https://bible.ryl.hk/web_en (English)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Bah (Indonesian)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Esp (Spanish)
https://bible.ryl.hk/web_Tag (Filipino)
https://bible.ryl.hk (Chinese)
THE VOICE (REVELATION 14)
The American singing competition “The Voice” has aired since 2011 and it aims to find unsigned singing talent. Contestants are selected through public auditions and trained by a panel of four coaches who guide and critique their performances in an attempt to discover America's next great voice. The US$100,000 and record-deal winner is determined by television viewers voting by telephone, internet, SMS text, and iTunes Store purchases of the audio-recorded artists' vocal performances.
I watched the first season, first episode of the UK edition on the internet, where the legendary crooner Tom Jones spoke the first line: “It’s all on the strength of the voice.” The Voice is not like other singing competitions singing in that four coaches then walked to their chairs that were later turned the other way around on the show were to face the audience instead of the singers. so that the singers were not judged for being too short, too fat or too old!
When a coach likes a singing voice performing, the coach will then press a button and swing his or her chair around to face the singer they like not for their voice alone. The irony is that the singers, on the other hand, can choose the coach if more than one of them presses a button. Tom Jones again say, “This is all about the voice,” to which another an announcer says “Nothing matters, only the voice counts”
The first 11 chapters of Revelation focus on earth, the beast and the dragon made their mark in the last two chapters at the commencement of the war in heaven (Rev 12:7). They had their terror, but their reign is short because the next few chapters all captured God’s dominance.
In Revelation 14, the noun “voice” occurs four times alone in verse 2 and as many as nine times in the chapter (vv 2 four times, 7, 9, 13, 15, 18), more than any chapter in the Bible. The voice, in KJV, includes a voice from heaven (vv 2, 9), the voice of many waters (v 2), the voice of a great thunder (v 2) and a loud voice (vv 7, 15, 18) three times.
How is God present in our suffering? How would you feel when the Lord returns – delighted or dismayed? How do you distinguish between faithful believers from fake believers? Who and what should we rightfully fear – not the beast, the dragon or the great persecution that is to come?
Attest in Praise
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. 6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
How would you describe a good song? Here are some internet suggestions:
“A good song is one which is liked by many.”
“A good song is a perfect marriage of the lyrics and the music.”
“A good song is for life, not just for release day.”
“A good song is a song that makes a claim on us, that gives us pleasure for as long as it lasts.”
“A good song is one that should move your soul and never lose that quality.”
“A good song is one that provides listeners with a good experience.”
“A good song is one when people hear it they stop and get involved.”
Chapter 14 is the return of the 144,000 who were sealed in chapter 6 (Rev 6:16). John heard a voice (3x), but the voice is not any voice but a new song. The phrase “new song” occurs twice in the New Testament, but only in Revelation. This new song, however, differed from that of chapter 5 (Rev 5:9) in that it is an unknown song. No matter how much training you have, what tune you can carry and the technology you have, you cannot learn the song (v 3) because it’s the passion song of those who are saved, those who are sanctified and those who are surrendered to Him. The song was not determined by the music, melody, major or minor key, because we don’t have the score; it’s about the song and the singers, the choir and their chorus, the lyrics and their lives.
The more regular verb for “purchase” (v 4) is bought (Matt 13:46) and redeemed (Rev 5:9, KJV). Purchase means bought from the market at a high cost, a hefty price and a heavy sacrifice. Jesus had paid the debt, paid the ransom, and paid the cost.
Verse 4 reveals the redeemed people’s relationship with others, then within themselves and lastly with God: These are those who did not defile themselves with women – others; for they kept themselves pure - self. Defile (v 4) or blackened is derived from the word “ink” (2 Cor 3:3) This implies to be tainted, tarnished or tripped by the world. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes - God. They have no reservation, reluctance or reticence.
Blameless (v 5) is translated as without blemish (Eph 5:27), rebuke (Phil 2:15), spot (Heb 9:14) or fault (Rev 14:5). Not without sin but without stain, not without mistake but without misbehavior, not without complications but without Christ.
There are three imperatives in verse 7. The first imperative is fear, the second (v 7) is “give” and the third is “worship.” First fear is our “attitude” God, second give glory is “our “attribution” to Him, and the third is our “act” of worship.
Fear v 7 Give Glory v 7 Worship v 7
Attitude Attribution Act
Heart Mouth Knees
In our being For our belongings From the beginning – our Creator
Abound in Perseverance
8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
Here are the nine most painful conditions, as revealed by a website:
9. Kidney Stones
8. Chronic Lower-Back Pain
7. Damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal chord
6. Cancer Pain
5. Shingles
4. Facial pain (few second to about 2 minutes)
3. Inflamed bladder
2. Twisted ankle or broken arm
1. Cluster Headaches
https://www.prevention.com/health/a20486144/top-painful-medical-conditions/
Our present troubles, no matter how severe, are sufferable compared to future travail (1 Thess 5:3). Fallen (v 8, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great”) is a common verb that seems to occur more times in Revelation than any book in the Bible, as many as 23 times of its 91 times in the Bible are in Revelation, or one quarter. Only in Revelation is the verb repeated twice one after the other in one verse, both in reference to Babylon (Rev 14:8, 18:2). Fallen, in Babylon’s case, means to be demoted, derailed and deposed.
The “wine of the wrath of God” is repeated twice (vv 8, 10). The noun wrath appears 18 times in the Bible, out of which 10 times are in Revelation, of which thrice is the most – all in this chapter 14 (vv 8, 10, 19). How thick is it? It is full strength or without mixture (v 10, a-kratos). It is doubly thick, deadly toxic and durably torturous. Some say the wrath of God is the judgment of God, some say it is the vengeance of God, and others say it is the holiness of God. A.W. Pink asserts, “The wrath of God is the holiness of God stirred into activity against sin.” More importantly, it is directed against those who refuse him, renounce Him and revile Him. The outcome is destruction, devastation and desolation and ever more damage.
The verb “torment” occurs more times in the book of Revelation (Rev 9:5, 11:10, 12:2, 14:10, 20:10) than any book in the Bible. It is translated elsewhere as toss (Matt 14:24), toil (Mark 6:48), vex (2 Peter 2:8) and pain (Rev 12:2). It means to be tossed to and fro, to be turned upside down, and to be torn inside out. Burning sulfur, or “fire and brimstone” classically, is first recorded in the context of Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:29, Gen 19:24). The elements in sulphur (v 10) are the cause of breathing disorder, corrosion, explosives, gas and fumes.
The noun version of “torment” (v 11) – altogether six times in the Bible - is exclusive to Revelation (Rev 9:5, 14:11, 18:7, 10, 15), half of them relating to the torment of Babylon (Rev 14:11, 18:10, 15). The torment is more than trouble, but torture. It will be unpleasant, unpalatable and unparalleled. The soreness will be extreme, excruciating and exterior. By the way, pain is not mentioned until chapter 16.
The “hina” purpose in verse 13 is the “rest” of the dead from their labors. Rest means take ease (Luke 12:19) and refreshed (1 Cor 16:18). It is an assurance of comfort, care and compensation – not reward but reception.
Abide in Peace
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. 17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
After learning Leon Spinks had died at the age of 67, George Foreman recalled Spinks’ disposition captured by the boxer’s legendary smile when the famously gap-toothed when Spinks upset Muhammad Ali in 1978.
Spinks had experienced difficulties, which included drug and alcohol abuse, financial problems and the murder of one of his sons. Also, in the last five years of his life, Spinks was hospitalized multiple times with a variety of medical issues, including prostate cancer.
George Foreman said, “Leon Spinks had the greatest gift - the smile. No one took that away from him. I can’t even say he had a life of tragedy when in reality he had the greatest gift, the smile. He could have let (tragedy) be his story. But that was not his story at all. I was at the Boxing Hall of Fame and I said, ‘Wow.’ He was there and made everyone feel good about being there. Always willing to stop and give you a smile and not hold onto your ear. And especially not complain. Never any complaints.’’ https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2021/02/06/leon-spinks-smile-george-foreman-remembrance/4424273001/
The last section is the implementation, while the previous passage was the declaration. Jesus had said that “the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and (great) glory” (Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27), except this time with a golden crown and a sharp sickle.
The three objects associated with the Son of man’s coming are “a white cloud,” “a golden crown” and “a sharp sickle.” The first object is a cloud. While the noun “cloud” occurs 25 times in the Bible, this is the only instance of a “white cloud.” Clouds are always positive in the New Testament, none negative. The two phrases “cloud” and “the Son of man” are associated with His coming “with power and great glory” (Matt 24:30, Luke 21:27), “power and great glory” and “great power and glory” (Mark 13:26). It is to display and demonstrate His might and majesty, superiority and splendor, greatness and glory. White is for fairest, faultless (Rev 3:4) and faithful.
The noun “crown” (v 14) occurs 18 times in the Bible, of which eight is in Revelation. The only kind of crown featured in the Gospels was the crown of thorns (Matt 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2, 5) Jesus wore. The phrase “golden crown” (“golden” as adjective) plus the phrase “crown of gold” occur only in Revelation, as many as three times. A crown is for royalty, reverence and rule. Golden, on the other hand, is exquisite, expensive and extravagant.
The third object, the sickle is repeated an astonishing seven times (vv 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 twice, 19), three times as sharp sickle (vv 14, 17, 18 twice). The sickle is meant to swing, slash and slice with proficiency, precision and professionalism. Sharp means dangerous, direct and damaging. In association with the sickle, the imperative “take/thrust” is repeated twice (vv 14, 18). Thrust is to extend, exert and execute.
“Ripe” (v 15, 18) occurs twice, but the second instance (v 18) is introduced as “fully ripe.” Fully ripe means no time to lose, not a moment too soon, never a better time - not too soon, too slow or sudden. No more, no less, ready to be cut, collected and consumed, and to be chopped, canned or chugged!.
Conclusion: The Lord asked, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?” (Luke 12:42) Would you be true to Him, testify to Him and triumphant in Him? The Lord will never disappoint us, desert us or deny us. May the Lord find us faithful in temptations and trials, through thick and thin, time after time!
