Excerpt from the Study Guide “DIGGING DEEP INTO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST” by Michael Copple
Revelation 14:9-10
9Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast [the Antichrist] and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
COMMENTARY on the above verses with reference verses and commentary:
*A third angel informs us that unbelievers, beginning at mid-Tribulation (which is the same as the beginning of the Great Tribulation)* who receive the mark of the beast and worship him will all eventually receive God’s eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:15 –
Matthew 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Matthew 25:41 quotes the Lord Jesus as He refers back to 25:33 so that we can understand whom those are that are on the left hand: He sets His true followers—the sheep—on His right, but the cursed—the goats—on the left. Furthermore, here in v. 41 He promises the unbelievers an eternal future into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels).
**The wine of the wrath of God will make all nations drunk
(v. 8: And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”).
God’s righteous anger is poured out in full strength on those who reject Him. (refer to: Job 21:20; Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15-16t [tJeremiah 25:15-38 details the wrath of the Lord from on high.] –
Job 21:20 Let his eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
Psalm 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed, and he pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.
Isaiah 51:17 Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; you have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, and drained it out.
Jeremiah 25:15-16 15For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. 16And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”
Job 21:20, Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17, and Jeremiah 25:15-16 all speak of the drink of the wrath of the Almighty, or the wine cup of His fury.
The cup here portrays the totality of God’s divine judgment on the wicked (also in Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17, 22; Jeremiah 25:15-16; 49:12; 51:7; Ezekiel 23:31-34; Revelation 16:19; 17:4; and here in Revelation 14:10). The cup can also represent blessings or salvation for a righteous person. (Psalm 16:5; 23:5; 116:13). Jesus voluntarily drank the cup of suffering (Matthew 20:22; 26:39, 42; Mark 10:38; 14:36; Luke 22:20; John 18:11). )
The cup of His indignation symbolizes the place of God’s punishment of sinners…all taking place in the presence of Christ and His angels making the punishment even more intense and shameful.** This will only be a foretaste of the pangs of eternal hell. And the Savior, who died for us, took this wrath of God for each one of us!
Later, at the Great White Throne Judgment the unbelievers will pay that eternal price of having chosen Satan and evil over God’s truth, love, and righteousness. (Revelation 20:11-15 –
Revelation 20:11-15 11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hādēs delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14Then Death and Hādēs were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
In Revelation 20:11-15 **the great white throne depicts divine judgment as well as divine government. The judgment will take place neither on earth nor in its atmospheric heaven (Matthew 25:31-46), since the present universe will be dissolved (Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10-12).
The dead are the unbelieving dead of all past ages—that is, the rest of the dead mentioned in Revelation 20:5a. They are judged from two sets of books containing the record of every unsaved person’s life. Each person is judged in accordance with his works (Romans 2:6, 16; 3:23; 6:23).
The Book of Life contains the name of every person who has received eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Death and Hādēs are the temporary holding places of unsaved bodies and souls (Luke 16:19-31). The second death is eternal punishment in the lake of fire.**)
Revelation 14:11
11And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
COMMENTARY on the above verses with reference verses and commentary:
Verse 11 reminds us that hell consists of eternal and conscious punishment. The smoke of their torment ascends perpetually—no relief day or night. Daniel 12:2; John 5:29 give consequences for both the saved and unsaved.
(Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.
John 5:29 “and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
**Eternal separation is now made between those who have life and those who have death (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29).**)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
*Quotations and paraphrased quotations marked *.. quoted text * taken from The Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995 by William MacDonald. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com
**Quotations and paraphrased quotations marked **.. quoted text ** taken from The King James Study Bible. Copyright © 1988 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com
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