December 20, 2010
Revelation 14
Pastor JoAn Blackmon
Reading Revelation 14 might not leave you with the “feel-good” emotion that some of our devotional readings have given us, but it reveals important truths that we need to know. It’s helpful to realize that this chapter doesn’t chronologically advance the narrative from the previous chapter. It is really a series of visions that give some added definition to the final 6 chapters of the book.
Let’s look at the two major contrasts. First, we see a picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God in the heavenly Jerusalem, surrounded by 144,000 saints. Whether this is a definitive number of Jewish witnesses representing the 12 tribes of Israel or a symbolic number of saints representing the Church, these qualities define them:
- marked for God
- singing a new song of praise before the throne
- lived pure and undefiled lives
- followed Jesus wholeheartedly
- no deceit in how they lived or what they said
Martyred for their perseverance, they (and all saints) are rewarded with heavenly rest, final relief from persecution and eternal legacy for their works.
The other side of the coin is seen in those that don’t respond to the three warnings given so clearly by the angels in verses 7-9. God’s final wrath on those who reject Him will be unrestrained. Their total separation from God will result in constant eternal anguish as their “torment goes up forever and ever.” This chapter concludes with a vision of the unleashed judgment of God that results in unfathomable bloodshed. It is a necessary Divine judgment that will be terrible in its devastation and complete in its purpose.
Where does that leave us? “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep His commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” (verse 12) So it does. Go back to the top of the chapter and model your life after the 144,000: mark your life for God, sing a new song of praise, live pure lives, follow Christ wholeheartedly, and live a life free of deceit. These things not only glorify God, but will give powerful witness to everyone around you that is likely to change eternal destinies. Now that’s a feel-good emotion!
Pastor JoAn’s greatest passions in ministry are “preaching and teaching the transforming Word of God to people who are hungry to learn and grow in their spiritual walk…seeing the ‘light bulb turn on’ as someone ‘gets’ a scriptural truth for the first time.”
