When we left off in Chapter 14, we saw an angel flying in midheaven throughout the whole earth proclaiming the gospel. This is the last of many efforts by Jesus to get people to come to Him, so that they can receive eternal life and be spared from the wrath that will shortly be coming. I can not repeat this scripture enough by Peter in his second letter Chapter 3, verse 9;
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient
toward you, not wishing that any should perish but for all to come to repentance."
He is going to send His two witnesses, Enoch and Elijah, for 3 1/2 years. Then an angel throughout every nation, to make sure it is clear to everyone what is about to take place on the earth and give everyone a chance to escape in Him. The angel will also let everyone know that the city of the beast has been destroyed, to let them know that it was all a deception. This is why I stepped away from Revelation to point out what the prophet Ezekiel had written pertaining to this city and to its king being Satan. There will be more references in the Old Testament by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah that we will look at when we cover was is written about Babylon the Great in Chapters 17 and 18.
What we see next in Chapter 14, verse 9 is the third angel that will come into the earth will a loud voice that will give a warning to all those who would worship the beast proclaiming this;
"If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead
or upon his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed
in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and
brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."
A lot of people aways like to make issue with the wrath of God. They say how can a loving God do this? God will do this because He is a Loving God. First, the cup of His anger is that He will come to avenge the blood of all His children that had been slain and persecuted, just because they confess Jesus as being the Lord of the universe. Second, He coming to destroy those who are destroying the earth, as we saw in Revelation Chapter 11, verse 18. If Jesus didn't come with His wrath, Satan would have destoyed all flesh. Jesus said this in the 22nd Chapter of Matthew, verse 21 and 22;
"For there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occured since the
beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but
for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short."
Jesus' wrath will cut these days short to spare the elect but to those who worship the beast will suffer the consequence of rejecting Jesus and choosing Satan. As written in verse 11;
"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no
rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever
receives the mark of his name."
Sounds bad, but they chose it. They had an option and refused it. They will go with him who they worshiped.
Now for those who worship Jesus, verse 12 and 13 says this:
"Here is where the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God
and their faith (trust) in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, '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 deeds follow with them."
Notice that for a believer, death is a blessing. So persevering in their confession of Jesus, despite the possiblity of being killed for it, recognize, that for a believer in Jesus, death leads to real life.
Jesus grace and peace be with all of you.
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