Qǐshìlù 14

1 Wǒ yòu guānkàn , jiàn gāoyáng zhàn zaì Xīānshān , tóng tā yòu yǒu shí sì wàn sì qiā rén , dōu yǒu tāde míng , hé tā fù de míng , xiĕ zaì é shàng .

2 Wǒ tīngjian cóng tiān shàng yǒu shēngyīn , xiàng zhòng shuǐ de shēngyīn , hé dà léi de shēngyīn . bìngqiĕ wǒ suǒ tīngjian de hǎoxiàng tán qín de suǒ tán de qín shēng .

3 Tāmen zaì bǎozuò qián , bìng zaì sì huó wù hé zhòng zhǎnglǎo qián chàng gē , fǎngfú shì xīn gē . chúle cóng dì shàng mǎi lái de nà shí sì wàn sì qiā rén yǐwaì , méiyǒu rén néng xué zhè gē .

4 Zhèxie rén wèicéng zhānrǎn fùnǚ , tāmen yuán shì tóng shēn . gāoyáng wúlùn wǎng nàli qù , tāmen dōu gēnsuí tā . tāmen shì cóng rénjiān mǎi lái de , zuò chū shú de guǒzi guīyǔ shén hé gāoyáng .

5 Zaì tāmen kǒu zhōng chá bù chū huǎng yán lái . tāmen shì méiyǒu xiácī de .

6 Wǒ yòu kànjian Lìng yī wèi tiānshǐ fēi zaì kōng zhōng , yǒu yǒngyuǎn de Fúyin yào chuán gĕi zhù zaì dì shàng de rén , jiù shì gè guó gè zú gè fāng gè mín .

7 Tā dàshēng shuō , yīngdāng jìngwèi shén , jiāng róngyào guī gĕi tā . yīn Tāshī xíng shĕnpàn de shíhou yǐjing dào le . yīngdāng jìngbaì nà chuàngzào tiāndì hǎi hé zhòng shuǐ quányuán de .

8 Yòu yǒu dì èr wèi tiānshǐ , jiē zhe shuō , jiào wàn mín hē xié yín dà nù zhī jiǔ de Bābǐlún dà chéng qīng dǎo le , qīng dǎo le .

9 Yòu yǒu dì sān wèi tiānshǐ , jiē zhe tāmen , dàshēng shuō , ruò yǒu rén baì shòu hé shòu xiàng , zaì é shàng , huò zaì shǒu shàng , shòu le yìn jì ,

10 Zhè rén yĕ bì hē shén dà nù de jiǔ , cǐ jiǔ zhēn zaì shén fèn nù de bēi zhōng chún yī bù zá . tā yào zaì shèng tiānshǐ hé gāoyáng miànqián , zaì huǒ yǔ liúhuáng zhī zhōng shòu tòngkǔ .

11 Tā shòu tòngkǔ de yān wàng shàng mào , zhídào yǒng yǒngyuǎn yuǎn . nàxiē baì shòu hé shòu xiàng shòu tā míng zhī yìn jì de , zhòuyè bùdé ān níng .

12 Shèngtú de rĕnnaì jiù zaì cǐ . tāmen shì shǒu shén jièméng , hé Yēsū zhēn dào de .

13 Wǒ tīngjian cóng tiān shàng yǒu shēngyīn shuō , nǐ yào xiĕ xià , cóng jīn yǐhòu , zaì zhǔ lǐmiàn ér sǐ de rén yǒu fú le . Shènglíng shuō , shì de , tāmen xī le zìjǐ de laókǔ , zuò gōng de guǒ xiào yĕ suí zhe tāmen .

14 Wǒ yòu guānkàn , jiàn yǒu yī piàn bái yún , yún shàng zuò zhe yī wèi hǎoxiàng Rénzǐ , tóu shàng daì zhe jīn guānmiǎn , shǒu lǐ ná zhe kuaì lián dāo .

15 Yòu yǒu yī wèi tiānshǐ cóng diàn zhōng chūlai , xiàng nà zuò zaì yún shàng de dàshēng hǎn zhe shuō , shēn chū nǐde lián dāo lái shōugē . yīnwei shōugē de shíhou yǐjing dào le , dì shàng de zhuāngjia yǐjing shú tòu le .

16 Nà zuò zaì yún shàng de , jiù bǎ lián dāo rēng zaì dì shàng . dì shàng de zhuāngjia jiù beì shōugē le .

17 Yòu yǒu yī wèi tiānshǐ cóng tiān shàng de diàn zhōng chūlai , tā yĕ ná zhe kuaì lián dāo .

18 Yòu yǒu yī wèi tiānshǐ cóng jìtán zhōng chūlai , shì yǒu quánbǐng guǎn huǒ de , xiàng ná zhe kuaì lián dāo de dàshēng hǎn zhe shuō , shēn chū kuaì lián dāo lái shōu qǔ dì shàng pútàoshù de guǒzi . yīnwei pútào shú tòu le .

19 Nà tiānshǐ jiù bǎ lián dāo rēng zaì dì shǎng , shōu qǔ le dì shǎng de pútào , diū zaì shén fèn nù de dà jiǔ zhà zhōng .

20 Nà jiǔ zhà chuaì zaì chéng waì , jiù yǒu xiĕ cóng jiǔ zhà lǐ liú chūlai , gāo dào mǎ de jiaóhuán , yuǎn yǒu liù bǎi lǐ .

Qǐshìlù 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.

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.