Rev 14:13 | KingComments | STEP | . The everlasting gospel is not muttered unintelligibly, but it is preached “with a loud voice”. It goes beyond all noise on the earth. The content of this everlasting gospel is simply: fear God, give Him glory and worship Him. The necessity of this gospel is just as simple, namely, because the hour of God’s judgment has come. Repentance begins with the fear of God ( ). God is an awesome God Who will punish every sin, disobedience and rebellion. As soon as a person realizes that he has sinned against God, he becomes afraid, for he then discovers that God is a wrathful God. Then the soul that is convicted of his sins will give glory to God. He will certainly acknowledge that God would be righteous if He would condemn him to hell and if He would visit the world in its entirety with disasters and plagues. Each person who acknowledges that will not be condemned, but he will pass out death into life ( ). Finally, such a person becomes a worshiper of God Who gave him such a great grace. God is presented here as the Creator. As the Creator He has the right to the worship of His creatures. That worship will be claimed by the beast in that time on earth. But God will never give up His rights. He appeals to us to respect those rights, though without coercion (yet). . Then “another angel, a second one”, appears. Because in there is mention of “a third one”, it indicates that there is a ranking in the events. What this angel announces emphasizes the necessity to heed the call of the first angel. The hour of God’s judgment is heralded with the judgment on Babylon. It is “Babylon the great”, because it had great thoughts about itself and also because it had great influence on the nations. But God brings an end to that. Judgment on Babylon is described in detail in Revelation 17-18. In the words “fallen, fallen” you hear the echo of the prophecy of Isaiah ( ). The cry of the angel means a warning of the judgment to come, the result of which is communicated here. God never judges without warning. It should keep people from throwing themselves in the arms of “the mother of harlots” ( ) and to be overwhelmed by her tempting religious beauty and splendor. The overwhelming wealth and worldly charm have made Babylon a desired partner of all nations. World leaders eagerly make contact with the Vatican. They like to drink a sip with her from the wine of her harlotry. They thought they were enriching themselves in getting close with this harlot. It was a harlot whom you did not have to pay, but who paid herself for the harlotry that she committed. But they will have to pay a high price for their flirtations. They do not realize that by drinking of the wine of the passion of her immorality they expose themselves to the wrath of God ( ; ). As they have wanted to share in her opulence, so they will share in her fall. Everyone who does not withdraw from the great Babylon will receive of her plagues ( ). . “Then another angel, a third one” appears. He announces with a loud voice a message to those who have connected themselves with the beast by worshiping him and by receiving the mark of his name on their forehead or hand. You have come across these people in Revelation 13 ( ). Here, people who have not yet had that done are given a last chance to repent. The warning is, not to be marked. This means that they must face the great pressure of expulsion from the social life. . Whoever, despite this last appeal, sticks to his choice for the beast chooses for an indescribable and endless torment. There will be no softening of God’s wrath for those who are attached to the beast. The torment will happen “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (cf. ), for they have been horribly provoked by these inventors and executors of the greatest wickedness. This will not work up feelings of gloating with the holy angels and the Lamb. Whoever has lived in rebellion against heaven will, beside the bodily torment “with fire and brimstone”, be tormented by something else. While suffering those hellish pains, the remorse that he could have been in the atmosphere of the heavenly angels and in the presence of the Lamb, will continually gnaw at him. . To the unspeakably bodily and mental torment another torment is added of which the gravity cannot be expressed in words. This torment is that there will never come an end to it. Also the absence of any moment of rest, a short respite in that torment is an indescribable increase of this horrible and unchangeable situation. Beside the deep seriousness that this verse contains, it is also a simple and adequate proof that the universal atonement is a harsh lie. . The impressive previous warnings addressed to the unbelievers, are an exhortation for the saints to persevere. It will ensure them that it is better to be temporarily tormented by the beast than to be eternally tormented with the beast. Instead of joining in the general worship of the beast they live in obedience to “the commandments of God”. They also keep “the faith in Jesus”, that is the trust in Him Who was once on earth the Rejected. The authority of the Word of God and the love for the Son determine their life in the midst of the circumstances controlled by satan. There is mention of ‘Jesus’ and not of ‘the Lord Jesus’ or ‘Jesus Christ’. ‘Jesus’ is the name that recalls the life of the Lord in humiliation on earth. These saints draw strength from the example of His life on earth. He has suffered under the predecessors of both the political and the religious beast. You recognize the representative of the Roman empire in Pilate and that of the apostate Judaism in Herod ( ). By fixing their eyes on Jesus they will be able to suffer the greatest trials with perseverance and not succumb ( ; ). . God orders John to write that the saints who have lost their life because of the murderousness of beast, will lose nothing of the blessing that is promised to them. The earth considered that they deserved nothing but death. Heaven, in contrast, calls them blessed. They died “in the Lord”. They have acknowledged and served Him Who was rejected on earth, as their Lord. In that way they have given Him the place that God has already given to Him with His return to heaven after the accomplishment of the work of redemption ( ; ). Their tribute to Him for which they had to pay with their life, is rewarded by God by giving them a place with Him. The expression “from now on” makes clear that it is about believers who were killed because of their testimony. With an emphatic “yes” the Spirit confirms what John must write concerning the blessing of those who died in the Lord. The voice from heaven is the voice of the Spirit, Who is also God. At that time, the Spirit does not dwell on earth anymore, for with the rapture of the church the Spirit also left the earth. Wherever the church dwells the Spirit also dwells ( ; ; ). The situation will then be like it was before the church was on earth. Then the Spirit did not dwell on earth, but He was working on earth. After His confirmation, the Spirit points to the consequences of their death: “They may rest.” After they have gone through all uproar and persecution, they now experience a beneficial rest. What a contrast to the endless restlessness of those who are in never ending torment ( )! Just a little, and then the slain saints will also be rewarded for their deeds. Their deeds of faith are not left behind on earth, but “follow with them”. The deeds of all who have been killed after the rapture will be remembered by God. Nothing will be forgotten. They will receive the reward out of the hand of the Lord Jesus. It consists of being allowed to reign with Him in the kingdom of peace. For that reason it sounds: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” They are blessed indeed. Aren’t they? Now read Revelation 14:7-13 again. Reflection: What individuals or groups of individuals are addressed here?

‏ Revelation of John 14:13

Messages From Three Angels

Rev 14:7. The everlasting gospel is not muttered unintelligibly, but it is preached “with a loud voice”. It goes beyond all noise on the earth. The content of this everlasting gospel is simply: fear God, give Him glory and worship Him. The necessity of this gospel is just as simple, namely, because the hour of God’s judgment has come. Repentance begins with the fear of God (Lk 23:40). God is an awesome God Who will punish every sin, disobedience and rebellion.

As soon as a person realizes that he has sinned against God, he becomes afraid, for he then discovers that God is a wrathful God. Then the soul that is convicted of his sins will give glory to God. He will certainly acknowledge that God would be righteous if He would condemn him to hell and if He would visit the world in its entirety with disasters and plagues. Each person who acknowledges that will not be condemned, but he will pass out death into life (Jn 5:24). Finally, such a person becomes a worshiper of God Who gave him such a great grace.

God is presented here as the Creator. As the Creator He has the right to the worship of His creatures. That worship will be claimed by the beast in that time on earth. But God will never give up His rights. He appeals to us to respect those rights, though without coercion (yet).

Rev 14:8. Then “another angel, a second one”, appears. Because in Rev 14:9 there is mention of “a third one”, it indicates that there is a ranking in the events. What this angel announces emphasizes the necessity to heed the call of the first angel. The hour of God’s judgment is heralded with the judgment on Babylon. It is “Babylon the great”, because it had great thoughts about itself and also because it had great influence on the nations. But God brings an end to that. Judgment on Babylon is described in detail in Revelation 17-18.

In the words “fallen, fallen” you hear the echo of the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa 21:9). The cry of the angel means a warning of the judgment to come, the result of which is communicated here. God never judges without warning. It should keep people from throwing themselves in the arms of “the mother of harlots” (Rev 17:5) and to be overwhelmed by her tempting religious beauty and splendor.

The overwhelming wealth and worldly charm have made Babylon a desired partner of all nations. World leaders eagerly make contact with the Vatican. They like to drink a sip with her from the wine of her harlotry. They thought they were enriching themselves in getting close with this harlot. It was a harlot whom you did not have to pay, but who paid herself for the harlotry that she committed.

But they will have to pay a high price for their flirtations. They do not realize that by drinking of the wine of the passion of her immorality they expose themselves to the wrath of God (Rev 16:19 ; Rev 17:2; Jer 51:7-8). As they have wanted to share in her opulence, so they will share in her fall. Everyone who does not withdraw from the great Babylon will receive of her plagues (Rev 18:3-4).

Rev 14:9. “Then another angel, a third one” appears. He announces with a loud voice a message to those who have connected themselves with the beast by worshiping him and by receiving the mark of his name on their forehead or hand. You have come across these people in Revelation 13 (Rev 13:12 ; 16). Here, people who have not yet had that done are given a last chance to repent. The warning is, not to be marked. This means that they must face the great pressure of expulsion from the social life.

Rev 14:10. Whoever, despite this last appeal, sticks to his choice for the beast chooses for an indescribable and endless torment. There will be no softening of God’s wrath for those who are attached to the beast. The torment will happen “in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (cf. Lk 16:23-26), for they have been horribly provoked by these inventors and executors of the greatest wickedness. This will not work up feelings of gloating with the holy angels and the Lamb.

Whoever has lived in rebellion against heaven will, beside the bodily torment “with fire and brimstone”, be tormented by something else. While suffering those hellish pains, the remorse that he could have been in the atmosphere of the heavenly angels and in the presence of the Lamb, will continually gnaw at him.

Rev 14:11. To the unspeakably bodily and mental torment another torment is added of which the gravity cannot be expressed in words. This torment is that there will never come an end to it. Also the absence of any moment of rest, a short respite in that torment is an indescribable increase of this horrible and unchangeable situation. Beside the deep seriousness that this verse contains, it is also a simple and adequate proof that the universal atonement is a harsh lie.

Rev 14:12. The impressive previous warnings addressed to the unbelievers, are an exhortation for the saints to persevere. It will ensure them that it is better to be temporarily tormented by the beast than to be eternally tormented with the beast. Instead of joining in the general worship of the beast they live in obedience to “the commandments of God”. They also keep “the faith in Jesus”, that is the trust in Him Who was once on earth the Rejected. The authority of the Word of God and the love for the Son determine their life in the midst of the circumstances controlled by satan.

There is mention of ‘Jesus’ and not of ‘the Lord Jesus’ or ‘Jesus Christ’. ‘Jesus’ is the name that recalls the life of the Lord in humiliation on earth. These saints draw strength from the example of His life on earth. He has suffered under the predecessors of both the political and the religious beast. You recognize the representative of the Roman empire in Pilate and that of the apostate Judaism in Herod (Lk 23:12). By fixing their eyes on Jesus they will be able to suffer the greatest trials with perseverance and not succumb (Heb 12:1-3; Mt 24:13).

Rev 14:13. God orders John to write that the saints who have lost their life because of the murderousness of beast, will lose nothing of the blessing that is promised to them. The earth considered that they deserved nothing but death. Heaven, in contrast, calls them blessed.

They died “in the Lord”. They have acknowledged and served Him Who was rejected on earth, as their Lord. In that way they have given Him the place that God has already given to Him with His return to heaven after the accomplishment of the work of redemption (Acts 2:36; Phil 2:11). Their tribute to Him for which they had to pay with their life, is rewarded by God by giving them a place with Him. The expression “from now on” makes clear that it is about believers who were killed because of their testimony.

With an emphatic “yes” the Spirit confirms what John must write concerning the blessing of those who died in the Lord. The voice from heaven is the voice of the Spirit, Who is also God. At that time, the Spirit does not dwell on earth anymore, for with the rapture of the church the Spirit also left the earth. Wherever the church dwells the Spirit also dwells (Jn 14:16; 1Cor 3:16; 2Thes 2:7b). The situation will then be like it was before the church was on earth. Then the Spirit did not dwell on earth, but He was working on earth.

After His confirmation, the Spirit points to the consequences of their death: “They may rest.” After they have gone through all uproar and persecution, they now experience a beneficial rest. What a contrast to the endless restlessness of those who are in never ending torment (Rev 14:11)! Just a little, and then the slain saints will also be rewarded for their deeds.

Their deeds of faith are not left behind on earth, but “follow with them”. The deeds of all who have been killed after the rapture will be remembered by God. Nothing will be forgotten. They will receive the reward out of the hand of the Lord Jesus. It consists of being allowed to reign with Him in the kingdom of peace. For that reason it sounds: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” They are blessed indeed. Aren’t they?

Now read Revelation 14:7-13 again.

Reflection: What individuals or groups of individuals are addressed here?