Revelation 14:13-20 – Commentary

13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write-

this is for assurance purposes both for John and for us the reader. The message is recorded so that we can hold God accountable for carrying it through. God does most certainly keep His word.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” –

truly those who die in the Lord shall be blessed. Remember all the promises that are to come to the overcomer in chapters 2 & 3.

“Yes” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow

them” –

the Spirit bears witness to the fact that the righteous will be blessed. They will rest from their labors while the wicked are being tormented. Our trials are now temporary
but soon we will rest. The wicked will have trials that will last forever. God is just.

14. And I looked and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one like a son of man, having a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand –

the one who is on the cloud is a designated servant of God. He is adorned like God. He will be a servant or instrument of God. This one is a special servant.

15. And another angel came out of the temple, –

a different figure is used but still we know that the angel is from God.

crying out with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud –

the message of this angel is to the special servant of God.

“Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe” –

this is the harvest, the judgment. The parable of the sower and the seeds and the tares helps us understand this.

16. And He who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped. –

the servant obeyed.

17. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle -

another servant of God. He too has power to reap.

18. And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar -

another servant of God. This one has power over that which the wicked have coming at judgment.

and he called with a loud voiceto hijm who had the sharp sickle saying –

he too had a message for the servant who had power to reap.

“Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, ecause her grapes are ripe.” –

he was instructed to reap. He too gives judgment. Remember the judgment is upon the wicked.

19. And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth –

the angel gathered the wicked.

and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. –

this is the judgment of the wicked. They are tossed into the wine press of God. The great wine press. Judgment is severe, watch.

20. And the wine press was trodden outside the city –

judgment takes place outside the city of God. Away from the faithful. The wicked are

judged severely.

and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. –

the judgment is gruesome and severe. How terrible it will be to be in the shoes of the wicked on the day of judgment. Be thou faithful unto death. Blessed is he who dies in the Lord. We can see the beginning of this blessing. One great blessing is the faithful escape judgment or punishment. The greatest blessing though is that the righteous will get to be with the LORD in His temple. Hallelujah. These two chapters are evidence that God’s kingdom stands. Certainly it does.