then I heard [the distinct words of] a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘[c]Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes, [blessed indeed],” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest and have relief from their labors, for their deeds do follow them.”

The voice from heaven is perhaps that of the Lamb proclaiming the second of the seven beatitudes. From now on is from the moment of the Lamb’s finished work and victory (see 5:6–14; 12:5, 11). The Spirit may be the voice, or this may be an antiphonal response by the Holy Spirit. Rest represents a dramatic contrast to v. 11.

The Reapers

14:14-20  Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle [of swift judgment] in His hand.  And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who was sitting upon the cloud, “Put in Your sickle and reap [at once], for the hour to reap [in judgment] has arrived, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripened.” So He who was sitting on the cloud cast His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped (judged).

Then another angel came out of the temple (sanctuary) in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.  And another angel came from the altar, the one who has power over fire; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and reap the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe [for judgment].”  So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and harvested the grapevine of the earth, and threw the grapes into the great winepress of the wrath and indignation of God [as judgment of the rebellious world].  And the grapes in the wine press were trampled and crushed outside the city, and blood poured from the wine press, reaching up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of [d]sixteen hundred stadia.

John views a picture of the Final Judgment, first of believers (see 1 Thess. 4:15–17; John 5:28, 29), followed immediately by that of unbelievers (see Joel 3:13).

Two angels deliver the command of the judgments from the temple and out from the altar to emphasize that these judgments are God’s, in response to the prayers of the saints (see 8:3–5).

Outside the city indicates that the final judgment of the wicked includes their banishment from the presence of God, who is said to dwell in the eschatological Jerusalem. The number associated with the amount of blood should be regarded as qualitative, not quantitative, heightening the utter gruesomeness of the scene (see Is. 63:2–6).

Footnotes:
A - Revelation 14:6 This term likely refers to the message of God’s impending righteous judgment and a final call to repentance and faith in the risen Lord.
B - Revelation 14:10 In ancient times it was customary to mix wine with an equal or larger quantity of water to prevent intoxication at ordinary meals. Here, the mixing is ironic because the “wine of the wrath” is to be consumed at full strength.
C- Revelation 14:13 This is the second of the seven promised blessings. See note 1:3.
D - Revelation 14:20 About two hundred miles.

~Bits and Pieces of Bible Study in Bible Gateway

FIRST OF THE SEVEN PROMISED BLESSINGS OF REVELATIONS

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1-3 This is the [a]revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries], which God [the Father] gave to Him to show to His bond-servants (believers) the things which must soon take place [in their entirety]; and He sent and communicated it by His angel (divine messenger) to His bond-servant John,  who testified and gave supporting evidence to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to everything that he saw [in his visions].  [b]Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who keep the things which are written in it [heeding them and taking them to heart]; for the time [of fulfillment] is near.

The Patmos Vision

Revelation 1:9-11  I, John, your brother and companion in the [m]tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, [exiled there] because of [my preaching of] the word of God [regarding eternal salvation] and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  I was in the [n]Spirit [in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the revelation from Jesus Christ] on the [o]Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see [in this revelation], and send it to the [p]seven churches—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

John experiences with his readers the tribulation, or persecution on account of their faith, with patient endurance, which is steadfast courage under unjust suffering. However, attendant to the trials involved in the Christian life is the glory of the kingdom. John is an exile on Patmos, an island 10 miles by 6 miles, located 60 miles southwest of Ephesus in the Aegean Sea. Volcanic and mostly treeless, the Romans used it as a penal colony, forcing prisoners to work in the granite quarries. John’s banishment was the result of his faithful witness to the gospel.

This is the earliest reference in Christian literature to the first day of the week as the Lord’s Day. John’s experience in the Spirit (4:2; 17:3; 21:10) was that of a biblical prophet receiving a supernatural revelation. The trumpet summons and prepares John to receive a momentous message.

The seven churches were located on a major Roman postal route and are listed in the order in which a messenger would reach the towns, making a semicircular sweep from Ephesus.

Revelation 1:12-16  Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone [q]like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching to His feet, and with a golden sash wrapped around His chest.  His head and His hair were white like white wool, [glistening white] like snow; and His [all-seeing] eyes were [flashing] like a flame of fire [piercing into my being].  His feet were like burnished [white-hot] bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was [powerful] like the sound of many waters.  In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the [r]Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].

The seven golden lampstands represent the churches, which are lights in a dark world.

The clothing of the Lord symbolizes priestly royalty; the white hair and flaming eyes symbolize eternity, wisdom, and omniscience; the fine brass suggests immutability and omnipotence; and the many waters represent commanding authority.

The seven stars are either the pastor-messengers of the churches (1:20), or the guardian angels assigned to the churches. In His right hand connotes being sustained and protected. The two-edged sword is His Word.

The description of the Lord’s countenance suggests indescribable glory and majesty.

Revelation 1:17-20  When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.  And He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God], and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space].  I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead).  So write the things [s]which you have seen [in the vision], and the things [t]which are [now happening], and the things [u]which will take place after these things.  As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels ([v]divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The keys of Hades and of Death: Jesus is now Lord over the realms of life and death. The power of satanic prerogatives, because of man’s original rebellion, is now curbed.

The phrase which you have seen refers not only to the vision of Christ John has just witnessed but anticipates visions yet to come, which will be in his past as he writes. John will therefore record both present and future events, many of which will be repeated throughout history until the climax of this age and the Age to Come.

A - Revelation 1:1 The God-given disclosures contained in this book relate to both Christ and future events.
B - Revelation 1:3 This is the first of the seven promised blessings (beatitudes) of the Revelation. See also 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14.
C - Revelation 1:4 John and his brother James were among the first apostles chosen by Jesus, and were the sons of Zebedee and Salome. In addition to the Revelation, John wrote the Gospel and the three letters that bear his name.
D - Revelation 1:4 The Roman province of Asia (now western Turkey) was formed in 129 b.c.
E - Revelation 1:4 Like Paul, the apostle John takes the standard Jewish greeting of “Peace [Heb shalom] to you” and modifies it by adding grace, without which no one could obtain peace with God.
F - Revelation 1:4 A literal translation, perhaps referring to the perfect fullness of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
G - Revelation 1:5 Lit the witness, the faithful.
H - Revelation 1:5 Jesus was not the first person to be brought back to life, since He raised others from the dead (the most notable being Lazarus, John 11), but they had to experience death again. Jesus is the first to be restored to life with a glorified (immortal, everlasting) body, never again to die. The word Firstborn may point not only to Jesus’ own resurrection but also to His divine power to resurrect others. The Firstborn (preeminent) is given power over all things.
I - Revelation 1:5 Some manuscripts use “freed” (lusanti) while others use “washed” (lousanti). Either reading conveys a similar theological conclusion: Jesus has taken away our sins by His blood.
J - Revelation 1:6 All Christians become priests to God in order to offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet 2:5) and proclaim His praises (1 Pet 2:9), and they will reign with Christ in the Millennium (20:6).
K - Revelation 1:7 Lit Yes, amen.
L - Revelation 1:8 An expression of God’s absolute supremacy over all things.
M - Revelation 1:9 I.e. persecution because of one’s faith.
N - Revelation 1:10 Or spirit. The Greek wording is not decisive, so John could be referring either to being in special communion with the Holy Spirit, or to being in a trance-like state in his own spirit like that experienced by Peter at Joppa (cf Acts 10:10, 11).
O - Revelation 1:10 The early church used this term to refer to Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The term Kyriake is also the regular word for Sunday in modern Greek.
P - Revelation 1:11 These were actual churches in Asia Minor (now western Turkey), and in John’s time there would have been only one church body in each of the cities. They are mentioned in the order in which they would be visited by a messenger traveling northward on the imperial road from Ephesus to Laodicea.
Q - Revelation 1:13 Or like a son of man. The phrase is a translation of a Hebrew idiom which refers to a man, and John could simply be describing his first impression. But since this proves to be a vision of Christ (v 18), John probably is referring to Him by the title that Jesus so often applied to Himself, a title originating in the Messianic prophecy of Daniel.
R - Revelation 1:16 The visible, divine Presence.
S - Revelation 1:19 I.e. the vision of ch 1.
T - Revelation 1:19 I.e. the events of the present moment (chs 2; 3).
U - Revelation 1:19 I.e. the events to come in chs 4-22, after the messages to the churches in chs 2; 3.
V - Revelation 1:20 The Greek word for “messenger” is aggelos. When the word is referring to a heavenly being, it is usually not translated, but rather transliterated as “angel”; that is, the Greek letters are converted to their English equivalents, based on the sound of the Greek word. When the word is referring to a human, it is instead translated as “messenger” or the equivalent. So whether “angel” or “messenger” is used depends on the context.

~Bits and Pieces of Bible Study in Bible Gateway

TO BE MARRIED / TO BE SINGLE

1 Corinthians is a pastoral letter, written to resolve doctrinal and practical problems within the local church. Paul’s authorship gives the letter apostolic application to all “the churches of God” (11:16).

The letter reveals some of the typical Greek cultural problems of Paul’s day, including the gross sexual immorality of the city of Corinth. The Greeks were known for their idolatry, divisive philosophies, spirit of litigation, and rejection of a bodily resurrection. Corinth was one of the most important commercial cities of the day and controlled much of the shipping between the East and the West. It was located on the narrow neck of land which served as a land-bridge between the mainland of Greece and the Peloponnesian peninsula. The city was infamous for its sensuality and sacred prostitution. Even its name became a notorious proverb: “to Corinthianize” meant to practice prostitution. The city’s chief deity was Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of licentious love, and a thousand professional prostitutes served in the temple dedicated to her worship. The spirit of the city showed up in the church and explains the kind of problems the people faced.

Not to touch a woman is a euphemism for sexual intercourse and represents the spiritual challenge of this chapter. Regardless of how important sex may be, it is still a temporal arrangement and not a part of our eternal existence. Marriage itself is an earthly institution (Matt. 22:30).

7:1 Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?

Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.

5 Christian couples should overcome sexual selfishness and should not deprive one another. If sexual activity is interrupted in marriage, three conditions are necessary: mutual consent; a limited time; spiritual, not selfish, reasons.

2-6 Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.

7:6–9 Paul clearly states that he is speaking from personal preference when he challenges the unmarried to remain celibate (v. 35). Matrimony or celibacy is an individual and a relative matter depending, in part, on one’s ability to control sexual passion. The sexual drive is not sinful, and remaining unmarried instead of marrying embodies no superior moral virtue.

8-9 I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.

7:10, 11 Not I but the Lord: Jesus did not address every possible marriage detail. He did, however, ask His disciples to follow God’s original creation design and never to sever the oneness of their marriage bond (Matt. 19:3–9). A Christian couple is to bear witness to the world by keeping marriage indissoluble. They represent the truth of covenant love and should live and grow in a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. Having dealt with the ideal of marriage, Paul, realizing the reality of stresses and human failure, mentions the permissibility of divorce (but even if she does depart [v. 11]). This permitted divorce has a strict regulation—no adultery, meaning there can most likely be no remarriage in this case except to the one from whom she was previously divorced (let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband [v. 11]). It is not clear why Paul addresses this from the woman’s perspective, but the principle applies to both genders.

7:12–16 To the rest: This section deals with the marriage between a believer and a nonbeliever. Jesus did not rule on this, so Paul must respond in his apostolic authority. Marriages in which one partner later becomes a Christian are valid and must remain intact. Any separation must be initiated by the unbelieving partner.

7:14 The ultimate reason for keeping a mixed marriage together is the holy influence of the believer’s life on the unbelieving partner, resulting in the possible salvation of the entire household.

7:15 When an unbeliever initiates divorce beyond a believer’s control, the believer is free from the relationship, and is not under bondage to keep it intact. Paul is silent concerning remarriage in such a situation.

7:17–24 The connection between the secular and the spiritual sphere is evident in this passage. In light of our eternal calling and destiny, the political and social distinctions of temporal life are not the most important. What matters is obedience to God. Even such a tragic state as slavery, from a social viewpoint, does not dictate the terms of a life in Christ. The paramount thing is for a believer’s spiritual life to remain constant and intact in an unredeemed, changing world.

7:25 Christ Himself gave no teaching on the subject under discussion; but Paul, while not disclaiming inspiration, stresses he is giving sound advice.

7:26 Paul presents his teaching in light of the tension between the temporal, unredeemed secular order and the believer’s spiritual life and calling. The present distress applies to the whole of this age, and does not refer to some special persecution in the first century. This entire age is stressful (vv. 26–28), temporal (vv. 29, 30), and distracting (vv. 32–35).

7:25–40 Paul does not exalt the single state above the marriage state, but he does have a personal preference and urges all groups of the unmarried to consider the wisdom and spiritual benefits of a celibate life. Among these various groups are divorcees (vv. 27, 28); unmarrieds who are free to make their own matrimonial choices (vv. 28–35); unmarrieds whose choices depend on others, most likely fathers (vv. 36–38); and widows (vv. 39, 40).

7:29–31 Because of the nature of this age and the reality of the Coming of Jesus Christ, believers are to adopt the attitude of finding the source of their life in Christ, rather than in earthly institutions, whether marriage, the social sphere, or the economic world. A Christian is to live intently and responsibly and yet see these realities as ultimately temporal.7:36–38 Behaving improperly probably means a father’s unfair treatment of a virgin daughter by refusing permission to marry, but other interpretations are possible. Marriage is not condemned. However, it should not be entered because of social pressure.

~New Spirit-Filled Life Bible Study Notes on I Corinthians 7