1 AND I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
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:
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.
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 God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
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.
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.
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.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
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.
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.
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.

1And I looked, and loe, a Lambe stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundreth fourty and foure thousand, hauing his Fathers Name written in their foreheads.

2And I heard a voice from heauen, as the voice of many waters, and as the voyce of a great thunder: and I heard the voyce of harpers, harping with their harpes.

3And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the foure beasts, and the Elders, and no man could learne that song, but the hundreth and fourtie and foure thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

4These are they which were not defiled with women: for they are virgines: These are they which follow the Lambe whithersoeuer hee goeth: These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits vnto God, and to the Lambe.

5And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

6And I saw another Angel flie in the midst of heauen, hauing the euerlasting Gospel, to preach vnto them that dwel on the earth, and to euery nation, and kinred, and tongue, and people,

7Saying with a loud voice, Feare God, and giue glory to him, for the houre of his iudgement is come: and worshippe him that made heauen and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

8And there followed another Angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great citie, because she made all nations drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

9And the third Angel followed them, saying with a lowd voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receiue his marke in his forehead, or in his hand,

10The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, and hee shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy Angels, and in the presence of the Lambe:

11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp for euer and euer. And they haue no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoeuer receyueth the marke of his name.

12Here is the patience of the Saints: Here are they that keepe the Commandements of God, and the faith of Iesus.

13And I heard a voyce from heauen, saying vnto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from hencefoorth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their workes doe follow them.

14And I looked, and beholde, a white cloud, and vpon the cloude one sate like vnto the sonne of man, hauing on his head a golden crowne, and in his hand a sharpe sickle.

15And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loude voice to him that sate on the cloud: Thrust in thy sickle and reape, for the time is come for thee to reape, for the haruest of the earth is ripe.

16And hee that sate on the cloude thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in heauen, he also hauing a sharpe sickle.

18And another Angel came out from the Altar, which had power ouer fire, and cryed with a loud cry to him, that had the sharpe sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharpe sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.

19And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, & cast it into the great winepresse of the wrath of God.

20And the winepresse was troden without the citie, and blood came out of the winepresse, euen vnto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and sixe hundred furlongs.

 

1 Then I looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 They were singing (what seemed to be) a new hymn before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ransomed from the earth. 4 These are they who were not defiled with women; they are virgins and these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been ransomed as the firstfruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. 5 On their lips no deceit has been found; they are unblemished. 6 Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with everlasting good news to announce to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, for his time has come to sit in judgment. Worship him who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water." 8 A second angel followed, saying: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that made all the nations drink the wine of her licentious passion." 9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, "Anyone who worships the beast or its image, or accepts its mark on forehead or hand, 10 will also drink the wine of God's fury, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath, and will be tormented in burning sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11 The smoke of the fire that torments them will rise forever and ever, and there will be no relief day or night for those who worship the beast or its image or accept the mark of its name." 12 Here is what sustains the holy ones who keep God's commandments and their faith in Jesus. 13 I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," said the Spirit, "let them find rest from their labors, for their works accompany them."14 Then I looked and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, "Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to reap has come, because the earth's harvest is fully ripe." 16 So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. 17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven who also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel (came) from the altar, (who) was in charge of the fire, and cried out in a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth's vines, for its grapes are ripe." 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth's vintage. He threw it into the great wine press of God's fury. 20 The wine press was trodden outside the city and blood poured out of the wine press to the height of a horse's bridle for two hundred miles.

“Christ Victorious”

v 1. This chapter gives in a nutshell much of what will be detailed in the rest of the book. Where Satan was given immense freedom, chapter 13, Christ triumphs in 14.
The Lamb and the 144,000.  Christ is with them on Mount Zion at the end of the Tribulation and not one of those sealed has been lost in spite of the freedom Satan had. They came through that fire of affliction as surely as the three Hebrew children came through Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace.
v 2. Having glimpsed future glory, John is brought back to the middle of the tribulation by the mighty voice of Christ from the throne. At this point the 144,000 are still witnessing on earth to the multitude who will be saved. A chorus of angel harps accompany the singing of those in heaven.
v 3. This carries us beyond the Tribulation into a glimpse of the Millennium, and the new song was sung before the four living creatures of Rev. 4:7, the elders in heaven, and the 144,000 on earth. It was special to the latter group and only they of all those on earth could learn it. Others might learn the words, but only these have learned it by experience. Harmony between heaven and earth will be seen more in the Millennium.
v 4. Some take it literally that these are male Jews who are virgins. They are not immoral, and duties are so demanding they cannot be concerned about family.
.I prefer the view that celibacy has not been a command of Scripture, and has proven to lead to temptation. They are not immoral, but the marriage bed is not a defilement. The Apostle Paul was married at one time or he could not have cast a vote (black pebble) in the Sanhedrin, as many feel he did in Acts. 26:10. Even males are to be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ, 2 Cor. 11:2.  This involves not the gender of the 144,000, but their spiritual purity. They were not seduced by the harlot church but remained faithful to the Lamb. Like Noah, they have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. They were saved after the Rapture. After the Church Age, they are the firstfruits of Israel. The harvest of those redeemed follows. (Christ was the firstfruits of the Church.)
The two witnesses will spread the gospel until the middle of the Tribulation. The majority of those who are saved will be martyrs, but those who live and the 144,00 who are sealed will continue to spread the gospel. They will both go live right on into the Millennium.
v 5. Like us, they were not perfect, but they have been made faultless in the blood of Christ.
v 6, The Angel with the everlasting Gospel  This is the first of six additional angels to appear. In the Church Age the preaching of the Gospel is committed to men. In the first half of the Tribulation it is carried by the two witnesses and possibly the 144,000, but in the difficult Great Tribulation, an angel is used to proclaim it. This angel will move through the atmosphere above the entire earth and he can not be harmed or silenced.
7. We warn to receive Christ as Savior and prepare for heaven, With urgency he calls out that the time of judgment is at hand. He refutes evolutionists, pointing out that God is the God of creation. Paul preached Scriptures when he preached to Jews, but when he preached to pagans he preached creation first. So this angel is preaching to many who never heard the Scriptures.
Both we and the angel teach the need for faith in the shed blood of Christ, who is both the Savior and Creator. Even midst the deceit of Satan, the world heard this Gospel and they are without excuse.
v 8. The Fall of Babylon Foretold  The second angel follows behind the first warning the people that the mighty Babylon is doomed, as surely as if it had already happened. Nations of all time have been influenced by the evil coming out of Babylon, so it will be destroyed.
The religious system of Babylon at Rome fell at the middle of the Tribulation. The political system of the Babylon on the Euphrates, restored during the Tribulation probably, will fall at the end of the Tribulation with a sudden and complete destruction like that of Sodom. Using the word “fallen” twice is the Hebrew way of saying total destruction. Earth’s evil originated here. See more about the Babylons in the notes on chapters 17 and 18.
v 9,10 Judgment Upon Worshippers of the Beast  Angel 3 immediately follows, warning in a loud voice that those on earth can hear. If they take the mark of the beast on their hand or forehead they will experience God’s wrath and be sent to the lake of fire, Hell. There is overwhelming torture that goes on day and night forever. No matter how prominent, they are like shooting stars which have a moment of brilliance, and disappear forever. People had ample warning, but still chose to do evil.
Apparently hell will be visible to Christ and the angels, but not to men. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate that departed saints in heaven can even see what is going on upon the earth. It is not what they may see that should make us live right, but 1 John 3:2,3 tells us that it is the hope of the appearing of Christ that should cause us to purify ourselves. 
v 11. This torment is eternal and the smoke of the burning ascends forever. The rich man in Hades, Lk. 16:24, asked for a drop of water for his tongue. If this is not physical flame, the torment is just as real. Consider Moses and the burning bush. Scientists say matter changes form, but cannot be annihilated. This would be true of every human being. They have eternal existence.
v 12. Blessing of Those Who Die In The Lord. To those saints who have received Christ as their Savior during the Tribulation and are enduring persecution, the Lord has one word, “patience”. They will be vindicated. God’s purposes are being fulfilled.  For those of them who die, death is a blessing to be relieved from their horrors. Definitely better than worshiping the beast.
v 13. A voice from heaven tells John to write that there is a special blessing for those who are martyred in the severe last half of the tribulation.  The rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ will be past, but He has plenty more rewards for their works.
v 14-20. Preview of the Last Battle of Armageddon 
v 14. This is a scene of preparation. It is the last battle of the war of Armageddon, composed of several battles. Still in the interval before the last three angels, John sees the Lord Jesus, “like the Son of Man” actually referring to Christ”. As in His departure and coming, He is associated with clouds. The sickle in his hand shows he is coming in judgment. The crown shows he is coming to reign.
15. The fourth of the six angels came out of the temple  and is appalled at the wickedness on earth. He pleads with the Lord to reap the harvest of the wicked. This fulfills Joel 3:13,14, put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe. It is overripe and dry, judgment is overdue.
v 16. In response to the angel, when Christ  thrusts in His sickle it is like turning the first shovel at a ground breaking ceremony. The sickle is thrust into the harvest and judgments of the last 42 months begins.  Believer “grain” will be separated from unbelieving “chaff”.
v 17. The fifth angel came out of the heavenly temple  prepared to do the reaping. Don’t confuse this harvest with the harvest of the Church just before the Tribulation. This is basically a harvest of Gentile nations which begins with the bowl judgments through Armageddon.
v 18. The sixth angel came out from the altar, which was one of mercy, but now becomes an altar with the fire of judgment. Each angel has a specific task, and this one has power over fire. He begs the fifth angel to thrust in his sickle and gather the vintage of the earth. The grapes of wickedness are ripe and ready for the winepress of the wrath of God. The false vine established by the beast and false prophet by the power of the dragon must be crushed. The trampling out of the vintage will be at the battle of Armageddon. Christ’s blood was shed for our redemption, but the blood of this vintage will only feed the fowls of the air. Both the fourth and sixth angels only plead, knowing it is the Father’s will.
v 19. The fifth angel thrusts in his sickle and gathers all the nations of the world into the land of Palestine for the battle of Armageddon. How the angels do this is told in Rev. 16:12,16. Multitudes will be at the Valley of Jehoshaphat near Jerusalem, Joel, 3:9-16, and  Zech. 14:1-3. 
v 20. John sees in vision the end of the tribulation. Though the angels do the gathering, Christ Himself will tread the wine press, Rev. 19:15. This sudden slaughter, perhaps hundreds of millions of people and horses, would cover an area a mile wide, 180 miles (more or less) long. At 200 million, each man would have only a five by five foot area, plus horses. All are instantly slain by the spoken word of Christ. Such a sudden outburst of blood would flow to the valley and form a stream up to the horses bridles. Some plundering will have been done in Jerusalem, but the battle occurs outside the city. (Outside the city refers to Megiddo in northern Palestine. “Armageddon” literally means “Hill of Megiddo”, but will stretch to Edom.) The day of vengeance had come, Isa. 63:1-4. (Speculation) the 144,000 may have led some of the Jewish remnant back to Jerusalem and have returned to Mt Zion. This would then have something to do with this mass assemblage of men, as the beast is determined to wipe out all Jews.
It is beyond comprehension that blood could run 3 feet deep or more for a distance of 160 - 200 miles, about the length of the land, but there will be hundreds of millions of people gathered there, and the slaughter will be instantaneous. Isa. 63:1-6 tells of Christ‘s garment stained with blood at the wine vat, and 32:1-8 of the land soaked with blood. If this is not taken literally, it might be understood that blood spurts to the horses bridles throughout the land, or even mixed with rain water to that depth.