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Sermon

The Victory of the Lamb and His Followers

Series
Revelation
Scripture
Revelation 14:1-13

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

Revelation 14 reveals the triumph of the Lamb and His saints alongside the certain judgment of sinners. We are reminded that confidence in truth is not optional—it is essential for standing firm in every age, and especially in the final days. The 144,000 sealed servants of God stand victorious with the Lamb on Mount Zion, singing a new song of redemption, while three angels proclaim final warnings of judgment to a world that has rejected the Creator.

Key Lessons:

  1. True spiritual victory always produces heartfelt, substance-filled worship and singing—not because of a beat, but because of what the heart understands about truth.
  2. God seals, protects, and redeems His people even through the worst trials, and nothing can take our souls from His hand.
  3. The eternal gospel calls all people to fear God, give Him glory, and worship the Creator—and compliance with the beast’s system brings undiluted, eternal wrath.
  4. The perseverance of the saints is marked by obedience to Christ’s commandments and unwavering faith, resulting in eternal rest and eternal rewards.

Application: We are called to live holy, blameless lives before God every day, to sing with heartfelt conviction, and to place our full confidence in God’s word and His redemptive plan. We must not ride the fence but decisively trust Christ as Lord and Savior, investing our lives in faithfulness that earns eternal dividends.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does it mean to live your life “before God” as Ephesians 1 describes, and how should that awareness change daily decisions?
  2. How does the contrast between the mark of the beast and the seal of God challenge us to consider where our ultimate loyalty lies today?
  3. In what practical ways can we grow in heartfelt, substance-filled worship rather than going through the motions?

Scripture Focus: Revelation 14:1-13 provides the central text, depicting the Lamb’s victory on Mount Zion with the 144,000 and the three angels’ messages of judgment. Supporting passages include Revelation 17:14 (the Lamb overcomes), Psalm 33:1-5 (joyful praise), Ephesians 1:4 (holy and blameless before Him), Colossians 1:21-22 (reconciled and beyond reproach), Isaiah 34:9-10 (eternal judgment imagery), and 2 Peter 3:11-12 (holy conduct in light of the end).

Outline

Introduction

Okay, let’s take our Bibles this morning and turn to Revelation 14.

Some sad events happened this past week, but in a very real way, it’s really about confidence.

Confidence in the Truth

Confidence in what? Confidence in the truth. What is the truth?

The definition of being confident is to be firm in what you believe.

It was once asked what Charlie Kirk wanted to be known for. He wanted to be known for his faith in Christ. And he’s with the Lord now. I just pray that his death would be a revival among young people to follow Christ.

In the book of Revelation, in the tribulation, people are going to have to know truth. We live in a day of complete confusion. People don’t know what truth is. But you have to know what truth is or you’ll never know what the right way is or how to have a relationship with the true and living God.

“You have to know what truth is or you’ll never know the right way or how to have a relationship with the true and living God.”

Confidence in the truth means to have a firm trust in it, to rely upon it, to have a feeling of assurance in it.

I ran across a funny story about a missionary who went to the islands to be a missionary. As he was there, he was confident in the gospel. He was confident in the word of God. He was confident in everything he did. He knew God wanted him there. And as he was ministering, he fell into a tribe of cannibals.

He asked the tribal leader—I guess he had learned some of the language then or through a translator—”Are you going to eat me?” And the tribal leader says, “Yes.” And he says, “Well, let me give you a piece of my flesh. You won’t like it.” So he reached down with a knife, cut off a piece of his calf, and gave it to him. And the tribal leader ate it, gagged on it, and spit it out. And the missionary ended up being a missionary there for 50 years.

See what happened was years ago they used to make peg legs out of cork. So he actually cut a piece of cork out of his leg and gave it to his tribal leader and he gagged on it and choked. So he was confident that he knew he would get out of that situation. He knew God had him there and he ended up being there for 50 years.

Now that’s kind of comical. I’m sure it wasn’t comical then, but it’s kind of funny. But it’s confidence in the truth.

And so we have to keep in mind in Revelation it’s talking about the final unveiling of the last days. And the war of the false trinity against the people of God sets the scene for this picture in Revelation 14. The victory of the lamb and of his saints and the eternal punishment of those who willingly follow the dragon against the saints.

So in Revelation 14 we find ourselves still in a parenthetical section. Remember, a parenthesis means that there is not a continuation of the sequence. The author, in other words, slips in for a very good reason. We just got done describing the plan of Satan to take over. And now he slips in this section of scripture for an encouragement to those who are believers or to those who are riding the fence when they don’t know what the truth is in the tribulation. Somebody has to give them some hope.

So this is the third parenthesis and is a pause before the seventh trumpet is finished and then all the rapid fire bold judgments begin. This chapter is saturated with victory and triumph and that’s what the people actually needed to hear and need to hear when they are going to be in this time.

As we look at this chapter, I want you to see two things really: the glory of the saints and the judgment of the sinners. Because those two things together show us the victory that we have in Christ.

Let me have a word of prayer as we continue. Lord, this morning as we look at the word of God, as we think about the things that have gone on, our own day in which we live and how truth is so convoluted, I pray Lord that you would give us the same thing: confidence in the truth of your plan and your word, knowing that you will bring everything to pass that you said in the word of God and that those who are yours will celebrate all that you have done.

The Glory of the Saints

And I pray, Lord, you would encourage our hearts through this portion of scripture. In Christ I pray. Amen.

We see chapter 14, verses 1-5, the glory—the first point, the glory of the saints. Notice what it says in verse one. It says, “Then I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000.”

Here’s their triumph.

The Lamb’s Victory on Mount Zion

Here we see the real lamb of God, Jesus Christ himself. He comes standing on Mount Zion. He comes showing a glimpse of his victory.

Zion is the location where Messiah would deliver his people and gather them to himself.

The saints’ triumph is because of the victory of the lamb.

“The saints’ triumph is because of the victory of the Lamb.”

The victory of the lamb is shown in the lamb’s position in verse 1.

Then I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion. Standing signified a military victory after the battle is over and the smoke clears.

The lamb who is the divine warrior wins the victory over the false trinity.

The saints are seen participating in the joy of that victory.

If you look quickly over to chapter 17 in verse 14, we get a clearer glimpse of this where it says these will wage war against the lamb and the lamb will overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings and those who are with him are the called and chosen and faithful.

Revelation 17:14: “The Lamb will overcome them because He is the Lord of lords and King of kings.”

Back to chapter 14, we have to note that Mount Zion and the city of David are the same thing. They refer to Jerusalem.

They are the place where God chose many years ago and it’s the place where he will again reign over all the earth.

Some have called this section of scripture a prolleptic vision of the millennial reign of the lamb and of the redeemed.

The 144,000 Sealed Servants

It’s really a picture of the end time view of Zion or the end time view of Jerusalem that is in mind here. The blending of the past and the present and the future aspects all come together, and in layman’s terms, here is the earthly scene, an earthly scene but anticipates a future reality. And then notice the participants back in Revelation 14:1: “Then I look, the lamb standing on Mount Zion with him 144,000.”

Now this is the same group from Revelation 7. Remember that group was brought together from the twelve tribes of Israel and they were brought together because God was going to pour out judgment on the earth and he had to take these Jewish believers or these Jews and seal them so they would not be harmed.

So something is coming that is going to harm the earth, and so this group must be sealed. They must be protected. These Jews are going to be sealed and safeguarded from that which will hurt the earth. So in other words, they can’t be killed. They can’t die. They can’t be harmed.

And for what reason were they not harmed and kept safe? So that they can take the gospel to the world. In the worst time of world history, God has to protect his people so they can’t be assassinated. So they can preach the gospel without harm.

“God has to protect His people so they can preach the gospel without harm.”

The Mark of God vs. the Mark of the Beast

But notice in verse one also the marks that they have, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads.

Now please don’t miss the contrast developing in this passage, the contrast between the mark of the beast in chapter 13 and the mark of God.

See, the name of God is inscribed on the brow of one’s face, declaring that the person inscribed is God’s own possession. I own you. It’s the same for believers.

We’re sealed into the day of redemption, right? So nobody can touch us. Oh, we can lose our life maybe for preaching the gospel, but they can’t take our soul. We are safe in God.

“They can’t take our soul. We are safe in God.”

So that alone gives us the confidence. And they were sealed with the seal of the Father and the Son. And it depicts ownership and security.

In other words, God will protect and keep those who bear his name. That’s his promise to us. As the Father and the Son are one, and we saints bear a oneness with the Father and the Son, which authenticates us as belonging to the Lamb of God. As it says later in Revelation, God will dwell amongst us and we will be his people and he will be our God.

The New Song of Redemption

And if there’s one specific sign among God’s people when there is victory and they understand it, it’s a sign of real heartfelt song.

Look at verse two. “And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. And the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.”

Here we have saints with the lamb on Mount Zion and a very loud sound is coming from heaven. It uses three symbols: listen, it’s like many waters—that means the picture of the sound of a waterfall. Also loud thunder—the strong voice of God that no one can fail to hear.

When thunder sounds, you can’t fail to hear it. No matter where you are, if it’s in your vicinity, it’s like the voice of God speaking and everyone hears it. But notice it’s not just the voice of a strong authoritative message from God.

It’s also the instruments—it’s like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. Harps are usually connected in scripture almost all the time with joy.

So the voice of gentleness and sweet music comes from heaven. What’s the stage in verse three? “And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one learned the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth.”

There are four hymns in Revelation that bear similar markings which have as their theme celebration. We already covered one in Revelation 5:9—the purchase of God’s people by the blood of the lamb and they sang. And now here in chapter 14 celebrates the victory of the saints over the beast.

“They sang a new song before the throne—celebrating the victory of the saints over the beast.”

And then there are two more that come later on.

Heartfelt Singing as a Sign of Victory

And brethren, if there is one particular sign of real, true, and lasting victory when one understands it and holds to it, it is the sign of real heartfelt singing.

How loud and heartfelt we believers should sing to and before the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oftentimes we do not sing heartily. We don’t sometimes sing as if we really believe that we are God’s children, that we are purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, that we have obtained an eternal victory.

We should sing heartily. I think we’re getting good at it, but we have to get better. You always have to get better because I know that when people really sing, they’re singing because they believe something and they believe the truth and that they know they’re right with God because of what Jesus Christ has done. And as you grow in your faith and mature in your faith, you want to sing. And then to hear the people sing is a good sign that something, the Lord is present amongst them and that God is doing something amongst a people that sing like that.

“When people really sing, they’re singing because they believe the truth and know they’re right with God.”

So there’s an emphasis here in our texts on loud, convincing type of singing. John the Apostle heard the harps playing along and literally it’s really literally harps harping their harps.

Harps, Joy, and the Death of Music

See, these harps are really 10 to 12 string instruments. It’s also known as a lyre in scripture. Used often in temple worship.

In fact, in Psalms you’ll find it brought up all the time, like in Psalm 33. “Sing for joy in the Lord, oh you righteous ones. Praise is becoming of the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre or with the harp. Sing praise to him with a harp of 10 strings. Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with the shout of joy.” And why did they do that? For the word of the Lord is upright and all his work is done in faithfulness. And he loves righteousness and justice and the earth is full of the loving kindness of the Lord. That’s why—see, there’s always substance to real singing.

It’s not just the beat. The beat doesn’t really have to be there at all. It’s the heart and what the heart understands about truth. That’s where real singing comes from. And what? In scripture, when harps don’t play and there is no singing, that’s a very sad day. That’s right. If you recall, when the people of Israel were taken into captivity and went into Babylon, what did the people of Babylon say? “Play us a song of Zion.” And they said, “How could we play a song when we’re in a foreign land?”

“It’s not just the beat. It’s the heart and what the heart understands about truth. That’s where real singing comes from.”

And the Bible says, “And they hung their harps on the willows because they couldn’t sing anymore.” Well, look at Revelation 18:2 for a minute, because there’s coming a day that will take place.

Revelation 18:2 says, “And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.” Then go down to verse 22 of chapter 18.

Look what it says: “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute players and trumpeters will not be heard in her any longer.” What is that? That’s the death of music.

Music is a great gift that God’s given us. It can do many things in our life. But the world’s music is going to die.

Purchased from the Earth

But the music for the saints will continue on forever because we actually have something of substance to sing about. And notice in chapter 14 verse 3 in our text, they sang a new song. A new song is a hymn of praise for the fact that the God of creation has delivered his people as well as called his saints to put their trust completely in him. In any case, the redeemed must learn the hymn.

And possibly heaven’s choir in this scene is teaching the hymn to the newly redeemed saints as it says back in verse 3. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been purchased from the earth.

So the lamb’s company were able to learn this new song because of their trials in the tribulation.

And they are the first ones on earth worthy to sing the song of redemption because they have been purchased by the blood of Christ and delivered from the fierce opposition of Satan’s diabolical trio and their plan to destroy the people of God. They knew it well. They saw it before their eyes.

So the content of the song is praise to the lamb who with his blood purchased to redeem.

“The content of the song is praise to the Lamb who with His blood emancipated all believers from the slave market of sin.”

In other words, he emancipated all believers from the slave market of sin.

The very Greek word used here is the word agarato. It means to redeem, to buy, to purchase for oneself. And that’s what the Lord does with his blood.

So the 144,000 of the nation of Israel having passed through the tribulation are sealed against the wrath of God. But now they are more than sealed for protection. They are now redeemed and learning a new song being taught by those who have already been redeemed and now are in heaven. And heaven is teaching them the song. So the song then is a song sung before the elders that represent the church and the martyred saints who are already in heaven.

The Spiritual Identity of the Redeemed

What about these people? What’s their spiritual identity? Look back to Revelation 14:4-5.

There are four things that are really important that the Bible brings out about who they are.

The first thing is in verse four. It says these are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. In other words, these redeemed and their purity is being mentioned here.

The best way to take this passage is figuratively, indicating that they kept themselves pure from all defiling relationships with the beast, his pagan and evil world government system, and the great religious harlot, which will be the religious system, the apostate religious system during the tribulation. So they resist all seduction to defilement and immorality and kept themselves free from all idolatrous forms of spiritual adultery.

“They resisted all seduction to defilement and kept themselves free from all idolatrous spiritual adultery.”

They’re clean. That’s the first thing it says. But look at the second thing in verse four: the redeemed and their relationship to the lamb. It says these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes.

Simply saying to us that they are true followers who will follow the lamb through very difficult times which they have, and we know that they will. So that’s their relationship to the lamb. They hear his voice and they follow him. They follow no one else. And could you imagine how many other voices are going to be vying for people’s attention during this time in history? It’s going to be a multitude. And yet they hear one voice, the voice of their Lord and Savior who purchased them.

And then notice there the redeemed, the redeemed in their position in verse four. They have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the lamb. In the Old Testament, the first fruits were the best part of the harvest that were offered to God to signify that the crop was his and the rest of the crop was the gracious gift of God, which caused the worshippers to be grateful for what God has done.

In our text, the first fruits refer to the beginning of the great harvest, the beginning of the harvest right into the millennial kingdom. The 144,000 are the godly core of Israel, the first fruits of the kingdom. Remember, Christ will bring in the full harvest. Why? Because he is the first fruits of the resurrection.

In other words, first fruits means that the rest of the harvest will follow. So if you are a believer, you will follow these into the kingdom of God.

And then the fourth thing it says about these redeemed is their blamelessness in verse five of Revelation 14. “And no lie was found in their mouth.” They are blameless. In other words, they are without fault. There’s no stain or no blame that could be brought against them.

Living Holy and Blameless Before God

See, that’s the quality all of us should have. Matter of fact, these same qualities are what our Christians are exhorted to live by all throughout scripture.

Take for example Ephesians 1:4.

Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him. Sometimes people leave out that little ending “before him” because that’s where you live your life. You live your life before God. Wherever you’re at, no matter what you’re doing, your God’s eyes are upon you. And you ought to be mindful of that every day so when you’re tempted, you won’t do the things that you’re tempted to do.

Ephesians 1:4: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

Why? Because you’re living your life before God. That’s why Ephesians, even Colossians 1:21, says, “Yet he has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” See, that’s what God desires for us—to do those things, to be that kind of person. And as you have the spirit of God and the word of God, you can be that.

The bottom line is this: those who will stand on Mount Zion with the lamb and sing this new song will be those who have maintained their spiritual purity and refuse to participate in any kind of pagan worship or Satan worship, but just the worship of God.

So we are exhorted too to sing heartfelt praises and thanksgiving to God and to live holy and blameless lives in the presence of the Lord.

The Judgment of Sinners

The victory of the lamb and his followers also includes the next section and next point, and that’s the judgment of sinners. Remember, God is going to take, he’s going to do, he’s going to write all wrongs.

He is going to give everybody justice that is due them from God because God has fair and equal justice.

“Everybody will receive the justice that is due them from God because God has fair and equal justice.”

And so we see in Revelation 14:6 onward the judgment of sinners.

Here in chapter 14, three angels in this section blow their trumpets, each with their distinct judgment message. The first one announces the last opportunity to repent. The second proclaiming the imminent fall of Babylon the great and the third, the eternal torment awaiting those who follow the beast.

As we continue in these passages, it’s a call for unbelievers to fear God and to give him glory. It is also a warning to both unbelievers and fence-riding people that God’s judgment and the time for vindication will come quite rapidly.

There’s no time. In other words, the time is out.

This morning, my wristwatch stopped ticking. Literally, I’m looking at my watch. It says, “It’s not 4:00.” The time stopped.

That’s what we have going on here. And so what we also see in this section is God’s tremendous mercy and grace going out for the last call. This is the last call.

And look what it says in verses 6 and 7.

The First Angel: The Eternal Gospel

The first angel, what does he do? He preaches the eternal gospel. Notice it says in verse 6, “And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth and every nation and tribe and tongue and people.” And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God. Give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water.” So this first angel is a messenger of God who carries out the judgments of God. And that is the only time an angel is said to preach the gospel.

It’s almost like there’s something wrong with that. We’re supposed to preach the gospel. Humans are supposed to preach the gospel. And he is flying in midheaven. That signifies that the message is for the whole world.

“That is the only time an angel is said to preach the gospel.”

What Is the Eternal Gospel?

Now if I ask you the question this morning, what is the eternal gospel?

You might say, well, it must be the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, his death, his burial, his resurrection, the gospel of salvation in Christ.

But there seems to be something different with this message as compared to the one found in what I just said.

And to name a few things, notice it is preached by angels, not human men. Secondly, it does not mention Jesus and his sacrifice for sin. There is no call for repentance. There’s just a call to fear God to give him glory in light of coming judgment. No offer of salvation but only proclamation of judgment.

See, worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water is a point to the creator. So there’s no invitation to believe only three commands of warning because of approaching judgment. But on the other hand, this is another way of actually communicating the gospel especially to Israel because there is a call to fear God.

“No offer of salvation but only proclamation of judgment—three commands of warning because of approaching judgment.”

Notice what it says in our passage in verse seven. It says, “Fear God.” That is a command. It could be reference to conversion. Often times, fear God and conversion go together in the word of God. Also, there’s a call secondly to give him glory. That could again be a point of an idiom of repentance.

Why do they repent? Because the hour of judgment has come. This is it, guys.

Also, we know that in Revelation 16 defining repentance unto salvation as giving him glory. It’s written like this: Men were scorched with fierce heat and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues and they did not repent so as to give him glory. So repentance and giving glory are connected and then also it’s a call, another command to worship.

Worship him in all humanity is responsible to God the creator. Everyone is responsible to God the creator and that’s why it includes every nation and tribe and tongue and people.

Well, with saying all that I believe that the stress is on really the everlasting nature of the message. The good news God always judges sin and rewards worship. So this is the last opportunity to repent of sin and worship God.

Also, the gospel preached is the gospel of the kingdom where it’s recorded in Matthew 24:14, the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.

So in other words, that message was specifically designed for the nation of Israel who would have understood it as a message of repentance and turning and having faith in God. Also in the Old Testament, the Jews called to salvation. It would be understandable if Israel is the focus of the tribulation, which I believe it is.

Isaiah says it this way: And they feared God and they heard and learned and feared God.

Repent or Face Final Judgment

So consequently, here is a message of the first angel in a nutshell.

Repent or face final judgment.

Repent or face final judgment.

“Repent or face final judgment.”

So this is the last chance for anyone.

Make your choice.

Worship the true and living God, the creator of the heaven and the earth, and receive salvation or worship the beast and receive judgment.

That’s it. And that’s what we read in our passage this morning where the Bible calls people to he calls us to fear God above all gods.

For all the gods of the people are idols and the Lord but the Lord made the heavens and the earth and ascribe to the Lord, oh families of the peoples, ascribe the Lord glory and strength. That’s the worship that comes from people who actually believe and trust the Lord and follow him. So there’s a connection between these messages and in this case because there is a rejection of the eternal gospel.

In other words, that they have rejected their last chance for repentance to avoid the hour of judgment.

And and how sad it is again in our day.

And because of people’s foolishness and evil, they hate the truth that’s proclaimed and they try to take it down and destroy it and move it out of the way. They hate it. It’s going to get worse. It is going to get worse.

The Second Angel: The Fall of Babylon

But I want you to know what what the second angel says in verse number eight of chapter 14.

He gives a prediction of the destruction of Babylon. It says, “And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, fallen and fallen as Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” So this second message follows on the heels of the first angel because it is God’s day. It is the the day of the Lord and the sequence of the day of the Lord cannot be stopped anymore.

Revelation 14:8: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink of the wine of her immorality.”

It must be completed.

And the use of the term Babylon may re referring to that last corrupt city that pollutes the whole world. I don’t know. Some people say it could be the revive Rome. It could be anything. Some people even believe it’s the United States.

That’s a subject for another day, though.

So like Babylon or Rome or whatever whatever country causes people to just be spiritually dead and follow idols and immorality and just live for themselves and not even consider God. It’s going to be that particular city or country that is in view here.

The Three Systems of Babylon

In fact, Babylon the great which is mentioned here.

We have the mystery of iniquity in its final form.

There there’s going to be three systems in Babylon that are going to be used by the antichrist and the false prophet to deceive the world. The first would be the counterfeit church. It’s it’s going to be the vast religious system of worldly error.

Secondly, there’s going to be the political empire, the manifestation of the satanic device and design that gets people, remember, to worship the antichrist as Messiah. And then there’s also, we’re going to learn more about this in Revelation. There’s the commercial kingdom, the embodiment of Babel from the Old Testament, which includes self-centeredness and greed, and then the unveiling of the mark of the beast, which you cannot buy or sell something unless you have this mark. So, there is a commercial element to this old Babylon that rears its head in the end time.

And these three combined, the counterfeit church, the political empire, the commercial kingdom, these three powers will advance the system of antichrist very rapidly in the days of Jacob’s trouble until they meet their doom by the smiting stone of Daniel’s vision. And that will be the kingdom of God that comes and crushes it all at the end.

“These three powers will advance the system of antichrist until they meet their doom by the smiting stone of Daniel’s vision.”

The Third Angel: Eternal Torment

So this second angel proclaimed the imminent fall of Babylon the great. But notice the third angel in verse number nine.

The third angel pronouncement of eternal torment.

And here’s the warning to the people. Do not comply.

Verse number nine. Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, well, let me just stop there that those who accept the mark, his mark on their foreheads or the hand will be worshiping the beast.

See, the beast will require undistracted loyalty.

And if not, you’re put to death.

So the third angel comes giving a loud important warning, two-fold warning to frighten those who are wavering, thinking about getting the mark and worshiping the beast because they want to live their lives without reprisal.

They don’t want to suffer economic sanction and then death.

See, the warning is don’t do it. So, there are some people during that time, just like we have a choice today to do things and not right. They’re going to have to they’re going to be riding the fence. Should I take it the mark or should I not take it? Back and forth.

Back and forth. Here’s a warning in Revelation. Don’t take it.

And then it’s also an encouragement to the faithful to remain faithful because even the faithful who don’t get the mark, who know what they believe, the temptation is going to be so incredibly fierce, they have to maintain the choice that they did make.

“Don’t take the mark. Even the faithful will face incredibly fierce temptation to maintain their choice.”

So the warning is don’t comply with the dictates of this counterfeit church, this political empire, this commercial kingdom.

The Disastrous Consequences of Compliance

And then in verse 10 of chapter 14, there’s a warning that compliance is disastrous. Verse 10, notice, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of his anger. That means that the consequences of worshiping the beasts, the false Christ, is almost beyond description.

The white heat of God’s anger held back through the ages will be turned loose.

Both these are put together bringing home the undiluted character of God’s wrath and fury.

It was common to mix wine with water to dilute it. But the point here is that eschatological end time judgment will be undiluted.

That is without God’s mercy and grace, and compliance means that you will suffer the full concentration of God’s anger.

“End time judgment will be undiluted—without God’s mercy and grace—the full concentration of God’s anger.”

So in other words, you see that a warning that compliance is disastrous. It will be disastrous.

Jewish writings often pictured God’s wrath as a cup of wine that literally gets the guilty party dead drunk. The picture is that God’s forcing his enemies to drink the full draft of his wrath, resulting in their getting drunk and falling down to rise no more.

The only thing is the effects of God’s wrath will not wear off like a drunken person the next day.

The Reality of Eternal Punishment

And if for some reason you don’t believe in hell or have a hard time with it, and you should have a hard time with it somehow.

These verses should convince you otherwise.

Notice in verse number 10, here’s the warning that compliance brings eternal torment. In verse number 10, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb.

Now remember the lamb is standing. He is victorious. He is the divine general that wins the battle.

And what he does is he stands there and watches those who are his enemy come under his judgment. Brimstone and sulfur was a type of asphalt found in volcanic deposits and produced that produced both intense and terrible smell and heat.

See the holy environment before the wicked only increases their humiliation and makes the torment all the worse. That the holy angels and the lamb will be looking on.

Most likely, this is only a temporary vision of judgment seen to be leading out the great white throne and the casting of the false prophet and the antichrist in hell forever, which will be eternal torment. And then notice in verse number 11, the torment is unending. It says, “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.”

See the picture from the the Old Testament now being applied to all the nations. It alludes to really the prophecy of Edom’s destruction where it says in Isaiah 34, its streams will be turned into pitch and its loose earth into brimstone and its land will become burning pitch. It will not be quenched.

It will not be quenched day or night. Its smoke will go up forever from generation to generation. It will be desolate. None will pass through it forever and ever.

Revelation 14:11: “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.”

The picture here is that of permanence in their misery.

It’s like an endless trial of smoke going up that keeps ascending and it keeps ascending and it keeps ascending.

Abram Abraham saw smoke ascending on Sodom and Gomorrah as a sign of divine punishment on that wicked city.

So hell is not a place where men will suffer for a little while and then be burned up and never be remembered again. Hell will be a place well there there will be eternal wrath and judgment. So, one characteristic that will be in hell will be God’s wrath because notice in verse number 11, the torment is restless.

Notice what it says. And they have no rest day and night. Those who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark in his name of his name, there’s no rest.

I think one thing that we may look forward to at the end of a day is to rest, right? Kick your feet up, have your cup of tea and coffee or whatever you drink, right? And just relax. Rest. There’s no rest in eternity if someone does not have Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So eternal punishment is to be feared above all present suffering and even physical death.

There’s a third the third proclamation of this third angel is that eternal torment awaiting those who follow the beast is sure. So what we have here is a warning to the weak, to th those who are thinking about defecting to the beast and worship him. But it’s also an encouragement to the faithful to continue to press on serving Jesus Christ even to the end.

The Perseverance and Blessing of the Saints

So now we go back to the vindication and the glory of the saints and a closing word of warning and encouragement is given to them in contrast to the eternally punished and the eternally blessed. So these are the saved of the tribulation who do not from the truth. They do not from the faith and they do two things to endure to have the perseverance to go on to the end no matter what and just have confidence and trust the Lord. And what are they?

Notice in verse 12 here is the perseverance of the saints to keep his commandments and and their faith in Jesus. In other words, to keep his commandments mean they obey Jesus out of love for him and their faith in Jesus. They want to serve him Jesus to the end because he purchased them from the slave market of sin. They are confident of that and they are willing to lose their life if must be to not let go of Jesus Christ.

“They obey Jesus out of love and are willing to lose their life rather than let go of Jesus Christ.”

And because of their perseverance, they will be eternally blessed. Blessed means to be content of heart, to be peaceful inside, to feel safe. And another word for this word is to be happy.

It’s to be happy.

Eternal Rest and Eternal Rewards

Verse number 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” But look at the benefits of the faithful saint. Eternal rest. Yes, says the spirit, so that they may rest from their labors. There’s going to be a time God’s going to give us an eternal rest.

I was talking to somebody this morning that says they’re always tired. I don’t know when I ever feel that I’m not tired, but it is nice to know that we’re going to have a rest in the Lord someday.

A rest from their labors. So everything you do for the Lord is worth it. Every sacrifice that you make is worth it. Every trial you go through, it is worth it.

So you’ll have eternal rest, but you’ll also have eternal rewards. Notice their deeds follow them. Oh, you can take it with you.

What can you take with you? Not your stuff. What you do for the Lord, that’s what you take with you. See, that’s the promise that he gives us.

The investment of faithfulness to Jesus Christ will earn eternal dividends.

“The investment of faithfulness to Jesus Christ will earn eternal dividends.”

Stand with Confidence

Live for him before him every day of your life. The victory of the lamb and his followers includes the glory of the saints who sing heartily, who live blamelessly and holy lives, and also the judgment of the sinners that God is just. He will hold people responsible for their sin.

While we cannot put everything in place, we can read the prophecies of the word of God with confidence that God and his people will triumph in every way. Everything earthly is going to perish.

But we who believe are citizens of another world, a world that will last forever.

“Everything earthly is going to perish, but we who believe are citizens of another world that will last forever.”

Let’s be sure that what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:10-12, we could actually answer the statement, the question.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for the hastening of the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will dissolve, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Where will we stand when that day comes?

I pray that we would be able to stand in the confidence of all that God has done, taught us, and will not waver one bit. Amen. Let’s pray. Lord, thank you again for your word and what’s contained therein.

Lord, what a privilege it is to have the word of God in our hands, to be able to read it, to be able to study it, to be able to hear it preached, to be able to meditate upon it, to know that these are true things, and they will trump everything that’s false.

I pray, Lord, today that your hand of grace and mercy would be upon all of us.

If there’s someone today that is sitting on the fence concerning believing you as Lord and Savior, I pray today they get off that fence and trust you as Lord and Savior.

And for those who are having difficult times in their life and struggling with even some of the news of the world, some of the news in our own families, some just the struggles of life, I pray that our mind and our heart would be confident of these things found in the word of God. We would persevere knowing, Lord, that we are going to be blessed and that we are protected and sealed today until the day of our full redemption.

And Lord, I pray also that you would develop a group of young people in our time that will be bold to take the gospel into every situation they find themselves and be able to clearly and confidently proclaim Christ. And I pray, Lord, we would see revival and start it with us.

Start it today. I pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.

Let’s stand together.

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