The Judgment of God

Rev. 14:12

Here is the call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

 

On Mount Zion stood the Lamb with the 144,000 who had the name of the Lamb and the Father on their foreheads. What a contrast to 666! A voice from heaven thundered and made music creating a new song that was heard before the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. No one could learn the song except for the 144,000 who were virgins, redeemed as first fruits, and were free of lies, for they were blameless. [These were the Jewish people who endured throughout the Great Tribulation.]

 

Following this, three angels made proclamations. The first angel proclaimed the eternal gospel to the earthdwellers saying, fear God and give Him glory because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made heaven and earth... Another angel followed saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. A third angel followed saying, If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name. How sad is this! The message was given. The choice made, and the judgment followed. There will be no camouflage, no saying I had this mark but didn't mean it. Truth will be obvious!

 

But what about the saints? Here is the call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. A voice from heaven said, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them! The severity of the day is reiterated by blessing the dead! In contrast to the death of the unsaved, this death brings peace and rest. This death is a welcoming rest!

 

Then seated on a white cloud, the Son of man with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand began to reap. The hour had come, the harvest of the earth was fully ripe. No more mercy! No more grace! Along with the Son, came two angels with sharp sickles to gather the grape harvest from the earth and throw the clusters in the the great winepress of the wrath of God. As the winepress was trodden, the blood flowed as high as a horse's bridle for 1600 stadia (184 miles). What a grisly and graphic picture! After reading this chapter, I totally realize anew the words of God where He says, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. God's timing is perfect! When His plan is completed, then His judgment will follow! It is amazing that these 144,000 saints had to endure til death! There was no other way. Endurance and suffering is following in the footsteps of Jesus. As He endured, suffered, and died, so will we all!

 

Father,

Make my faith strong in my time. Give me Your grace to energize my endurance so that I might withstand temptations and trials, so that my faith might prove strong, and so that I might bring glory to Your name.

In the name of the Lamb,

Amen