Skip to main content
Psalmlog Logo

Revelation 14

Revelation 14 sets the Lamb’s redeemed people beside the coming judgment and calls the saints to persevere in faith.

John sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with 144,000 redeemed people who bear his name and his Father’s name. A song sounds before the throne. Three angels proclaim God’s coming judgment to the earth, announce Babylon’s fall, and warn those who worship the beast. A heavenly voice then declares blessing for those who die in the Lord. The vision closes with two harvest scenes, ending in the blood-filled wine press of God’s wrath.

death and what comes afterfear for the futuresermon or Bible study notes
Read
1I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.
2I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.
3They sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth.
4These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
5In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.
6I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
7He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”
8Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”
9Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
12Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
13I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them.”
14I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!”
16He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle.
18Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!”
19The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
20The wine press was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out of the wine press, up to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Revelation 14:13The promise of rest for those who die in the Lord stands amid warnings of judgment and a call to endurance.
Revelation 14:7The angel calls every people to worship the Creator because the hour of his judgment has come.
Revelation 14:1The Lamb stands with his redeemed people, whose foreheads bear his name and his Father’s, marking their allegiance.
Where this chapter reaches

Daniel shares the imagery of a figure like a son of man with clouds, while Isaiah also portrays divine judgment through a wine press. Psalm shares the language of a new song and worship of the Creator; Genesis names the heavens, earth, and seas as God’s creation.

Revelation 14's chapter linksAll strongest linksHover or tap a book
Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does the promise of rest in verse 13 shape your reading of the surrounding judgments?

Write on this

What do you notice about the redeemed people’s allegiance to the Lamb and the endurance described in verse 12?

Write on this

Questions people ask about Revelation 14

Who are the 144,000 in Revelation 14?

They are people redeemed from the earth who bear the Lamb’s and Father’s names, learn the new song, and follow the Lamb. They are described as virgins, truthful, and blameless. Christians differ over whether the number and virginity are literal or symbolic descriptions of God’s faithful people; this chapter does not settle those questions.

What do the two harvests in Revelation 14 mean?

The first harvest is reaped by a crowned figure like a son of man; the second gathers grapes into God’s wine press of wrath. The grape harvest depicts judgment. Readers differ over whether the first harvest represents the gathering of the redeemed or another image of judgment, since its outcome receives no explanation.

What does Revelation 14:13 mean by their works following them?

The heavenly voice blesses those who die in the Lord, and the Spirit affirms their rest from labor. Their works follow them, so death does not erase their faithful service. The verse connects this promise with belonging to the Lord; it does not say that their works purchase the blessing.

Read it. Now write it.

Start an entry on Revelation 14. Your words go beside the text, and you get one next step for the week.

Revelation · 22 chapters
12345678910111213141516171819202122
What the Bible says about death →What the Bible says about fear →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).