Revelation 14:1-20

Revelation chapters 14 & 15 preview the judgments in Revelation chapters 16 through 19. In Revelation chapter 14 God is preserving the righteous for blessing and preparing judgment for the wicked at Jesus’ Second Coming. The chapter opens with a scene that pictures Jesus as a Lamb standing in Zion (i.e. Jerusalem; cf. 2 Sam. 5:7), and with Him are one hundred and forty-four thousand (Rev. 14:1; cf. 7:4-8), and these faithful believers sing a new song to God (Rev. 14:2-5). John saw an angel with an eternal gospel, calling people to praise God and to worship Him as creator, pronouncing His time of judgment upon the earth has come (Rev. 14:6-7). A second angel appears, pronouncing judgment upon Babylon (Rev. 14:8), and a third angel announcing eternal judgment upon all who receive the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-11). John then reveals that martyred saints who die during the Tribulation will be blessed with rewards that follow their works (Rev. 14:12-13). The scene then shifts to the Second Coming of Jesus and the judgments that follow (Rev. 14:14), which judgments are aided with the help of angels who reap the earth of rebellious people who will face the wrath of God at the appearance of Jesus (Rev. 14:15-20; cf. Matt. 13:41-42, 49-50).