<< Revelation 14 >>

 1. And I saw, and behold a Lamb standing on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written upon their foreheads. 2.  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of 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 animals, and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song but the hundred forty-four thousand bought from the earth. 4. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth: these were bought from among men, the firstfruits to God and the Lamb.

5. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are spotless before the throne of God. 6. And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the eternal gospel to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7. Saying with a great voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come; and adore Him that made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8. And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom. 9. And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice, if anyone hath adored the beast, and his image, and hath received his mark upon his forehead or upon his hand,

10. He also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11. And the smoke of their torment shall go up for ages of ages; and they shall have no rest day and night that adore the beast and his image, and if anyone shall have received the mark of his name. 12. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ. 612-1 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Happy are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them. 14. And I saw, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like unto the Son of man, having upon His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.

15. And another angel went out from the temple, crying with a great voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Send Thy sickle, and reap; for the hour for Thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried up. 16. And He that sat upon the cloud sent His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17. And another angel went out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18. And another angel went out from the altar, having authority over fire; and he cried with a great cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send thy sharp sickle, and gather the vintage, the clusters of the vineyard of the earth; for her grapes are ripened. 19. And the angel sent his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vineyard of the earth, and he cast it into the great winepress of the anger of God. 20. And the winepress was trodden without the city; and there went out blood from the winepress even unto the bridles of the horses, for a thousand six hundred stadia.

Concerning the New Christian Heaven: it is described (verses 1-5). The proclamation of the Lord's coming, and then the New Church (verses 6, 7, 13). An exhortation to recede from faith separated from charity, in which is the church at the present day (verses 9-12). The exploration of these, and the manifestation that their works are evil (verses 14-20).

Spiritual Correspondences

 Verse 1. "And I saw, and behold a Lamb standing on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty-four thousand,"
 
 The Lord now in the New Heaven from Christians, who acknowledged Him as the God of heaven and earth, and were in truths of doctrine from Him through the Word. 
 
 "Having His Father's name in their foreheads,"
 
 Acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine and the Divine Human with them.
 
 Verse 2. "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters,"

"And as the voice of great thunder,"
 
 The Lord speaking through the New Heaven from Divine truths.

And from the Divine love.
 
 "And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps," 
 
 Confession of the Lord from gladness of heart by the spiritual angels in the lower heavens.
 
 Verse 3. "And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four animals and before the elders,"
 
 Celebration and glorification of the Lord before Him and before the angels of the higher heavens.

 "And no one was able to learn the song but the hundred forty-four thousand,"
 
 No others from among Christians could understand, and thus from love and faith acknowledge, that the Lord alone is the God of heaven and earth, but they who were received by the Lord into this New Heaven.
 
 "Bought from the earth,"
 
 They are those who could be regenerated by the Lord and thus be redeemed in the world.
 
 Verse 4. "These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins,"
 
 They did not adulterate the truths of the church, and defile them with falsities of faith, but that they loved truths because they are truths.
 
 "These are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth,"

   They are conjoined with the Lord by love and faith in Him, because they have lived according to His commandments.
 
 "And were bought from among men,"

Here as before.

"First fruits unto God and the Lamb,"
 
 The first beginning of the Christian heaven, that acknowledges one God in whom is the Trinity, and that the Lord is He.
 
 Verse 5. "And in their mouth was found no deceit,"
 
 They do not from cunning and design speak and persuade to falsity and evil.
 
  "For they are spotless before the throne of God," 
 
  Because they are in truths from good from the Lord.
 
  Verse 6. "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the eternal gospel to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth,"
 
 The annunciation of the Lord's coming, and of the New Church that is to come down out of heaven from Him.

 "And to every nation and tribe and tongue and people," 
 
 To all who are in goods from religion, and in truths from doctrine.
 
 Verse 7. "Saying with a great voice, Fear God,"
 
 Admonition not to do evils, because this is against the Lord.
 
 "And give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come,"
 
 The acknowledgment and confession that all the truth of the Word is from the Lord, according to which every man will be judged.
 
 "And adore Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the fountains of waters,"
 
 The Lord alone is to be worshiped, because He alone is the Creator, Saviour, and Redeemer, and from Him alone are the angelic heaven and the church and all things of them.
 
 Verse 8. "And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,"
 
  The Roman Catholic religion, as to its dogmas and doctrinals, is now dispersed.

  "Because she made all nations drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom,"
 
 Because by profanations of the Word and adulterations of the good and truth of the church, she has seduced all whom she could subject to her dominion.

  Verse 9. "And a third angel followed them, saying with a great voice,"
 
 Further revelation from the Lord concerning those who are in faith separated from charity.
 
 "If anyone hath adored the beast and his image, and hath received his mark upon his forehead and upon his hand,"
 
 Whoever acknowledges and receives the doctrine concerning justification and salvation by faith alone, confirms it, and lives according to it.
 
 Verse 10. "He also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath,"
 
 They falsify the goods and truths of the Word, and imbue their life from those falsified things.
 
 "And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and the Lamb (Verse 11), and the smoke of their torment shall go up for ages of ages,"
 
 The love of self and the world and the lusts therefrom, and from these the pride of their own intelligence, and thence torment in hell.
 
 "And they shall have no rest day and night that adore the beast and his image, and if anyone shall have received the mark of his name,"
 
 A perpetual state in undelightful things with those who acknowledge and receive that faith, confirm it, and live according to it.
 
 Verse 12. "Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,"
 
 The man of the Lord's church is explored by temptations from them, as to the quality of his life according to the commandments of the Word and of his faith in the Lord.
 
 Verse 13. "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Write, 612-3 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth,"
 
  A prediction from the Lord concerning the state of those after death who will be of His New Church, that they will have eternal life and happiness.

  "Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors,"
 
 That the Divine truth of the Word teaches that they who afflict their soul and crucify their flesh for the sake of those things, will have peace in the Lord.
 
 "For their works follow with them,"
 
 According as they have loved and believed, and thence have done and spoken.

 Verse 14. "And I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like unto the Son of man,"
 
 The Lord as to the Word.
 
 "Having upon His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle,"
 
 The Divine wisdom from His Divine love, and the Divine truth of the Word.

  Verse 15. "And another angel went out from the temple,"
 
 The angelic heaven.
 
 "Crying with a great voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Send Thy sickle, and reap, for the hour for Thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried up,"
 
 The supplication of the angels of heaven to the Lord, that He would make an end and execute judgment, because now is the last state of the church.

  Verse 16. "And He that sat upon the cloud sent His sickle, and the earth was reaped,"
 
 The end of the church, because there is no longer any Divine truth there.
 
 Verse 17. "And another angel went out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle,"
 
  The heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Divine truth of the Word with them.
 
 Verse 18. "And another angel went out from the altar, having authority over fire,"
 
 The heavens of the Lord's celestial kingdom, which are in the good of love from the Lord.

  Verse 19. "And the angel sent his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vineyard of the earth,"
 
  The end of the present Christian church.

  "And he cast it into the great winepress of the anger of God,"
 
 Exploration of the quality of their works, that they were evil.

  Verse 20. "And the winepress was trodden without the city,"
 
 That exploration was made from the Divine truths of the Word as to the quality of the works which flow forth from the doctrine of faith of the church.

  "And there went out blood from the winepress even unto the bridles of the horses,"
 
 Violence done to the Word by dreadful falsifications of the truth, and the understanding so closed up thereby, that man can scarcely be taught any longer, and thus be led of the Lord by Divine truths.
 
 "For a thousand six hundred stadia,"
 
 Mere falsities of evil.
 
Author: Emanuel Swedenborg (Apocalypse Revealed)