By: Tom Lowe Date: 12/17/16
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Title: Proclamations of Three Angels (Revelation 14:6-13)
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Revelation 14:6-13 (KJV)
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6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
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Introduction
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Three angels now appear who have been commissioned by the Lord to deliver three proclamations to the earth.
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Commentary
I. The Proclamation Concerning Belief (vs. 6-7)
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6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” John sees an angel that appears in mid-air, or mid heaven. This is the place in the sky where the sun is at its highest (noon), the highest point in the sky. The scene he describes has this angel in the center point of the sky preaching the gospel to the whole world. You can be certain the Antichrist (the Beast) will not lay a hand on this servant of God. His pulpit is beyond the reach of God’s enemies. He will herald His message to the Jewish remnant that in turn will carry it throughout the earth. God’s message must be spoken. If men are silenced, then angels become vocal. If Satan could slay and silence every human witness of God’s truth, then God would see to its proclamation by some other means. It should be noted that the word “angel” literally means “messenger.” When Paul wrote “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8), he was not stating emphatically that angels do preach the gospel in our present age. But in the Tribulation the wickedness of man and the power of Satan necessitate a change in the divine method. God will then resort to a method he used before Christ came to earth the first time: “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast . . .” (Hebrews 2:2). This angel is the first in a parade of six “another” angels mentioned in verses 8-9, 15, and 17-18.
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This proclamation is God’s last call to the Gentiles. It is given during the Great Tribulation, and many are saved by it. The word “gospel” simply means “good news.” We use the word today to describe the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), which is the good news for this age. Any person who tampers with this gospel is accursed (Galatians 1:8). But there are other aspects of the good news, aspects which apply to ages other than ours. There is the gospel of the kingdom, for example, and what is called here “the everlasting gospel.” This everlasting gospel is only a very small portion of the gospel which is preached today. Its message is designed for the terrible hour of the beast’s triumph, but it contains the essence of the gospel in any age, namely a living faith in a living God.
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The nature of this gospel is described first. It is eternal in its significance, and it is universal in its scope. John says, “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach.” It is everlasting because it has to do with eternal truth. The one basic gospel (truth), in whatever form it is cast, is fear God! Glorify God! Worship God! The special significance of the everlasting gospel lies in the fact that the beast is saying to men, fear me! glorify me! worship me! This everlasting gospel is to be preached to the people on earth at the end of the Great Tribulation Period, immediately preceding the judgment of the nation’s when the sheep will be divided from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). The message is judgment—not salvation; however, even though the message is judgment, it is good news for the elect (Israel) and the saved nations, because they have gone through—and are now in—great tribulation. The saved ones will rejoice to hear the message of the everlasting gospel.
“The everlasting gospel.” The question naturally arises, How is this the gospel, since the word “gospel” means “good news?” Is this angel bringing good news? Yes, it is good news for those who are God’s children, but it is bad news for the unbelievers.
The gospel is not only everlasting in its significance; it is universal in its scope. The angel’s commission was “to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Angels do not preach the gospel of the grace of God, but they do preach the gospel of the government of God. These shining ones have watched with great interest throughout the long years of the Christian era as redeemed ones told the story of God’s grace. They have looked on in amazement at Christians wasting priceless opportunities for telling others the good news, thus hiding their life under a bushel.
During our age the gospel has been committed to men, and they alone are the messengers of it. At the beginning of the Great Tribulation men are the messengers of God, as the 144,000 reveal. Angels as well as men were the messengers of the Old Testament—“. . . the word spoken by angels was stedfast . . .” (Hebrews 2:2). The times are so intense in the Great Tribulation Period that only angels can get the messages of God through to the world. Angels are indestructible.
“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him . . . and worship him . . . that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” The news of this gospel is described next. It involves conviction, conversion, and consecration. The angel is heard “saying with a loud voice, Fear God!” The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord means to treat the Lord with awe and reverence. The call is to acknowledge God’s control and power over the earth. At this time, the beast is ruling and the world is giving its respect and reverence to him. Yet the angel has stated that fear (respect and obedience) must be given to God and not to the beast.
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At this point in the world’s history, there will be so much fear on earth that all values will be distorted and all perspectives destroyed. The gospel puts the priorities straight—fear is number one!
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The gospel involves conversion. The angel says, “Fear God, and give Glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” It is not merely the Day of Judgment now, but the “hour of judgment.” The unregenerate man always denies God glory; the saved man always gives God glory and thus comes into harmony with God’s great goal both in creation and in redemption—to bring glory to Himself. All creation bears witness to God’s existence as well as to His power and wisdom. Nonetheless, “the beast will convince men that he is in charge of the world, and that their destinies are in his hands. The message of the angel calls men back to basics: God is creator—worship and serve Him. The fear of the Lord, not the fear of “the beast,” is the source of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
To give glory to God is to announce the marvelous wonders that He has done and to give Him the honor he is due. The glory of God is the manifestation of His attributes. Giving glory to God is the evidence of a person’s own conversion, proof that he has entered into a new world, one to which he had been deaf and blind before. (Some commentators see this as an announcement of judgment rather than an appeal.)
The gospel involves consecration. The angel cried, “Worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Worship is the highest, holiest, and happiest function of a rational, complete human being. It is the overflow of a heart filled with wonder, love, and praise for God. Intelligent worship is pouring out one’s being as a drink offering to God, the laying of one’s life upon the alter, the giving back of the life we owe. The beast may be manipulating the earth, but God is the maker of the earth. To worship God is to acknowledge who He is. In this case, He is to be acknowledged as the maker of the universe—the creator only, and not the creature, must be worshipped. This then is the first proclamation. It concerns belief.
II. The Proclamation Concerning Babylon (v. 8)
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8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
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The first proclamation was good news, the second was great news, and the third angel announces the doom of the Beast-worshippers. “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” This is the first mention of Babylon in the Apocalypse, but it is by no means the last. It gathers up into itself in one brief preliminary statement—“Babylon has fallen”—all that is later unfolded in chapters 17 and 18. This nation makes people drink the wine of her immorality. Every thought and every desire of this nation is so wicked and evil that its heart is obsessed with destroying God. Babylon was the name of both an evil city and an immoral empire—a world center for idol worship. It is the name given to the civilization that was seduced by the beast (see also 17:1-9). This world system is filled with idolatry, corruption, and sexual sin (18:2-3, 7), a wellspring of ungodly religion, governments, and economics. The name can represent the pride and wickedness of humanity that opposes God.
Before this city was called Babylon it was known as Babel. The people who lived in Babel built a tower they hoped would reach to the throne of God; but God confused their languages so they could no longer communicate and had to leave the tower unfinished. The city of Babylon will evidently be rebuilt during the Great Tribulation Period. I believe that ancient Babylon will be rebuilt, though not at the same location, and that judgment upon it, which is predicted in the Book of Isaiah, is yet to come.
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This proclamation anticipates the complete collapse of the political, economic, and religious system of the beast. The angel is letting everyone know that God is going to do away with the beast’s empire. It will fall. Its doom is so certain that it appears here as already “fallen.” This note is sounded here in view of the warning that follows, for those alive on the earth at this time will have a dire choice before them. That choice is the subject of the third proclamation. This second proclamation puts things into perspective for them and thus helps them decide. The triumph of Babylon will be brief.
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It is true that those who live through all or most of the Great Tribulation do so because they have received the mark of the Beast. However, part of the Great Tribulation is not caused by Satan being released, but by Christ’s judgment upon the earth. He will move personally and directly in putting down the rebellion against Him here on this earth.
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In John’s time Rome had replaced Babylon and had exceeded her in wickedness. In later New Testament times Rome was called “Babylon” (16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21; 1 Peter 5:13). Rome, like Babylon before her, had used her power and wealth to seduce the nations. She had acted like a temple prostitute who intoxicated her victims before seducing them. Even this warning seems to imply a call to repentance.
III. The Proclamation Concerning the Beast (vs. 9-12)
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9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb
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The issues are now made clear, the alternatives unmistakable. “Worship me,” cries the beast, “or be doomed!” “Worship me,” cries the Lamb, “or be dammed!” The proclamation is in two parts. First is described the doom of those who deify the beast. This doom is twofold. Those who take this step can expect unbelievable torment from an angry God. John says, “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” The message is urgent; it is proclaimed by an angel, and it is heralded in a loud voice. It is short, it is blunt, it is plain, and it is one of the most unique proclamations in Scripture, for it depicts the horrors of hell with a fullness of detail rare indeed in the Bible. There will be no hope for those who worship the beast, bow before his image, or receive his mark. They can’t expect anything but the wrath of God. The full extent of His anger, undiluted by mercy and grace, would soon be poured out on those who had adamantly refused to turn from sin and receive His salvation. It will be payback for how they have rejected God and mistreated their fellow human beings (Matthew 13:41-42; 16:27). Jesus promised that Satan, his demons, and the wicked would be thrown into hell at the final judgment (Matthew 25:41). Jesus repeatedly warned that hell would be a fate far worse than physical death. Scripture consistently describes hell as a place where one is utterly alone, rejected by one’s Creator, and excluded from His presence (Matthew 25:12, 41; Luke 13:24-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). If in this life we choose to be independent of God, in the next life we will be separated from Him forever.
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Punishment is awaiting those who take the mark of the beast and worship him. Keep in mind that the mark of the beast represents humanity. It is not just a number—it is a religion and a life philosophy. Those who receive the mark of the beast will receive the following punishments:
They will drink of the wine of God’s wrath. This refers to both His power to punish and the totality of all of His anger. The “wine of the wrath of God” is a figure of speech adopted from the Old Testament. In Psalm 75:8 we read: “In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs” (NIV). The Old Testament prophets picked up that theme. They saw the cup of wrath filling up to the brim. God was patient and let men go on and on in his sins, but when the cup of wrath was filled, then God would press it too the lips of a godless society. Rebellious men kept building this thing up until judgment had to take place.
They will be eternally tormented with fire and brimstone. This refers to the burning of hell. This hell is a place the angels and Jesus will be able to view. Dear reader, “God will never send anybody to hell. If man goes to hell, he goes by his own free choice . . . God has done everything within His power to keep you out. He even gave His Son to die on that cross to keep you out . . . You can go to heaven or to hell. The choice is yours” (Billy Graham). Adding to their torment is the fact that their punishment will take place in the presence (full view) of the lamb and holy angels.
They will be tormented continually. Their lives will be tormented both day and night without rest (11).
“The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God . . .” Each man who worshipped “the beast” and wore his mark on the forehead or hand will suffer a twofold punishment: (1) he will “drink the wine of God’s wrath undiluted; (2) he will be tormented with “fire and brimstone” forever. These severe punishments are permanent. If they seem too severe, one must recall that the doomed people have refused many calls to repentance. They are not casual sinners; they have confirmed their rejection of God by worshipping the beast and wearing his mark.
If you believe that the church is going to go through the Great Tribulation, you also believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to subject His own to the mingled, unmixed cup of His anger. I simply cannot believe that Christ would do this to the church which He has redeemed.
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“. . . and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone . . .” This scripture is very clear and understandable. These will be “tormented with fire.” Do I think it will be real fire? Why should I think anything else? When the Word of God clearly says, “he shall be tormented with fire,” why should I spiritualize or symbolize that statement? It is real fire, just like the fire we know. “Brimstone” is added to the fire. If you look up that word in your dictionary, you will find that it means “burning sulfur.” That will add heat to the blaze and pain to the tormenting, which will be in the sight of the holy angels and the Lamb of God.
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11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
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Those who worship the beast can expect undying torment from an angry God. John says, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Their torment begins on earth. Smoke will boil up as from a great furnace. This is neither spiritual nor symbolic smoke—it is real smoke. They find it impossible to rest, for their days become one long horror of anguish, and their nights become black nightmares of torment. And, after that—eternity, an awful eternity of misery. In Revelation 20:10 the devil is cast into the lake of fire where the Beast and False Prophet are.
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12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
“Here is the patience of the saints . . .” All that God’s own can do during this period is to be patient and wait for the coming of Christ. Our Lord said, “But the one who stands firm (endures) to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). Why will he endure? He will endure because he has been sealed by the Spirit of God, and he is clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He is able to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Our Lord said, “ Stand firm, and you will win life” (Luke 21:19). All they can do is wait out the storm, and that is what they will do during the Great Tribulation.
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“. . . Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth . . .” Believers would face persecution and death at the hands of the Antichrist and his worldwide power and influence. The phrase “from henceforth” doesn’t mean that some martyrs for the faith would not be blessed; in fact, those already dead are waiting for the final vindication (6:9-11). The phrase probably means that they are blessed from the moment of their death because they immediately go to be with Christ. As persecution increases, such blessing is just as certain for those who remain faithful. To “die in the Lord” does not necessarily refer to martyrdom; all believers die “in the Lord” and go to heaven to be with Christ. Apparently many of God’s tribulation saints, both of the 144,000 and of the untold number of Gentiles that will be saved during that time, are going to lay down their lives for Christ. They will be martyred. During the time of the Great Tribulation, it will be better to die than to live. At that time this verse will give comfort and assurance. They will have rest from their sorrows, and the Lord will reward them.
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For me it would be unnatural to want to die, but in the Great Tribulation it will be a different story. They will just be waiting in patience and in sorrow. If they are martyred it will be a wonderful thing. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” He is going to reward them for their faithfulness to Himself.
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In happy contrast with the doom of those who defy the beast is the destiny of those who defy the beast. Two things are said of these as well. They will be resisted. John says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Except for the hundred and forty-four thousand, those who defy the beast can anticipate death in a thousand fiendish ways, but it is death instantly transformed by God into blessings! “I’ll make you suffer!” screams the beast. “You’ll make us saints!” reply the overcomers. I’ll persecute you to the grave,” roars the beast, “You’ll promote us to glory!” reply the overcomers. “I’ll blast you” snarls the beast. “You’ll bless us!” reply the overcomers. The beast’s rage against these noble martyrs will all be in vain. He will utterly fail at last; but those who stay true to God will be blessed. The ones who keep their eyes on the way of God and the work of Jesus will avoid this torment. Those who want to stay true to the Lord during this time risk almost certain death, and for that reason John is told that those who die for the Lord are blessed. All who have ever died in the Lord are blessed. They are blessed because they are absent from the body of suffering in a world where they are despised, and at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), and this latter is far better (Philippians 1:23). It will be better for them to be dead than alive.
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Moreover, they will be rewarded. “Yea, say the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” The unbelievers may have done some “good deeds” during their time on earth, but those deeds will not save them. In the end, those good deeds will be destroyed. But God remembers the believer’s good deeds; indeed they are the basis for the rewards he will get (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; Ephesians 6:8). The phrase “Their works do follow them” indicates that our works (good and bad) are like tin cans tied to a dog’s tail; we can’t get away from them. They will follow us to the bema seat of Christ.
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All believers who have died since the days of Pentecost had gone to the Paradise “far above all heavens” (see Ephesians 4:7-11). The dead in Christ are with the Lord now, and will remain with Him until the Rapture. When the Rapture takes place the bodies will be raised, and the spirit which is with the Lord now will reunite with the body. We who are alive will be changed and will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air. (Study 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Philippians 1:21-24, Luke 16:22.) There is no intermediate state of unconsciousness for the dead. The righteous did go immediately to be with the Lord; the wicked did go immediately into hell.
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If you are afraid of death, if it frightens you to think of dying, then dear friend you have not experienced perfect love (1 John 4:18). “Perfect love casteth out fear,” and if you are afraid to meet God, then I am afraid you will spend eternity with “the fearful” (Revelation 21:8). Today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. Bow your head and invite Jesus to come into your heart—and He will!
