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Revelation 14                 

The first five verses of Revelation 14 propel us into the future to Day 1335 . . .  when the gathered 144,000 firstfruits harvest will stand in the heavenly Mount Zion before God's throne singing victorious hymns of praise. The fifteen verses that follow describe events leading up to this joyous celebration.

Much like the sixth seal (Revelation 6:12-17) and the sixth trumpet (9:13-21), these verses take us to the very end of the conflict when the 144,000 are translated; but the elect must first endure the forty days--the Time of Jacob's Trouble. Seven messengers are seen at work in this chapter and are intimately involved in the final conflict, as deliverers of God's works of warning and destruction.  

"Is not my word like fire," declares the Lord, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" Jeremiah 23:29.  An amazing image of tongues of fire upon the heads of seven angels may be seen in the painting, A Light to Jerusalem, by Baruch Nachshon. Notice not only the seven messengers, but also the seven representations at the bottom of the painting-- what looks to be six flames, and in the middle of the six is the seventh which is larger than the rest.

This painting perfectly represents Revelation 14, and appears in the 5760 Jewish Art Calendar provided by the Orthodox Lubavitch. It is placed on the page with the months of Elul-Tishrei, when the fall feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot occur--the holy days when the seven angels will, no doubt, perform their priestly work, wearing linen garments of vengeance.

The book of John has held secrets for nearly two thousand years, and the mysteries are to be unlocked as Daniel is merged alongside Revelation.  Jesus once said, "Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them," Matthew 13:17 (K.J.V.).  

The final generation will have similar privileges of seeing what even the prophets wanted to look into and understand, but could not.  We are nearing the events foretold so many centuries ago, and we must understand how governments and powerful leaders in our contemporary world match the prophecies.  Otherwise, we will be taken captive by the overwhelming desire to follow the dictates of men and not God's commandments.

The Appointed Times and Seasons Calendar may lend some small insight into the time frame of the end.  Only when the portentous events begin to unfold will we truly appreciate the precise details God has given us, and will with faith hold onto the "testimony of Jesus" given to John on the Island of Patmos.

Revelation 14 holds obscurities which we will visit in this study.  The previous lessons have described the work of the seven angels who blow the seven trumpets (chapters 8-10); these seven angels will also pour out the seven plagues against the unrepentant world (chapters 15-16).  The lessons have often demonstrated that the designations Seventh Angel and Michael represent our Savior.  The sevens are clearly illustrated in simple chart below:

Revelation 14 describes six angels at work, three on each side of the Son of Man.  Messiah is the seventh personage posed and ready to gather in the righteous.  Their duties are relayed in sequential order, according to how the events will transpire on earth.  

The first three proclaim life-saving counsel to the world before the Day of the Lord, and show that Heaven's messengers will personally get involved in the last-day warnings to ensure that they are broadcast around the globe.  The first angel warns that the Judgment is in session in Heaven, and that worship must be turned to the Creator, and Him only, for the sentence of the Court is forthcoming; the second announces that Babylon is fallen and the whole world is intoxicated by Jerusalem's acceptance of the false Christianity; and the third angel cautions that no man should worship the Beast or his idol or accept the false messiah's mark of allegiance.

The last three announce salvation and destruction.  The fourth angels exits from the Temple Court with the Father's announcement that it is time to reap the good harvest from the ground, raised in resurrection; the fifth announces it is time to cut down and gather the wicked; and the sixth angel gathers the harvest of sinners and cast them into destruction.  In the middle of the six angels you find the conquering Messiah--the Seventh Messenger--the announced ruler sitting upon the white cloud of glory with a harvesting tool in hand and adorned with a King's crown of gold.