Past, Present, and Future: The Three Angels of Revelation 14
“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
– Ecclesiastes 3: 14-15, 17
Revelation 14 – Interlude (Intermission)
Theme: Past Fulfillment, Present Judgment, Future Harvest
Revelation 14 is an interlude in the unfolding drama of Revelation. Similar to an intermission, an interlude is defined as “a short play, piece of music, or other entertainment performed during a break in the performance of a long work.” Its purpose here is to provide a chronological perspective, offering a glimpse into the timing of events that take place within the overall thematic unfolding of the Revelation narrative. This chapter is divided into three segments: past, present, and future.
Past: The appearance of the previously sealed 144,000 first fruits of Israel, first encountered in Revelation 7:2. Their appearance is a reminder that all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:26).
Present: The messages of the three angels are a present event within the Revelation narrative. Their messages are further subdivided into past, present, and future announcements.
Future: A prophetic message describing the coming harvest of the earth, both the righteous and the wicked. The righteous, represented by grain, are harvested first, followed by the harvest of the wicked, symbolized by the grapes of God’s wrath.
The centerpiece of the chapter is the message of the three angels, which would have presented a familiar symbol to anyone with knowledge of first century Greek drama. These three angels take the place of the three mythological Fates that appeared in many plays. The comments of the three Fates were always organized into past, present, and future pronouncements. This dramatic device helped the audience gain perspective on the development and timing of events, some of which might be taking place in different locations. Each Fate was personified with a name, and each had her own special domain of knowledge: past, present, or future.
When the three Fates spoke of past, present, and future events, it was always in that order. The first Fate reminded the audience of something that had already occurred, providing relevant background. The second Fate provided insight into present events in order to provide context to unfolding developments. The third offered predictions of the future, usually ominous ones, setting expectations for the direction the plot would take. Fulfilling the function of the three Fates, the first angel announces a past event, the second a present one, while the third offers a dire prediction of coming judgment.
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Revelation 14
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. 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: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 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. 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, 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: 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
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. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (KJV)
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Revelation 14 Commentary
v. 1-3 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. 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: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Many commentators hold that the 144,000 are in heaven, based on the first five verses of this chapter. This interpretation may well be correct. However, it is undermined to some degree when these verses are examined more closely. To start, the 144,000 are standing “on Mount Zion.” Mt Zion is identified in Scripture with the location of God’s earthly temple and with the church of the saints. It is never associated in Scripture with a heavenly locale. The earthly setting is confirmed by John’s language; he heard voices from heaven. This places him on earth with the 144,000. Had he been in heaven he would have stated that he heard a voice from some specific location in heaven, consistent with his descriptions of all other heavenly pronouncements. The only time that the phrase ‘from heaven’ appears in Revelation is when the scene takes place on earth.
“...and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand.” This implies that the 144,000 are men rather than being part of the multitude in heaven, and thus still present on earth. Because Jesus has not yet returned to earth, his appearance with the 144,000 here on Mt. Zion is symbolic rather than an actual event, indicating that the 144,000 belong to the Lamb. Jesus probably does not appear as a Lamb on Mt. Zion with the 144,000 any more than he really sits on a cloud later in this chapter to harvest the earth with a sickle. The sealing of the 144,000 with the Father’s name occurred in Revelation 7: 3-8. That they “were redeemed from the earth” confirms their salvation as a past event. It does not necessarily indicate that they are no longer on earth, but may instead symbolize that they are from ‘the earth’ of Israel rather than from ‘the sea’ of Gentile nations.
v. 4-5 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. The qualifications of the 144,000 are more stringent than what is required for salvation, because they are a first fruits offering to God, sanctifying all Israel. The phrase that confirms this is: “... they are without fault before the throne of God.” This is consistent with the requirements established in the Old Testament that first fruits offerings be without fault or blemish. Their qualifications should not be interpreted to mean that only virgins can be saved, any more than it means that only 144,000 people go to heaven.
The virginity of the 144,000 may be either physical, symbolic, or both. More than one Old Testament prophet castigated Israel for her unfaithfulness to the Lord, even characterizing her as a prostitute. The ‘undefiled’ status of the 144,000 may be indicative of their faithfulness to the Lord rather than a statement of their lack of sexual experience, or it may be that they have maintained a higher standard of conduct than required by the law out of devotion to God. That they are without fault “before the throne of God” does not necessarily mean they are standing before the throne, but that the throne is the location where fault is judged. The statement that the 144,000 follow the Lamb wherever he goes is a description of the earthly activity of discipleship. Jesus doesn’t really go anywhere in heaven; however, “Follow me” is the command Jesus gave to his disciples on earth. If the 144,000 are still on earth, it is because they have work to do, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom to Israel.
This work may be the fulfillment of the commission Jesus gave to his disciples to preach the coming Kingdom of God to Israel in two-man teams. The number 144,000 is a thousand fold times the square of the original twelve apostles, who were assigned first to preach the kingdom of God to Israel. Whether literal or figurative in number, these first fruits saints may still be traveling across the length and breadth of Israel preaching repentance when Jesus returns.
“Go not,” He said, “among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town; but, instead of that, go to the lost sheep of Israel’s race. And as you go, preach and say, ‘The Kingdom of the Heavens is close at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse lepers, drive out demons: you have received without payment, give without payment. Whenever they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for I solemnly tell you that you will not have gone the round of all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” Matt 10:5-8, 23
v. 6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. John now moves to a description the three angels, with their past, present, and future messages. This angel has the “gospel of the kingdom, which will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” before the return of Christ. (Mt. 24:14 NIV) Like the first of the three Fates, the first angel speaks of past events. The universal preaching of the Gospel is therefore a past event. Because this Scriptural condition has been met, the angel is stating that the Day of Judgment is at hand. This is confirmed by the fact that John says he saw “another angel,” referencing a previous one. The last angel John saw was the one who sounded the seventh trumpet, announcing that authority over the earth had been given to Jesus: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” The angel of things past is confirming that the times of the Gentiles are at an end; the gospel of the kingdom has therefore been preached to every nation on earth.
v. 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 angel is referring to Spiritual Babylon, symbolizing the world system inspired by the Dragon and infused with his values, not the city of Babylon in Iraq partially restored as a national park for tourists. The world system is characterized by occult worship, self-indulgence, sexual licentiousness and the love of material luxuries that comes from great wealth and power. Different cities have been home to spiritual Babylon throughout the ages. Having first arisen in the Old Babylonian Kingdom shortly after the Flood, the world system spread its occult knowledge and values throughout the ancient world. At the end of the age the modern city where spiritual Babylon dwells will be judged for its wickedness.
Like the second Fate, the second angel speaks of present events. Thus, the second angel declares that Babylon is fallen, rather than saying Babylon has fallen, as might be expected here. The King James text preserves the original Greek grammar, which emphasizes the fall of Babylon as a ‘completed present’ event. A detailed description of Babylon’s judgment is reserved for Revelation 18, where it thematically fulfills the theme of the Day of Atonement. The word ‘fallen’ does not appear to describe a partial judgment, since Jeremiah 51: 8 (KJV), uses the same word in his prophecy of Babylon’s destruction. The repetition of the word fallen may be indicative of the completeness of her judgment, or that she is struck twice, ensuring her destruction.
Although the exact timing of Spiritual Babylon’s fall cannot be determined with accuracy in Revelation’s thematic unfolding of events, a general time frame can be inferred from the chronology presented here. In the context of the messages of the three angels, it occurs after the Gospel is preached to every ethnic group and nation of the world (the first angel), but before the beast has implemented his economic ‘mark’ (the third angel). Because the fall of Babylon takes place before the third angel’s pronouncement, this raises the probability that the fall of Babylon occurs sometime around the beginning of the rule of the beast.
v. 9-11 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, 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: 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.
Like the third Fate, the third angel speaks of future events. He warns the saints against taking the mark of the beast or worshiping the beast and his image. Because it can be assumed that in God’s mercy the third angel’s warning would not be given in vain, it must be announced sometime near the start of the beast’s rule, before his mark is imposed on the world. As previously stated, this places the timing of the fall of Babylon around the beginning of the rule of the Son of Perdition.
v. 12-13 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 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. In keeping with the ways of God, Revelation holds out hope in the middle of despair. The third angels’ curse is balanced by a blessing for remaining faithful, even in the face of death. John again hears a voice ‘from heaven,’ indicating that he is still on earth. The message is reinforced by the Holy Spirit, encouraging the saints with a reminder of reward for every act of faithfulness and every good work done for the Kingdom of God.
v. 14-19 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
To review, there were three ritual harvests in Israel’s religious calendar. The spring and summer grain harvests were followed by the gathering and pressing of the olives and grapes at the end of the fall harvest. The treading of the grapes during the final harvest festival of Ingathering is a type of the final judgment on the wicked. (Gen. 49:11, Deut. 32: 4, Isa. 49:26) The prophetic harvest symbolized in this passage foretells the coming of the Son of Man to reward the righteous and punish the wicked at the end of the age. The righteous are reaped as grain, and the wicked are cut off and thrown as grapes into the winepress of God’s wrath.
Within this chapter’s theme of past, present, and future events, this symbolic harvest is still a future event, taking place at the conclusion of the age, after the rule of the beast. The Son of man is directed by an angel coming out of the temple (naos) to harvest the righteous, who belong to him. The angel with the sickle then harvests the grapes, having been told to do so by an angel from the altar. The harvest of the righteous is thus connected to the glory of God in the sanctuary, while the harvest of the wicked is associated with the judgment of fire from the bronze altar in the courtyard. The prophet Joel also places this harvest at the end of the age, when Jerusalem is surrounded by the nations.
Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow— For their wickedness is great. Joel 3: 12-13 NKJV
v. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Since bridles in John’s day included elaborate reins that might drape clear down to the horses’ fetlock, the joint above the hoof, the blood is probably only a few inches deep. History records previous battles in which blood ran to several inches in depth, including the battle to retake Jerusalem during the Crusades. The great length that blood covers the ground is not a picture of one long river of blood, but a depiction of conditions that exist at many battle sites, taking into account the great number of encampments arrayed for 200 miles around Jerusalem.
Revelation 14
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