Speaker: Dustin Scott

Passage: Revelation 14

REVELATION 14: JUDGMENT DAY

Good morning, everyone. We’re probably in that spot where you’re asking us as a teaching team, How much longer until we don’t need those hugs when studying Revelation? Hey, we’ve only got a few more chapters, and we’re going to get to the part of Revelation which is so overwhelmingly full of blessing that it’s almost impossible to disentangle the imagery of how good it is. 

So, now that that’s on the horizon, we just have a few more chapters to go. And when I first found out I was teaching on Revelation 14, I will admit I asked myself, How did I get the short straw here? I know Greg was teaching on the mark of the beast, but 14 is an animal. It’s a packed passage. There’s a lot of beautiful things in this chapter. There’s some dark and incredibly haunting realities in this chapter. 

ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE

And what I want to do before we even begin to approach the text, is, like Gary said this morning, he inferred the statement of Peter from Acts 10, where Peter says, God is not a respecter of persons. What does that mean? God doesn’t show favoritism. The path of reconciliation has been made available to all humanity; all humanity can partake in that gift. So, God is not a respecter of persons, but He’s a respecter of pursuit. We have the opportunity to step into eternal significance. 

How many here have ever thought to yourself, I’m not sure if my life really matters that much. I’m sure we all have. Revelation 14 is the screaming contradiction of the Lord saying, That isn’t true. Your life matters. It eternally matters. 

How you live in faith, how you endure, how you stay faithful to the Lord, in both your allegiance and your obedience to Him, is eternally significant. So, if you walk away with nothing else this morning, I would say this: the way we endure in faith matters; it is of eternal significance. 

So, as we look at the chapter, Pastor Greg reminded us that we have to remember the audience, that this letter was written to the seven churches of Asia Minor. Why does that matter? Because most of them were Jewish believers. 

These churches had gathered around the regional synagogues of the area, and so that means when they heard the good news of Jesus, when they were understanding what on earth is John talking about in this letter, the way they were interpreting this passage was through the Scriptures they had– the Old Testament. So, to understand what this chapter is saying, we’re going to have to go back to the Old Testament to figure out the imagery. 

Second, as we read, I would encourage us to stay focused on the big picture. There’s going to be a ton of things happening within the passage. There’s going to be some things which are beautiful, other things which are confusing, still others which are going to be a bit disturbing. Get in the helicopter, as Dr. Ian Paul says, and take the big picture as we read. We’re going to read the whole chapter, but before we do, let’s pray. 

Holy Spirit, would You lead us? Would You guide us this morning? You gave this book not just to these seven churches, but to the whole of Your church. And You gave it to us for a reason– that we would read it, that we would hear it, and we would obey the things it says. So, show us Your truth this morning. 

Would you clear out all the clutter and allow our ears to hear and our eyes to see uniquely what Your Spirit is saying to the churches? Lord, if anything this morning is said which isn’t of You, let it be forgotten, and may You be glorified in all things. We ask this in Your holy name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

REVELATION 14

I won’t make us stand because we’re reading the whole chapter. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version. It says, “Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of thunder: the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who have been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from humankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth is no lie; they are blameless. 

“Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth– to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come, worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’ 

“Then another angel, a second, followed, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her prostitution.’ Then another angel, a third followed them, crying with a loud voice, ‘Those who worship the beast and its image and receive the brand on their foreheads and on their hands, they will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they 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. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast in its image and for anyone who receives the brand of its name.’ Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’” 

We’re almost there, guys. “Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand! Another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to the one who sat upon the cloud, ‘Use your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is fully dried. So the one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he, too, had a sharp sickle. Then another angel came from the altar, the one who has authority over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, ‘Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.’ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and he 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 a distance of about one thousand six hundred stadia.” 

JOHN’S VISION

You guys okay? We made it that far. What is John seeing? We see some familiar figures: we see the one hundred and forty-four thousand, this picture of the holy– we remember the numerology here, twelve by twelve– and the innumerable with that number– one thousand– people of God. 

We see that they have the name of the Father and of the Lamb written on them. And if we go back to the beginning of Revelation, we remember that this was Jesus’s promised reward to the church of Philadelphia. We find that these believers are undefiled, which was Jesus’ encouragement to the uncompromised believers of the church of Sardis. 

We also find this haunting and disturbing imagery of a great wine press, of torment, of the mark of the beast. What is John looking at? Well, to understand this vision, we have to go back to the Old Testament and see how the Hebrew Scriptures describe this event which John is seeing. 

We can see in Joel chapter 3. It says, “Come quickly, all you nations all around; gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord. Let the nation rouse themselves and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the neighboring nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, and tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” But here’s the good news at the end, “The Lord is a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.” 

JUDGEMENT DAY

When understood within John’s Old Testament sources, we can see the event, the reality which John is seeing. He’s having a vision of Judgment Day– of the final judgment. God is taking him to the end of the story. 

And as we look at this vision of Judgment Day, we find a great contrast between God’s people and those who reject Jesus and worship the beast. We see one hundred and forty-four thousand, and we see those who worship the beast. We see that believers have the name of the Father and of the Lamb written upon them, whereas those who worship the beast carry the mark of the beast. 

We hear an eternal Gospel being proclaimed to all the earth, but we also hear this great declaration: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” We hear that the righteous will rest from their labors in eternity, whereas the wicked will find no rest, whether day or night. 

And in this imagery, which is drawn from Jesus’s own parables, He comes as a farmer enthroned upon the clouds to gather up His people like wheat, whereas another angel comes forth to gather the wicked like clusters of grapes. This is a vision of judgment day; John is being shown the end of the story. 

And why is that significant? Because the preceding chapters of Revelation have dealt with the here and now– a world in sin and under judgment, a church which is facing constant temptations to give up our loyalty, our love, and allegiance to Jesus. Society is brimming with idols, distractions, false messiahs. And endly, any worldly pressure which would seek to take our eyes off of Him. 

But Revelation 14 takes all of these struggles– struggles we face in our everyday life– and it puts it into eternal perspective. What do we find at the end of the story? We find that the kingdom of darkness will end in defeat, torment, and the wrath of God. But the Kingdom of Jesus will result in victory, unfathomable reward, and you know what the best part of all is? Eternity with our King. 

It’s as if John’s vision is reminding the seven churches and us, Hey, in the midst of the everyday struggle, remember the prize. Remember what your life is all about. Remember how the story is going to end. We aren’t living for our temporary circumstances; we’re living for eternity. We aren’t chasing after the fleeting pleasures of this world; we’re chasing after eternal rest. And we aren’t looking to idols and distractions and created things to fulfill our needs, to save us, and to protect us; we’re looking to Jesus. 

SALVATION REQUIRES ENDURANCE

And that’s why Revelation 13 and 14 are going to give near-identical warnings to God’s people. Chapter 13 verse 10 says, “Here is a call for the endurance and the faith of the saints.” And 14 verse 12 says, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints.” 

Why are those warnings significant? Because salvation requires endurance. Have any of you ever heard the statement, keep on keeping on? It’s as if John is saying to these churches, Hey, keep on keeping on. Like a runner in a race, don’t forget that there’s a finish line. 

And why does that matter? In contemporary Christianity, this truth has, in many ways, been forgotten. How many of us have heard the phrase, once saved, always saved? We’ve heard that phrase before, we recognize that phrase, and the Scriptures do teach eternal security. Jesus will say, “No one can pluck them out of my Father’s hands.” That’s from John 10. 

But at the same time, the New Testament teaches the very real possibility of walking away from Jesus. Endurance is needed. We find that in the parable of the sower, in 2 Corinthians 13, 2 Peter 3, Hebrews 6, and now here in Revelation because Jesus says, The one who endures to the end will be saved. 

Salvation requires endurance. Keep on keeping on. Like a runner in a race, we have to remember the finish line. Every breath, every exertion, every moment of our life is focused on finishing the race. 

Why is that important? Because every micro-moment in our life matters. It is eternally significant. The way we treat others on a Monday will resonate in eternity. The way we treat our families at home when no one else sees us will resonate in eternity. The way we stay faithful and uncompromising to Jesus matters for eternity. 

Salvation can’t just be reduced to a one-time moment; it is the justifying and sanctifying work of the Son and Spirit transforming us for what? The end of the story. Transformation requires endurance. And anyone who’s gone to the gym knows that transformation requires endurance, doesn’t it? 

In the physical world and in the spiritual life, endurance to abandon stubbornness, apathy, that desire to just check out, and instead surrender to Him. An endurance to exchange my own corrupt desires– which sometimes I really, really like– in favor of His holy desires. An endurance to stay and remain in committed relationship with the One who saves me and transforms me. It’s as if chapter 14 is Jesus’ encouragement to us, Hey, keep eternity in your line of sight. Don’t forget about it. Endure, keep the faith, and win the race. 

REJECTING JESUS

So, what practical application can we derive from such a strange passage of Scripture? Joel 3 and Revelation 14 will both locate the Great Judgment in this place called the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Valley of Decision. 

And there’s really two decisions at play here. The Lord will decide those who are His and those who are not. But in this present life, we are faced with the decision: will we follow Jesus, or will we not? And chapter 14 is going to teach us that eternity is determined by that lifelong decision. 

Everyone, take a deep breath. I’ll share with you guys just a little facet of my life. When I was a kid, I had a problem: whenever I faced homework or chores, I always wanted to do the most grueling stuff first so that way afterward, I could be like, I can take it easy now; the hard stuff is over. 

And maybe I’m just messed up, but that’s the way I interpret Scripture now. I always want to deal with the hard stuff first, and then let’s get to the joyous, happy, and eternal-life-bringing things. I’m not sure eternal-life-bringing things is a grammatically proper way of speaking, but you get my point.

Rejecting Jesus. Rejecting Jesus is rejecting eternal life. It’s not common to hear this in church, but the Scriptures teach that those who reject Jesus and worship idols will drink the wine of God’s wrath, their torment will go forever and ever, and there is no rest day or night for them. We can’t run away from that Scriptural truth. 

Why does that matter? Well, a flawed view has existed in the Church. It existed in the beginning; there was a church father named Origen who had some form of this view. George McDonald– C. S. Lewis’s great spiritual mentor– held to this view. And C. S. Lewis was like, Well, his writings were great. He was totally wrong on this point. 

It’s called universal reconciliation, and it’s very popular in the church today. Maybe you’ve heard it. In the end, everything’s going to work out, God is love, everyone’s going to be saved, and it’s all going to be fine. We cannot believe that; the Scriptures do not teach it. 

The Scriptures teach, Yes, God desires the salvation of all. Yes, believers are to make it our life’s aim to labor and pray and work for the salvation of those we love who are not in relationship with Jesus, but rejecting Jesus has eternal consequences. We cannot run away from that truth, no matter how unpopular it is. 

Now, there are some Scriptural interpreters who believe that the unrepentant will face eternal conscious torment. There are others who believe that the unrepentant will be ultimately destroyed, a view called annihilationism. And maybe you’re here going, Pastor Dustin, which one are you? I don’t know. 

I don’t know how to disentangle the complex imagery of rejecting the Lord in Scripture, whether it’s Gehenna, Sheol, Tartarus, the Second Death. Or if we look at the metaphors, how do we understand a place which is both burning and completely dark? I don’t know how to make sense of it, but what I do know, and what we can know, is that rejecting Jesus has grievous and permanent consequences. We can’t run away from that truth. 

Why? Because at the end of the story, He is the judge, not us. So, what do we do in the meantime with our relatives who aren’t following Jesus? With those we love, who perhaps have been lost, they’ve passed away, what do we do? We pray for them, we seek their salvation, and we show them the love, the character, and nature of Jesus. That’s why we’re still here. 

FOLLOWING JESUS

Who’s ready for the good stuff? Because I am. I believe the benefits of following Jesus in Revelation 14 are easy to overlook. Let’s go back to verses 1-5, those qualifications for the one hundred forty-four thousand. 

Well, it says in verse 4 that they are undefiled virgin males. Sorry, ladies, you can’t be a part of this group. Well, it gets even more confusing because, in that same verse, it calls them parthenoi, which is the Greek specific term for a female maiden or virgin. So it’s like, Lord, are these guys? Are these girls? I don’t know how to make sense of this imagery because you just said both things. 

It also says they never lie and that they’re completely blameless. How many in this room would meet that list of qualifications? If you do, I’d love you to raise your hand and tell us how you did it. Nobody outside of Jesus can be a part of the one hundred and forty-four thousand. We are all impure without Him, we all fall short without Him, we all live in lies and untruthfulness without Him. 

So, what is the picture here? Well, we learned in Revelation 7 that the one hundred and forty-four thousand are an illustration of the holy and innumerable people of God. And within 14 verse 4, we find the key to understanding this whole passage: it says they have been purchased from humankind as first fruits for the Lamb. How do we get into this select group of believers? Through Jesus. 

Come on, guys, this is good stuff. What does that mean? It means when we come to Him, we get to exchange our old self for His nature. We get to bring our defilement, all that nasty trash about us, to Him. And what does He give to us? His Holiness. 

We get to bring our impurity, our broken desires to Him. And what does he give to us? His purity. We get to bring our lies, our deceptions, our false ideas and beliefs to Him. And what does He place there, right in the middle, in the place of those things? His truth. And we get to bring our guilt and our shame before Him. And what does He give to us? His blamelessness. 

And why do verses 1-5 use those confusing and recurrent symbols of virginity? Because if we fast forward in the Book of Revelation, we, as the people of God, have been made into a pure, holy, and blameless Bride of the Lamb. 

REVELATION 14 IS THE GOSPEL

Revelation 14 is all about the Gospel. It’s all about the good news of what happens in us when we come to Jesus. And we see those who have rejected Jesus and those who have confessed Him as Lord in this side-by-side comparison.

And what does it show us as Jesus’s people? That we receive His holiness for the Day of Judgment. We do not have to be afraid of this passage, because we are in Him. I like to say of the guy who would have been judged on Judgment Day, that old Dustin, Yeah, I know who he is, and he died a long time ago. He died when I met Jesus. 

We get to trade in all our junk, all the garbage of our life, and He gives us His own nature. And we cannot forget this point: we are given supernatural ability through the power of the Holy Spirit to follow Him and obey Him. That’s why it says in this passage of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, they follow the Lamb wherever He goes. It’s an eternal Gospel: fear God, give Him glory, worship Him. 

FINDING ASSURANCE

So, how do we find the assurance of our salvation? How do we endure in the midst of all the distractions, all the idols, all those things in our life which are seeking to take our eyes and our hearts off of Him? We fear God. We exchange our old self for Him continually. 

What does that look like? I don’t know what it looks like for you, but it means for me, each day, I wake up in the morning, and I recognize all the places where I fell short of Him the day before, and I exchange it for Him. And I walk with Him, I live in friendship with Him, I revere Him as Lord over my life; and when I deviate from His way, I repent and come back to center. 

We must daily anchor ourselves in Him by hearing His voice in prayer, taking in His truth in the Scriptures, and as my friend Mike says, getting out of the way so that His Holy Spirit can work within us. 

We glorify God, we example His character, we magnify His name. We live in such a way that the unbelievers around us look at our life and go, You’ve got something I don’t. I need to figure out what this answer is. 

And we worship Him, which means gratitude has to become more than just a thing we do; it becomes our language and our lifestyle. We become a people of gratitude and of worship. 

That also means worship has to be more than just a Sunday morning activity when Greg Froehle leads us all together in some songs. It becomes something we do before Him, both privately and publicly. 

We pour out our thankfulness to Him, and as we do that, we live a life of exchange, where everything that was broken about us is traded for everything which is pure, holy, and perfect about Him. 

I think Jesus is taking this moment to reveal a vision to John and remind him, Hey, all the micro-moments of your life, they matter. They are eternally significant. If you’ve ever said to yourself, Hey, my person and my life doesn’t matter to the Lord, you are dearly wrong. We’ve got to stay focused on the big picture. We have to keep our minds and our hearts on the end of the story because if we endure in Him, we will cross the finish line. 

All right, that’s all I got. Putting the short straw back now. Would you guys stand with me? Lord, it’s so easy to talk on a Sunday morning about remembering how the story ends; it’s a lot harder on a Tuesday morning. Would You keep us continually on the way the story ends? Would You remind us of Your victory? Would You remind us of our new life in You? Would You remind us to endure in all those places where we don’t want to endure?

Whether it’s that moment when we want to lash out and say something which isn’t of You or whether it’s that moment where we’re afraid and we want to deviate from Your nature, would You continually remind us of the exchange we made when we came to You, that we got all of You, but You got all of us. 

Lord, in this moment, we pray for Your church across the world; we recognize that we’re in a threshold moment where a new pope is going to be likely brought forth in the Church of Rome. Would You bring forth a disciple of You who glorifies You and leads others to You? 

In the Church of England, there’s transition. Would You bring forth an archbishop of Canterbury who glorifies Your name? Lord, we pray for the revival of our brothers and sisters in these other traditions, would all eyes be placed on You.

Lord, bless the people of this church and what other difficulty, distraction, suffering they’re in, would You give them Your grace to endure, and would You continually exchange everything that’s broken in our lives for You. We ask this in Your name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.