Apocalyptic Insight: Reward and Judgment
Revelation 14
October 29, 2023
Andrew Boone
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. —John 14:3 ESV
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. —Revelation 14:1-5 ESV
This is a picture of rapturous worship.
God will reward those who have aligned with Him.
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” —Revelation 14:6-13 ESV
God graciously gives a last call for repentance.
John is seeing a visible picture of God’s invitation for all people to repent of their sin and turn to Him for salvation.
Babylon is a picture of any political, economic, religious system that opposes God.
Anything you trust to save you besides God will fall.
There are only two sides to this great conflict.
To not decide about whose side you align with is to reject God.
Hell is absolute separation from God and all His blessings.
This picture of hell is set inside a merciful warning that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia. —Revelation 14:14-20 ESV
The punishment of the enemies of God will be complete after the final judgment.
Big Idea:
God will reward His followers and punish His enemies.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Memory Verse: Revelation 4:11 NIV
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word with the goal of leading to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.
Read Revelation 14
At the end of Chapter 13 John tells us about the mark of the beast. At the beginning of Chapter 14 he shares about another mark that is given by God. Everyone will receive a public mark denoting their allegiance. During a time of significant division, if everywhere you went, everyone would know you were a Christian, how would that make you feel? What does it mean to you to visibly bear God’s name today?
The 144,000 follow the Lamb wherever He goes. What does it look like to follow Jesus in your various relational circles (home, work, friends, extended family, church family, etc)? What role does community and fellowship with other Christians play in your pursuit of following Jesus, and how does it help or challenge you?
Does following Jesus require sacrifice? What are sacrifices you’ve made because of your faith? Can you share a specific moment when you felt challenged to follow Jesus, and what you learned from that experience? What do you believe is the ultimate goal of following Jesus, and how has your journey evolved over time?
Revelation 14:6-7 talks about the eternal gospel being preached to every nation. How can we participate in spreading gospel seeds with those we know and those we do not? Do you know someone who needs to be connected with the church and Christ’s community? What will you commit to doing this week?
The second angel proclaims that Babylon has fallen. What does Babylon represent? How might the allure and temptations of Babylon be present today in our lives and society? What can we do to guard against their leadership? How can we be on the offense and be a positive influence to bring transformation in a world that may be infected by the values and characteristics associated with Babylon?
Those who worship the beast will be constantly tormented and never experience rest. In contrast, God commands His people to rest (sabbath). How do you make time for rest? What does the concept of the Sabbath mean to you, and how do you observe it in your life? How does rest contribute to your spiritual well being and growth as a Christian?
Name the three characteristics displayed by the saints in verse 12. Where has your endurance, obedience, and faithfulness to Christ been tested in the past or even now in your present circumstances? Why is the testing of our faith a good thing? Where can we find evidence of this in the Bible?
In verses 17-20 there is a great harvest of grapes. What do these grapes symbolically represent? In what ways are the themes of judgment, justice, and spiritual warfare in Revelation relevant to contemporary issues or conflicts? What role do we play in this and what role does God play?