Blessed Are the Dead: Daily Thoughts from Revelation (Revelation 14:6-13)

You’ve heard it many times. “It was a blessing that she went on, she was suffering so much.” Though death is our great enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), as Christians we know that what comes after death is anything but our enemy. It is life to the fullest.

Before the last judgments are poured out on earth by God, He makes every effort to evangelize the world. In the process, many believers will suffer and lose their lives. But God offers comfort for those so suffering.

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”  (Revelation 14:6-13)

Three messages follow designed to warn earth’s inhabitants and motivate believers.

1st message: Submit to God now because His final judgment is coming when it will be too late to repent.  The “eternal” gospel is being proclaimed throughout the earth by angels and, no doubt, by believers. It is not too late to believe!

2nd message: Babylon is going to fall.  We’ll see this depicted in detail in chapters 17&18.  Babylon is a city that has great economic influence that tempts earths inhabitants to worship riches and engage in immorality. If your hope is in the riches of this world you will be sorely disappointed. Believe in the only true riches!

3rd message: If you receive the mark of the beast you will go to hell and hell is an eternal torment.  A lot of description is given this torment so that unbelievers will be fully warned. Don’t miss heaven for the deception of Satan!

A challenge and comfort for believers follows because the consequence of these three messages to unbelievers will be that unbelievers will dispense even more persecution.  Believers must endure and obey.  Those who die in the Lord from persecution, however, are encouraged that this will mean rest from their labors and reward for obedience. Death does not make us mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).