Revelation 14:10

10 they themselves will also drink the wine of God's passionate anger, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will suffer the pain of fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.

Revelation 14:10 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 14:10

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God
Which is a just punishment for their sin; that as such have drank of the wine of the wrath of Rome's fornication, ( Revelation 14:8 ) so they shall now drink of the wine of God's wrath; it is usual in Scripture to express the punishment God inflicts upon wicked men by his wrath, and by the wine cup of his fury; and their suffering such punishment, by their drinking of it; see ( Jeremiah 25:15 ) ( Job 21:20 ) so (azgwrd Nyy) , "the wine of wrath", is a phrase used by the Jews F17: which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his
indignation;
sometimes called a cup of fury and of trembling, ( Isaiah 51:17 Isaiah 51:22 ) and is sometimes said to be full of mixture, ( Psalms 75:8 ) of various ingredients of wrath and fury; and the words may be rendered here, "which is mixed without mixture": and though it seems to carry in it a contradiction, yet is true in different senses; it may be said to be mixed as wine with various sorts, which is the stronger, and sooner inebriates and intoxicates; or in allusion to the cup the Jews gave to malefactors, to stupefy them, when going to execution, which had various things put in it for that purpose; (See Gill on Mark 15:23) and so designs the several ingredients in the cup of divine indignation, or the several ways in which God expresses his wrath; and yet it is without mixture; it is judgment without mercy, pure wrath, without the least allay; not so much as a drop of cold water granted, or the least your shown, or any mitigation of fury for a moment: and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone:
in allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are now a burning and a sulphurous lake, called Asphaltites, and is an example, pattern, and similitude of the vengeance of eternal fire, ( Jude 7 ) and hence the beast and false prophet are said to be cast into such a lake, ( Revelation 19:20 ) and here their followers will be punished; which is expressive of the horrible torments of hell, and the dreadful punishment of the antichristian party there; see ( Psalms 11:6 ) and what will aggravate their misery is, that it will be in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb;
the latter will be their Judge, and will condemn them to everlasting burnings, and pronounce the sentence on them; and the former will be the executioners of it; they will gather them out, and sever them from the righteous, and cast them into the furnace of fire, and will be spectators of their punishment, and rejoice at it; and the sight of their power and glory will increase the torment of the sufferers.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 Zohar in Gen. fol. 51. 4.

Revelation 14:10 In-Context

8 Another angel, a second one, followed and said, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She made all the nations drink the wine of her lustful passion."
9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them and said in a loud voice, "If any worship the beast and its image, and receive a mark on their foreheads or their hands,
10 they themselves will also drink the wine of God's passionate anger, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will suffer the pain of fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.
11 The smoke of their painful suffering goes up forever and always. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, and those who receive the mark of its name."
12 This calls for the endurance of the saints, who keep God's commandments and keep faith with Jesus.
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