NOTES for Rev 14:1-13
1 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. |
2 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: |
3 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. |
4 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. |
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. |
6 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, |
7 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. |
8 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. |
9 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, |
10 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: |
11 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. |
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. |
13 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. |
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As is evident, the division of the universe into the Kingdom and the outer darkness at the end of time reaches its logical completion, that final battle of the forces of light with the forces of darkness, about which not only Yahwists and Christians knew, but which some other spiritually sensitive people also sensed, and which was shown to John with his own eyes. The people of God in his vision, and the 144 thousand chosen ones symbolize the people of God, stand opposed to those who willingly or unwillingly find themselves on the side of the forces of darkness, supporting the two beasts mentioned in the book, from the sea and from the earth.
It would seem that this is not entirely fair: there is a difference between voluntary participation in a war on the side of the forces of darkness and involuntary participation, for example through weakness or ignorance. But in this case the situation turns out to be such that each person's choice is absolutely objective and absolutely significant. The picture shown to the apostle is still symbolic, and in historical reality the matter will hardly concern a clash of two armies, earthly or heavenly. In history and in a concrete biography everything is usually much more prosaic and ordinary, but therefore much clearer.
Everyone wages his own war, wins or loses his own battles, and at every concrete moment in a concrete battle everything is clear to each person. If, of course, the person truly wants this clarity. Even in an ordinary earthly war, the question of courage or cowardice, when it concerns an ordinary soldier, comes down not to understanding and awareness of all the grand strategic plans, one's own or the enemy's, but to how the person will act in the specific place where he has found himself. Whether he will do what he must, or evade it, with a plausible pretext or without one.
Such too is genuine spiritual life, made up not so much of high flights and deep experiences as of a sequence of the choices and decisions we make and accept every day. And as a rule, this concrete reality is clear to us, if only we want clarity. Therefore in that very last battle it will not be possible to end up on the wrong side by accident. And that means the choice will indeed be fully conscious and final. Even if someone does not want to choose and prefers to remain "like everyone else." For refusal to choose is also a choice. But not at all the Kingdom.
Readings for 17 December 2025
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