HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1531
R EVEL ATION 15
page 1161
kept themselves as pure as virgins,* following
the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been
purchased from among the people on the earth
as a special offering* to God and to the Lamb.
5 They have told no lies; they are without blame.
The Three Angels
6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky,
carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to
the people who belong to this world—to every
nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 “Fear
God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the
time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the
sea, and all the springs of water.”
8 Then another angel followed him through
the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great
city is fallen—because she made all the nations
of the world drink the wine of her passionate
immorality.”
9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting,
“Anyone who worships the beast and his statue
or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on
the hand 10 must drink the wine of God’s anger.
It has been poured full strength into God’s cup
of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire
and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy
angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will
have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
12 This means that God’s holy people must
endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying,
“Write this down: Blessed are those who die in
the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they
are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their
hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
The Harvest of the Earth
14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the
cloud was someone like the Son of Man.* He
had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle
in his hand.
15 Then another angel came from the Temple
and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud,
“Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has
come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16 So the one
sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the
earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
17 After that, another angel came from the
Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp
sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power
to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He
shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle,
“Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters
14:4a Greek They are virgins who have not defiled themselves
with women. 14:4b Greek as firstfruits. 14:14 Or like a son
of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for
himself. 14:20 Greek 1,600 stadia [300 kilometers].
of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they
are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung
his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes
into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The
grapes were trampled in the winepress outside
the city, and blood flowed from the winepress
in a stream about 180 miles* long and as high
as a horse’s bridle.
The Song of Moses and of the Lamb
Then I saw in heaven another marvelous
event of great significance. Seven angels
were holding the seven last plagues, which
would bring God’s wrath to completion. 2 I saw
before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed
15
• Death
R E V E LATI ON 14:9-12
The ultimate result of sin is unending
separation from God. Because human
beings are created in God’s image with
an inborn thirst for fellowship with him,
separation from God will be the ultimate
torment and misery. Sin always brings
misery, but in this life we can choose to
repent and restore our relationship with
God. In eternity, there will no longer be
opportunity for repentance. If in this life
we choose to be independent of God,
in the next life we will be separated from
him forever. Nobody is forced to choose
eternal separation from God, and nobody
suffers this fate by accident. Jesus invites
all of us to open the door of our hearts
to him (3:20). If we do this, we will enjoy
everlasting fellowship with him.
• Future
R E V E LATI ON 14:12
Whether you are an athlete undergoing grueling physical conditioning, an
employee struggling under a mountain of
work, or a Christian suffering persecution,
the key to perseverance is a clear vision
of the goal. While the goal of an athlete is
to win the competition and the goal of the
employee is to do a job well, the goal of
the believer is nothing less than eternity
in the presence of the Lord. The writer of
Revelation encourages Christians to keep
their eyes on Jesus, who will reward the
faithful, and to obey his Word to the end.
When you feel like giving up, remember the glory that awaits you as a child
of God.