# 06 2022 Dev. Rev.14:3. A new Song! Read all of Rev.14 first. We invite you into God’s space, to read and think about His Word, to interact with it. This is God’s Story. How will His Story shape your own? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Rev 14:3 “And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.”
Intro. This vision that John sees is put into the words of men so that those who believe will understand by the power of the Holy Spirit. What is being described here is from eternity to eternity. God, who is outside of time, operates in the eternal present, represents to us what is about to happen in time, as long as time lasts.
Rev.14 introduces another interlude, the Lamb on Mount Zion, “and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” This is the same group we see in chapter 7, all those sealed from before the creation of the earth. 144,000 is the perfect number, they are the multitude from every nation, tribe, language and people that no one is able to number.
They are pure and have not defiled themselves, they remain virgins. Human sexual relations between a man and his wife is not meant here, that is ordained by God, Gen 2: 23-24 before the fall. What is meant here is spiritual adultery, what God’s people continued to do and what the prophets continually warned them about and continually warn us about; the lust of the world, pride, goods, prestige, illicit sex, all of it is too much with us because of the beast. No, “they are blameless,” by the power and grace of Jesus.
The vision continues; “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth- to every nation, tribe language and people.” The eternal gospel that starts with God calling Adam and Eve after the fall; Where are you? God’s call continues through all generations and on into eternity. Where are you today? Where am I? Do we fear God, glorify him, worship him, the maker of heaven and earth?
“A second angel followed and said, “’Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’” she is the great deceiver, the harlot, the spiritual adulterers that represents all who rebel against God.
“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: whoever worships the beast or receive his mark, will drink the wine of God’s fury.” There will be suffering “and the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever.” God is with his people, the angel says: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”
“Than I heard a voice from heaven, “’Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” This is the voice of God, and the voice of the Spirit of God. “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Salvation does not depend on our deeds, by God’s grace alone are we saved! But all that we do in the name of Jesus while on this earth, “Love, joy, peace,forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” follow us to heaven and become the building blocks for the New Heaven and the New Earth.
“I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.” An angel came out of the temple and said: “take your sickle and reap.” The one seated on the cloud harvested the earth. He is Jesus gathering in the sheaves, His people, faithful and true, the people of God.
“Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.” He also is told to reap “the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” The grapes are gathered, he “threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city.” Jesus was crucified outside the city. There is no wine but blood, a lot of blood indicating God’s judgment and punishment for those who reject Jesus for the beast. But before God’s judgment Jesus gathers His people to himself in heaven, thanks be to God.
© cgvanwyk, all rights reserved
Heavenhigh 