Revelation 14 – Protestant Reformation Harvest

This Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible study focuses on the harvest and coming judgements that are spoken of in Revelation 14.

Most people would associate the great harvest to the end of time when Messiah returns, but it falls in chronological order of Revelation 11, when the Protestant Reformation was born.

The harvest of Revelation 14 represents the time of the Protestant Reformation, when millions of people came out of the Catholic Church to be saved by faith.

This lead to the formation of the Protestant Churches, and worldwide missions when many millions of people were redeemed for the Father.

Revelation 14:1-5 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The Father uses the number 12 for organization.. i.e., the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 Apostles.

The 144,000 may be looked at as 12 Apostles on whom the foundation of the Church is built, each have 12 divisions. It should not be interpreted that exactly 144,000 were set aside as first fruits, as it is merely a representative number.

Bible scholar John Gill notes, “being the firstfruits unto God, and to the Lamb; in allusion to the firstfruits under the law, which represented and sanctified the lump, and showed that harvest was coming; so these persons are called the firstfruits to God, and to the Lamb, being called by grace, and consecrated to their worship and service, with reference to the harvest of souls, or that large number of them which will be gathered in during the spiritual reign of Christ, which these persons will be at the beginning of; and as those who are first called and converted in a country or nation are said to be the firstfruits of it, Romans 16:5; so these being the first, in the period of time to which respect is had, bear this name;”

Revelation 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The people in the Roman Catholic Church were starved for biblical truth, as the Papal Church did not allow them to have a Bible, the priests taught in Latin, and they said that salvation is by works through the Papal Church.

These Catholics were ripe for the harvest, so when Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformers preached the pure Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ’s atoning work as the Lamb of God, millions were reaped unto a harvest for the Lord, fulfilling Revelation 14:14-16.

In 1731 Whitfield and Wesley commenced their evangelistic labors so marvelously blessed on both sides of the Atlantic: and that in 1740-44, the Glorious Revival took place at Northampton in New England, in connection with the labors of Jonathan Edwards.

Did not this flight of the angel of the Everlasting Gospel begin in the Great Revival in the time of Zinzendorf, Wesley, Whitfield, and Jonathan Edwards?

Its trumpet note was primarily one of triumphant joy; its thrilling proclamation liberty for the captives, and salvation for the lost.

Revelation 14:8-11 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

The Protestant Reformers proclaimed that the Papal Church was the antichrist Beast of Revelation, the Little Horn of Daniel, and the office of the Papacy, the Son of Perdition, fulfilling Revelation 14:8.

The Roman Catholic Church responded to the Protestant Reformation with the Council of Trent in the 16th century, where they empowered the Jesuits to bring the Protestants back under their control.

And they implemented the Inquisition, to torture and kill the Protestant heretics.

From this point the Counter-Reformation was born, when the Jesuits and Popes would cause the kings of the world to persecute the saints.

Revering the Popes means they had the mark of the beast on their forehead.  Obeying the Popes meant that they had the mark of their hand.

The Papal-controlled countries of France and Spain had the mark of the beast on them, as they killed millions of saints.

And they would see be the wrath of Elohim during the bowl judgments that were poured out on them.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Even during persecution, torture and death, the saints kept the faith during the Catholic Inquistion.

Revelation 14:13-14 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

Millions of saints died at the hands of Rome, France and Spain.

Revelation 14:15-17 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

The harvest of souls out of the Roman Catholic Church was great, leading to her power being reduced in Europe.

Revelation 14:18-20 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

The sharp sickle represents the upcoming bowl judgments of Revelation 16, against the Roman Catholic Church, France and Spain.

Their blood was shed in the very same places that they had shed the blood of the saints.

Next Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible Study: Revelation 14 – Mark Of The Beast