In addition to heavy symbolism, angelic beings, cosmic
conflict, and unveiling what was previously mysterious, dualism is another
important characteristic of apocalyptic literature. When I say dualism I am
referring to good vs. evil, light vs. darkness, and all the many juxtapositions
that are similar. While Revelation is ripe with dualism, chapter 14 is an especially
compelling example. While last week we looked at what the people of God can
expect in the end in the spoiler that John provided, this week we are confronted
with what the world can expect in the end in another spoiler. The two kinds of
people and the two fates they will experience couldn’t be more different. So
without any delay, let’s turn to Revelation 14:6-13 and listen to three angel’s
as they share the next preview that John discloses to the reader.
a) An Angel Supplies
a Warning for the World-14:6-7
After disclosing the
preview he was given for the people of God in verses 1-5, John is given another
vision with a different target audience—the world. This vision is handed down
by three different angels with three different, but related, messages. John
introduces us to the first of these heavenly intermediaries by saying, “and I
saw another angel flying in mid-heaven” (14:6a). “Midheaven” probably refers to
the domain below God’s throne and above the earth’s atmosphere—i.e. “hovering
over the earth” –according to the three-heaven scheme endorsed by many in the
ancient world (Keener, IVPBBC, 746) (see 2 Cor. 12:2-4). The location of
the angel implies that the message he has come to herald is for the whole
world.
This idea is
reiterated when the angel is described as “having an eternal gospel to preach
to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and
people” (4:6b). Several important characteristics of the “good news” are given
in this verse. First, it is a message to be shared—“to preach.” Second, it is a
message for those under the power of sin and death—“to those who live on the
earth.” And third, it is for everyone—“to every nation and tribe and tongue and
people” (4:6b). Whether this angel shares this message of the gospel because
the church entrusted with sharing the good news has already been taken up into
heaven or not is debated. However, at least one thing is certain: this herald
and his message demonstrates the grace of God. For the Lord to disclose, even
in this dark age, the only hope that saves reveals his great love for a world
that, in large part, is already suffering under the condemnation it
deserves! It is obvious that even in a
period of judgment, God desires that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
Though this is the only time “gospel” is used in Revelation, “everywhere that euaggelion is found in the New Testament, it implies
the gracious offer of salvation” (Osborne, Revelation, 535).
Repentance and faith
ought to be directed toward this “eternal gospel.” In other words, the gospel
(Jesus’ deity, death, and resurrection) is unchanging in both its content and
in its power. The same gospel that saved in the days of the apostles is the
same message that saves today and will saves those who heed it in the end.
The angel frames
this idea as follows: “and he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give Him
glory, because the hour of His judgment has come” (14:7a). Rather than share
the means of salvation explicitly, this proclamation frames the offer of
salvation against the backdrop of fast-approaching judgment. [“fear God and
give him glory” appear to be code words for repentance and conversion given
what is found in 15:4; 16:9; and 19:5]. There is, in other words, an urgency
behind what is being shared here. The final epoch is upon the world and Jesus
is soon to touch down on planet earth again—this time to bring judgment upon
her. While John’s gospel shares that Jesus did not come to the world to condemn
the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (Jn. 3:17), when he
returns in the end it will be to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1; 1
Pet. 4:1-8).
Now is the time for
the world to fear God—in the scared kind of way—and give him the glory due his
name! After all, as the angel discloses “the hour of His judgment has come.”
This phrase uses a cumulative aorist, emphasizing that the time of judgment,
after a period of long anticipation and preparation, has already arrived—that is,
when this preview is fulfilled. Again, in this context, the certainty and
imminence of God’s judgment makes the call to repentance all the more
critical—there will not be another opportunity. Last call!
Not only did the
first angel hope that the world would fear God and glorify him (turn in
conversion), but he also requests that the world “worship Him who made the
heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters,…” (14:7b) (follow him). By
calling attention to the uniquely divine office of creator, the angel suggests
that Creator God is the only one worthy to receive worship in the first place.
This same One who created the world will recreate it and, when all this comes
to pass, he will be in the process of just that. Part of that recreation
process involves the purging and/or judging of the wicked world and her
inhabitants. “The God who created and sustains this world will end it on the
basis of his sovereign will” (Osborne, Revelation, 537) and one ought to
be in right relationship with him before this comes to pass.
b) An Angel Shares a
Prediction for the World-14:8
Following this
warning (in true “turn or burn style”) “another angel, a second one, followed,
saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,…’” (14:8a). Herein lies the core
of John’s second major spoiler in chapter 14. In 1-5 John spoiled the ending
that God’s people could expect on Mt. Zion by describing the glorious victory
and celebratory worship that will ring out when all things are said and done.
Here, John spoils the ending that the world could expect. “Fallen, fallen”
stresses the certainty and completeness of what will eventually transpire. But what/who has fallen? “Babylon the great.”
This label refers back to Daniel 4:30—the only place in the Old Testament where
this phrase is used—and describes the empire under Nebuchadnezzar. There,
Nebuchadnezzar asks, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built…by my mighty
power and for the glory of my majesty?” Immediately following this haughty
statement, the judgment of God fell upon him. From this point on, Babylon was
established as an archetype that is employed elsewhere in God’s word to speak
of proud worldly empires. For instance, “Babylon” became a common epithet for
Rome in John’s day (1 Pet. 5:13; 2 Bar. 11.1; 67.7; 79.1; Sib. Or. 5.143, 159;
2 Esd. 3:2) (Osborne, Revelation, 538). Certainly, Rome was the
“Babylon” of John’s day as Revelation was written. However, Babylon, as will be
described later, is a term used to represent any and every corrupt and prideful
world system in general and the ultimate culmination of corrupt worldly power
that will come to a head in the end, perhaps under a future world order.
Therefore “fallen, fallen is Babylon the great” might be understood (at the
very least and in its most general sense) as “fallen, fallen is the haughty
world system of wickedness.” Such a world system will suffer total
annihilation—this is what John spoils for the unrepentant world. Not a pretty
picture!
After revealing to
whom this prediction applies, John describes this fallen world system in
greater detail—“she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the
passion of her immorality” (14:8b). Whatever this world system is, one thing is
sure, she will corrupt the planet. This is described figuratively by the wine
which is here used as a symbol not only of sexual impurity, but of every kind
of excess that expresses unfaithfulness to God (Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 207;
Hughes, Revelation, 162). The entire planet will be, in other words,
drunk on its own indulgences—physical, sexual, moral, spiritual, financial,
etc.—ultimately resulting in unprecedented immorality. Thankfully, this system
doesn’t win in the end. In fact, as the third angel emerges, the reader learns
of the impending doom that will be lodged against this wicked worldly order.
c) An Angel Spells
Doom for the World-14:9-13
“Then another angel,
a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the
beast and his image, and received a mark on his forehead or on his hand,…” (14:9).
In this opening remark of verse 9 the reader learns to whom this doom will be
dealt. Unlike those who have the name of the Lord God on their foreheads (14:1)
who are promised victory and celebration, those who worship the beast and are
marked by him will receive the destruction described here.
The doom dealt to those owned by the beast is explained in
verse 10—“ He also will drink of the
wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His
anger,…” (14:10a). While earlier these same were getting drunk to their
delight on immoral acts and passions, their beverage of choice has become too
much to handle. In other words, those who make it their practice to raise a
glass to the fallen world and her many gods today will be made to drink of the
wrath of the one true God in the end. Ingesting the wrath of God is no small
thing as it is described as “full strength in the cup of his anger.” Typically wine
was mixed with water in the first century in the following ratio: one part
water to one part wine. Sometimes, depending on the occasion and what was
desired by the consumer the ratio was 3 parts water to two parts wine or even
three to one. Normally the only reason one would drink undiluted wine in the
first century was to get drunk (Osborne, Revelation, 540; Aune, Revelation
6-16, 833). This is the picture here—God had “mixed” or “prepared” his wine
“full strength” to get the world drunk not on pleasure, but on wrath. The wrath
content of the beverage the world will be forced to chug is 100% proof, not of
alcohol, but of condemnation.
John continues to describe this ordeal by saying, “and he will be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb,…”
(14:10b). Suffering a similar fate to Sodom and Gomorrah, the wicked world and
her people will experience fire and brimstone with the Lamb and the angels
looking on from the heaven.
Luke 12:9-“,…but
he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
This passage is consistent with the Old Testament concept of
the angels participating not only in worship but also in judgement (Dan.
7:9-12; 1 Enoch 14.19-23; 40,1-10; 60.2-6). The same characters that were
celebrating with the 144000 in verses 1-5 will be overseeing the judgment of
the wicked world in verses 6-13.
“and the smoke of
their torment goes up forever; they have no rest day and night, those who
worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (14:11).
According to this passage, the judgment is not a single event, but an ongoing
reality for those who are not in Christ. Anyone who worships the beast and bears
his image can expect ongoing torment separated from God.
John ends this spoiler with a comparison between those he
has been describing in this passage and those who were described earlier (in
verses 1-5). He introduces this comparison with “here is the perseverance of
the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (14:12). Contrasting those “who worship the beast” are
those “who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” The two
participial phrases stand in contrast to each other, demonstrating two opposite
kinds of people.
After this comparison is drawn a beatitude (the second of
seven—see 1:3 for the first) rings out: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying,
‘Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from no one!’ ‘Yes,’ says the
Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with
them,’…” (14:13). In these beatitudes, John breaks the fourth wall and speak
directly to the reader. Here he tells the reader that it is to be preferred to
die in Christ than to either see or suffer the fate described in this passage. Getting
right with Christ now will not only spare believers from the judgement that is
seen here, it promises peace and rest in its place.
So What?
These three angels
and their description of the fate of the world highlights the contrast between what
the people of God can expect and what the followers of beast will see. God’s
people are distinguished by the Lord’s name on their foreheads and obey his
commandments while the followers of the beast bear his name on theirs and
worship him. Those in verse 1-5 were described as pure and righteous while
those described in verse 6-13 are drunk on immorality. Those in Christ will
celebrate, those bearing the mark of the beast will face torment. The 144000
will be standing with the Lamb and his angels while the world will be separated
from these characters. Followers of the Lamb will see unparalleled victory
while followers of the beast will see nothing but defeat. The saved are
promised peace and rest while the lost are promised ongoing destruction. Revelation
provides a spoiler for each group, but they couldn’t be more different. These previews
illustrate two divergent destines available to those who inhabit the world—life
or death, victory or defeat, celebration or torment, heaven or hell. What determines
where one will end up? The text spells the answer: it is all about who you are
following. Are you following Christ or following after something else? That “something
else” in the future period this passage describes is a false Christ. However,
following after anything other than Jesus is just as consequential today.
Spoiler alert: the world loses! This is why we must choose to follow the One
who is not of this world.
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