Going to be some timeline jumps in this Rev.14 chapter. Discerning when those jumps happen is part of what Apostle Paul was teaching about rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15). We recognize when it happens by keeping in mind prophetic events our Lord Jesus already gave us, with the timing He attached them to.
Rev 14:1-20
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads.
Who is this Lamb per previous Rev.13:8; Rev.12:11; Rev.7:17, etc.? Our Lord Jesus Christ is this Lamb. John has a vison here of Christ standing on the mount Sion (Greek for Zion). And with Him there are 144,000 that have His Father's name written in their foreheads. When does that happen?
We were just shown back in Rev.11:15 forward that when the 7th trumpet sounds all the kingdoms of this world become those of The Lord and of His Christ. We're also shown that's when the resurrection of the saints happens, and the handing out of rewards to His saints, and the time of God's wrath upon the wicked. That's the time of Christ's coming per Zechariah 14, His feet standing upon the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and all the saints gathered there with Him to Mount Sion. Back in Rev.7 we were shown 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel that are sealed in their foreheads with God's seal, with the four winds being held back.
By those prophetic signs our Lord Jesus linked with His saints on Mount Sion with Him, that shows the 7th trumpet will have already sounded, which is the time of our gathering to Christ, and in Jerusalem where He returns. By that we can know this event is yet future to us, and after the great tribulation. Our Lord Jesus was very specific about the time of rewards being handed out to the saints just after the 7th trumpet - 3rd woe events in Rev.11. And in Rev.10 we were shown when the 7th angel sounds, what God gave His prophets to write concerning this present world will all be fulfilled, finished.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
These are Christ's elect servants who follow Him whever He goes. They sing a new song before the throne of God, and were redeemed from the earth. They are the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. They are true spiritual virgins, and were not defiled with women, which is all in the spiritual sense about refusing to bow to that false one we learned of back in Rev.13 who sets up an idol image of the beast for the whole earth to worship.
All the above verses are a future forward look right after Christ's return to this earth and our gathering to Him. That mount Sion is on earth, where Jerusalem is today, but it is not the condition of today's Jerusalem over in the middleast. It's about the redeemed firstfruits, with Jerusalem redeemed back to Him. It's about the time of God's River established there on earth, per Ezekiel 47. It is for after Babylon's fall.
These next verses move the prophetic timeline a bit back, to the events of God's wrath upon the wicked.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him That made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
John sees another angel who has The Gospel of Jesus Christ to preach to all nations. The angel declares worship of The One GOD Who made all things. That's what this judgment is going to do upon the earth when it comes. It will settle the argument of Who The True GOD is, for as written for Christ's Milennium reign on earth, The LORD shall be King over all the earth, there shall be one LORD, and His name one (Zech.14:9).
8 And there followed another angel, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
Linked with the time of God's judgment is the fall of endtime Babylon. This is the first mention of the word "Babylon" in our Lord's Book of Revelation. We're told "Babylon" here represents a "great city", and that city is the cause of all nations participating in her spiritual harlotry ("her fornication"). That points to that "great city" as a controlling city, influencing all nations in the end.
This phrase, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" is a quote from Isaiah 21:9 about the fall of historical Babylon. Starting in Isaiah 13 through 33, we're given several burden and woe type chapters. Events in those chapters were historical, but also serve as a blueprint for the end of days. That's why some scholars call that group of Isaiah chapters the Apocalypse of Isaiah.
(Might want to take a look at that section of Isaiah 13 through 35 and do a Bible study. You'll discover quite a bit of endtime prophecy that was never completely fulfilled in history. That's one of the reasons why our Lord gives this, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" quote from Isaiah 21 applied to the end of this world. It's also important to translate the names of those places given in those Isaiah chapters about the burdens and woes.)
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
John hears a third angel declare a very specific judgment upon those who worshipped the beast and his image, and received his mark in the forehead (mind), or in the hand (doing its works). Our Lord Jesus just covered details about the beasts in the previous Rev.13 chapter.
God's judgment upon these who fall away to worship the beast (specifically the dragon of Rev.13:11 forward), is torment in the presence of the holy angels and in presence of Christ (The Lamb). That's pointing to Milennium timing friends, the "outer darkness" our Lord Jesus taught where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt.8:12; Matt.13:41-50; Matt.22:12-13; Matt.24:48-51; Matt.25:29-30; Luke 13:28 - understanding those events about the 'outer darkness' in those Matthew references is a must).
That "outer darkness" is not at the end of Christ's "thousand years" reign of Rev.20. It's during. This agrees with what our Lord said in John 5:28-29 that the "resurrection of damnation" also occurs at Christ's coming. It's simply that these will be cast into the abode of the wicked called hell. Don't confuse the abode of the wicked called 'hell' with the one time "lake of fire" event at the end of Christ's thousand years reign. Per Rev.20:14, death and the abode of hell will go into the "lake of fire" at the end of the thousand years. When we get to Rev.22, our Lord Jesus will reveal a mystery about the location of that "outer darkness" that will exist during His thousand years reign on earth.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
A solemn warning for all of us. To have patience in keeping our Lord's commandments and The Faith of Jesus Christ is how we are covered from being joined with those who will be cast into the "outer darkness" when our Lord Jesus returns.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, "Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."
While Christ's servants are yet alive on earth, still before His coming, we are to be labouring for Him, having works in Him. Our works in Christ Jesus follow us to Heaven when we are given rest from our labours at death. That's why it's important to have works in Christ Jesus. Having Faith can be seen as a type of work. But wherever our heart is, that's where our treasure is, and that's the kind of works we'll do naturally as a result.
Our Lord Jesus associated the spiritual idea of being naked with those of Rev.3:17-18. It was because of their works being about gain and the riches of this world. Our Lord said instead to buy of Him gold tried in the fire in order to be spiritually rich, and clothed with white raiment so one's nakedness doesn't appear (in Heaven). Thus our works for Him is what our clothing in Heaven is made up of. So what have you done for our Lord lately?
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
This is our Lord Jesus upon the cloud. The "sharp sickle" was a tool used to harvest wheat in the field. A smaller version or knife, is used to harvest grapes off the vine. This next section of verses is about Christ's harvest at the end of this world.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
(KJV)
In Joel 3 this harvest with the sickle is about a plae called "the valley of decision" that happens on the day of The LORD. It's about the wicked coming upon the area of Jerusalem at the valley of Jehoshaphat. Our Lord has determined to gather the nations around Jerusalem for the end so as to pour out His cup of wrath upon them (Zephaniah 3:8). With this we are being given another view of events to occur with Christ's coming to gather His saints (see also Matt.13:30-31 and 13:39-43).
Rev 14:1-20
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads.
Who is this Lamb per previous Rev.13:8; Rev.12:11; Rev.7:17, etc.? Our Lord Jesus Christ is this Lamb. John has a vison here of Christ standing on the mount Sion (Greek for Zion). And with Him there are 144,000 that have His Father's name written in their foreheads. When does that happen?
We were just shown back in Rev.11:15 forward that when the 7th trumpet sounds all the kingdoms of this world become those of The Lord and of His Christ. We're also shown that's when the resurrection of the saints happens, and the handing out of rewards to His saints, and the time of God's wrath upon the wicked. That's the time of Christ's coming per Zechariah 14, His feet standing upon the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and all the saints gathered there with Him to Mount Sion. Back in Rev.7 we were shown 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel that are sealed in their foreheads with God's seal, with the four winds being held back.
By those prophetic signs our Lord Jesus linked with His saints on Mount Sion with Him, that shows the 7th trumpet will have already sounded, which is the time of our gathering to Christ, and in Jerusalem where He returns. By that we can know this event is yet future to us, and after the great tribulation. Our Lord Jesus was very specific about the time of rewards being handed out to the saints just after the 7th trumpet - 3rd woe events in Rev.11. And in Rev.10 we were shown when the 7th angel sounds, what God gave His prophets to write concerning this present world will all be fulfilled, finished.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
These are Christ's elect servants who follow Him whever He goes. They sing a new song before the throne of God, and were redeemed from the earth. They are the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. They are true spiritual virgins, and were not defiled with women, which is all in the spiritual sense about refusing to bow to that false one we learned of back in Rev.13 who sets up an idol image of the beast for the whole earth to worship.
All the above verses are a future forward look right after Christ's return to this earth and our gathering to Him. That mount Sion is on earth, where Jerusalem is today, but it is not the condition of today's Jerusalem over in the middleast. It's about the redeemed firstfruits, with Jerusalem redeemed back to Him. It's about the time of God's River established there on earth, per Ezekiel 47. It is for after Babylon's fall.
These next verses move the prophetic timeline a bit back, to the events of God's wrath upon the wicked.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him That made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
John sees another angel who has The Gospel of Jesus Christ to preach to all nations. The angel declares worship of The One GOD Who made all things. That's what this judgment is going to do upon the earth when it comes. It will settle the argument of Who The True GOD is, for as written for Christ's Milennium reign on earth, The LORD shall be King over all the earth, there shall be one LORD, and His name one (Zech.14:9).
8 And there followed another angel, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
Linked with the time of God's judgment is the fall of endtime Babylon. This is the first mention of the word "Babylon" in our Lord's Book of Revelation. We're told "Babylon" here represents a "great city", and that city is the cause of all nations participating in her spiritual harlotry ("her fornication"). That points to that "great city" as a controlling city, influencing all nations in the end.
This phrase, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" is a quote from Isaiah 21:9 about the fall of historical Babylon. Starting in Isaiah 13 through 33, we're given several burden and woe type chapters. Events in those chapters were historical, but also serve as a blueprint for the end of days. That's why some scholars call that group of Isaiah chapters the Apocalypse of Isaiah.
(Might want to take a look at that section of Isaiah 13 through 35 and do a Bible study. You'll discover quite a bit of endtime prophecy that was never completely fulfilled in history. That's one of the reasons why our Lord gives this, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen" quote from Isaiah 21 applied to the end of this world. It's also important to translate the names of those places given in those Isaiah chapters about the burdens and woes.)
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."
John hears a third angel declare a very specific judgment upon those who worshipped the beast and his image, and received his mark in the forehead (mind), or in the hand (doing its works). Our Lord Jesus just covered details about the beasts in the previous Rev.13 chapter.
God's judgment upon these who fall away to worship the beast (specifically the dragon of Rev.13:11 forward), is torment in the presence of the holy angels and in presence of Christ (The Lamb). That's pointing to Milennium timing friends, the "outer darkness" our Lord Jesus taught where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt.8:12; Matt.13:41-50; Matt.22:12-13; Matt.24:48-51; Matt.25:29-30; Luke 13:28 - understanding those events about the 'outer darkness' in those Matthew references is a must).
That "outer darkness" is not at the end of Christ's "thousand years" reign of Rev.20. It's during. This agrees with what our Lord said in John 5:28-29 that the "resurrection of damnation" also occurs at Christ's coming. It's simply that these will be cast into the abode of the wicked called hell. Don't confuse the abode of the wicked called 'hell' with the one time "lake of fire" event at the end of Christ's thousand years reign. Per Rev.20:14, death and the abode of hell will go into the "lake of fire" at the end of the thousand years. When we get to Rev.22, our Lord Jesus will reveal a mystery about the location of that "outer darkness" that will exist during His thousand years reign on earth.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
A solemn warning for all of us. To have patience in keeping our Lord's commandments and The Faith of Jesus Christ is how we are covered from being joined with those who will be cast into the "outer darkness" when our Lord Jesus returns.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, "Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."
While Christ's servants are yet alive on earth, still before His coming, we are to be labouring for Him, having works in Him. Our works in Christ Jesus follow us to Heaven when we are given rest from our labours at death. That's why it's important to have works in Christ Jesus. Having Faith can be seen as a type of work. But wherever our heart is, that's where our treasure is, and that's the kind of works we'll do naturally as a result.
Our Lord Jesus associated the spiritual idea of being naked with those of Rev.3:17-18. It was because of their works being about gain and the riches of this world. Our Lord said instead to buy of Him gold tried in the fire in order to be spiritually rich, and clothed with white raiment so one's nakedness doesn't appear (in Heaven). Thus our works for Him is what our clothing in Heaven is made up of. So what have you done for our Lord lately?
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
This is our Lord Jesus upon the cloud. The "sharp sickle" was a tool used to harvest wheat in the field. A smaller version or knife, is used to harvest grapes off the vine. This next section of verses is about Christ's harvest at the end of this world.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
(KJV)
In Joel 3 this harvest with the sickle is about a plae called "the valley of decision" that happens on the day of The LORD. It's about the wicked coming upon the area of Jerusalem at the valley of Jehoshaphat. Our Lord has determined to gather the nations around Jerusalem for the end so as to pour out His cup of wrath upon them (Zephaniah 3:8). With this we are being given another view of events to occur with Christ's coming to gather His saints (see also Matt.13:30-31 and 13:39-43).