Rev. 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and
with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Preserve And Protect
After having the rise of the Antichrist and the False Prophet revealed to him, John now sees Yahusha standing on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, with his 144,000 Jewish witnesses gathered around him. These 144,000 are those believers who will have the name of Yahusha and his Father Yahuah written on their foreheads. Yahusha will seal the 144,000 Jewish witnesses between the opening of the sixth and seventh seal. After this, when the seventh seal is opened and the seven trumpets sound;
The Antichrist and the False Prophet will slaughter even more multitudes, and cause the Jews to flee from Jerusalem, but none of the dead will include the chosen 144,000. Yahusha and his 144,000 will not be afraid to stand in the middle of the
city, for he knows how to preserve and protect himself and his own.
Rev. 14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Heavenly Harps
Singing will be heard in heaven for the 144,000 who stand unhurt on Mount Zion. They alone have survived the disasters
of the Antichrist and False Prophet.
Rev. 14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and
before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which
were redeemed from the earth.
You Would Have Had to Been There
The Heavenly multitude will sing a new song before the throne of God, the four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders.
No one will understand their song except the 144,000.
Rev. 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they
are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the
firstfruits unto Elohim and to the Lamb.
True To The End
This is a controversial verse. Some say the 144,000 will be celibate, while others claim they will be either not break their marriage vows or will remain unmarried. Still, others believe they will not commit spiritual fornication
by worshipping idols and teaching false doctrines. It is difficult to say who is right, but we can be sure of some things;
They follow the Lamb wherever he goes means they will abide in his presence. They will not stray from the will or teachings of Yahusha. They were purchased from among men means they have been bought with the blood of Yahusha.
Offered as first fruits to Elohim and the Lamb means they will be the first Jews saved during the Tribulation Period with more fruit to follow.
Rev. 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without
fault before the throne of Elohim.
Faithful And True
Truthfulness will also characterize the 144,000. They will have nothing to do with the lies of the Antichrist or the counterfeit doctrines of the False Prophet. They will be faithful to Elohim and clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Rev. 14:6 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,
Proclaim The Gospel
Today, the Church is responsible for the proclamation of the gospel. But that will change after the Rapture. Yahusha
said, This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations,
and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). Because the Church will be in heaven,
Elohim will use the 144,000 Jews, the two witnesses, and even a angel to spread his message. He will go to great
lengths to give the world one last chance to be saved.
Rev. 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear Elohim, 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.
Death Or Life - That Is The Choice
People will have two choices:
choosing to follow the Antichrist can only lead to spiritual death, but choosing to follow Elohim will surely lead to
spiritual life.
Rev. 14:8 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.
Babylon The Harlot
Babylon is known as the city of Satan because of its long history of idolatry, astrology, witchcraft, and other occult practices. It is the birthplace of many false doctrines and religions such as goddess worship.
Rev. 14:9 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,
Do Not Take The Mark!!!
A third angel will fly through the air with a third announcement. This announcement will concern those who worship the
Antichrist, worship his image, and take his Mark, The first angel will preach the gospel and plead with people to worship
God. The second angel will announce the fall of Babylon. This angel will warn people not to worship the Antichrist
or take the Mark of the Beast.
Rev. 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim,
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:
Tormented By Fire
Rev. 14:11 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.
No End To It
The smoke will roll up as if from a great volcano. Anyone who worships the beast, his image, or who receives the Mark will
never rest.
Rev. 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep
the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yahusha.
Remain Faithful
Elohim has decreed that the Tribulation Period will come and the Antichrist will be given power over the world for seven
years. When the Antichrist goes on his rampage, there will not be much that believers can do. Elohim cannot go back on his
Word. His prophecies must be fulfilled. Believers will have to endure, keep his commandments, and remain faithful.
Rev. 14:13 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.
A Blessing To Die
This is a message of assurance and hope to those who will be trying to endure the trials of the Tribulation Period.
God does not want believers to be afraid to die. It is a blessing to die in the Lord, but still, most of us do not want
to die before our time.
Rev. 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud
one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
The Harvest
A day is coming when Yahusha will take a seat in the clouds. He will wear a gold crown and hold a sharp sickle.
The crown will identify him as a king, and the sickle will signify the coming harvest.
Rev. 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud
voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest
of the earth is ripe.
Not Too Soon
As Yahusha appears in the clouds, an angel will come forth from the heavenly temple, He will urge Jesus to take his sickle
and reap because the time of judgement has arrived and the harvest is ready.
Rev. 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the
earth; and the earth was reaped.
Swoosh
Jesus will swing his sharp sickle over the earth. Many of the remaining unbelievers will be filled with terror and try to run and hide. Others will beg, cry, and plead, but it will be too late. They will have wasted their last chance,
and he will take multitudes and cast them into the eternal fire--(Lake of Fire).
Rev. 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven,
he also having a sharp sickle.
Mercy, Not Another Angel
This angel will come directly from the presence of Elohim with a sharp sickle just like the one Yahusha will have.
Rev. 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power
over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the
clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
And Yet Another Angel
Yet another angel will come forth - this time from the altar in the heavenly temple. We read about this altar before in
Revelation 8:3. It is where the Tribulation Saints call upon Elohim to avenge their blood. Now this angel will urge the angel with the sharp sickle (the fourth angel of Chapter 14) to gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine because its grapes are ripe. Since Yahusha is the true Vine, it is likely that the earth's vine is a reference to the Antichrist. The clusters of grapes will be the fruit of the earth's vine or those
nations that follow the Antichrist.
The souls of the martyred Tribulation Saints under the altar asked, How long, Sovereign Lord, holy
and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood
(Revelation 6:9, 10)?
Rev. 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Cast Them Out
The fourth angel will use his great sickle to gather the wicked nations of the earth. He will then cast them into the
winepress of Elohim's wrath. this a symbol to help us understand what is going to happen. When farmers go into their
vineyards to harvest the grapes they cast them into the winepress and squeeze the juice out of them. In this process
the grapes are practically destroyed. The same thing will happen to the wicked when this angel harvests the earth.
They will be like a grape being squashed in a winepress.
Two reasons why many believe the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation Period are:
Rev. 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood
came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
As High As A Horse's Bridle
This is a reference to the Battle of Armageddon. The ripe grapes wicked nations will be trampled in the winepress of Elohim's wrath. People will be crushed by the burning bronze feet of Yahusha like small grapes under the weight of a
large man.
1.) one-third of the earth and trees will burn up
2.) one-third of the sea will turn to blood
3.) one-third of all the ships will be destroyed
4.) one-third of the fresh water will be polluted
5.) one-third of the light of the sun and moon will be diminished and multitudes will die.
The 144,000 will have the name of Yahusha and the Father on their foreheads. The followers of the False Prophet will have
the named of the Antichrist on their foreheads.
Mount Zion was the name of an ancient fortified hill controlled by the Jebusites. King David captured the hill and took up residence in the fortress at the top. He then built a city around the fortress which was called by two names.
1.) the city of David
2.) Jerusalem. Today, Jerusalem is the political and religious capital of Isreal.
Often we sing songs without really understanding what the writer went through or is trying to convey. We would have needed to be there to understand what inspired them. The next two verses will give us an idea of the demands placed on the
144,000 that enabled them to understand this new song.
1.) during the Tribulation Period, it will be difficult for these men to be married and be
good husbands and fathers
2.) they will remain pure in spite of living in a world filled with immorality and spiritual fornication.
What gospel will the angel preach? The fact that it is called the eternal gospel is an indication that it is identical to the gospel the Church preached. Some try to separate the gospel into different categories; the gospel of grace, the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of judgment, the eternal gospel, Paul's gospel, etc. But all of these are part of the
same gospel.
1.) believe the Antichrist, believe his lie, and worship him
2.) fear Elohim alone and give him all the glory.
What does it mean to fear Elohim? Satan would have us believe it means to be afraid of Elohim, but that is incorrect. To fear
Elohim means to have a holy respect for him, believe he exists, and believe he reigns and will judge all mankind. This kind
of fear is the beginning of wisdom and it pleases Elohim.
In Acts 2:3 the new believers of Christ were accused of being drunk on new wine, but they were actually being filled with the Holy Spirit. In that chapter wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In this chapter,
maddening wine is the reference to demon possession. Making the nations drink this wine is a reference
to Babylon forcing her Satanic-inspired false religion on the world.
The ancient city died out many centuries ago, but during the 1980s and 90s Saddam Hussein poured hundreds of millions
of dollars into rebuilding it. The Persian Gulf War eventually slowed him down, but the rebuilt city will become a great
center of religion and trade during the Tribulation Period. The False Prophet will locate the headquarters of his false
religion there.
In Verses 6 and 7, we learned that Elohim will send the first angel of Chapter 14 to proclaim the gospel to all people. That
angel will also proclaim the arrival of Elohim's judgment. Then a second angel will declare the fall of Babylon. This is a
judgment the Old Testament prophets predicted and it must come to pass. Babylon fascination with the occult and
her spread of a one-world harlot religion will bring the world-class fall.
The word Fallen is repeated twice to mean two separate falls of judgments. The false religious system will fall
first when the Antichrist turns on it just after the mid-point of the Tribulation Period. The rebuilt city of Babylon
will fall again when it is burned to the ground in one hour near the end of the Tribulation Period.
Everyone should heed this warning--->Follow the Antichrist and worshiping him will stir the wrath of Elohim.
A time will come during the Tribulation when it will be better for the saved to die than to live. They will leave their grief and torment behind, enter heaven, and rest in the presence of Elohim where their deeds will follow them.
This, obviously, is far better than taking the Mark and suffering eternal damnation in hell.
The Scriptures teach that Yahusha will come back in the clouds as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He said,
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out
of his kingdom into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
(Matthew 13:39-42). It will be a terrible day for the lost because not only will it be their last day on earth,
but their destiny will be sealed for eternity as well.
The Greek word for ripe, xeraino, means totally ripe, rotten, or withered. The harvest of the earth is ripe
shows us that Elohim will withhold his judgment until the last minute. When his judgment falls, the Church will have been raptured, most of the Tribulation Saints and Jews will have been killed, and the world will be totally corrupt. No one
will be able to truthfully claim that Jesus acted too soon.
This indicates two things:
1.) Elohim will eventually answer the prayers of the Tribulation Saints who cried out for revenge
2.) the wickedness of the earth will be great. Elohim does not always answer prayers right away,
but he will not let them go unanswered forever. Neither will he let the wicked nations or individuals deny him forever.
1.) Yahusha will rescue us from the coming wrath.
2.) Elohim did not appoint us to suffer wrath.
Since the blood will rise as high as the horses' bridles for approximately 180 miles we know that millions will die.
Before it happens, though, Elohim will preach the gospel through the 144,000 Jews, the two witnesses, and his angel (the first angel of Chapter 14). He will also send an angel (the third angel of Chapter 14) to warn those who follow the
Antichrist. He will give the world many chances to repent before he destroys it.
