Good Grapes

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000, having His Father’s Name written on their foreheads.” [1]

Yes, I want to look! Yes, I want to behold the Lamb who is standing on Mount Zion with His 144,000 elect followers from the tribes of Israel.

Mount Zion is the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, where an innumerable company of angels are with Christ and His followers. Jesus has mediated a new covenant with us. We need not sacrifice animals anymore. The new covenant in His blood was given for the remission of all our sins. The new covenant includes the indwelling Holy Spirit. The new covenant includes adoption into God’s family. We inherit God’s Name and His presence. [2]

The 144,000 elect are with Jesus Christ, the true Lamb. Not one of them has been lost. His Father’s Name is on their foreheads, not the 666 number. They are filled with the Holy Spirit. They have Christ on their minds and they serve Him with their hands. They have submitted themselves to God. God helped them to resist the devil and to gain the victory over him. [3]

In contrast to the beast, false prophet, and those who follow them, the 144,000 are filled with joy, love and peace. The Lord is with them by His Spirit. They have eternal life.

Jesus said to, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new Name.” [4] Praise God for the blessed hope of salvation.

“And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.” David wrote, “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” His voice sounds like tons of water falling down a mountainside. Like thunder rumbling! John also hears the music of harps. There is joy in the presence of the Lord. [5]

There are various musical instruments mentioned for worshipping the Lord in the Bible. The trumpet (shofar) appears in over 90 verses, and the harp (kinnor) is mentioned 42 times. Other instruments include the lyre, timbrel (tambourine), cymbals, flute (zournas), flute, drum, bells and let’s not forget voices as instruments of praise to God. [6]

“They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth.” [7]

The Lord urges us to sing new songs multiple times in the Bible. The Lord has provided so many wonderful songs for us to sing. He gives to us songs of deliverance. [8]

No one else could learn the new song that the Lord gave to the 144,000. It was for them.

“These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.” [9]

Paul spoke of Christians as virgins espoused to Christ. “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” They are pure via their relationship with Christ. Jesus spoke of God’s people as being virgins espoused to marry Christ the bridegroom. The Lord spoke of Israel’s holy ones as the firstfruits of His increase. They are redeemed by His precious blood. [10]

“In their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” [11]

David wrote, “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” Jude wrote, “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy...” They believed in the Lamb. He took away their sins. [12]

“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’” [13]

Before the end, the Gospel is to be preached for a WITNESS to all nations: not that all nations shall be converted, but all nations shall have had the opportunity to believe in Christ. As far as the angel flying in the midst of heaven, I am amazed that the Gospel is spreading nowadays via radio waves and satellite transmissions. My online articles have been viewed by people from 148 countries. Some of these countries violently oppose proclaimers of the Gospel. Most of these countries are expensive to reach by personal travel. The Holy Spirit is like air and water. He finds ways to enter nations that seem to be closed airtight and watertight.

The Gospel dispels darkness from nations. The era preceding the Reformation is commonly called the dark ages. After the Lord revealed to Martin Luther that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, and he published this Gospel, an age of enlightenment followed. The Psalmist wrote, “The entrance of Your Word gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.” [14]

“Fear God” and “the everlasting Gospel” Do these two messages belong together? The Gospel properly preached is both bad news and good news. Bad news because the cross says that we are all sinners who are condemned by God. Good news because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins on the cross. He resurrected on the third day to assure us that everyone who believes in Him receives everlasting life. This Gospel is everlasting. Other religions will fail.

“And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [15]

Babylon is a metaphor for those who are unfaithfulness to God. Spiritual harlots! Sensual! Materialistic! A rock star who does anything to impress her fans. She promotes sinful behavior. She hates God’s saints because they will not join in the rebellion.

Jesus said that the wise man hears His saying and puts them into practice. The fool does not. The wise man’s house is comparable to a house built on a rock solid foundation while the fool’s house is comparable to a house built on shifting sands. The fool’s house will not stand during times of storms but wiseman’s house will. Babylon’s prideful pomp will fall quite suddenly like a house made of cards. Those who stand with Christ will stand forever. [16]

“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’” [17]

A cup filled full strength with God’s wrath (not diluted with mercy) is poured out on those who worship other gods. The cup of wrath is mentioned in various passages of the Bible. Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath when He died on the cross for our sin. When we believe in Jesus, the wrath we deserve for our sin, is placed on Him. Thus, we are no longer condemned by God.

“Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” “For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup... all the wicked... shall drink...” “Take the wine cup of this fury at My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.” “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of?” “He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.’” [18]

God’s wrath against sin is great. Jesus prophesied, saying, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity ... and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” [19]

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Yes, we need to be patience. It is likely that people mocked Noah for building a boat on dry land, and they mock us for living according to the words of Christ, but in due season our trust in the Lord will be validated. [20]

“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’” [21]

The Lord encourages us in His Word to make every effort to enter the rest. We enter the rest of God by believing what He has taught us. We trust in His ability, not our own. Only God is able to transport our soul from this life to the next. We must not be like the people in Isaiah’s day. They were shaking as trees shake in the wind. The Lord gave them a sign via His servant Isaiah. The sign was a Child conceived by a virgin. Upon His shoulders there is rest. He is Immanuel – God with us. [22]

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” [23]

This first harvest is the harvest of believers in Christ. They are good fruit. The Son of Man on the cloud is Jesus Christ. He brings in the harvest of souls to God His Father.

“Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him...” “They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” “I saw in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven.” [24]

“When the fruit is brought forth, immediately He puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” “The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” They collect what the sickle has cut down. [25]

“Then another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for 1,600 furlongs.” [26]

“The vine of the earth” is the subject of judgment because its grapes are not what God worked so lovingly to produce. The vine of the earth produced bad grapes. They posed as Christians but did not have Christ in them. Their evil behavior in the Name of Christ sabotaged the faith of many people. Our Lord’s strongest words of condemnation are towards hypocrites.

“He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.” “Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter... Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.” [27]

1,600 furlongs: a scholar named Bengel believes the area referred to by this measurement is the valley of Kidron, between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. His view agrees with Joel’s prophecy that the valley of Jehoshaphat is where the antichrist will be overthrown.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on... their works follow them.” Praise God, thanks to Jesus, our testimonies about Him will keep on producing good fruit long after we have left this world and are resting with Him.

[1] Revelation 14:1
[2] Hebrews 12:22-24; Matthew 26:28; John 14:13, 26; Galatians 4:4-6
[3] James 4:7; James Fausett Brown and Matthew Henry Commentaries
[4] Revelation 3:12
[5] Revelation 14:2; Psalms 93:4; 16:11
[6] Harp verses: Revelation 5:8; 15:2; 2 Samuel 6:5; 1 Chronicles 25:1-7; Psalms 33:2; 43:4; 57:8; 92:3; 98:5; 147:7; 149:3; 150:3-6
[7] Revelation 14:3
[8] Psalms 32:7; 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10
[9] Revelation 14:4
[10] 2 Corinthians 11:2; Matthew 25:1; Jeremiah 2:3; Acts 20:28
[11] Revelation 14:5
[12] Psalms 32:2; Jude 1:24
[13] Revelation 14:6-7
[14] Psalm 119:130
[15] Revelation 14:8
[16] Matthew 7:24-27
[17] Revelation 14:9-11
[18] Psalms 11:6; 75:8; Jeremiah 25:15; Matthew 20:22; 26:39
[19] Matthew 13:41-42
[20] Revelation 14:12
[21] Revelation 14:13
[22] Hebrews 4:11; Isaiah 7:2, 13-14; 9:6-7
[23] Revelation 14:14-16
[24] Revelation 1:7; Luke 21:27; Daniel 7:13
[25] Mark 4:29; Matthew 13:39
[26] Revelation 14:17-20
[27] Isaiah 5:5; Deuteronomy 32:32-33