Remember Jesus Wins
Revelation 14:1-20
Message #28
There is a burglar who walks into a house he knows is vacant. He’s walking across the room, and there’s a parrot in the corner. The parrot says, “Braach! Jesus is watching.” The burglar says, “Shut up, parrot.” The parrot again says, “Braach! Jesus is watching.” The burglar says again, “Shut up, Parrot.” And then, he turns around and he sees a one-hundred fifty-pound Rottweiler that has his teeth showing. And The parrot says, “Braach! Sic ’em, Jesus!” In the end, Jesus wins!
I never start a message with a joke. But that one applies.
Here’s what we need to know about today in chapter 14. Revelation is not chronological. I’ve said that. We wish it read like a good movie plot, and it does – but it’s not chronological. There’s a general series of events, but it’s not specifically written chronologically.
So, what helps us when we try to figure out why is this here and not there? Has this happened? Has this not happened? It’s really important that we remember the purpose of the book. And honestly, any book you study, any book you read you have to know the purpose of the book. You have to take a little bit of time and say why was this book written? Revelation is THE Revelation of Jesus Christ. It’s the singular Revelation of Jesus Christ. And so the purpose of the Book of Revelation is to reveal the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. If we really get a hold of that, it helps us not worry so much about whether the chapters are perfectly chronological.
And so, our chapter today does not fit into a chronological timeline perfectly, but it does make the most important point (MIP) really clear. We used to do MIP’s every message and it stands for “most important point.” And I still do them; I just don’t tell you that I’m doing them. Today’s most important point is: Remember, Jesus Wins!!
In Revelation Chapter 14, we’re going to see a series of seven visions that all have one thing in common. They ass show the guaranteed victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and over the World System in the Tribulation. We’ve seen a lot of death and destruction from the Satanic trinity in chapters 12 and 13, and so, in chapter 14, God stops to remind us Jesus absolutely wins in the end, and we need to remember that today.
I was talking with my mom the other day, and she said, “I want you to be done with Revelation. It scares me.” And I thought a lot about that as I was writing this message. We will see evil escalate on the earth. Satan will, for a time, seem to be winning, especially during the Tribulation. But we need to hear loud and clear Jesus Christ wins in the end.
We need to HEAR it
We need to REMEMBER it
We need to LIVE according to it
Our chapter today is in direct contrast to the deception and destruction of Chapters 12 and 13. And as a direct contrast, chapter 14 is a vivid reminder:
God is STILL in Control
Jesus Christ IS going to WIN and
WE ARE more than conquerors IN CHRIST
JESUS WINS!!!
And if we are with him, we win
And if we are against him, we lose
That is the Most Important Point today
So, the first victory we see is the victory of the 144,000 who have been brought through the Tribulation.
Revelation 14:1 (NLT)
1 Then I saw the Lamb (Jesus) standing on Mount Zion (Jerusalem), and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. (God’s Seal)
This is an awesome picture of victory. Jesus is standing on Mt. Zion with the 144,000 who have come through the Tribulation victoriously.
Isaiah Chapter 2 says the Lord will reign on earth from Mt. Zion during the time of the Millennium, and throughout the Bible, Mt. Zion is the place where God dwells with his people. God is showing us the ultimate victory for those sealed by him in the Tribulation.
But Ephesians 1:13 says when we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we ALSO are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our eternal victory and inheritance.
And Jesus says in John,
John 10:28 (NLT)
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
That is true for the 144,000, and if you have put your faith in Jesus today as your Savior, then that is just as true for you.
And the victory celebration continues in verses 2-3 in chapter 14.
Revelation 14:2-3 (NLT)
2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.
3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
This is an absolute assurance of victory for those who are sealed by God in the Tribulation. Heave is singing like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. And they are singing a new song before the throne of God that no one could learn but the 144,000.
And notice in verse 3 – we are there! Remember the Twenty-four Elders mentioned here in verse 3, we see as The Church taken up in the Rapture. So, we are there in this great victory celebration for the 144,000.
But then, we see that those sealed by God also had a role in their victory, just as you and I have a role in our victory. They’re sealed by God. Their victory is guaranteed. But it doesn’t mean they don’t have a role – they do. And if you’ve received Christ, then you are sealed by God, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have a role – you have a role in response to God sealing you as his own. Here is the role of the 144,000.
Revelation 14:4-5 (NLT)
4 They have kept themselves as pure as virgins (referring to spiritual purity), following the Lamb (only the Lamb) wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb.
5 They have told no lies; they are without blame.
That last phrase in verse 5 just means that they have been transparent and honest in the Tribulation. They’ve done what they’ve been called to do. (So, don’t think, oh man. I lied to my mom when I was seven, so I’m not going to get into Heaven. This is about transparency for the 144,000.)
These 144,000 have been sealed by God, and they have also been purely devoted to Jesus. They have not committed spiritual adultery with the false religion of the world. They have been purchased by God AS a special offering to God and to the Lamb.
They have been sealed BY God
They have lived devoted TO God
They stand in Total Victory With God
And THAT is the way it’s done
Be sealed BY God
Be devoted TO God
Stand in victory WITH God
Next, more victory, and it’s covering the entire earth now.
Revelation 14:6–7 (NLT)
6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. (Remember, the phrase “belong to this world” refers to unsaved people, people who are citizens of this world as opposed to citizens of Heaven.)
7 “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. (a reference to the Millennium first when Jesus will sit as judge in Jerusalem over the earth, and then the Great White Throne of Judgment, ultimately.) Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
At this point, the eternal Good News will cover the entire earth. The Gospel message of God’s grace and God’s mercy will reach every nation – every tribe – every language – and every people. (It is the grace of God and the mercy of God that IS the Good News. That’s the Good News. It’s that God shows you and I grace and mercy.) The world will hear one last time (or maybe for the first time) the Gospel message that brings salvation and eternal life from God.
And because of how close the end is, this message will be very direct. This is not the message “Jesus will make your life better.” “Jesus will make all your circumstances in this life better.” That’s never the message of the Bible.
Fear (meaning be in awesome reverence) God and Give him glory because the time has come when he will sit as JUDGE, so make your choice before it is too late. In essence, it’s your last opportunity. But again, it’s not perfectly chronological, so we can’t say for sure if this is occurring before or after the Mark of the Beast that we saw in the last message.
God always sends his mercy and grace before his required judgment must fall. God always first sends grace and mercy, and then the judgment upon sin that must come from God because he is first holy, and just, and righteous – then the judgment comes. But the good news is that he sends grace and mercy first. Grace is us receiving what we don’t deserve. (That’s the righteousness of Christ and eternal life.) Mercy is us not receiving what we do deserve. (That is paying the full penalty for our own sins for eternity.) God sends his mercy and grace in Jesus Christ before his required judgment must fall.
And here in verses 6-7 is the final call to worship God. Jesus said this in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
I struggle a little bit because this is the Olivet Discourse. Since I was saved, I have heard that the Olivet Discourse is used as a prelude to the Rapture. But if you really look at it, it’s more of a prelude to the end of the Tribulation. I don’t know if this is referring to before the Rapture or after; I think it’s after.
God always sends his mercy and grace before his required judgment must fall.
Next, we see victory over the false religion of the world.
Revelation 14:8 (NLT)
8 Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”
Certainly, there is a physical side as the world goes down that dark trail. Really, the primary focus here is spiritual immorality and spiritual adultery.
Now, we don’t even read about Babylon until 17, where she is called The Great Prostitute. So here, God is guaranteeing victory before we even meet the enemy (which is what God does). We did meet the False Prophet last week, but we see the real big damage that he and the Antichrist do together when we get into Chapter 17. Here, God is already declaring victory over that false One World system of political and military, with the Antichrist and religion with the False Prophet. This is the guarantee that that victory is going to come. Babylon is fallen. It’s as if it already happened, but it hasn’t yet. Every one of these victories we see here in this chapter will come to pass.
Here, Babylon, the Great Prostitute, is referring to the Apostate Church that becomes the World Religion, and the wine of her immorality will have a physical side to it. But again, this is referring to the spiritual adultery of the Apostate Church and the final World Religion that worships the Antichrist.
And in the end, the world’s false religion with its leader, the False Prophet, will be judged, and Jesus Christ alone will be worshiped at the beginning of the Millennium, which we will see when we get to chapter 20. Jesus wins in the end, and those who worship him win with him. God is listing victory, after victory, after victory, after victory, after victory, after victory, after victory in Revelation 14 to do one thing. To remind us, Jesus wins!!!
Next, leading up to the victory for those who do not worship the Beast, that’s those in the Tribulation who have refused to worship the Beast and die accordingly. First, we see the judgment for those who do worship the Beast.
Revelation 14:9–11 (NLT)
9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand
10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.
11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
Do you know why, in my humble opinion, the devil has worked so hard to remove the concept of hell from church? In the last fifty years in our church culture, hell is not an acceptable thing to talk about. Why? People don’t like to hear about it. It doesn’t make them feel warm and fuzzy. And in at least the last thirty years or so, the seeker-sensitive church movement says, “Don’t tell them anything that might upset them. Make them feel warm and fuzzy, so they come back next week.” Here’s why we’ve taken hell out. Because people don’t like to hear about it. Here’s why the devil has taken hell out. It’s so that we lose the intensity of sharing the Gospel. Because if we really accept what the Bible says here, we’re going to tell somebody that we love, “Listen. You do not want to be here when this happens.” If we believe all the good stuff about God in the Bible, we have to believe this stuff too.
Those who choose the Antichrist over Jesus Christ will bring upon themselves God’s full wrath, and their torment will rise up forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night.
That is the Bible’s description of hell, and THAT is what Jesus Christ came to freely offer victory over. The Bible says the only way to that victory is to receive by faith the full payment Jesus made on your behalf for your sin.
You have to know what you are saved from in order to know the value of your salvation. If you don’t know what you are saved from, then how can you know the value of your salvation? If you don’t know what you are saved from, how can you know the depth of the price that Jesus Christ paid on your behalf so that you don’t have to . what you’re being saved from? Once we understand that there can be no sin in God’s presence and the separation from God’s presence means being in Satan’s presence.
The Bible is clear: putting your faith in Jesus is the only way to receive this victory. And in that process of receiving Jesus by faith, he becomes your sin 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, and pays the full price on your behalf for your sin, and he gives you his righteousness freely so that you can stand as righteous before God.
The reason people turn down the Gospel is because they don’t understand how badly they need it. They say, “Nah. It’s okay. I try to be a good person. I think God will let me in.”
He faced YOUR hell on YOUR behalf so you could live in HIS Heaven for eternity with him. And the only way we get to that point is by receiving him by faith. The Bible is very clear about that. Faith in Christ is the only way.
And in contrast to that eternal judgment, in verses 12-13 there is a call to endurance and another promise of victory for those who have put their faith in Jesus as Savior.
Revelation 14:12–13 (NLT)
12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
This is initially written specifically for those in the Tribulation. But that’s just as true today as it will be in the Tribulation. It will be a little more aggressive in the Tribulation, but it’s the same today. We’ve got to persevere. We’ve got to hold on to Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
Another super guarantee of victory for those who endure the Great Tribulation, but also the trials and tribulations of this world, and hold on to Jesus in the midst of those difficulties.
This is a guarantee of victory for those who endure the Tribulation and hold on to their faith in Jesus. Yes – they will die at the hands of the devil. They will die from starvation, or they’re going to be killed for trying to buy food without the Mark. But they will be blessed for eternity because of their faithfulness and endurance for Jesus.
And thankfully, although we are not facing the Mark of the Beast today, this same victory is reserved for us. As we endure the trials and tribulations today, we believe we will be caught up, and we’ll miss the entire Tribulation, but we can say this still applies today as we endure the tribulations of this world by holding onto our faith in Jesus.
No matter what, honestly. Abounding or abasing, having plenty or suffering need, Paul says in Philippians, I can do this through Christ. I can hold on to Christ. If times are good right now, then do not hold on to the good times. Because the times they are a’changin’. If they’re bad, they’re changing to good. If they’re good, you’re going to experience some bad, some tribulation. Whatever you’re in right now, hold on to Jesus.
Run the race with endurance – hold on to your faith in Jesus and know that your victory is guaranteed by God himself!!
We’ve seen Victory for the 144,000 on Mt. Zion
We’ve seen Victory in the Heavenly Praise for them
We’ve seen Victory in the Gospel Covering the Earth
We’ve seen Victory over the False Religion of Babylon
We’ve seen Victory for those who Refuse To Worship the Beast
And now we see victory in the final two harvests of this world.
This is what it all comes down to. All that will matter for eternity is which side of this harvest you will be on.
The first harvest is the Harvest of Believers
Revelation 14:14 (NLT)
14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
This is Jesus Christ preparing for the Harvest of Believers.
Revelation 14:15 (NLT)
15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.”
This is a message from the Father it is time – the hour has come.
Revelation 14:16 (NLT)
16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
THIS is the final Harvest – This is the final victory. It’s not actually happening here in Revelation Chapter 14 (chronologically). It’s being promised. It’s being guaranteed here so that we will know for sure – Jesus wins in the end!!
Then, we see the other side of this Final Harvest. This is the judgment side.
Revelation 14:17–18 (NLT)
17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.
18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.”
The word for “ripe” means “overripe” or “it’s past time.”
Revelation 14:19 (NLT)
19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath.
This is also a victory. It’s our seventh victory today.
This is the Final Harvest of judgment on the earth. This Final Harvest is the removal of all sin and all those who have rejected God’s salvation, which prepares the way for the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
How great is this final victory over sin on the earth? (This is the one you want to avoid.)
Revelation 14:20 (NLT)
20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
Blood will flow in a stream as high as a horse’s bridle. THIS is a reference to the final battle of Armageddon that we’ll see in chapter 19 when Jesus slays the armies of the world with the sword of his Word, of his mouth, and the vultures come down and gorge themselves on the bodies. But it is a reference here to the absolute victory over those who stand against Christ, over those who belong to the world, and who ultimately will show up in the Valley of Armageddon, the Jezreel Valley, the Valley of Megiddo. And there will be a battle there between the armies of the world, the great armies of the world, and Jesus Christ. And the blood will run in a stream 180 miles as high as a horse’s bridle.
In Israel, 180 miles is a long way from the North to the South of Israel through the Valley of Megiddo. There’s a section in the south of Israel that’s pretty much uninhabited. Really, once you get past Hebron in the south, it’s just desert. But the distance from the north end of Israel, which you could call the north end of the Jezreel Valley, 180 miles goes all the way past Jerusalem and Hebron and into the desert. It’s not quite the whole country.
Write Joel 3:1-16 in your margin and read it later. It is a prophetic commentary on these verses.
I want you to hear today – JESUS WINS!! AND I want you to always remember – JESUS WINS! I know that sounds simple. Today, we saw seven visions of victory, one after another, so that you and I will always remember Jesus wins in the end!
And listen. We are so caught up in our day-to-day circumstances, and we want God so bad to fix our day-to-day circumstances, that when we’re in the midst of those trials and tribulations, very seldom do we say, “You know what, Lord? You win. Yes, this is something. And I pray that you’ll help me through it, but I’m standing here today saying, I know you win, and I win IN you.”
But when the world gets you discouraged or deceived and starts getting you to drift away from God, and when you know you are walking the line trying to play both sides of the eternal battle, I want you to always remember JESUS WILL WIN!! And if you hold tight to Jesus and run the race with endurance, trusting him and following him, you will win with him.
I never start a message with a joke. But that one applies.
Here’s what we need to know about today in chapter 14. Revelation is not chronological. I’ve said that. We wish it read like a good movie plot, and it does – but it’s not chronological. There’s a general series of events, but it’s not specifically written chronologically.
So, what helps us when we try to figure out why is this here and not there? Has this happened? Has this not happened? It’s really important that we remember the purpose of the book. And honestly, any book you study, any book you read you have to know the purpose of the book. You have to take a little bit of time and say why was this book written? Revelation is THE Revelation of Jesus Christ. It’s the singular Revelation of Jesus Christ. And so the purpose of the Book of Revelation is to reveal the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. If we really get a hold of that, it helps us not worry so much about whether the chapters are perfectly chronological.
And so, our chapter today does not fit into a chronological timeline perfectly, but it does make the most important point (MIP) really clear. We used to do MIP’s every message and it stands for “most important point.” And I still do them; I just don’t tell you that I’m doing them. Today’s most important point is: Remember, Jesus Wins!!
In Revelation Chapter 14, we’re going to see a series of seven visions that all have one thing in common. They ass show the guaranteed victory of Jesus Christ over Satan and over the World System in the Tribulation. We’ve seen a lot of death and destruction from the Satanic trinity in chapters 12 and 13, and so, in chapter 14, God stops to remind us Jesus absolutely wins in the end, and we need to remember that today.
I was talking with my mom the other day, and she said, “I want you to be done with Revelation. It scares me.” And I thought a lot about that as I was writing this message. We will see evil escalate on the earth. Satan will, for a time, seem to be winning, especially during the Tribulation. But we need to hear loud and clear Jesus Christ wins in the end.
We need to HEAR it
We need to REMEMBER it
We need to LIVE according to it
Our chapter today is in direct contrast to the deception and destruction of Chapters 12 and 13. And as a direct contrast, chapter 14 is a vivid reminder:
God is STILL in Control
Jesus Christ IS going to WIN and
WE ARE more than conquerors IN CHRIST
JESUS WINS!!!
And if we are with him, we win
And if we are against him, we lose
That is the Most Important Point today
So, the first victory we see is the victory of the 144,000 who have been brought through the Tribulation.
Revelation 14:1 (NLT)
1 Then I saw the Lamb (Jesus) standing on Mount Zion (Jerusalem), and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. (God’s Seal)
This is an awesome picture of victory. Jesus is standing on Mt. Zion with the 144,000 who have come through the Tribulation victoriously.
Isaiah Chapter 2 says the Lord will reign on earth from Mt. Zion during the time of the Millennium, and throughout the Bible, Mt. Zion is the place where God dwells with his people. God is showing us the ultimate victory for those sealed by him in the Tribulation.
But Ephesians 1:13 says when we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we ALSO are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our eternal victory and inheritance.
And Jesus says in John,
John 10:28 (NLT)
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
That is true for the 144,000, and if you have put your faith in Jesus today as your Savior, then that is just as true for you.
And the victory celebration continues in verses 2-3 in chapter 14.
Revelation 14:2-3 (NLT)
2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.
3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
This is an absolute assurance of victory for those who are sealed by God in the Tribulation. Heave is singing like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. And they are singing a new song before the throne of God that no one could learn but the 144,000.
And notice in verse 3 – we are there! Remember the Twenty-four Elders mentioned here in verse 3, we see as The Church taken up in the Rapture. So, we are there in this great victory celebration for the 144,000.
But then, we see that those sealed by God also had a role in their victory, just as you and I have a role in our victory. They’re sealed by God. Their victory is guaranteed. But it doesn’t mean they don’t have a role – they do. And if you’ve received Christ, then you are sealed by God, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have a role – you have a role in response to God sealing you as his own. Here is the role of the 144,000.
Revelation 14:4-5 (NLT)
4 They have kept themselves as pure as virgins (referring to spiritual purity), following the Lamb (only the Lamb) wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb.
5 They have told no lies; they are without blame.
That last phrase in verse 5 just means that they have been transparent and honest in the Tribulation. They’ve done what they’ve been called to do. (So, don’t think, oh man. I lied to my mom when I was seven, so I’m not going to get into Heaven. This is about transparency for the 144,000.)
These 144,000 have been sealed by God, and they have also been purely devoted to Jesus. They have not committed spiritual adultery with the false religion of the world. They have been purchased by God AS a special offering to God and to the Lamb.
They have been sealed BY God
They have lived devoted TO God
They stand in Total Victory With God
And THAT is the way it’s done
Be sealed BY God
Be devoted TO God
Stand in victory WITH God
Next, more victory, and it’s covering the entire earth now.
Revelation 14:6–7 (NLT)
6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. (Remember, the phrase “belong to this world” refers to unsaved people, people who are citizens of this world as opposed to citizens of Heaven.)
7 “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. (a reference to the Millennium first when Jesus will sit as judge in Jerusalem over the earth, and then the Great White Throne of Judgment, ultimately.) Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
At this point, the eternal Good News will cover the entire earth. The Gospel message of God’s grace and God’s mercy will reach every nation – every tribe – every language – and every people. (It is the grace of God and the mercy of God that IS the Good News. That’s the Good News. It’s that God shows you and I grace and mercy.) The world will hear one last time (or maybe for the first time) the Gospel message that brings salvation and eternal life from God.
And because of how close the end is, this message will be very direct. This is not the message “Jesus will make your life better.” “Jesus will make all your circumstances in this life better.” That’s never the message of the Bible.
Fear (meaning be in awesome reverence) God and Give him glory because the time has come when he will sit as JUDGE, so make your choice before it is too late. In essence, it’s your last opportunity. But again, it’s not perfectly chronological, so we can’t say for sure if this is occurring before or after the Mark of the Beast that we saw in the last message.
God always sends his mercy and grace before his required judgment must fall. God always first sends grace and mercy, and then the judgment upon sin that must come from God because he is first holy, and just, and righteous – then the judgment comes. But the good news is that he sends grace and mercy first. Grace is us receiving what we don’t deserve. (That’s the righteousness of Christ and eternal life.) Mercy is us not receiving what we do deserve. (That is paying the full penalty for our own sins for eternity.) God sends his mercy and grace in Jesus Christ before his required judgment must fall.
And here in verses 6-7 is the final call to worship God. Jesus said this in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24:14 (NLT)
14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
I struggle a little bit because this is the Olivet Discourse. Since I was saved, I have heard that the Olivet Discourse is used as a prelude to the Rapture. But if you really look at it, it’s more of a prelude to the end of the Tribulation. I don’t know if this is referring to before the Rapture or after; I think it’s after.
God always sends his mercy and grace before his required judgment must fall.
Next, we see victory over the false religion of the world.
Revelation 14:8 (NLT)
8 Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”
Certainly, there is a physical side as the world goes down that dark trail. Really, the primary focus here is spiritual immorality and spiritual adultery.
Now, we don’t even read about Babylon until 17, where she is called The Great Prostitute. So here, God is guaranteeing victory before we even meet the enemy (which is what God does). We did meet the False Prophet last week, but we see the real big damage that he and the Antichrist do together when we get into Chapter 17. Here, God is already declaring victory over that false One World system of political and military, with the Antichrist and religion with the False Prophet. This is the guarantee that that victory is going to come. Babylon is fallen. It’s as if it already happened, but it hasn’t yet. Every one of these victories we see here in this chapter will come to pass.
Here, Babylon, the Great Prostitute, is referring to the Apostate Church that becomes the World Religion, and the wine of her immorality will have a physical side to it. But again, this is referring to the spiritual adultery of the Apostate Church and the final World Religion that worships the Antichrist.
And in the end, the world’s false religion with its leader, the False Prophet, will be judged, and Jesus Christ alone will be worshiped at the beginning of the Millennium, which we will see when we get to chapter 20. Jesus wins in the end, and those who worship him win with him. God is listing victory, after victory, after victory, after victory, after victory, after victory, after victory in Revelation 14 to do one thing. To remind us, Jesus wins!!!
Next, leading up to the victory for those who do not worship the Beast, that’s those in the Tribulation who have refused to worship the Beast and die accordingly. First, we see the judgment for those who do worship the Beast.
Revelation 14:9–11 (NLT)
9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand
10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.
11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
Do you know why, in my humble opinion, the devil has worked so hard to remove the concept of hell from church? In the last fifty years in our church culture, hell is not an acceptable thing to talk about. Why? People don’t like to hear about it. It doesn’t make them feel warm and fuzzy. And in at least the last thirty years or so, the seeker-sensitive church movement says, “Don’t tell them anything that might upset them. Make them feel warm and fuzzy, so they come back next week.” Here’s why we’ve taken hell out. Because people don’t like to hear about it. Here’s why the devil has taken hell out. It’s so that we lose the intensity of sharing the Gospel. Because if we really accept what the Bible says here, we’re going to tell somebody that we love, “Listen. You do not want to be here when this happens.” If we believe all the good stuff about God in the Bible, we have to believe this stuff too.
Those who choose the Antichrist over Jesus Christ will bring upon themselves God’s full wrath, and their torment will rise up forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night.
That is the Bible’s description of hell, and THAT is what Jesus Christ came to freely offer victory over. The Bible says the only way to that victory is to receive by faith the full payment Jesus made on your behalf for your sin.
You have to know what you are saved from in order to know the value of your salvation. If you don’t know what you are saved from, then how can you know the value of your salvation? If you don’t know what you are saved from, how can you know the depth of the price that Jesus Christ paid on your behalf so that you don’t have to . what you’re being saved from? Once we understand that there can be no sin in God’s presence and the separation from God’s presence means being in Satan’s presence.
The Bible is clear: putting your faith in Jesus is the only way to receive this victory. And in that process of receiving Jesus by faith, he becomes your sin 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, and pays the full price on your behalf for your sin, and he gives you his righteousness freely so that you can stand as righteous before God.
The reason people turn down the Gospel is because they don’t understand how badly they need it. They say, “Nah. It’s okay. I try to be a good person. I think God will let me in.”
He faced YOUR hell on YOUR behalf so you could live in HIS Heaven for eternity with him. And the only way we get to that point is by receiving him by faith. The Bible is very clear about that. Faith in Christ is the only way.
And in contrast to that eternal judgment, in verses 12-13 there is a call to endurance and another promise of victory for those who have put their faith in Jesus as Savior.
Revelation 14:12–13 (NLT)
12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
This is initially written specifically for those in the Tribulation. But that’s just as true today as it will be in the Tribulation. It will be a little more aggressive in the Tribulation, but it’s the same today. We’ve got to persevere. We’ve got to hold on to Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
Another super guarantee of victory for those who endure the Great Tribulation, but also the trials and tribulations of this world, and hold on to Jesus in the midst of those difficulties.
This is a guarantee of victory for those who endure the Tribulation and hold on to their faith in Jesus. Yes – they will die at the hands of the devil. They will die from starvation, or they’re going to be killed for trying to buy food without the Mark. But they will be blessed for eternity because of their faithfulness and endurance for Jesus.
And thankfully, although we are not facing the Mark of the Beast today, this same victory is reserved for us. As we endure the trials and tribulations today, we believe we will be caught up, and we’ll miss the entire Tribulation, but we can say this still applies today as we endure the tribulations of this world by holding onto our faith in Jesus.
No matter what, honestly. Abounding or abasing, having plenty or suffering need, Paul says in Philippians, I can do this through Christ. I can hold on to Christ. If times are good right now, then do not hold on to the good times. Because the times they are a’changin’. If they’re bad, they’re changing to good. If they’re good, you’re going to experience some bad, some tribulation. Whatever you’re in right now, hold on to Jesus.
Run the race with endurance – hold on to your faith in Jesus and know that your victory is guaranteed by God himself!!
We’ve seen Victory for the 144,000 on Mt. Zion
We’ve seen Victory in the Heavenly Praise for them
We’ve seen Victory in the Gospel Covering the Earth
We’ve seen Victory over the False Religion of Babylon
We’ve seen Victory for those who Refuse To Worship the Beast
And now we see victory in the final two harvests of this world.
This is what it all comes down to. All that will matter for eternity is which side of this harvest you will be on.
The first harvest is the Harvest of Believers
Revelation 14:14 (NLT)
14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
This is Jesus Christ preparing for the Harvest of Believers.
Revelation 14:15 (NLT)
15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.”
This is a message from the Father it is time – the hour has come.
Revelation 14:16 (NLT)
16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
THIS is the final Harvest – This is the final victory. It’s not actually happening here in Revelation Chapter 14 (chronologically). It’s being promised. It’s being guaranteed here so that we will know for sure – Jesus wins in the end!!
Then, we see the other side of this Final Harvest. This is the judgment side.
Revelation 14:17–18 (NLT)
17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.
18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.”
The word for “ripe” means “overripe” or “it’s past time.”
Revelation 14:19 (NLT)
19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath.
This is also a victory. It’s our seventh victory today.
This is the Final Harvest of judgment on the earth. This Final Harvest is the removal of all sin and all those who have rejected God’s salvation, which prepares the way for the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
How great is this final victory over sin on the earth? (This is the one you want to avoid.)
Revelation 14:20 (NLT)
20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
Blood will flow in a stream as high as a horse’s bridle. THIS is a reference to the final battle of Armageddon that we’ll see in chapter 19 when Jesus slays the armies of the world with the sword of his Word, of his mouth, and the vultures come down and gorge themselves on the bodies. But it is a reference here to the absolute victory over those who stand against Christ, over those who belong to the world, and who ultimately will show up in the Valley of Armageddon, the Jezreel Valley, the Valley of Megiddo. And there will be a battle there between the armies of the world, the great armies of the world, and Jesus Christ. And the blood will run in a stream 180 miles as high as a horse’s bridle.
In Israel, 180 miles is a long way from the North to the South of Israel through the Valley of Megiddo. There’s a section in the south of Israel that’s pretty much uninhabited. Really, once you get past Hebron in the south, it’s just desert. But the distance from the north end of Israel, which you could call the north end of the Jezreel Valley, 180 miles goes all the way past Jerusalem and Hebron and into the desert. It’s not quite the whole country.
Write Joel 3:1-16 in your margin and read it later. It is a prophetic commentary on these verses.
I want you to hear today – JESUS WINS!! AND I want you to always remember – JESUS WINS! I know that sounds simple. Today, we saw seven visions of victory, one after another, so that you and I will always remember Jesus wins in the end!
And listen. We are so caught up in our day-to-day circumstances, and we want God so bad to fix our day-to-day circumstances, that when we’re in the midst of those trials and tribulations, very seldom do we say, “You know what, Lord? You win. Yes, this is something. And I pray that you’ll help me through it, but I’m standing here today saying, I know you win, and I win IN you.”
But when the world gets you discouraged or deceived and starts getting you to drift away from God, and when you know you are walking the line trying to play both sides of the eternal battle, I want you to always remember JESUS WILL WIN!! And if you hold tight to Jesus and run the race with endurance, trusting him and following him, you will win with him.