Study Audio Download

Rev 14:6-12 Part 2, The Patience and Faith of the Saints

[Study Aired February 16, 2025]

Rev 14:6  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,
Rev 14:7  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.
Rev 14:8  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.
Rev 14:9  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,
Rev 14:10  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:
Rev 14:11  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.
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

We ended our last study asking if verse 9 was suggesting that there is a way to avoid ever taking the mark of the beast. Are we to believe that this “loud voice” is mentioned here so that we will know that this angel is intent on getting the attention of someone else, other than you and me? Not so! It is you and I who are to “read, hear and keep the things written” in this 14th chapter of Revelation. We have firmly established in the previous chapter that all men are born with the mark, number, name and image of the beast.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

We demonstrated that we are all beasts and are “children of wrath, even as others” by birth and “by nature”.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So verse nine is not offering us a way out of “drinking of the wine of the wrath of God”, rather it is simply a statement to the contrary, and is informing us that we shall surely drink of it.

Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;  Ye shall certainly drink.

Here is how that was done within Peter and within all of Christ’s disciples. Here is Peter being “tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”:

Mat 26:69  Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Mat 26:70  But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
Mat 26:71  And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mat 26:72  And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Matthew’s account tells us that Peter actually denied Christ “with an oath” and then with cursing and swearing, telling us that Peter then “remembered the words of Jesus” concerning denying Him before the cock crowed. Luke’s account is far more poignant, and adds many more flames to an already very hot fire.

Luk 22:56  But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
Luk 22:57  And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
Luk 22:58  And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
Luk 22:59  And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
Luk 22:60  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
Luk 22:61  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Did any of the apostles avoid drinking of this cup of God’s wrath? I think not:

Mar 10:38  But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mar 10:39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Mar 14:22  And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
Mar 14:23  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
Mar 14:24  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
Mar 14:25  Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25  After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

“They all drank of it… I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God”. When does Christ again drink of the fruit of the vine? He does so “new in the kingdom of God”. Where is that kingdom where Christ again drinks of that cup and is again crucified? Here are the verses which answer those questions.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Christ’s disciples had no idea what Christ was having them to do and admit to when “they all drank of that cup” (Mar 14:23). What they were confessing in drinking that cup was that they themselves were guilty of the shedding of Christ’s blood and would therefore partake of the wrath of God, “even as others”.

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Who are these children of disobedience who must endure “the wrath of God… even as others”? Here is who they are:

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Is our denying of Christ something that we do and repent of, never to do that again, or is the wrath of God, always present to burn out of us any wood, hay, or stubble that may reappear within us? In other words, did Peter ever again deny Christ? Well, as a matter of fact he did, and when he did, he again had to repent. Here is the account of that second denial of Christ on the part of Peter who is a type of us all:

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

It was “the fear of them which were of the circumcision” which caused Peter to deny Christ the first time, and now here he is doing so again.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So don’t permit a lying spirit to tell you that Revelation 14:11 is addressed to those who are the children of disobedience, but Job 23:13 is not.

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

What we will to do and what we actually do has nothing to do with you. You and I are those “children of disobedience” who were born with, and who have lived with, the mark, number, name and image of the beast. It is you and I who must first be judged by “fulfill[ing] the seven plagues of the seven angels” before Christ will begin to take up His residence within us. He is not innately within us. We are innately opposed to having Him sitting on the throne of our hearts and minds, and we must endure the seven plagues of the seven angels before we will begin to be willing to surrender that throne to Him. It is not a matter of free will on our part. It is a matter of being dragged to that decision, ‘through fiery trials (1Pe 4:12), much tribulation (Act 14:22), and through the burning out by fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb’ (Rev 14:11-12), all of the wood, hay and stubble of the lusts of our flesh and the lies of Babylon which are all innately within us.

It is you and I who will be tormented day and night in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, for the eon of the eons, “till the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled” in our lives (Rev 15:8). We are then being purged of all the lies and uncleanness that is that man of sin who withholds the coming of Christ within us. It is these seven plagues and the torment of Revelation 14:11-12, which will serve to begin to dislodge that man of sin from residing upon the throne of God within us, because the “brightness of Christ’s coming” is the light of His fiery Words, which reveals to us who has been ruling our lives for so long.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [“of the Christ”, vs 2, the beginning of our day of judgment] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let [will withhold], until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9  Even him, [the “two horned beast which speaks as a dragon” within us] whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We have all “believed not the Truth”, and we have all been damned while in that deception. Here is how this process is described in scripture:

Joh 6:44  No man can come [Aorist tense, can begin coming] to me, except the Father which hath sent me [Aorist tense, is sending me] draw (Greek – dragging) him: and I will raise him up [future tense] at the last day.
Joh 6:45  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard [Aorist tense, is hearing] , and hath learned [Aorist tense, is learning] of the Father, cometh unto me.

“Hearing” is a necessary gift of God, which gift is an essential part of the dragging process. We are told to “work out our own salvation”, but we are also told why we will work out our own salvation. Is it because of our own free we will choose to serve God? Absolutely not!

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For [G1063, ‘Gar’, because] it is God which worketh in you both to will [present tense]  and to do [present tense] of his good pleasure.

The willing and the doing are both His present work within us. Neither are of ourselves as the scriptures so abundantly demonstrate:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth [the salvation of all, 1Ti2:4], even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

It is God who has willed that “we will live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. It is God who has willed that “all things, things present and things to come, are ours”. It is God who has willed that we will “read, hear, and keep the things which are written in this book”, and this verse is “written in this book”:

Rev 14:11  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.

What is the product of keeping these verses of God’s Word within our lives? This the product of keeping those verses and those words in our lives:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

This is simply repeating what we were told in chapter 13:

Rev 13:4  And they [you and I] worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they [you and I] worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.
Rev 13:6  And he [All of mankind, Rev 13:10 and 16] opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

It is the saints who keep the things written in this book, and both chapters 13 and 14 are “written in this book”.

Rev 1:3  Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

That was prophesied many hundreds of years earlier “as he has declared to His servants the prophets”.

He declared all of this in Jer 25, but He also declared it in these verses of scripture:

Isa 54:6  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Isa 54:7  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Isa 54:9  For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Here is the ultimate fulfillment of these verses:

Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Truly our Lord was “in all ways tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” It was not a sin for Him to recognize that the darkness over all the land was the symbol of God’s rejection of all sinful flesh and blood. That is right, God really had rejected the physical flesh of Christ as “corruptible flesh”. Not even the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ was fit to inherit the kingdom of God and had to be rejected by God. But on “the third day”, Christ was perfected and raised a spiritual body which was capable of appearing as flesh and bone.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

Summary

We have seen in this study that there is a three-step process which is essential to bringing us to the “finishing of the mystery of God” within us. We have seen that the three angels of these seven verses of Rev 14 are all one spirit which is working through this process to prepare our hearts and minds for the reception of the King of the kingdom of God to take up His residency within our hearts and minds and upon His rightful throne within our hearts and minds.

What we have learned is that like the three seasons of the festivals of ancient Israel, these three angels are all necessary and essential to prepare us for the “finishing of the mystery of God, which is Christ in you the hope of glory” within us.

We saw that the second angel of these verses proclaimed the fall of Babylon, and the third angel in this process is the pouring out of the wrath of God upon the Babylonian seat of the beastly “man of sin” who we all are by nature within our own carnal hearts and minds.

So we have learned that the torment of these verses 9-11 in Revelation 14 is the same as the pouring out of the seven last plagues of the seven angels in Revelation 15:8.

Rev 14:9  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,
Rev 14:10  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:
Rev 14:11  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.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2  And I saw [Aorist tense, am seeing] as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory [Present tense] over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, [Which temple {we} are, 1Co 3:15-16] having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Both the torment with fire and brimstone of Revelation 14:9-11, and the seven last plagues of Revelation 15, are “the wrath of God,” upon all the lies and uncleannesses which are the essence of our Babylonian experience. We saw that all of this is just a repeat of the same statement concerning this same experience in the previous 13^th chapter concerning the wrath of God upon our two horned beast who speaks as a dragon and gives life to the image of our first beast which he causes us to become. Here is how this same experience is worded in that chapter:

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.
Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Rev 13:10  He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Both events, the events of the 13^th chapter and the events of the 14^th chapter bring us to the same conclusion:

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus

So we have learned that if we have the patience and the faith of the saints, and if we have the faith of Jesus then we are really the ones who must “read, hear, and keep the things which are written in this book”, including being tormented in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb, and the seven plagues of the seven angels of the seventh trumpet. In other words, all of these things are ours and are “the patience and faith of the saints”.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Next week, Lord willing, we will learn how clearly the scriptures speak of the work of Christ and the work of His Christ. It is revealed to us in the angels who are used of God to reap the harvest of the earth. Here are the verses we will be covering in our next study:

Rev 14:13  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.
Rev 14:14  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.
Rev 14:15  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.
Rev 14:16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Rev 14:17  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Rev 14:18  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.
Rev 14:19  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.
Rev 14:20  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.