The Bible Says
Revelation 14:8-13 Meaning

In Revelation 14:8-13, a second angel makes a pronouncement of doom upon all those who worship the beast and take his mark, and issues a message of blessing upon all the saints who keep God’s commandments. John, the witness of this Revelation, has just seen an angel preaching the “eternal gospel,” which is to “fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). This angel’s gospel is apparently heard by all people of the earth, who are being given notice that the era is coming to an end and they must choose whom to fear and follow.

Now another angel approaches,

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality” (v. 8).

Babylon is the great city and kingdom who conquered the southern kingdom of Judah around 586 BC and sent the Jewish people into exile (2 Kings 25:8-11, 1 Chronicles 9:1). They remained in exile for seventy years before some began to return to repopulate the land. The root of “Babylon” is “Babel” which is a story and symbol of human rebellion against God (Genesis 11:1-9).

The Babylonians, also called Chaldeans, were a proud and fierce people who gained wealth through exploiting others (Habakkuk 1:6). Therefore, Babylon makes a fitting image for the world system that is developed under the leadership of the beast.

Babylon is used as a symbol for the world system which opposes God’s people. In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter refers to “Babylon” and in doing so likely refers to Rome, which was a center of persecution against Christians. Here in Revelation, Babylon likely pictures the earth as having become like Babylon in its characteristics.

• The king of Babylon had absolute authority (Daniel 2:37); the beast now has absolute authority (Revelation 13:16-17).

• Revelation’s taunt against Babylon mirrors a prophecy of Satan’s fall and destruction in Isaiah 14:4, 12-14. Each was proud, believing it was above and not accountable to God.

• Babylon was exceedingly wealthy, and much of its wealth was due to exploitation of others. In Habakkuk 2:6, God answers the prophet’s question whether Babylon will be judged, and God includes in His affirmative answer “Woe to him who increases what is not his.” In Habakkuk 2:8, God says that “Because you have looted many nations” and “Because of human bloodshed” He will judge Babylon.

• We will see in Revelation 18:9-15 that the merchants of the earth are said to have committed “acts of immorality” with Babylon and have gotten rich from trading in “human lives.”

The fallen Babylon is described as she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality. We will see in Revelation 17:5 how Babylon is pictured as “the mother of harlots.” The prostitution industry profits from immorality. In being termed “the mother of harlots” it is inferred that this world system has created a comprehensive means to extract and exploit from humanity. This could be why Revelation 18:13 describes the merchant activity as trading in “human lives.”

The Greek word translated as passion is most often translated as “wrath” or “rage.” This Babylonian world system trades in human lives in a manner that destroys and extracts life from humans.

The Greek word translated immorality is “porneia” from which we derive the English word “pornography.” Colossians 3:5-6 tells us that “porneia” or immorality is one of a series of attitudes that results in “the wrath of God.”  We can see how God’s wrath pours out on “all ungodliness and unrighteousness” in Romans 1:18, 24, 26, 28. There, God gives over those who pursue their own fleshly lusts to the natural consequences of their desires. The result is that lust leads to addiction and loss of mental health.

The wrath of God is typically manifested through the natural consequences of people taking actions that contradict God’s designed order. However, in this case, Babylon the great is falling due to Divine judgment. As we will see in Revelation 14:14-20, God will execute judgment upon the wickedness of men because they are “ripe” for judgment (Revelation 14:15). This reflects a biblical theme that God withholds His judgement until evil reaches a point of culmination.

• God judged the earth with a flood only after the “earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:11).
  
  
• In Genesis 15:16, God tells Abraham that He would not judge the Amorites for their “iniquity” for four generations because it was “not yet complete.”

• 2 Peter 3:9 says God defers judgment to allow “all to come to repentance” but also infers that there comes a point where that window of opportunity closes.

The earth apparently has now reached its point of no return. The final seven bowls of judgment will be poured out upon the earth in the next chapters, and in them “the wrath of God is finished” (Revelation 15:1, 16:1). When Jesus returns, the beast and false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire and the nations who gathered against the Lamb will be defeated (Revelation 19:20-21).

From this point through the complete defeat of the beast and the kings of the earth in Revelation 19:20-21, the world system under the beast is referred to as Babylon the great (Revelation 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2, 18:21). This phrase mirrors the statement of Nebuchadnezzar, the highest king of Babylon’s history, when he said, “Is this not Babylon the great” and attributed its glory to himself. As the words were in his mouth, he was immediately judged by God for his pride (Daniel 4:30-31). That appears to have been a foreshadowing of a much greater judgment that will apply to the beast and to all the earth.

Now, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great (v. 8). This pronouncement is in the context of the first angel’s “eternal gospel” to “fear God” and obey His commands (Revelation 14:7). At the point in time of this pronouncement, the beast is still in charge of a global government and has authority to kill and to control who is allowed to buy and sell over all the earth (Revelation 13:15-17). The people of the earth are being asked to believe God, that His judgment is near, and fear Him more than the beast (Revelation 14:6-7).

To fear God more than the beast will mean exclusion from commercial transactions and perhaps death (Revelation 13:7, 15, 17). The implication is that no one will be agnostic; each person will choose whom they will fear most. And many who choose God will lose their lives for their faithful witness.

That the word fallen is repeated (fallen, fallen) emphasizes that the world system under the beast will be completely eliminated. The kingdom of heaven is about to destroy and replace the kingdoms of earth. This will fulfill the vision of Daniel 2:44-45 which predicts that in the age of the last kingdom (Rome and its successors) that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed.” This kingdom “will itself endure forever.”

That God’s kingdom will “endure forever” stands in direct contrast to the human empires in the dream Daniel interpreted in Daniel 2:36-43. The dream predicts that Babylon will fall to the Medo-Persian Empire which will in turn fall to the Greeks which will then be consumed by Rome.

Given the other connections between Daniel and Revelation, the fall and destruction of Babylon could also be viewed as fulfilling the destruction of the statue in Daniel 2 (Daniel 2:34-35). In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, a stone was cut from a mountain without hands, indicating that the foundation of this new kingdom would be of God rather than man, “and it struck the statue” and crushed it (Daniel 2:34-35).  The statue had a head of gold, representing Babylon, then the other kingdoms that followed arguably fall under the pattern of pride and exploitation set by the head (Daniel 2:36-43).

There are two different wines in this passage: the wine of the passion of her [Babylon’s] immorality, and the wine of the wrath of God (vv. 8, 10). Those who deny the invitation of the “eternal gospel” from the angel in Revelation 14:6 and refuse to believe that God’s judgment is at hand, and choose to fear the beast rather than fearing God, will presumably take the mark of the beast.

Those who worship the beast are those who will drink the wine of the passion of Babylon’s immorality. These fear the beast more than fearing God. These will be made to drink of the wine of the wrath of God:

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger (vv. 9-10).

After the first two angels speak, another angel that is a third one speaks. This angel follows the first angel who spoke the “eternal gospel”-he asked people to believe God’s judgment was coming soon and fear God rather than the beast (Revelation 14:6-7). This third angel also follows the second angel that pronounced the final judgment and termination of the world system that is called Babylon the great in verse 8, by pronouncing “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.”

Those who drink the wine of the passion of her immorality will actually end up getting two-for-one, but in a bad way. This is because those who drink the wine of the passion of Babylon’s immorality will get as their consequence the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger.

The Greek word “thymos,” translated in verse 9 as wrath, is translated as passion in verse 8 in the phrase that refers to Babylon as making all the nations drink of the wine of the passion (“thymos”) of her immorality. Satan’s kingdom of Babylon has a passion for immorality and God has a passion for righteousness. Satan’s immoral kingdom trades in human souls while God’s kingdom elevates and nourishes human souls (Revelation 18:3, 19:11, 1:5-6).

The Greek word “orge” translated as anger in verse 10 is most often translated as “wrath.” We can see an instance where Jesus exhibited “orge,” also translated as anger, in the Gospel of Mark:

“After looking around at them with anger [‘orge’], grieved at their hardness of heart, [Jesus] said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored”
(Mark 3:5).

In this gospel episode, Jesus is angry because the religious leaders are seeking to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath by healing a man with a withered hand. Jesus was angry that these men were more interested in their own power and agenda than in the welfare of their neighbor. They were violating a great command, to love their neighbors as themselves, while using a twisted interpretation of the command to honor the Sabbath to justify their indifference.

Jesus, who created the Sabbath, was being accused of breaking the Sabbath. As a result of Jesus’s compassion in healing the man, “the Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him” (Mark 3:6). The Herodians were enemies of the Pharisees, but they both considered Jesus as a common foe in that he was a threat to their political power. They now sought to break the commandment not to murder, again using the excuse that Jesus broke the commandment to honor the Sabbath.

In Mark 3:5, Jesus executed His anger by healing the man, which was a direct confrontation to the Jewish establishment. In Revelation, Jesus will execute His anger by eliminating from the earth such callousness of exploiting others for one’s own gain.

The wrath of God for those who do not fear God, and who worship the beast and take his mark, will be fierce:

and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (v. 10).

It is significant that the torment of those who refuse the invitation of the “everlasting gospel” made by the first angel in Revelation 14:6-7 takes place in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb of God, who is Jesus. In Revelation 22, we see that in the new earth some will be allowed to enter the city and some are required to live outside and are denied passage into the city, which is the New Jerusalem:

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying”
(Revelation 22:14-15).

We are not told if those of the group who receives the mark [of the beast] on his forehead or on his hand is the same as those who will live outside the city. But we do see that the immoral are included in both categories. Hebrews 10:27 says that the fire of God’s judgment will “consume the adversaries.” God’s adversaries are Satan and those who follow him (Psalm 8:2).

In the new earth, God and Jesus will dwell physically upon the earth (Revelation 21:3, 23). His unveiled presence will be so bright that the sun will not be needed (Revelation 21:23). It is possible that the physical presence of the Lamb that is the light and life for the redeemed will be for God’s enemies an ongoing experience of being consumed-an ongoing experience of death; their “second death” (Revelation 20:14).

Scripture describes God as being like a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17, Hebrews 12:29). The ongoing consumption of God’s enemies might be foreshadowed by the image of the Babylonian soldiers being slain by the heat of the furnace while the three Hebrews who were faithful witnesses are unharmed and in fellowship with “one like the son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). This might picture Jesus as the “consuming fire” slaying His enemies while that same fire does not harm His people (Daniel 3:27).

We see in Revelation 19:20 that the beast and false prophet will be thrown directly into the “lake of fire which burns with brimstone.” We also see that “death and Hades” are “thrown into the lake of fire.” In Daniel 7:10-11, a beast that might be the same as that of Revelation is consumed by fire that comes from God’s throne. This again might picture that the consuming fire of God’s judgment is an ongoing adverse experience of being in His unveiled presence without being redeemed.

The first angel that admonished the people to “fear God, and give Him glory” in Revelation 14:7 is exhorting people to believe his message and avoid this judgment. It appears that in this era those who fear God will likely be tested by fire, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the book of Daniel. As we saw in the previous chapter, the beast is given power to war against God’s saints and overcome them, likely meaning many will be martyred. It seems that the choice to accept the “eternal gospel” and “fear God” will be similar to the basic decision faced by the three Hebrews to either bow to the statue or be thrown into the furnace.

The angel with the “eternal gospel” of Revelation 14:6-7 is seeking to have people believe that God’s judgment is near, and to choose to fear God and His judgment more than fearing the persecution that can be wrought upon them by the beast. Those who accept the mark may gain a brief time where they can avoid pain and death, but this is not worth the eternal torment they will receive as a result:

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (v. 11).  

The phrase translated here as forever and ever is “aionios aionios,” or, literally, to the age of the age. This phrase doesn’t appear often. When scripture refers to an age, context must be evaluated to determine what age is being spoken about. In this case, the context is barely needed by the double uses of “aionios”; it is clear that the torment is going to be without end.

Thus, the “eternal gospel” of the first angel in Revelation 14:6-7 is that by fearing God and refusing to worship the beast or take his mark, this eternal torment can be avoided. This choice will require ongoing diligence; the temptation to take the mark and avoid pain will be intense.

John’s vision transitions now with a narrative statement between the words of the angels and the voice from heaven that will speak in verse 13:

Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus (v. 12).

The Greek word translated as Here is a word that generally refers to “here in this place.” The closest context that refers to a place is in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb which resides at the throne of God (v. 10). This fits the observation that the saints who persevere and refuse the beast’s mark and requirements and lose their lives as a result will continually be in Jesus’s presence because of their faithfulness.

We saw in Revelation 6:9 that those who had been slain for their testimony for Jesus were housed under the altar that resides in God’s presence, in His throne room. We also find in Revelation 7:13-17 that those who persevere through the “great tribulation” will remain “before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple” (Revelation 7:15).

Those who respond to the “eternal gospel” during this period of great tribulation and choose to “fear God and give Him glory” (Revelation 14:6-7) are the same people as those who refuse to take the mark of the beast or worship him. It will be those that persevere who will gain this immense reward of serving continually in God’s presence. It will also be the case that those who refuse the mark will likely lose their physical lives.

The word translated Here in the phrase Here is the perseverance of the saints occurs also in Revelation 17:9, which says “Here is the mind which has wisdom.” In this verse, “Here” appears to point to an understanding of the vision it calls “wisdom.” In this instance, “Here” seems more to point to a result.

If we take “Here” to point to a result then the context would point to the next verse, verse 13, which speaks of the end result for those who persevere in faithfulness and do not take the beast’s mark:

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them” (v. 13).

We see that if we understand Here as pointing to a result of perseverance, we get to the same place as if we take Here to mean “in this place.” Each appears to point to martyrdom. We will discuss more on that later in this section.

We have heard from three angels (Revelation 14:6, 8, 9). Then we heard an interluding narrative in verse 12. Now in verse 13 we hear a promise given directly from the Spirit of God. This voice comes from heaven. That the voice comes from heaven would seem to give it special emphasis, such that this promise is particularly emphasized.

The Greek word “Makarios” translated Blessed are is the same word that appears at the beginning of what is called “The Beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). “Markarios” means “fortunate.” The Spirit says that those who lose their lives for believing the message of the “eternal gospel” (Revelation 14:6) and choose to refuse the mark of the beast are exceedingly fortunate (“makarios”). Those who fear God rather than man, and accordingly die for their witness, are particularly fortunate (Blessed) because of the great reward they will gain.

The particular reward noted is that they may rest from their labors. The Greek word “kopos” translated labors, is not “ergazomai,” a typical word for “work.”  “Kopos” carries the connotation of trouble, turmoil, and difficulty. It is also rendered as “bothers” (Matthew 26:10, Mark 14:6) or “trouble” (Galatians 6:17).

The intense difficulty and work of persevering in faith will be rewarded by God with rest. This reward of rest will be granted because their deeds follow with them. All believers will have their deeds evaluated and rewards will be given for deeds done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). What is implied here is that these faithful saints are exceedingly fortunate to get to die for their faith; they are Blessed because of the great reward they will gain.

As Paul stated, the rewards God will give to those who love Him are beyond our capacity to comprehend (1 Corinthians 2:9). Paul goes on to say that though we cannot comprehend, the Spirit can reveal this to us (1 Corinthians 2:10). Here in verse 13, the Spirit reveals to us that those who die for their faith during this time of great tribulation will be particularly fortunate (Blessed.)

We previously saw that if we understand Here as pointing to a result of perseverance, we get to the same place as if we take Here to mean “in this place.” In both cases, the result is a great blessing. Martyrdom is stated explicitly in verse 13 and inferred in verse 12.

The phrase Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on indicates that those who respond to the “everlasting gospel” of Revelation 14:6-7 and “Fear God, and give Him glory” will lose their physical lives. But these people are fortunate (Blessed) to die in the Lord for their faithful witness because of the great reward they will gain.

This martyrdom of saints connects with the temporary power granted to the beast in Revelation 13:7 to “overcome” God’s people. He will choke off their ability to buy and sell, and will kill them for refusing to worship his image (Revelation 14:15, 17). We see from Revelation 20:4 the many who were beheaded for their testimony of Jesus.

As we saw in Revelation 6:11, God has appointed a specific number who will be killed for their testimony to His name prior to judging those who killed His people. The appointed time for God’s final judgment has now come, and when the seven bowl judgements are poured out, God’s judgment and wrath will be finished (Revelation 15:1, 16:1).

Martyrdom has been part of the Christian faith from the beginning. In the early church, there was a problem with believers seeking to be arrested so that they might die in the arena because they wanted to get the maximum reward for dying faithfully. They understood that there is a special blessing for those who are faithful witnesses (Revelation 1:3).

But church leaders appropriately challenged first-century believers to rather seek to live faithfully where they were. They were to seek to be faithful witnesses, but allow God to determine the timing and nature of their death. In this instance, where the angel is sharing the “eternal gospel” to fear God rather than the beast (Revelation 14:6-7), it is likely that those choosing to refuse the beast’s mark will be facing immediate death.

As we have seen, the Greek word translated “witness” and “testimony” is a Greek root from which we derived the English word “martyr.” The primary message of Revelation is that believers who live as faithful witnesses for Jesus and persevere in that faithful witness in spite of rejection, loss, or death will gain immense rewards.

Jesus stated this generally in Revelation 1:3 and specifically in His letters to the seven churches. In each letter, Jesus promised special blessings or rewards to those who overcame, even as He overcame (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3:5, 12, 21). Near the end of this book, Jesus states again that those who overcome will join Him as “sons” to reign in His kingdom:

"He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son”
(Revelation 21:7).

Physical death is not necessary to be a faithful witness. But dying to self and to the world is necessary.

• As Jesus stated, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

• And in Luke 14:27, Jesus stated, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

• To be a faithful disciple is to refuse the wide path of the world that leads to destruction and instead go through the narrow gate and climb the difficult path of obedience that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).

By way of application to all believers, this serves as a reminder of the command to read, hear, and heed the words of this prophecy in order to gain an immense blessing God promises to all who overcome, resisting the world and serving Him (Revelation 1:3).

For those on this side of the time of “great tribulation,” to believe is as simple as looking at Jesus, hoping to be delivered from the poisonous venom of sin (John 3:14-15). In all times, to be a disciple-a faithful witness, one who overcomes-means to die that we may live.

This might look like dying to self and to the world during a time of prosperity. It might mean suffering rejection, loss, or even death during times of difficulty. In all times, the reward promised for faithfulness is beyond our ability to fully grasp (1 Corinthians 2:9).

This chapter and the “eternal gospel” of Revelation 14:7 would apply specifically to those who live during the “great tribulation” and are forced to make an overt choice whether or not to accept the beast’s mark. But throughout Revelation, the point is made that to overcome is to be a faithful witness and not fear rejection, loss, or death from “Babylon”-the corrupt and de-humanizing world system.