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Introduction to the 14^th Chapter:

This chapter is to reveal a number of different things that occur during the last seven years beginning at a period of time right before the invasion of Israel by the Antichrist at the middle of the Tribulation. This is from the time that the 144,000 are saved up until the battle of Armageddon.

It is to reveal more in detail about the 144,000 Jews from the nation of Israel, showing us that they are the first-fruits of the of the nation of Israel saved through the preaching of the Gospel during the time the gospel goes to Israel during the last seven years.
It will also remind us of the mission of preaching the Gospel to the world and then the end coming as Jesus said that it would.
We see that after the Gospel is preached to the whole world, which will take us to the end of the seven years, that Babylon will be destroyed.
We also see the warnings that God gives concerning those who take the mark of the beast.
Then we will see the Rapture or, the harvest being reaped by Christ himself, followed by the destruction of the Antichrist and his nations in the valley of Megiddo during the battle of Armageddon.

1: 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.
The Lamb that we see in this verse is the same Lamb found in Revelation the 5^th chapter, the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth. He is standing on mount Sion. Mount Zion is the Gospel Church, born again believers in Christ. The reason we see Jesus standing on the Church is because this is his support on earth. We the Church raise him above ourselves in humility to his glory and grace.

Hebrews 12:
22: But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23: To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

In this verse we see a group of men standing with him. They are described as a 144,000 having the name of the Father’s name written in their foreheads. This is telling us that these have been received into the Church seeing as they are standing with Jesus on mount Zion, that is the Church. The Father’s name is written in the forehead of all of God’s children to show our faith and trust in him.

These came to Christ a short time before the middle of the Tribulation, and escape the death that Satan had planned for them. The Antichrist invades Israel but the man-child which is the first-fruit unto God and the Lamb is caught up and protected by God, only to return to this earth to preach the Gospel during the last 3 ½ years.

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:
The voice from heaven that sounded as the voice of many waters is the sound of multitude of people, such as a crowd of people cheering at the World Series in a stadium, which sounds like a waterfall. This is symbolic of God using people to be his voice. We are the voice of God on this earth in most cases. We preach, we teach and we witness to his will and glory. This is why he often expresses his voice or other voices in heaven sounding like the voice of many waters.

3: 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.
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. The 144,000 are one and the same with the man-child in Revelation 12: 5 who is caught up to escape being killed by the Antichrist.

The song they sing will be; they have been in His presence in heaven and have come back to earth to preach the Gospel. No other man has been to the throne and come back to this earth in the flesh to tell about it. It is the same sort of thing that Moses did when he went upon the mountain to see God. God held his hand over the face of Moses so that he could only see his back as he passed by, otherwise he would have perished. Some how, some way God is going to protect the 144,000 who are caught up, in the flesh to stand before God. They are and will be the only human beings to ever go to heaven and return in the flesh to this earth. Jesus himself was the first person, but he was also the Son of God and had been glorified. These will return to earth without receiving their glorified bodies.

All of God’s people have been redeemed from the earth by the blood of Jesus, but only if we receive Jesus as Lord and savior and are born again. This is more proof that the 144,000 are born again Jews.

4: 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.
First I would like to say that the Bible teaches that the marriage bed is not defiled, which means that it is holy. To not be a virgin is not a defilement. To believe that these 144,000 are all single men is ridiculous in the root of it.

These are called the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb. They are not the first-fruits of the rapture because Christ is the first-fruit of the rapture (1^st Corinthians 15: 20). They are not the first-fruit of the preaching of the Gospel because the gentile Church is considered to be the first-fruit through the Gospel. They are the first-fruits of the nation of Israel in the middle East. There are Jews in America and many other lands who have been saved but this group of Jews will be the first significant amount of Jews saved out of the land that God gave to Abraham, the nation of Israel.

They will then preach the Gospel in that quarter part of the earth that the anti-Christ conquers and is given. They will be willing to go anyplace that God wants them to go.

In Revelation 14:4 it says that they will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. This indicates that they will probably be martyred for the Gospel during this last three and one half years.

Remember what Jesus told Peter in John 21:18-19:

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

Peter who denied Jesus at the crucifixion later was crucified himself upside down in the city of Rome. God has chosen these (the 144,000) to be a witness against the Antichrist and his people, to give these people the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and find eternal life.

He also proves his love for Israel by helping Israel to escape this invading army. I believe that the remnant of her seed that remains in Israel will do this by choice, knowing that they could be killed by the Antichrist for their testimony of Jesus Christ.

5: And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
In their mouth is no bitterness, they are filled with God’s love. They are without fault before the throne of God the same way that the rest of the Church is without fault. It is because the blood of Jesus covers our sins and we are imputed the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Which only confirms the fact that these men are Jews who have been born again by the Spirit of God.

6: 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,
The last seven years known by many to be Daniel’s seventieth week or the Tribulation period will be God’s last call to the lost. The 144,000 Jews are the first fruits of the nation of Israel during this last call. They will play a major role in reaching the lost in the nations of the Antichrist.

The angel that we see flying in the midst of heaven is not going to preach the gospel as some have taught in great error. Only man has been commissioned to preach the gospel. This is simply confirming the scripture in Matthew 24:
14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

This also goes along with the scripture in Revelation 12 that shows a great increase in the gospel being preached beginning at the middle of the Tribulation.
10: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

7: 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.
The angel declares with a loud voice that the time of the end is at hand. The reason that this is expressed as with a loud voice is because the Church will be preaching with more determination than ever before to reach the lost before the final day comes. Worship God and be saved, becomes the cry.

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 next thing that John saw was another angel declaring that Babylon had fallen and he noted that she was responsible for many souls being destroyed by the wrath of God. She had deceived many. This is to show what is going to happen after the Gospel is preached to all nations. At the end of this message will come the end of World that we know. This will not happen until it is preached.

Once again "all nations," is a synecdoche in which only a part is declared as a whole. This only means that the nations who are under the rule of the Antichrist, which will only be a 1/4^th part of the earth have been made to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. She is a harlot.

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,
Now we are to understand a little more about this as we see what the deception that Babylon has caused. The false prophet himself comes from this city and he is responsible for millions taking the mark of the beast. This is why it is mentioned here.

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:
This describes the horrible judgment on those souls that allow themselves to be deceived by the Antichrist and the False Prophet and receive the mark of the beast. This also speaks of the eventual end of a sinner being cast into the lake of Fire for not having their names written in the book of life. The Antichrist will not be able to deceive God’s people who have been born again as we have seen in other scriptures.

Revelation 13: 8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17: 8: The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Matthew 24: 24: For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

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.
The smoke of their torment, which is from the Lake of Fire will ascend up for ever and ever. This is speaking the eternal torment of those who oppose Christ and reject the salvation that God has for them. It seems to imply a harsher punishment on those who receive the mark of the beast.

12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
The word for patience would be better understood by most of us as "endurance." Because God’s elect will endure, some will even give their lives in obedience to Christ because great will be their reward in heaven. The scriptures promise that Christ will help the Church to persevere during these harsh times. God is with his people.

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.
Here we are promised that the end is coming and Jesus is getting ready to rapture the church. This will happen at the end of the gospel age, in other words when the gospel is preached to all nations then the Church will have completed her mission. They will rest from preaching the gospel because it will no longer be needed. Their works will follow them as they are to be caught up unto Jesus to become like him. The reason they follow is because the judgment for rewards will come after the Rapture not before.

14: 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.
We are about to the see the harvest of the Church, which is the catching away or the rapture of the Church. John sees a white cloud and a person on this cloud that looks like Jesus. The fact that he recognizes him is not remarkable seeing that he was one of the Disciples of Christ who walked with him for 3 ½ years. Christ has on his head a golden crown. This is symbolic of the surrender of the Church, we crown the Lord Jesus as king every time we submit and become subject to him through our obedience to his commandments upon the earth. In his hand is a sharp sickle, this tells us that it is he that is going to gather the harvest.

15: 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.
Another angel comes out of the temple and tells him to thrust in his sickle and reap the harvest because the harvest is ripe. The harvest in this scripture is speaking of all of the Saints on this earth who are alive or dead that have been born again by the Spirit of God and are the elect according to God’s will. It is time to gather this vast company of Saints who have trusted in Christ for their salvation.

16: And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
In a moment in a twinkling of an eye this even occurs with the dead in Christ rising first and then those who are alive will rise to meet them in the air. When we see him we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. This is at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh Trumpet. The angel told John and swore before God in heaven that at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh trumpet that time would be no more. Which means that the time for preaching the gospel has come to an end. No more souls will be saved through the preaching of the gospel from this point.

17: And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Now we will see an event that occurs immediately following the harvest of the Church. God has caught the Church up to heaven to eat the marriage supper of the Lamb and Christ will immediately return to defeat the Antichrist and his nations at the Battle of Armageddon. This is about to be described in part by this next angel.

The angel in this verse has a sharp sickle in his hand. This sickle will be used for a harvest but not the one the harvest Christ came for. This will be a harvest of the Antichrist and his nations who are gathered in the valley of Megiddo in Israel.

18: 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.
The clusters of grapes are the vine of the earth, which is speaking of groups of people who are wicked. Like the tares that the angels gather up in bundles to be burned in the parable of the tares and the wheat. These clusters of people are the armies and nations that support the Antichrist.

19: 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.
The armies and nations of the Antichrist have been gathered together in a place called Armageddon. The great winepress will be the place of judgment for these very wicked people. They are the enemies of God and his people. The winepress is the battlefield called Armageddon. God is going to pour out his wrath upon these people at this time.

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.
The winepress or battle of Armageddon will happen outside of the city of Jerusalem in a valley called Megiddo. This valley is over two hundred miles long and that is the distance of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Here we see the blood from this great army that has been destroy by Christ.

There are two scriptures that describe this event. One is found in Matthew 24 speaking of eagles being gathered around a carcase.
28: For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Picture it like this; The carcase is the dead body of the beast in Revelation 13:1 with the seven heads, ten horns and ten crowns lying on it’s back in the valley of Megiddo. The eagles are the nations that are gathered there to look at this terrible sight. The Bible has used eagles as an example of nations in the past.

In Isaiah the 66^th chapter we see this same picture again.
24: And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Revelation the 19^th chapter gives us a picture of Christ and the army out of heaven coming to fight this battle.
11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17: And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18: That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

God Bless You
Tommie Spurgeon

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