The Revelation-Re.14:6-13 “From Henceforth”

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (v.13)

What does the key verse tell us? Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” St Paul at the end of his ministry would say ‘Amen’ to it. So would St Stephen the first martyr of the nascent church. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”(2 Ti.4:7) We shall look at the end of St Stephen. “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit./ And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Ac.7:59-60). One curious fact the Holy Spirit inserts here: Saul who later came to be a martyr for Christ was an accomplice to his death. While the tormentors of Stephen were at the job, Saul or Paul was right there. “And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.”St Stephen’s faith was rounded off by a life of witnessing which at that hour was marked by death. He died in faith. It is one way of witnessing where faith of one man lives on and also adds to the number.

There is another sort which when is your soul is blessed, -and the soul is a silent witness knowing the truth all along, and rejoicing like Stephen who could intercede for his tormentors, including Saul. It is of these who would benefit from his death, the Spirit tells,”Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

The everlasting gospel is for proving faith with works which makes the ‘now’ and this is the day of salvation eternal by the word of God. The first angel having the gospel to preach is thus declaring the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now the second we see in v.6 preaching and what it is given in.v.7, ‘The hour of his judgment is come.’

In Ch.1 we had the same when John heard the voice of a trumpet. It was on the Lord’s day. And we are considering the same day where salvation and judgment must occur. With this in mind let us consider the.v.8 “Babylon is fallen’ is described in Ch.18 These includes Sodom, Egypt Jerusalem and every city which is spiritually a label for other.(11:8) The v.9 referred to the beast and the lamb with two horns deceiving the people left behind.

Blessedness is every saint who kept their souls in quiet confidence and patience. Their faith kept them unspotted by the world and its ways. Their souls shall continue as works. So from henceforth is pointing to the day of the Lamb. Their lives shall be graded and the order of their resurrection by Law of Gradation.

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the 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, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment 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, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath 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 forehead, or in his hand,

¹⁰ The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.