14:8
Babylon is usually taken as representing Rome, though some see it as representing actual Babylon. Although it presented Rome at the time the Revelation was given, it is probably best to give it a more general meaning of representing worldly power, which at the time was personified by Rome. Babylon is fallen! Babylon made all the nations drink of the “maddening wine of her adulteries”. All nations went along with her prideful ways. However, God has declared that Babylon is fallen. We should not worship, nor should we fear, worldly power, for a death sentence has been pronounced over it.
14:9,10
The beast uses fear to demand that people worship him. We now hear the other side, if we do worship the image of the beast then we will be subject to God’s wrath, the same judgement that falls upon the beast. “They will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the lamb”. Is this figurative language? Of course it is, but what is it figurative of? There is a lot of nonsense talked about “conditional immortality” or “annihilationism”, most of this talk seems to be essentially saying “hell, not as bad as you thought it was”. We should look at the context in which verse like this, and Jesus’ words on hell were given, and it is clear that the intention was to make it absolutely clear that hell is hell, it is the worst possible thing that can happen to a person. There is a sense in which the fear of God means fear. We need to be aware that the consequences of not obeying God are always far worse than the consequences of obeying God.
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