Apocalipsis 14

1 El Cordero y los 144.000
Luego vi al Cordero de pie sobre el monte Sión, y con él había 144.000 que tenían el nombre del Cordero y el de su Padre escrito en la frente.

2 Y oí un sonido que venía del cielo, era como el rugido de grandes olas del mar o el retumbar de fuertes truenos. Parecía el sonido de muchos arpistas tocando juntos.

3 Ese gran coro entonaba un nuevo canto maravilloso delante del trono de Dios y delante de los cuatro seres vivientes y los veinticuatro ancianos. Nadie podía aprender ese canto aparte de los 144.000 que habían sido rescatados de la tierra.

4 Ellos se han mantenido tan puros como vírgenes,
y son los que siguen al Cordero dondequiera que va. Han sido comprados de entre los pueblos de la tierra como ofrenda especial
para Dios y para el Cordero.

5 Ellos no han dicho mentiras y son intachables.

6 Los tres ángeles
Y vi a otro ángel, que volaba por el cielo y llevaba la eterna Buena Noticia para proclamarla a los que pertenecen a este mundo: a todo pueblo y toda nación, tribu y lengua.

7 «Teman a Dios —gritaba—. Denle gloria a él, porque ha llegado el tiempo en que ocupe su lugar como juez. Adoren al que hizo los cielos, la tierra, el mar y todos los manantiales de agua».

8 Luego otro ángel lo siguió por el cielo mientras gritaba: «Babilonia ha caído —cayó esa gran ciudad— porque hizo que todas las naciones del mundo bebieran el vino de su apasionada inmoralidad».

9 Después un tercer ángel los siguió mientras gritaba: «Todo el que adore a la bestia y a su estatua o acepte su marca en la frente o en la mano

10 tendrá que beber el vino de la ira de Dios, que se ha servido sin diluir en la copa del furor de Dios. Ellos serán atormentados con fuego y azufre ardiente en presencia de los ángeles santos y del Cordero.

11 El humo de su tormento subirá por siempre jamás, y no tendrán alivio ni de día ni de noche, porque adoraron a la bestia y a su estatua y aceptaron la marca de su nombre».

12 Esto significa que el pueblo de Dios tiene que soportar la persecución con paciencia, obedeciendo sus mandamientos y manteniendo la fe en Jesús.

13 Y oí una voz del cielo que decía: «Escribe lo siguiente: benditos son los que de ahora en adelante mueran en el Señor. El Espíritu dice: “Sí, ellos son en verdad benditos, porque descansarán de su arduo trabajo, ¡pues sus buenas acciones los siguen!”».

14 La cosecha de la tierra
Entonces vi una nube blanca y sentado en la nube estaba alguien parecido al Hijo del Hombre.
Tenía una corona de oro en la cabeza y en la mano una hoz afilada.

15 Entonces vino otro ángel desde el templo y le gritó al que estaba sentado en la nube: «Da rienda suelta a la hoz, porque ha llegado el tiempo para cosechar; ya está madura la cosecha en la tierra».

16 Y el que estaba sentado en la nube pasó la hoz sobre la tierra, y toda la tierra fue cosechada.

17 Después vino otro ángel desde el templo que está en el cielo, y él también tenía una hoz afilada.

18 Luego otro ángel, que tenía poder para destruir con fuego, vino desde el altar y le gritó al ángel que tenía la hoz afilada: «Pasa ahora tu hoz y junta los racimos de los viñedos de la tierra, porque las uvas ya están maduras para el juicio».

19 Así que el ángel pasó su hoz sobre la tierra y echó las uvas en el gran lagar de la ira de Dios.

20 Las uvas fueron pisadas en el lagar fuera de la ciudad, y del lagar brotó un río de sangre de unos trescientos kilómetros
de largo y de una altura que llegaba a los frenos de un caballo.

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.

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.