1I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. 2I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. 3They sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of the earth. 4These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5In their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.
6I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7He said with a loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”
8Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”
9Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11The 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.
12Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
13I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them.”
14I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” 16He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. 18Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!” 19The angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20The wine press was trodden outside of the city, and blood came out of the wine press, up to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
The third angel announces the eternal judgment awaiting those who worship the beast (Antichrist). The angel includes receiving his mark along with worship. This applies to all who are loyal to the Antichrist.
The idea of drinking the full-strength wine of God’s wrath indicates the severity and unpleasantness of it. Later, its dregs will be mentioned. The picture comes from the practice of concentrating the grape juice by boiling it down to about a third of the original volume, then fermenting it. When it was served, water was added. They are also careful not to stir up the dregs at the bottom of the wine skin. When all the good material was used, the remaining wine was bitter from the pieces of grape skin and other particles that had settled to the bottom. God’s wrath is compared to being forced to drink the dregs without diluting them. This would be very bitter. This is the point of this proclamation. God’s wrath would be forced down the throats of those loyal to the beast out of the sea, the Antichrist.
The wrath of God is described as their being tormented eternally (smoke goes up forever) without interruption or respite (“day and night”) in a place of burning sulfurous rock (“fire and brimstone”). This is clarified in chapter 20 to be the lake of fire. This is the destiny of all who worship the beast and bear his image.
This proclamation is proleptic, looking forward to the Great White Throne judgment of all the wicked of all time. It is also a warning to those considering following the beast.
A key truth to take from these verses is that all humans will exist forever. The doctrine of annihilationism is refuted here and again in chapter 20. Some teach that God will not torment people for eternity but that they will be burned up and cease to exist. The language of this warning gives no place for such a doctrine. All humans will exist eternally. Eternal life is the existence of the saints who will live in the presence of God, who is life. Eternal death is the existence of the unregenerate in the lake of fire for all of eternity, consciously separated from the presence of God, while physically experiencing His wrath.