(Chapters 12-14)
This division of the book properly begins at chapter 11:19. In these chapters the Spirit of God takes us back over the same period of time that has been covered in chapters 6-11, but from a different perspective. Actually, this prophecy has its beginning long before the seventieth week of Daniel and takes the reader through one continuous prophetic outline from the birth of Christ until He appears and treads the Winepress Judgment (chap. 14:14-20).
Having given us things from the viewpoint of the Christianized nations of the West in the previous chapters, the Spirit of God now gives details from the perspective of God’s dealings with Israel. This can be seen in the fact that the symbols and language used in these chapters are distinctly Jewish. This is evident by the mention of “the ark of His covenant,” which is the sign of God’s faithfulness with His earthly people, Israel. The mention of signs (a “wonder” in KJV—vss. 1, 3) also indicate that a Jewish order of things is before us (Matt. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:22). The marking of “days” and “times” additionally indicate this (vss. 6, 14; Gal. 4:10). By these things coming into view, we see the thoughts and ways of God are toward Israel, and thus there will be a recommencement of His dealings with them nationally.
The opening of the “temple” in heaven and judgments proceeding therefrom indicate that what is about to be disclosed in this prophecy is a different line of things in the dealings of God with the earth. In chapters 6-11, we have seen judgments proceed from the “throne” of God (chap. 4:5), but now in chapters 12-14, the judgments proceed from “temple” of God. This indicates that the subject in these chapters has shifted and a new prophecy has begun.
This division in the book begins by taking us back to the birth of Christ, because much of God’s dealings with that nation in the future center around its rejection of Him. Hence, God resumes His dealings with Israel where He left off two thousand years ago.
The Believing Remnant of Jews Under Satan’s Persecution
(Chap. 12:1-17)
Vss. 1-2—The chapter begins with Israel (“a woman”) being in the place in which the promises of God and the Old Testament prophetic Scriptures place her according to the purpose of God (Gen. 37:9-11; Deut. 28:13). Being “clothed with the sun” and having “the moon under her feet” means that God intends that Israel should have a place of supreme authority among the nations of the earth. The “twelve stars” with which she is crowned refers to the dignity that the twelve tribes of Israel will have in the day of their Messiah’s reign on earth. The woman being in labour (“travailing”) refers to the struggle that the nation was in at the time of Christ’s first coming when it suffered under Roman rule.
Vss. 3-5—Satan (“the great red dragon”) is seen having control of the Roman Empire. This is indicated in the dragon having “seven crowns” on its “seven heads.” The seven heads refer to the seven forms of government through which the Roman Empire has passed, or will pass, in consecutive order through time. It has had kings, dictators, military tribunes, consuls, decemvirs, an imperial government (which was ruling at the time of the writing of the book of Revelation), and it will also have a form of government under the whore (the Catholic Church) which is yet to come (Rev. 17:3). (This seventh form of government will morph into an “eighth,” which will be a Satanic rule under the personal Beast, when the “deadly wound” to the seventh head will be “healed” – Rev. 13:3; 17:10-11.) The “crowns” on the seven heads of the dragon speak of Satan’s ruling authority. The leaders in the government of the empire (“the stars”) are seen as being manipulated by the dragon (drawn by its “tail”) and used in the dragon’s plan to destroy Christ (“the Man-child”) when He was born into this world (Matt. 2). The prophecy then jumps from Christ’s birth to Christ’s ascension to glory—“her Child was caught up unto God, and to His throne” (vs. 5).
Vss. 6-17—The prophecy jumps forward again some 2000 years to the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week. This is indicated by the woman’s flight into “the wilderness” (where she is providentially protected) being “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (1260 days). All such time periods of days in prophecy are measured from the middle of the prophetic week—when the abomination of desolation is set up—to the end of the week (Dan. 12:11). At that time, God will cleanse the heavens (Job 15:15) by casting Satan and his angels out of heaven onto the earth (vss. 8-9). The Great Tribulation (the last half-week) will then begin with Satan organizing an all-out attempt to destroy “the woman” and “the remnant of her seed”—the faithful Jews who will refuse to worship the beast.
A Two-fold Attack on the Remnant of Believing Jews
• A spiritual attack—A “flood [river]” of apostasy will be used by Satan in his “serpent” character in an attempt to deceive the elect remnant of Jews into believing the lie of the Antichrist (vss. 15-16; Matt. 24:22-26; 2 Thess. 2:11).
• A physical attack—A “war” of persecution will be used by Satan in his “dragon” character in an attempt to kill the elect remnant of Jews (vs. 17; Psa. 10:1-11; Psa. 12:1; Isa. 57:1-2).
The “earth helped the woman” (vs. 16). This means that God’s providential care will work to preserve a portion of the Jewish remnant, and they will survive the Great Tribulation and enter the Millennium.
The Trinity of Evil in the Coming Crisis
• The “great red dragon”—Satan (chap. 12).
• The “beast” out of the sea—the political leader of the nations in the West (chap. 13:1-8).
• The “beast” out of the earth—the Antichrist (chap. 13:11-18).
Satan’s Two Chief Agents
(Chap. 13:1-18)
Being confined to the earth, Satan will need human instruments to accomplish his end in destroying the woman and her seed (the remnant). Chapter 13 shows that he will have two men whom he will personally energize for this purpose.
Chapters 12-14 indicate that a number of significant events will occur at (or just after) the middle of the prophetic week. The first is Satan being cast to the earth (Rev. 12:7-9). The second is an all out persecution being launched against the Jewish remnant (Rev. 12:13-17).
The First Beast
Vss. 1-3—The third thing that occurs around the middle of the prophetic week is that the government in the West (the newly formed ten-nation federation called “the beast” – chap. 17:3) will take on a new and different form through an evil man who will have Satanic power behind him. This man will rise to power in the empire out of a political convulsion (the “great earthquake” – chap. 6:12) that Satan will cause in the government under “the whore”—the Catholic Church (Rev. 17:1-6). This political leader is known by the same name as the empire—the “Beast” (vss. 4-8; 19:20; 20:10). He is also referred to as “the little horn” (Dan. 7:8), “the king of Babylon” (Isa. 14:4); “the prince” (Dan. 9:26, 27 – the second “he”).
The “beast” that rises up “out of the sea,” having “seven heads and ten horns” is the European federation of ten nations in the West—the revived Roman Empire (Dan. 2:40-45; Rev. 17:3, 9-11). However, its rising out of the sea, as seen here, is not referring to the revival of the empire (which happens at the beginning of the prophetic week by the Catholic Church – Rev. 6:1-2), but to its Satanic emergence out of the state of political chaos that will momentarily exist in the middle of the week, resulting from the upheaval in the government that Satan will cause. The “sea” signifies the unsettled state of things that will exist among the nations in the West at that time. The “crowns” which were on the dragon’s heads in chapter 12:3 are now seen on the “ten horns” of the beast. This signifies the conferring of Satan’s power to the empire through the evil man who will take over the chair of the Roman “prince.”
We are then told how this will happen. One of the beast’s heads will be “slain” and then miraculously “healed” (vs. 3). This refers to the demise of the governmental control that the Catholic Church will have on the empire and the rise of a new government that will replace it. This change is mentioned in chapter 17:10-11 in the 7th head (form of government) under the Catholic Church (the whore) continuing for “a short space” of time (the first 3½ years of the prophetic week), and then being overthrown. The healing of the head will become the “eighth” form of rule under the personal Beast. It will be a Satanic form of government that will continue “its career” for “forty and two months” (the last 3½ years of the week), until the Appearing of Christ, when it will be judged. Until then, “all the world” will marvel at the monster which the western confederated nations will have turned into in those days. No nation or power will dare to challenge this military super-power.
Having taken control of the empire, the Beast will accept worship from his subjects and will blaspheme God (vss. 4-6). At the same time, he will turn his attention to persecuting those (“the saints”) who will refuse to worship him (vss. 7-10).
The Second Beast
Vss. 11-18—The fourth thing that will occur around the middle of the week is the unveiling of the “Antichrist” (1 John 2:18). He is also called the “man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:3-4) and “the king” (Isa. 8:21; 30:33; 57:9; Dan. 11:36), and “the false prophet” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). This man rises to prominence after the first beast is unveiled, and therefore, his tenure is also during the last half of the prophetic week.
This beast has “two horns” denoting the Antichrist’s double character as a “false prophet” and the Jew’s willful “king.” This is an imitation of Christ, the true Prophet (Deut. 18:15-19; Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 6:14) and the true King (Matt. 2:1-6; Rev. 19:16). He is also said to be “like a lamb” because he is an impostor of Christ, the true “Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 35). He will be an apostate Jew (Dan. 11:37) who will rise up “out of the earth” (the ordered scene of Jewish life in Israel), and will be received by the mass of Jews as their false messiah (John 5:43).
Satan will use this man to lead the unsealed mass of the Jews in the land of Israel (Rev. 9:4) and the mass of apostate professing Christians in the western nations (2 Thess. 2:3) to worship “an image” that he will erect of the first Beast (Rev. 13:14-15). His mission will be to bring the great “apostasy” in the West (2 Thess. 2:3)—which has already begun today while the Church is on earth (1 Tim. 4:1 – “apostatize”)—to its culmination. He will deceive the masses into believing his “lie” (2 Thess. 2:9-12; Rev. 9:1-11) and that they should receive the mark of the Beast and worship the image—a new form of idolatry. He will work in conjunction with the first Beast to organize and unleash a fierce persecution against the Jewish remnant and any believing Gentiles in the West who will not worship the image of the Beast (vs. 15; Psa. 10:8-10). As a result, many saints will be martyred in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 13:7, 15; 14:2-3b; 15:2-3; Psa.12:1; Isa. 57:1-2).
A Remnant of Jews Preserved
(Chap. 14:1-5)
The fifth thing that will become manifest at this pivotal time is that two companies of people will distinguish themselves in the Beast’s empire (the western nations, including the land of Israel):
• The followers of the Beast with his mark on their foreheads—the apostate mass (chap. 13:16-18).
• The followers of the Lamb with His mark on their foreheads—the remnant (chap. 14:1).
In spite of the efforts of Satan (chap. 12) and his two evil men (chap. 13), God will secure a remnant of believing Jews during that time, as shown in chapter 14:1-5. Those who receive the mark of the Beast will seal their doom, but the God-fearing remnant of Jews and those who believe among the Gentiles will refuse it.
This passage shows that not all of the believing remnant will be preserved through the Great Tribulation to enter the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth. Many of them will be martyred. They will be resurrected later and will have a better portion in heaven when Christ reigns in the kingdom. Therefore, among the followers of “the Lamb” there are two parts: a spared portion (vss. 1, 4-5) and a martyred portion (vss. 2-3).
During the Great Tribulation, Christ will identify Himself in spirit “with” the suffering remnant of Jews on earth under the figure of the 144,000 (vss. 1, 4-5). This is not the same as the 144,000 in chapter 7, which are a remnant of all Israel; here it is the Jews only. The Lord will feel their sufferings deeply as they pass through that hour of trial (Isa. 43:2; 63:9). Many of the Psalms emphasize this. This spared portion will be preserved by divine providence (Psa. 91) and will reign with Christ on earth when He establishes His millennial kingdom (vss. 4-5). The martyred portion are seen in heaven in the separate or intermediate state (chap. 6:9-11) praising God with the 24 elders, until they are resurrected at the end of the Great Tribulation (vss. 2-3). Then they will reign with Christ in the heavens in a glorified state over the millennial earth (chap. 20:4-6). The spared part of the remnant on earth will understand and relate to the song of praise of the martyred portion in heaven because they both will have passed through the same terrible persecution from the Beast and the Antichrist (vs. 3).
The Proclamation of the Everlasting Gospel
(Chap. 14:6-7)
The sixth thing that will be in effect at that time is the proclamation of “the everlasting gospel.” While a proclamation will be made to the world by the Antichrist to worship the image of the Beast (chap. 13:12-15), there will also be a proclamation made by God (through the everlasting gospel) to fear the Creator and give glory to Him. This gospel is not the gospel of the grace and glory of God that is being preached today by Christians (Acts 20:24; 1 Tim. 1:11). It does not announce the good news of redemption through the blood of Christ; no angel has ever been called to carry that message. The everlasting gospel is carried by an “angel” and has to do with the message that creation itself announces, which is a limited revelation of God and man’s responsibility to Him. All who have simple faith in the Creator and give glory to Him will be accounted righteous and “accepted with Him” (Acts 10:35). This gospel has gone forth from the beginning of time, but since things will be exceedingly dark (spiritually) in the Great Tribulation in the West, and the Word of God will be scarce to find (Amos 8:11-12), God will use this other testimony of Himself in a more powerful way than ever before.
Religious Babylon Falls
(Chap. 14:8)
The seventh thing that occurs at the middle of the week is the fall of “Babylon.” This is the first mention of Babylon in the book of Revelation. It is used as a figure in prophecy to describe the Western powers (the federation of ten nations, the revived Roman Empire) that will be formed after the Rapture but before Daniel’s 70th week begins (chap. 6:1-2). In its initial form in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week, the empire will have the Catholic Church at its helm. This is referred to as the “woman” (the harlot) riding “a scarlet coloured beast” (chap. 17:1-6).
The announcement here in Revelation 14:8 is: “Babylon is fallen.” This refers to the government of the empire under the Catholic Church being overthrown and set aside. Thus, using the symbolic language of the book of Revelation, the harlot will be thrown off the beast and burnt with fire by those nations that she has controlled in the West (chap. 17:16-17). This will occur in the middle of the prophetic week to make way for a new administration under the diabolical man whom we have already been introduced to in chapter 13:1-8—the personal “Beast.”
As mentioned, the fall of Babylon refers to its religious side under the woman (Catholicism) becoming defunct—but the empire itself will continue to exist as a civil, political, and military power. The fall of Babylon, therefore, does not mean the end of Babylon. When the woman is removed, the empire will take on a new and different (Satanic) form under its new leader—the personal Beast. Hence, the fall of Babylon in the middle of the week (chap. 14:8; 17:16-17) must be distinguished from the destruction of Babylon, which happens at the end of the week when the Lord Appears and judges the personal Beast and his armies (chap. 16:15-21; 19:11-21; Isa. 13:1-22; 14:3-23). This is important to distinguish.
Moreover, when Babylon is spoken of using the figure of the “woman” (the whore), it is referring to the corrupt religious side of the empire under Catholicism. But when Babylon is spoken of as a “city,” it is referring to its civil, political, and military side. (What is confusing here is that Revelation 14:8, in the KJV, says “That great city.” However, this phrase should not be in the text. The verse is referring to the religious side under the woman, not the civil and political side.) More will be said on Babylon in a parenthesis in chapters 17–19:6, explaining its rise to power and its final destruction.
The Doom of the Worshippers of the Beast
(Chap. 14:9-12)
After the fall of Babylon there will be widespread worship of the Beast and his image throughout the western empire in the last half of the prophetic week. This will be encouraged, or rather enforced, by the Antichrist (chap. 13:15). But it will not be without warning, which the announcement in these verses indicates. This announcement will likely be through the voice of the Jewish remnant, who will cry against this wickedness. The announcement anticipates the frightful end of those who will receive its mark and worship its image. The “saints” (those who will not receive the mark) are counseled to hang on with “patience [endurance]” to the end, for the hour of the Lord’s coming (His Appearing) and their deliverance is not far off (vs. 12; Matt. 24:13; Luke 21:25-28).
The End of the First Resurrection
(Chap. 14:13)
As things near the end of the prophetic week, and Christ is about to appear, the third and final phase of the first resurrection will occur (John 5:28-29). The saints who will be martyred during the prophetic week will be raised to join the heavenly company as part of the 24 elders. “Henceforth” indicates the end of their condition in the separate state and a new "blessed" condition of being glorified is entered upon. These are the last guests to be brought in to attend the marriage of the Lamb in heaven (Lev. 23:22; Matt. 13:30). These will be among the friends of the Bridegroom in heaven (John 3:29). They will be with Christ when He reigns over the earth in the Millennium (chap. 20:4-6).
Three Phases of the First Resurrection
• Christ as “the firstfruits” has already risen (1 Cor. 15:23a).
• The Old and New Testament saints will partake in this resurrection at the moment of the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:23b; Heb. 11:40).
• The martyred Tribulation saints will be resurrected just prior to Christ’s Appearing (chap. 6:9-11; 14:2-3; 15:2-4).
The Harvest Judgment
(Chap. 14:14-16)
Christ will come at last (the Appearing) in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, which portray Him as “the Son of Man” coming from heaven to judge the nations (Dan. 7:13; John 5:27; Rev. 1:13-16). He will execute a discriminating judgment similar to a farmer separating wheat from the chaff in harvest time. Hence, this is called “the Harvest” judgment. At this time, the Lord will dispatch His angels who will go over the prophetic earth (the Western nations and the land of Israel), and they will take the wicked out of the earth and cast them into the lake of fire (Matt. 13:38-43; Isa. 24:1, 6). This is what is meant in the Lord’s words, “One shall be taken, and the other left” (Matt. 24:36-41). This begins the judgment of “the quick [living]” (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). Those who remain in the western earth will be left to enter the Millennium.
At the same time, the Lord will destroy the armies of the West led by the Beast (Rev. 16:15-21; 19:11-21) and will cast the leaders (the Beast and the Antichrist) into the lake of fire (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:20). Also, in a matter of a few days after the Lord appears, the King of the North, who will have led his armies down into Egypt, will come up out of that land and “stand up” against Him, and the Lord will destroy those armies too (Dan. 8:25; 11:42-45; Isa. 30:27-33). (This is not mentioned here in Revelation 14 because the subject is the judgment of Israel, but they are things that accompany the Appearing of Christ.) As a result of the Harvest judgment, the prophetic earth will be cleansed of all who “offend” and “who practice lawlessness” in preparation for the reign of Christ (Matt. 13:41).
(Christ’s Appearing is described in further detail when the thread of events is resumed in chapter 19:11.)
The Vintage Judgment
(Chap. 14:17-20)
After the Harvest judgment, the Lord will effect a restoration of the nation of Israel and will begin His reign in righteousness on earth (Psa. 72:1-3; Isa. 32:1; 61:11). This also is not mentioned in Revelation 14, but there is an abundance of Old Testament passages that indicate that it will happen after Christ appears (Isa. 13:9-14:3; Isa. 30:27-32:20; Mic. 5:1-7; Mal. 4:1-2, etc.). At that time, another group of angels will be sent out over the entire world to gather the “elect” of the 12 tribes of Israel to their land (Matt. 24:30-31). With them will come a great number of Israelites who will not have faith, and they will be sifted out at the borders of the land by the Lord. The “rebels” will not be allowed to enter the land and will be left there at “the border” (Ezek. 11:9-11; 20:33-38; Amos 9:9-10).
Meanwhile, another vast confederacy of armies will gather and attack the newly restored nation of Israel. These are the Russian hordes with their confederates under Gog (Ezek. 38-39; Joel 3:1-2). However, just as the Harvest judgment does not mention the western armies, these armies under Gog are also not mentioned. They will come in from the east (the land of Edom, where they will congregate – Isa. 34:1-2) with a great train. At that time, the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem to defend Israel (that is, a remnant of all twelve tribes) and will destroy the attacking armies. In treading “the great winepress of the wrath of God,” the Lord will go out from Jerusalem and will continue all the way to the land of Edom (Isa. 26:21; 34:3-10; 63:1-6; Ob. 15-16). This will be about 200 hundred miles (1600 furlongs—“stadia”) of pure human carnage! The multitude of apostate Israelites left at the borders of the land will be destroyed with these armies. Thus, “the vine of the earth” (an often-used figure of Israel) will be “cast into the winepress” (vs. 19).
The Vintage (Winepress) judgment occurs slightly beyond the end of Daniel’s 70th week––1335 days from the middle of the week (Dan. 12:11-12). Christ will have been back on earth for almost two months by the time He executes this judgment. It will not be a discriminating judgment, as was the Harvest judgment. Hence, those involved in this judgment will be destroyed unsparingly. This Winepress judgment will be a further step in the judgment of the “quick [living]”.