The Song of the Redeemed

14 ¹Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb. He was standing on Mount Zion.* There were 144,000 people with him. They all had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. ²And I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of flooding water and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like people playing their harps.* ³The people sang a new song before the throne and before the four living things and the elders.* The only people that could learn the new song were the 144,000 who had been redeemed (saved) from the earth. No one else could learn the song. ⁴These 144,000 people are the ones who did not do wrong things with women. They kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb every place he goes. These 144,000 were redeemed (saved) from among the people of the earth. They are the first people to be offered to God and the Lamb. ⁵These people were not guilty of telling lies. They are without fault.

The Three Angels

⁶Then I saw another angel flying high in the air. The angel had the eternal Good News* to announce to the people that live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language, and race of people. ⁷The angel said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him praise. The time has come for God to judge [all people]. Worship God. He made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water." ⁸Then the second angel followed the first angel and said, "She is destroyed! The great city of Babylon is destroyed! She (Babylon) made all the nations drink the wine of her adultery* and of God's anger." ⁹A third angel followed the first two angels. This third angel said in a loud voice: "[It will be bad for] the person that worships the animal and the animal's idol* and gets the animal's mark on his forehead or on his hand. ¹⁰That person will drink the wine of God's anger. This wine is prepared with all its strength in the cup of God's anger. That person will be tortured (hurt) with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. ¹¹And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those people who worship the animal and his idol or who get the mark of his name." ¹²This means that God's holy people* must be patient. They must obey God's commands and keep their faith in Jesus. ¹³Then I heard a voice from heaven. The voice said, "Write this: From now on, the dead people who were in the Lord when they died are blessed (happy)." The Spirit* says, "Yes, that is true. Those people will rest from their hard work. The things they have done will stay with them."

The Earth Is Harvested

¹⁴I looked and there before me was a white cloud. Sitting on the white cloud was One that looked like a Son of Man.* He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle* in his hand. ¹⁵Then another angel came out of the temple.* This angel called to the One who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and gather [from the earth]. The time to harvest has come. The fruit of the earth is ripe." ¹⁶So the One that was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth. And the earth was harvested. ¹⁷Then another angel came out of the temple* in heaven. This angel also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸And then another angel came from the altar.* This angel has power over the fire. This angel called to the angel with the sharp sickle.* He said, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth's vine. The earth's grapes are ripe." ¹⁹The angel swung his sickle over the earth. The angel gathered the earth's grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's anger. ²⁰The grapes were squeezed in the winepress outside the city. Blood flowed out of the winepress. It rose as high as the heads of the horses for a distance of 200 miles.

Mount Zion Another name for Jerusalem, here meaning the spiritual city where God's people live with him. harps Musical instruments with strings. elders These are probably great leaders of God's people. They may be the leaders of the twelve Jewish family groups, plus Jesus' twelve apostles. Good News The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever. adultery Breaking a marriage promise by sexual sin. idol(s) Idols are statues or other objects that people worshiped as gods. holy people God's people are called holy because they are made pure through Christ, and they belong only to God. Spirit The Holy Spirit. He brings God's message (truth) to God's people. Son of Man This name is from Dan. 7:13-14. Jesus used this name for himself. sickle Farming tool with a curved blade used to cut grain. temple God's house--the place where God's people worship and serve him. altar Place where sacrifices or gifts are offered to God.