Revelation 14:6-13
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “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.”
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Our minds take the warning above, about the suffering that will happen to those who take the mark of the beast, as a description of hell. After all, it says “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.” A closer look reveals three tribulation warnings about tribulation trouble, not eternal trouble.
Warning 1, verses 6-7: Last chance to receive the gospel. God’s judgement (tribulation judgement, not final judgement) is about to be poured out.
Warning 2, verse 8: Babylon, or impurity & corruption in this world will be eliminated.
Warning 3, verses 9-11: If you get the mark of the beast, you will be in pain.
Many theologians and scholars believe verses 9-11 are about hell. The problem with that reading is verse 10 says this suffering happens in the presence of the Lamb and his holy angels. Hell, however, is separation from God. “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” – 1 Thessalonians 1:9. A better understanding is seeing verses 9-11 as a warning there will be a temporal consequence for getting the beast’s mark. Those consequences are revealed in Rev 16:2, “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” Since nothing “can separate us from the love of God” Romans 8:39, believers would not lose their salvation because of the beast’s mark. Many people will be tempted to get that mark and worship the beast’s image to stay alive and buy and sell in those days (Rev.13:15-17). Those who do, however, will suffer in the days to come.
Verses 12 and 13 emphasize that Christians need to hold on to their faith as the end approaches. Babylon will fall and so will any chance of corruption or sneakiness. God’s people cannot trust in going around the systems of the world to survive. Anyone taking the beast’s mark will suffer greatly too. Three angels and three warnings encourage believers it is better to die in faith than to trust the systems of the world where God’s tribulation wrath will fall.
Pastor John Riley