Join us as we study through Revelation verse by verse. Our Bible study guides contain discussion questions, verse by verse commentary, and applications which can help you or your small group get the most out of this book as you grow in understanding and obedience.
Revelation 14:6-20 Bible Study Guide With Discussion Questions – Three Messages and Two Harvests
Podcast
Outline
I. The Lamb And the 144,000 (1-5)
II. Three Angelic Messages (6-13)
III. The Harvest Of The Earth (14-20)
II. Three Angelic Messages (6-13)
Discussion Questions
- Who were these three messages directed to?
- Why does the angel speak with a loud voice?
- What is the content of the first message? The second? The third?
- For what purpose does God send these messages?
- What do these messages show us about the Lord’s character?
- What is Babylon the great?
- What will happen if someone ignores the third warning and takes the mark of the beast?
- According to verse 12, how should a believer respond to these messages?
- What practical things can you do now to build up your endurance for future spiritual challenges?
- What does it mean to die in the Lord? How will they be blessed?
Cross-References
Hebrews 1:14 – Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Psalm 103:20 – Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!
Isaiah 43:7 – Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Isaiah 43:21 – The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.
Matthew 10:28 – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Romans 5:3-4 – More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
Matthew 5:10 – Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Three angelic messages – The vast majority of the time, God uses people to witness to other people. Only on very rare occasions does He directly intervene by sending angelic messengers. But that is what we see happening in this passage. Three times He sends an angelic messenger flying around the earth with special messages.
We see that those messages will go out to “every nation and tribe and language and people.” No one will be left out.
Reflect: Why do you think in this case God sends angels with these messages (considering He normally sends people)?
It will be a time that will be very difficult for believers to openly share the gospel. The 144,000 are already martyred. Those who speak out in public for the Lord will quickly be arrested and martyred as well.
But God is not done. He is going to accomplish His plans with or without man. When people will be unable to spread the message, He will do it in another way. From this, we see God’s mercy. Every person on earth will hear these messages. Everyone who has not yet taken the mark will have yet another chance to repent.
One of the most common questions people pose is “what will happen to the person who has never heard the gospel?”
I believe that this passage shows us that God can and does work in ways we may not expect to spread His message. In the Old Testament, Melchizedek was a priest and a king who believed in the true God. Presumably, he led people in his kingdom to do the same. Where and how did he hear about the Lord? We don’t know. But he did. God got the message to him.
I once heard a story of a missionary who went to an isolated tribe to share the good news. When he got there, he found that they were immediately ready to accept the gospel. They said that they knew there was a good and loving Creator and were waiting to hear more about Him. They had received angelic visions where the messengers told them that someone would come and introduce them to the true God.
God is not restrained to save those whom He wishes by anything, including the church’s failure to go, whether that is because of disobedience or intense persecution, or any other reason.
Application: Be encouraged to trust more fully in the goodness and mercy of God.
2. The first message –
Revelation 14:7 – Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Here is a call to fear God and worship Him. During this period the antichrist will demand the world’s worship. He and his false prophet will do many signs to deceive the world. The goal will be to convince people that he himself is God.
Yet the angel’s message is simple. Worship the God who made heaven and earth, not this imposter. Fear Him. It will be hard for many people at that time not to fear the world government. It will have a lot of visible power, even to the point of executing believers.
Luke 12:4-5 – I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
Application: We do not live in such an extreme time as the tribulation. But many authorities seek to pressure and intimidate believers. A boss may threaten to fire you if you don’t forge papers. A teacher may threaten to fail you if you don’t bow to the LGBT movement. They have no power over your soul. Fear God and not man.
3. The second message –
Revelation 14:8 – “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
Babylon the great is described more in Revelation 17-18. It is the world system that sets itself up in opposition to God. Satan is behind this world system. It is present throughout all ages (first seen clearly at the time of the Tower of Babel), but in the tribulation his government will take over as THE world power. As always, Satan will seek to win people to his side through lies. Making false promises is what he does. He will promise fun, wealth, luxury, thrill, and sexual pleasures.
People love free handouts. And the nations of the world will line up for the free fun that is being offered.
The angelic message is a warning that these pleasures are fleeting. The government, the system, and everyone in it will fall.
Application: Do not love the world or the things in the world (1 John 2:15-16). The world offers “free” pleasures like porn. It is not free at all. All of these sinful pleasures come with a cost. And any pleasures are temporary and not fulfilling.
4. The third message –
Revelation 14:9-11 – “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives