1 The notable company of the Lamb. 6 One Angel announceth the Gospel, 8 Another the fall of Babylon, 9 And the third warns to flee from the beast. 13 Of their blessedness which die in the Lord. 18 Of the Lord’s harvest.
1.aThen I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him an bhundreth, forty and four thousand, having his Father’s cName written in their foreheads.
2.And I heard a voice from heaven, as the sound of many dwaters, and as the sound of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.
3.And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the Elders, and no eman could learn that song, but the hundreth, forty and four thousand, which were bought from the earth.
4.These are they, which are not fdefiled with women: for they are virgins: these follow the Lamb gwhither soever he goeth: these are bought from men, being the hfirst fruits unto God, and to the Lamb.
5.And in their mouths was found no guile: for they are without ispot before the throne of God.
6.¶ Then I saw another kAngel flee in the middes of Heaven, having an everlasting Gospel, to preach unto them, that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.
7.*Saying with a loud voice, lFear God, and give glory to him: for the hour of his judgement is come: and worship him that made *heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8.And there followed another Angel, saying, *It is fallen, it is fallen, mBabylon the great city: for she made all nations to drink of the wine of the nwrath of her fornication.
9.¶ And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forhead, or on his hand,
10.The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, yea, of the opure wine, which is poured into the cup of his wrath, and he shalbe tormented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angels, and before the Lamb.
11.And the smoke of their torment shall ascend evermore: and they shall have no rest day nor night, which worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the print of his name.
12.Here is the patience of pSaints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13.Then I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, qBlessed are the dead, which hereafter die ^in the rLord. Even so saith the Spirit: for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them.
14.¶ And I looked, and behold, a white scloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15.And another Angel came out of the Temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, *tThrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16.And he that sat on the cloud, uthrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17.Then another Angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, having also a sharp sickle.
18.And another Angel came out from the xaltar, which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, and said, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth: for her grapes are ripe.
19.And the Angel thrust in his sharp sickle on the earth, and cut down the vines of the vineyard of the earth, and cast them into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20.And the ywinepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, unto the zhorse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Jesus Christ rules his Church to defend and comfort it, though the beast rage never so much: and seeing Christ is present ever with his Church, there can be no vicar: for where there is a vicar, there is no Church.
Signifying Rome, for asmuch as the vices which were in Babylon, are found in Rome in great abundance, as persecution of the Church of God, oppression and slavery with destruction of the people of God, confusion, superstition, idolatry, impiety, and as Babylon the first Monarchy was destroyed, so shall this wicked kingdom of Antichrist have a miserable ruin, though it be great & seemeth to extend throughout all Europe.
Which are ingrafted in Christ by faith, which rest and stay only on him and rejoice to be with him: for immediately after their death they are received into joy.
This is spoken familiarly for our capacity, alluding unto an husband-man who suffered himself to be advertised by his servants when his harvest is ripe, and not that Christ hath need to be told when he should come to judgement for the comfort of his Church and destruction of his enemies.
By this similitude he declareth the horrible confusion of the tyrants and infidels, which delight in nothing but wars, slaughters, persecutions and effusion of blood.