ANGELS ON ASSIGNMENT

Revelation, chapter fourteen, opens with a glimpse of the Lamb (Jesus) on Mount Sion with the hundred forty-four thousand sealed Jews who were previously mentioned in chapter seven. These Jews were: virgins, followers of Jesus, redeemed, first tribulation converts, blameless, and having a genuine conversation.

In heaven, the harpist was singing a new song before the throne that only the sealed Jews could learn and sing.

Flying amid heaven was an angel that had the gospel for the world proclaiming that judgment has come to them. I realize despite man’s behavior, our God remains faithful in trying to get their attention, but men, unfortunately, will not listen.

Following this another angel declared the fall of Babylon, which represents the religious system of that time. This will happen in the middle of the tribulation.

Another angel declared the final eternal sentence that would be meted out to those who choose to serve the Antichrist. Understand, there is no reversal of decision for those who received the mark of the beast; their end will be the lake of fire.

Amid the angel’s activity, a message is given to new converts. Tribulation converts were encouraged to have patient endurance, obey God’s commandments, and keep their belief in Jesus. Also, John was told to write about the lives and actions of deceased converts, which will be remembered and rewarded.

John has a foreglimpse of the Son of man (Jesus) with a victor’s crown on his head and a sickle in his hand being told by another angel to thrust in the sickle. This marks the end of the tribulation drawing near, and when this occurs, the battle of Armageddon will soon take place.

The fifth angel with a sickle in his hand and who had power over the fire was told by yet another angel to thrust in his sickle into the earth and gather the vines and cast them into the winepress which he did . The result is a massive, bloody, slaughter, the battle of Armageddon which will be fought in Israel in the valley of Megiddo at the end of the tribulation.