The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

And I saw, and behold, the Lamb was standing above mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of a great thunder. And the voice that I heard was like that of singers, while playing on their stringed instruments.

And they were singing what seemed like a new canticle before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to recite the canticle, except those one hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth.(a)

These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are Virgins. These follow the Lamb wherever he will go. These were redeemed from men as the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb.(b)

And in their mouth, no lie was found, for they are without flaw before the throne of God.

The Three Angels and Babylon’s Fall

And I saw another Angel, flying through the midst of heaven, holding the eternal Gospel, so as to evangelize those sitting upon the earth and those of every nation and tribe and language and people,

saying with a loud voice: “Fear the Lord, and give honor to him, for the hour of his judgment has arrived. And worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the sources of water.”

And another Angel followed, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who inebriated all nations with the wine of her wrath and of fornication.”(c)

(d)

And the third Angel followed them, saying with a great voice: “If anyone has worshiped the beast, or his image, or has received his character on his forehead or on his hand,

he shall drink also from the wine of the wrath of God, which has been mixed with strong wine in the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tortured with fire and sulphur in the sight of the holy Angels and before the sight of the Lamb.

And the smoke of their torments shall ascend forever and ever. And they shall have no rest, day or night, those who have worshiped the beast or his image, or who have received the character of his name.”

Here is the patient endurance of the Saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: “Write: Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord, now and hereafter, says the Spirit, so that they may find rest from their labors. For their works follow them.”(e)

The Harvest of the Earth

And I saw, and behold, a white cloud. And upon the cloud was one sitting, resembling a son of man, having a crown of gold on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

And another Angel went forth from the temple, crying out in a great voice to the one sitting upon the cloud: “Send out your sickle and reap! For the hour of reaping has arrived, because the harvest of the earth has ripened.”(f)

And the one who was sitting upon the cloud sent out his sickle to the earth, and the earth was reaped.

And another Angel went forth from the temple that is in heaven; he also had a sharp sickle.

And another Angel went forth from the altar, who held power over fire. And he cried out in a great voice to him who held the sharp sickle, saying: “Send out your sharp sickle, and harvest the clusters of grapes from the vineyard of the earth, because its grapes have matured.”

And the Angel sent out his sharp sickle to the earth, and he harvested the vineyard of the earth, and he cast it into the great basin of the wrath of God.

And the basin was trodden beyond the city, and blood went forth from the basin, even as high as the harnesses of horses, out to one thousand six hundred stadia.

Footnotes

(a)14:3 The Latin verb ‘empti sunt’ literally means ‘were bought’ or ‘were purchased,’ but the word redemption is derived from this Latin verb. And in this context, it is not a literal buying that occurs, but a redeeming of souls.(Conte)

(b)14:4 They are Virgins with a capital ‘V’ because they are virginal not merely in body, but in soul also, following the Lamb wherever he may lead. These are the sinless first fruits, who have original sin, but no personal sin at all, for they are without flaw in the sight of God.(Conte)

(c)14:8 The verb ‘potavit’ can mean simply to drink, but it can also mean to drink heavily, i.e. to become inebriated.(Conte)

(d)14:8 Babylon:By Babylon may be very probably signified all the wicked world in general, which God will punish, and destroy after the short time of this mortal life: or it may signify every great city wherein enormous sins and abominations are daily committed; and that when the measure of its iniquities is full, the punishments due to its crimes are poured on it. It may also be some city of the description in the text, that will exist, and be destroyed, as here described, towards the end of the world.(Challoner)

(e)14:13 Die in the Lord:It is understood of the martyrs who die for the Lord.(Challoner)

(f)14:15 Literally, the harvest ‘has dried’ (aruit), because the ripe grain in the ear turns from green and moist, to brown and dry, when ripe.(Conte)