Useful Bible Studies > Revelation Commentary > chapter 14
The Book of Revelation is a record of what John saw and heard. Only rarely did God permit John to include any of his own thoughts and explanations in the book.
Perhaps Revelation 14:12 is one of those rare passages. John had just heard about the terrible punishment of those people who accept the mark of the antichrist, Christ’s great enemy. The punishment for people who serve the devil is truly awful.
John’s reaction was to repeat similar words to those in Revelation 13:10. Then he had seen how cruelly the antichrist would oppose God’s people. So, John said that God’s people must stand firm in their trust in God.
Now that John had heard God’s judgement against wicked people, he repeated that idea. Yes, God’s people must stand firm. They must obey God. They must trust Christ.
Perhaps John included this statement in his book because of the extraordinary way that God replied to him, in Revelation 14:13. God spoke to him in two different ways. Firstly John heard a voice from heaven that probably was loud and powerful (Psalm 29:3-5). Then John heard words that God’s Holy Spirit spoke, perhaps almost silently within John’s own spirit.
The message from God reminded John that God’s people would suffer much because of their trust in God. Many of them would die because of those troubles. However, God’s message was not about those troubles. It was to tell John that there is a real difference between the deaths of God’s people and the deaths of wicked people.
In death, God’s people rest because they are safe in their relationship with God. They have a home in heaven where they will only know peace, comfort and joy.
However, there is no rest for wicked people (Isaiah 48:22; Revelation 14:11). Death brings no peace to their spirits.
Next part: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13)
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© 2016, Keith Simons.