Apocalipsis 14

1 Miré, y he aquí que el Cordero estaba de pie sobre el Monte Sion, y con El ciento cuarenta y cuatro mil que tenían el nombre de El y el nombre de su Padre escrito en la frente.

2 Y oí una voz del cielo, como el estruendo de muchas aguas y como el sonido de un gran trueno; y la voz que oí era como el sonido de arpistas tocando sus arpas.

3 Y cantaban<***> un cántico nuevo delante del trono y delante de los cuatro seres vivientes y de los ancianos; y nadie podía aprender el cántico, sino los ciento cuarenta y cuatro mil que habían sido rescatados de la tierra.

4 Estos son los que no se han contaminado con mujeres, pues son castos. Estos son los que siguen al Cordero adondequiera que va. Estos han sido rescatados de entre los hombres como primicias para Dios y para el Cordero.

5 En su boca no fue hallado engaño; están sin mancha.

6 Y vi volar en medio del cielo a otro ángel que tenía un evangelio eterno para anunciarlo a los que moran en la tierra, y a toda nación, tribu, lengua y pueblo,

7 diciendo a gran voz: Temed a Dios y dadle gloria, porque la hora de su juicio ha llegado; adorad al que hizo el cielo y la tierra, el mar y las fuentes de las aguas.

8 Y le siguió otro ángel, el segundo, diciendo: ¡Cayó, cayó la gran Babilonia!; la que ha hecho beber a todas las naciones del vino de la pasión de su inmoralidad.

9 Entonces los siguió otro ángel, el tercero, diciendo a gran voz: Si alguno adora a la bestia y a su imagen, y recibe una marca en su frente o en su mano,

10 él también beberá del vino del furor de Dios, que está preparado puro en el cáliz de su ira; y será atormentado con fuego y azufre delante de los santos ángeles y en presencia del Cordero.

11 Y el humo de su tormento asciende por los siglos de los siglos; y no tienen reposo, ni de día ni de noche, los que adoran a la bestia y a su imagen, y cualquiera que reciba la marca de su nombre.

12 Aquí está la perseverancia de los santos que guardan los mandamientos de Dios y la fe de Jesús.

13 Y oí una voz del cielo que decía: Escribe: "Bienaventurados los muertos que de aquí en adelante mueren en el Señor." Sídice el Espíritupara que descansen de sus trabajos, porque sus obras van con ellos.

14 Y miré, y he aquí una nube blanca, y sentado en la nube estaba uno semejante a hijo de hombre , que tenía en la cabeza una corona de oro, y en la mano una hoz afilada.

15 Entonces salió del templo otro ángel clamando a gran voz al que estaba sentado en la nube: Mete tu hoz y siega, porque la hora de segar ha llegado, pues la mies de la tierra está madura.

16 Y el que estaba sentado en la nube blandió su hoz sobre la tierra, y la tierra fue segada.

17 Salió otro ángel del templo que está en el cielo, que también tenía una hoz afilada.

18 Y otro ángel, el que tiene poder sobre el fuego, salió del altar; y llamó a gran voz al que tenía la hoz afilada, diciéndole: Mete tu hoz afilada y vendimia los racimos de la vid de la tierra, porque sus uvas están maduras.

19 El ángel blandió su hoz sobre la tierra, y vendimió los racimos de la vid de la tierra y los echó en el gran lagar del furor de Dios.

20 Y el lagar fue pisado fuera de la ciudad, y del lagar salió sangre que subió hasta los frenos de los caballos por una distancia como de trescientos veinte kilómetros .

Apocalipsis 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

Those faithful to Christ celebrate the praises of God. (1-5) Three angels; one proclaiming the everlasting gospel; another, the downfal of Babylon; and a third, the dreadful wrath of God on the worshippers of the beast. The blessedness of those who die in the Lord. (6-13) A vision of Christ with a sickle, and of a harvest ripe for cutting down. (14-16) The emblem of a vintage fully ripe, trodden in the wine-press of God's wrath. (17-20)

Verses 1-5 Mount Sion is the gospel church. Christ is with his church, and in the midst of her in all her troubles, therefore she is not consumed. His presence secures perseverance. His people appear honourably. They have the name of God written in their foreheads; they make a bold and open profession of their faith in God and Christ, and this is followed by suitable actings. There were persons in the darkest times, who ventured and laid down their lives for the worship and truth of the gospel of Christ. They kept themselves clean from the wicked abominations of the followers of antichrist. Their hearts were right with God; and they were freely pardoned in Christ; he is glorified in them, and they in him. May it be our prayer, our endeavour, our ambition, to be found in this honourable company. Those who are really sanctified and justified are meant here, for no hypocrite, however plausible, can be accounted to be without fault before God.

Verses 6-13 The progress of the Reformation appears to be here set forth. The four proclamations are plain in their meaning; that all Christians may be encouraged, in the time of trial, to be faithful to their Lord. The gospel is the great means whereby men are brought to fear God, and to give glory to him. The preaching of the everlasting gospel shakes the foundations of antichrist in the world, and hastens its downfal. If any persist in being subject to the beast, and in promoting his cause, they must expect to be for ever miserable in soul and body. The believer is to venture or suffer any thing in obeying the commandments of God, and professing the faith of Jesus. May God bestow this patience upon us. Observe the description of those that are and shall be blessed: such as die in the Lord; die in the cause of Christ, in a state of union with Christ; such as are found in Christ when death comes. They rest from all sin, temptation, sorrow, and persecution; for there the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. Their works follow them: do not go before as their title, or purchase, but follow them as proofs of their having lived and died in the Lord: the remembrance of them will be pleasant, and the reward far above all their services and sufferings. This is made sure by the testimony of the Spirit, witnessing with their spirits, and the written word.

Verses 14-20 Warnings and judgments not having produced reformation, the sins of the nations are filled up, and they become ripe for judgments, represented by a harvest, an emblem which is used to signify the gathering of the righteous, when ripe for heaven, by the mercy of God. The harvest time is when the corn is ripe; when the believers are ripe for heaven, then the wheat of the earth shall be gathered into Christ's garner. And by a vintage. The enemies of Christ and his church are not destroyed, till by their sin they are ripe for ruin, and then he will spare them no longer. The wine-press is the wrath of God, some terrible calamity, probably the sword, shedding the blood of the wicked. The patience of God towards sinners, is the greatest miracle in the world; but, though lasting, it will not be everlasting; and ripeness in sin is a sure proof of judgment at hand.

Footnotes

• [a]. O, al Hijo del Hombre
• [b]. Lit., 1,600 estadios

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO REVALATION 14

This chapter contains three visions; one of the Lamb on Mount Zion, another of the three angels preaching against Babylon, and the third of the harvest and vintage. The vision of the Lamb is in Re 14:1, which is no other than Christ, described by his similitude, as a Lamb; by the place where he was, Mount Zion; by his position there, standing, and by the company that were with him, whose number were 144,000, and their character, his Father's name written on their foreheads; at the same time a voice was heard from heaven, comparable to the sound of many waters, of thunders, and of harps: and a song sung which none learn but the above number with the Lamb, Re 14:2,3, who are described by their purity, chastity, and strict adherence to Christ; by their redemption through him; by their being the firstfruits of God and of the Lamb, and by their integrity and unblemished character, Re 14:4,5; next follows the account of the three angels; the first comes with the everlasting Gospel, to preach it to all men, loudly calling upon all to fear and worship God, and give glory to him, since he is the Creator of all, and the hour of his judgment is come, Re 14:6,7; the second proclaims the fall of Babylon, with the reason of it, Re 14:8; and the third denounces the wrath of God upon the worshippers of the beast in the most public manner, and that for ever, Re 14:9-11; and this vision is closed with some expressions, showing that, till this was done, the patience of the saints would be tried, and the true worshippers of the Lamb be discovered, and comforting them with an assurance of that rest that remains after death for the faithful followers of Christ, Re 14:12,13; after this is the vision of the harvest and vintage of the earth. The reaper is described by his form, like the son of man; by his seat, a white cloud; by a golden crown on his head, and by a sharp sickle in his hand, Re 14:14; who is called upon by an angel out of the temple to make use of his sickle, and reap, because the time of reaping was come, the harvest being ripe, Re 14:15, upon which he thrusts in his sickle, and reaps the earth, Re 14:16; after this, another angel appears out of the temple, with a sharp sickle, to whom another angel from the altar, that had power over fire, calls to make use of his sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine, since the grapes were fully ripe, Re 14:17,18; upon which he thrusts in his sickle, and gathers them, and casts them into the winepress of divine wrath, which being trodden, blood comes out of it to the horses' bridles for the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs, Re 14:19,20.