Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Revelation
Book: Revelation
Chapter: 14
Overview:
Those
Faithful to
Christ celebrate the praises of
God.
(1-5)
Three angels; one proclaiming the
Everlasting Gospel; another,
the downfall of
Babylon; and a third, the dreadful wrath of
God
On the worshippers of the
Beast. The blessedness of those who
die in the
Lord.
(6-13) A
Vision of
Christ with a
Sickle, and of
a
Harvest ripe for
Cutting down.
(14-16) The emblem of a vintage
fully ripe, trodden in the
Wine-press of
God's wrath.
(17-20)
1-5 Mount Sion is the
Gospel Church.
Christ is with his
Church,
and in the midst of her in all her troubles, therefore she is
not consumed. His presence secures perseverance. His people
appear honourably. They have the name of
God written in their
foreheads; they make a bold and open profession of their
Faith
in
God and
Christ, and this is followed
By suitable actings.
There were persons in the darkest times, who ventured and laid
down their lives for the
Worship and
Truth of the
Gospel of
Christ. They kept themselves
Clean from the wicked abominations
of the followers of
Antichrist. Their hearts were right with
God; and they were freely pardoned in
Christ; he is glorified in
them, and they in him. May it be our
Prayer, our endeavour, our
ambition, to be found in this honourable company. Those who are
really sanctified and justified are meant here, for
No
Hypocrite, however plausible, can be accounted to be without
fault before
God.
6-13 The progress of the Reformation appears to be here set
forth. The four proclamations are
Plain in their meaning; that
all Christians may be encouraged, in the time of trial, to be
Faithful to their
Lord. The
Gospel is the great means whereby
men are brought to fear
God, and to give
Glory to him. The
preaching of the
Everlasting Gospel shakes the foundations of
Antichrist in the world, and hastens its downfall. If any persist
in being subject to the
Beast, and in promoting his cause, they
must expect to be for ever miserable in soul and body. The
believer is to venture or suffer any thing in obeying the
Commandments of
God, and professing the
Faith of
Jesus. May
God
bestow this patience upon us. Observe the description of those
that are and shall be blessed: such as die in the
Lord; die in
the cause of
Christ, in a state of union with
Christ; such as
are found in
Christ when
Death comes. They
Rest from all
Sin,
Temptation, sorrow, and
Persecution; for there the wicked cease
from troubling, there the weary are at
Rest. Their
Works follow
them: do not go before as their title, or purchase, but follow
them as proofs of their having lived and died in the
Lord: the
remembrance of them will be pleasant, and the reward far above
all their services and sufferings. This is made sure
By the
Testimony of the
Spirit, witnessing with their spirits, and the
written
Word.
14-20 Warnings and judgments not having produced reformation,
the sins of the nations are filled up, and they become ripe for
judgments, represented
By a
Harvest, an emblem which is used to
signify the gathering of the righteous, when ripe for
Heaven,
By
the
Mercy of
God. The
Harvest time is when the
Corn is ripe;
when the believers are ripe for
Heaven, then the
Wheat of the
Earth shall be gathered into
Christ's
Garner. And
By a vintage.
The enemies of
Christ and his
Church are not destroyed, till
By
their
Sin they are ripe for ruin, and then he will spare them
No
longer. The
Wine-press is the wrath of
God, some terrible
calamity, probably the
Sword, shedding the
Blood of the wicked.
The patience of
God towards sinners, is the greatest
Miracle in
the world; but, though lasting, it will not be
Everlasting; and
ripeness in
Sin is a sure proof of
Judgment at
Hand.