Daily Scripture Reading Revelation 14:8-20
Many pastors and churches today do not talk about sin, hell, or eternal punishment. They only talk about the positive aspects of Christianity when they evangelize. They believe we should attract people to Christianity with the benefits of being a Christian, rather than try to scare people into avoiding the consequences of not being a Christian.
However, all Scripture is profitable. Today’s passage tells us what will happen to those who worship the beast rather than God. They will receive the wrath of God. If the Bible proclaims the wrath of God, and if all Scripture is profitable, then there is a benefit to proclaiming the wrath of God.
After seeing the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, John saw an angel flying in midheaven. The angel exhorted all people to fear God, the Creator of heaven and earth.
Rev. 14:8 ¶ And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “FALLEN, FALLEN IS BABYLON THE GREAT, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”
Think about the contrast between the two angels. The first proclaimed the good news about God. The second proclaimed the bad news about the fall of a sinful city.
Rev. 14:9 ¶ Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
Rev. 14:10 and he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His rage, and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
While the first angel exhorted people to worship God, the third angel described the consequences of choosing to worship the beast instead of God.
Many people, both believers and non-believers, have the notion that God is all love and mercy. They do not think of Him being wrathful or revengeful in any manor.
However, this passage in Revelation is clear that God has wrath. It will be shown to those who reject God and worship the beast.
Rev. 14:11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Look at the word “torment” and the phrase “no rest day and night”. This is more evidence of the wrath of God.
Many pastors and churches today do not talk about sin, hell, or eternal punishment. They only talk about the positive aspects of Christianity when they evangelize. However, all Scripture is profitable, and this passage enunciates the consequences of worshipping the beast instead of God. Since the Bible records both the positive aspects of Christianity and the consequences of rejecting Christ, we Christians should also proclaim both sides.
Rev. 14:12 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
Rev. 14:13 ¶ And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
Rev. 14:14 ¶ Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.
Rev. 14:15 And another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud, “Put in Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
Notice the reference to a harvest.
Rev. 14:16 Then He who sits on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Rev. 14:17 ¶ And another angel came out of the sanctuary which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.
Rev. 14:18 Then another angel, the one who has authority over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.”
Rev. 14:19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
The word wrath tells us the harvest is a time for punishing sinners.
Rev. 14:20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
The length of a stadia is not known exactly, but it was probably around 200 yards/meters, meaning 1,600 stadia was around 180 miles / 320 km. That is a lot of blood, indicating the extent of the punishment that will take place. Once again, God is not just a God of love, He is also a God of wrath.
The word “gospel” means good news, so when we proclaim the gospel, we are proclaiming the good news. That means there are positive aspects of Christianity we need to talk about.
On the other hand, part of the reason our message is good news is because the wrath of God exists, and serving Jesus is the way to escape the wrath of God. Christians need to preach the wrath of God in order to fully explain why the Christian message is good news.
Does your pastor ever talk about the wrath of God?
What are the essentials regarding the wrath of God that need to be communicated in order to fully explain why the gospel is good news?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”