Revelation 14-18

Revelation describes the events before, during, and after the second coming of Christ. The purpose is to encourage Christians to live appropriately and to encourage them to persevere because Christ will return.

The believers are encouraged by the presence of the 144,000 faithful standing with Christ and singing. Three angels then state the importance of worshipping God due to the impending doom of those who do not follow Him. Those who do not follow him will be destroyed by the reapers. Then seven angels with seven plagues appear and are given bowl from which to pour out God’s wrath. After six of the plagues are dispersed false prophets are gather all the kings of the world together for a great battle. Then the seventh plague will destroy Babylon and cause everyone to flee; and yet they cursed God still.
John is then shown a representation of Babylon as a harlot and is assured that God will have victory over the great city. And finally, Babylons destruction is lamented by everyone who depended on her. All of this serves to assure believers that God will judge the wicked even if they appear to be prospering in this life.

The reaping that took place in chapter 14 could hold a similarity with the description the rapture that many hold to. It could give credence to those who claim that those taken will be the sinners and the one’s left will be the saints rather than the other way around. The commentary should have at least addressed that issue. This section, as well as most of Revelation, assures us that we will never be able to convert the whole world or even attain a peaceful one before God’s final judgment.

The commentary did a good job at showing the parallels Revelation has with the book of Daniel. The explanation of eternal judgment on page 969 in relation to Revelation 16:21 was especially poignant. The explanation of the depravity of man is illustrated wonderfully through the peoples’ cursing of God even after seeing what He can do. Though the commentary pointed out other natural phenomena possibilities in the earlier judgments it did not address whether the 100 pound hailstones could have been meteors.