"The Book of Revelation, An Eschatological Study of the Endtimes", by Chad J. McCoy

These are visions or pageants that tell certain stories, continuing from Chapter 12, when we first saw the woman clothed with the sun and standing on the moon. We had the Woman, and then the Dragon cast to Earth. Then in chapter 13 we had the Beast out of the Sea, and the Beast out of the Earth. This type of vision will continue for one more chapter here, chapter 14, before getting back to the judgements in chapter 15.
As pageants, keep in mind that they represent certain things, and are isolated from the timeline we have been looking at. All of these pageants (Chapter 12 through 14) do not all occur immediately after the seventh trumpet is blown and before the first bowl of wrath being poured out upon the earth.
These are not part of the time-stream; they are not concurrent with the judgements. We know this to be true because the first pageant, representing the birth of Jesus Christ, happened long ago - it won't happen after the seventh trumpet judgement. And so on.
These pageants can represent things that have already happened, or that will happen in the future. They are in no particular order.

First we have the Sealed 144,000 Jews. This pageant occurs in Rev. 14:1-5:
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

This passage in Rev. 14, shows us the 144,000 standing on the Mount of Olives with Jesus. This is a view of the day of the Final Battle.
Just before the Battle begins, Jesus will return to the 144,000 on the Mount of Olives to lead them to safety. The Mount of Olives will split in two from the east to the west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. It is through this valley that the 144,000 shall flee from the coming battle.
The pageant John is shown describes the righteousness of the 144,000. There is a song being sung in heaven, and the only ones on earth permitted to learn it are the 144,000. That is because they are the only ones left on the earth who are righteous. Tribulation Christians have been wiped out from the face of the earth by this time. These 144,000 are said to be pure, not having defiled themselves with the sin of immorality. Wherever Jesus goes, they go. No lie can be found in them, and they have been chosen from among all men to be presented personally to God and Jesus. These Jews are blameless in the sight of God.
You may have been wondering where I got the idea of the Mount of Olives splitting in two, etc. It comes from a prophecy by Zechariah.
Zech. 14:3-5: Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
Zechariah says that after they flee through the mountain valley, the Lord will come, and all the holy ones with him. This will all happen on the same day. Zechariah goes on to tell us what that day will be like, in Zech.14:6-9: On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime-a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.
9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
Interestingly, there will be no light. No daytime, or nighttime. Somehow, the Lord will illuminate the earth. This reminds me of Rev.21:23, speaking of the New Jerusalem: The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
This day will also have no cold, or frost. Living water will flow from Jerusalem to the sea, and there will be one Lord. It is said that this will be a unique day - the day of the Lord.
What is meant by "living" water? The bible uses that term to mean the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life.
From this day forward, the Spirit of the Lord will issue forth throughout the earth to all nations (to the eastern and western seas - remember waters representing all the nations of the earth?) in summer and in winter (at all times).
So this first pageant of chapter 14 shows the righteousness of the 144,000, as they stand with Jesus on the Mount of Olives shortly before the Battle of Armageddon.

A second pageant appears, one involving three angels.
One angel flies through the air and warns the people of the earth to fear and worship God because the hour of judgement has come.
A second angel follows the first, and proclaims the fall of Babylon.
A third angel follows, saying that anyone who takes the mark of the beast takes damnation to their souls. Those who die in Christ after the mark is given, are blessed. They will finally find rest.
Once the mark is given, it will be better to be dead (in Christ) than alive.

Then comes the last pageant of chapter 14. John sees the "son of man" (Jesus) seated on a cloud, wearing a crown of gold, and holding a sharp sickle.
In Matthew 24:27, Jesus is called the son of man: For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:30: "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:37: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:39: and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:44: So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matthew 25:31: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory
Matthew 26:2: "As you know, the Passover is two days away-and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
There is passage after passage after passage that describes Jesus as the Son of Man. So we know that this is Jesus that is seated on the cloud.

An angel comes and tells Jesus that the time has come to harvest the earth. Matthew 24:36: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Even Jesus does not know the day of his return. Only God knows this. This is why we see an angel come to Jesus bearing the message: It is time.
Jesus comes and the rapture takes place.
Then we see another harvest take place. This harvest is done by an angel, and those who are harvested are not taken to heaven, but are thrown into the winepress of God's wrath and destroyed.
So we see that this last pageant describes the final disposition of man. Mankind will either go to heaven, or to the winepress.
The final verse of chapter 14 says that these people will be trampled in the figurative winepress of God just outside a certain city. These people will be destroyed, and blood will flow from this city as high as a horse's bridle for a distance of 200 miles.
This place is Jerusalem. The armies of the world had gathered at Megiddo (Rev. 16:16) with the purpose of marching on Jerusalem. We will look at this further when we get to chapter 16.

The important thing to learn about the pageant of the Sealed Jews is that Jesus has protected them and made for them a way of escape. The AntiChrist will not be able to harm them.
The lesson of the pageant of Babylon's Fall, is that Babylon will indeed fall, and that anyone who takes the mark of the beast will be eternally damned.
The Harvest Pageant shows us that there will be a reckoning. We can go to heaven, or we can go to the winepress of God's wrath.

On to chapter 15.

Rev. 15:1-8: I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues-last, because with them God's wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
4 Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."
5 After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. 6 Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

John says that this was another sign, so this is a pageant, also. We see also that the events of this pageant are the next to be fulfilled. (If you skip ahead to chapter 16, you will see these seven angels are told to begin pouring out their bowls of wrath upon the earth)
In this pageant, John says that there are seven angels with seven plagues. These are the last judgements that will be poured out upon the earth. When the last bowl is poured out, God's wrath will be completed.
John sees a sea of glass that is mixed with fire. This is the sea of glass that is in heaven before the throne, from Rev. 4:6: Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
The fire represents the final judgements that are about to take place. They are the worst of all.
Standing beside this sea (and therefore in heaven) are those who were triumphant over the beast; those who did not take its mark, or worship its image.
They have been given harps, and sing a song of Praise to God.
After this pageant, John sees its events come to pass.
The temple in heaven is opened, and out come the seven angels with the plagues. One of the four creatures that are before the throne of God gives to the angels seven bowls filled with the wrath of God.

The judgement of the people of the earth continues in chapter 16.

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