Revelation 14:10

10 this shall drink of the wine of God's wrath, that is mingled with clear wine in the cup of his wrath, and [he] shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the sight of [the] holy angels, and before the sight of 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 And another angel followed, saying, That great [city] Babylon fell down, fell down, which gave drink to all folks of the wine of [the] wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, and said [saying] with a great voice, If any man worship the beast, and the image of it, and taketh the character in his forehead, either in his hand [and take the character in his forehand, or in his hand],
10 this shall drink of the wine of God's wrath, that is mingled with clear wine in the cup of his wrath, and [he] shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the sight of [the] holy angels, and before the sight of the lamb.
11 And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up into the worlds of worlds [And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up into worlds of worlds]; neither they have rest day and night, which worship the beast and his image [that worship the beast, and his image], and if any take the character of his name.
12 Here is the patience of saints, which keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.