Ch 14: The Lamb and the 144,000
Artwork by Duncan Long
The lamb and the 144,000 (14:1)
14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
After the series of visions featuring the dragon and the two beasts there follows a series of shorter visions prior to the vision of the seven last plagues. This passage raises the question, why is it placed here? In 15:2 we see a group of saints who are clearly stated to be victorious over the beast. However the main point is to contrast those sealed with the mark of the beast with those sealed with the name of the Lamb and his Father. It also shows that the 144,000 from Rev 7:3 are preserved safe now in heaven despite many being defeated and martyred by the two beasts of the previous chapter. John repeats himself again in 15:2 by showing us those victorious over the beast, but our God is one who repeats himself so that we, his children, might get the message.
Caird points out that Revelation is an exposition of Psalm 2 and has a reference to Zion in verse 6, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." He sees the 144,000 as the army of the Lord of the Lord, they follow Christ wherever he goes (v4) they are found again following Christ in 19:14, 19, and again in 17:14 in both scenes the context is that of battle. He regards their numbering in the census of (7:4) as a military role call which also answers the question as to why they did not defile themselves with woman. The source of his symbolism is the regulations for holy war which required men to be ceremonially pure (Deu 23:10-11, cf. 2 Sam 11:11). He sees the 144,000 as martyrs and therefore as first fruits of the great ingathering of the saints. Like Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless (1 Pet 1:19, 2:22-24).
v1 - Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. - 'Then I looked' introduces a new section it contrasts those who receive the mark of the beast in the previous section with those described here who do not receive the mark of the beast but instead have the name of the Lamb and his Father's name on their forehead. They are those who are victorious over the beast, again in 15:2 we find those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. This scene is similar to Zech 14:4, when the Lord returns he will stand on the Mount of Olives, with him will be his followers, see also Acts 1:9-12. However later we find that John hears a sound from heaven (v2), they sing a new song before the throne (v3) and they have been redeemed from the earth (v3), so therefore Mount Zion is in heaven (see also Heb 12:22, Joel 2:32, Mic 4:7). The same 144,000 who were sealed Rev 7:3 are now in heaven, they are together with the Lamb, those who were sealed then are those who are now saved, none is lost, there were 144,000 sealed and there are 144,000 in heaven (John 6:39, 10:28-30, 17:12, 18:9). They were marked in Christ with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of their inheritance in heaven (Eph 1:13-14). This passage tells us more about the seal, they had his name (the Lambs) and his Father's name written on their foreheads (Rev 22:3). i.e. sealed by the Father and the Son, the seal of protection and ownership. This is in contrast to the followers of the beast who have name of the beast on their right hand or forehead, Rev 13:16. The saints are baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19, Acts 2:38), the name means that not only are they owned by God as bond slaves but also that they are part of God's family, they take their name from the Father and Son as adopted sons into God's family both in heaven and on earth (Eph 1:5, 3:14-15).
The NASB better translates the start of this verse as 'And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion'. The reference to Mount Zion is possibly another reference to Psalm 2 where Christ is installed as King on Zion, God's holy hill. Mount Zion is where God dwells, Isa 8:18, it is also where his people dwell. Joel 2:32 points out that there will deliverance in Mount Zion in the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. Note that in Rev 22:3-4 God's servants will serve him and his name will be on their foreheads, these servants are the same as the 144,000 who are also servants (7:3-4) and who represent the whole church. In 17:14 we also find the Lamb together with his called, chosen and faithful followers.
v2 - And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. - In 19:6 he heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like a peal of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns". Just as the voice of Christ sounded like thunder in 1:15; in John 12:28 people said that the voice of God sounded like thunder; in 10:3 the voice of the angel sounded like seven thunders.
The sound John heard from heaven was that of a great multitude singing, see verse 3. In Rev 15:2 those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name also, like these, held harps given them by God. If we compare this group with the 144,000 sealed from 7:1 and the great multitude of 7:9, then both the groups who play harps, the 144,000 here and those victorious over the beast, are one and the same group. They held harps given them by God, the elders also had harps which is a symbol of praise.
v3 - And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. - The next three verses gives a description of the redeemed, ones first impression is that they are a special group of saints, however closer inspection reveals that they have the characteristics of all the redeemed.
The redeemed sing this song before God, before the living creatures and the elders. Some would point out that the elders cannot therefore be representative of the redeemed. Only the redeemed can sing this song, a new song is mentioned much earlier and is sung by the elders, Rev 5:9, in praise of the one who purchased men for God. The redeemed also have a new name, Rev 2:17. It was a new song to the elders because the incarnation of Christ and his ascension into heaven is a new event in heaven. It is a new song to the redeemed because their salvation is complete, they are now in heaven for the first time, their redemption is accomplished. As the redeemed, only they can sing it, angels cannot be redeemed and therefore cannot sing this song, only those born on the earth can sing this song. It is a new experience and therefore a new song (Hendriksen). Isa 25:9 gives us an idea of what this song might be like.
"Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
v4 - These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. - Virginity here means purity, and is not to be taken literally (2 Cor 11:2), it means they were faithful to their Lord. They are the bride of Christ and therefore necessarily virgins spiritually. They were not unfaithful to their Lord. Sex within marriage is not sin. This can also be taken avoiding sex during battle (Caird). They follow the Lamb, Jesus Christ, which means that they are His disciples, John 1:43 and 10:4. In 19:14 the armies of heaven also are found following the Lamb into battle. In 17:14 we also find the beast waging war against the Lamb -- and with him will be his called chosen and faithful followers. They follow Christ wherever he goes which usually leads to the cross (John 13:36). Franzman comments that the goal and crown of the life of the church, the bride of the Lamb, is that she be forever united with Him. It is therefore natural and inevitable that until she reaches that goal and until that crown is achieved her life should be a following Him (cf. Jer 2:2).
v4 - purchased from among men - These are the redeemed of the Lord bought from every tribe and language and people and nation, cf. Rev 5:9, Psa 74:2. As with the census of the 144,000 in 7:3 ff. who were redeemed, these are also the redeemed of the Lord, see also 'redeemed' in verse 3.
v4 - firstfruits - Christians are a new creation. Here Christians are first fruits (James 1:18) contrast this to the gathering of the earth's grapes, which are the unbelievers who are trampled in the great winepress of God's wrath. In the OT the firstfruits of the harvest were always offered to the Lord, Deu 26:9-10, and belonged to the Lord. Note that James 1:18 does not imply that the firstfruits are martyrs, it implies that all the saints are firstfruits. The 144,000 are the firstfruits of the harvest of the earth, they belong to the Lord, the rest of the harvest does not; compare with the harvest of the earth (saints) in 14:14-16 with the harvest of grapes of 14:17-20 (men destined to wrath).
Caird says that "the idea behind the offering of firstfruits was that all living things belong to God and must not be put to secular purposes without a recognition of his rights. The dedication of the firstfruits 'redeemed' the harvest, and so released it for common use, God's rights in the whole being guaranteed by his special possession of the part (Exo 39:22, Lev 23:15-22, Num 28:26, Deu 16:9-12). In the same way the firstborn sons of men properly belong to God; but provision was made for their redemption, because God had accepted the Levites in their place (Num 8:14-18), to be a symbol of the holiness to which the whole nation was called. In the NT Jesus is called firstfruits because his resurrection was the token and guarantee of a greater ingathering (1 Cor 15:20, 23), and the Spirit is called firstfruits because it is the pledge of the full inheritance to come (Rom 8:23, 2 Cor 1:22, 5:5, Eph 1:14). Thus when John says that the martyrs have been ransomed from all mankind to be firstfruits, he cannot conceivably mean that they 'alone from the whole world have been ransomed' (NEB). He must mean that the offering of their lives to God in sacrifice is to be the opening ceremony of a great harvest-home".
v5 - No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. - Compare the saints who do not lie with the liars in Rev 21:8, compare also to the Ephesian passage about the church, Eph 5:27, where the church is described as 'holy and blameless', see also Zep 3:13 in which 'the remnant of Israel will do no wrong, they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths'. They follow Christ in martyrdom and just as no deceit was found in his mouth (Isa 53:9), he was a lamb without blemish, so they are blameless (1 Peter 1:19). These last two verses are the only indication that they are martyrs, but since a martyr is a witness the case for this group being composed only of martyrs cannot be established with certainty. Unlike the worshippers of the beast they had not been deceived into worshipping the beast and believing the lie (2 Thess 2:11), their confession (testimony) of Jesus Christ was the supreme truth (1:9, 6:9, 11:7, 12:11,12:17, 17:6,19:10, 20:4) they had not denied Jesus name before men (the supreme lie) and were therefore standing before the Lamb (14:1).
The three angels (14:6)
Rev 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
14:8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."
14:9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Rev 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them."
After the vision of the two beasts he sees the 144,000 with the Lamb on mount Zion, then he sees the three angels. The three angels each proclaim judgement. The first one announces to the whole world that judgement is starting, but gives a last appeal to those on earth to worship God because he is the Creator. The second pronounces judgement on Babylon the Great who made all nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries. The third pronounces a terrible judgement of eternal torment by burning sulphur on those who worship the beast and receive his mark. Linked to this is a call for patient endurance on the part of the saints followed by a blessing on those who die in the Lord from now on. After this there is the second coming and the harvest of the earth. The second coming and the punishment of the beast, false prophet and Satan, those who worship the beast and the judgement of Babylon the Great are dealt with in more detail later.
v6 - Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. - The eternal gospel is proclaimed to all mankind, see Rev 11:9, it is universally valid i.e. whosoever. Notice the four fold description indicating that they come from the four corners of the earth. This is a last appeal before the judgement to come, which is the seven bowls, then it will be too late, see Mat 24:14, because the gospel will have been preached to every nation on earth. Notice that this appeal occurs between the eagle flying in mid-air crying out 'Woe! Woe! Woe!' because of the last three trumpet blasts and the birds flying in mid-air gathered for the great supper of God, it is one last appeal.
v7 - He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." - The gospel at its simplest is to fear God, give him glory and worship God as creator (Acts 14:15) because the creation itself declares the Creator (Psa 19:1, Rom 1:20). However man refuses to do this preferring idolatry instead (Rev 9:20), they worship the beast instead of God (13:4). The saints however in contrast acknowledge God as Creator and therefore they worship him (Rev 11:1), they do not worship the beast (Rev 20:4). The hour of his judgement has come, that is the harvest of grapes and the winepress of God's wrath, the seven bowls and the judgement of Babylon the Great pronounced by the second angel in the next verse. It is the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water that are to be affected by God's judgement of the first four of the seven bowls and hence their mention here (cf. Exo 20:11). Bowl 1 (the land), bowl 2 (sea), bowl 3 (springs of water) and bowl 4 (the sun). Elsewhere in Revelation we find that God is acknowledged as the Creator, first by the elders, 4:11, and by the mighty angel, 10:6. However mankind has suppressed this truth about God 'and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles', Rom 1:23, men prefer to worship a beast rather than God (see 13:4). Mankind through an unproved theory of evolution prefers to be the product of chance and to be descended from animals rather than being created by the will of God (4:11) and in the image of God (Gen 1:27). 'They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator' Rom 1:25. This idolatry results in depravity and wickedness, Rom 1:24 ff., see also Rev 9:20-21.
v8 - A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." - The fall of Babylon is also proclaimed by an angel in 18:2 and described in 17:16 ff. His message interprets in part the 'hour of judgement' of which the first had given warning: 'fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great' (Swete). This is an introduction to the fall of Babylon the Great, see Rev 17, quoted from Jer 51:7-8 and Isa 21:9. Babylon the Great is a reference to Dan 4:30 when Nebuchadnezzar congratulates himself on his achievement: 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' immediately he became a beast and was driven from men. To John, Rome is a type of Babylon and the Roman emperor a type of Nebuchadnezzar who did not give glory to God. Babylon seduced the world with her adulteries, 18:3. Babylon is first mentioned in Gen 10:10. She is the prostitute who has seduced and corrupted the worlds nations by the intoxicating influence of her evil (adulteries). Cities always tend to concentrate the evil within humanity. Babylon is a symbol for the spirit of godlessness which in every age lures men away from the worship of the Creator to the worship of created things. Cities in their splendour are a monument to man, think of the tower of Babel or the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
v9 - A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. - The first angel proclaimed the eternal gospel to those who live on the earth which was to fear God, give him glory and to worship God as Creator, in contrast to those who worship God (14:1-5) the third angel details the punishment of those who worship the beast and his image. Earlier in Rev 13:12 the beast from the earth forced the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast out of the sea (13:12), and to worship his image (13:15) and to receive the mark of the beast (13:16), in doing so they were worshipping Satan (13:4) who had given the beast his authority. Those who did not worship the image were killed or could not buy 13:15-17. The angel now pronounces the punishment on these people who do worship the beast and his image thereby breaking the first and second commandments (Ex 20:3-5). Those who worship the beast will join the beast, 19:20, these are also those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life (13:8, 20:15). Their sin was to have the mark of the beast on the forehead, the place reserved for the name of God (Platt cf. 7:3). To have the mark of the beast most likely indicates that they belong to the beast in contrast to those who have the seal of God on their forehead (7:3, 14:1).
To drink the wine of God's fury is a common OT metaphor (Job 21:20, Psa 75:8, Isa 51:17, Jer 25:15). A similar figure is used in expression 'winepress of God's wrath' in 14:19, cf. Babylon who God gave the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath, 16:19. The wrath of God is poured full strength, it is not mixed with his mercy. The punishment will be in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb which makes it more personal. This is the first time punishment by burning sulphur occurs, this is a reference to God's judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah, (Gen 19:24, Luke 17:29 see also 2 Pet 2:6, Jude 1:7). This is finally fulfilled in Rev 19:20, 20:10, when the beast and the dragon are consigned to the lake of burning sulphur and in 20:15, 21:8 when their followers join them. Our horror of this judgement must be understood in the light of God's eternal hatred of wickedness, God's character never changes.
v11 - And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." - The smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever (cf. Isa 34:10), their punishment is eternal just as Satan's is (20:10 see also Mat 25:41-46, Jude 1:7) because God lives for ever and ever (15:7) and his hatred of sin is eternal. They have no rest day or night, contrasted with the redeemed who serve God day and night (Rev 7:15) and will have no pain (Rev 21:4) and who rest from their labours v13. Those who worship the beast will join the beast (Rev 19:20, 20:15, 21:8). This contrasts with the punishment of being cast into the blazing furnace threatened by Nebuchadnezzar to those who refused to worship his image, Dan 3:15.
v12 - This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. - This is the last of three calls for 'patient endurance' of the saints (1:9, 13:10) in the face of suffering (2 Cor 1:6). The saints, who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus, are here contrasted with those who worship the beast in 14:9, who do not obey God's commandments and are not faithful to Jesus (their sins are listed in 9:20-21, 16:9, 21:8, 22:15 which break most of the ten commandments). The saints must not turn their backs on the faith under persecution (12:17) or the temptation to join with those who worship the beast. If they do then they will join them in their eternal punishment. The temporal advantage gained by worshipping the beast is not worth its eternal consequences. The slight momentary gain is not worth the consequence of eternal punishment whereas the slight momentary pain leads to eternal glory (cf. 2 Cor 4:17).
v13 - Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them." - He is told to write (1:19) which emphasises the blessing (cf. 19:9, 21:5). This is one of seven blessings in Revelation. If the verse before is a warning then this verse is an encouragement to those who must die for their faith. Those who die in the Lord will go to be with the Lord and they will rest from their labours. This phrase is added to encourage those who must die for their faith, since patient endurance includes the possibility of martyrdom. Their labour is to remain faithful to Jesus, this is the supreme labour, see John 6:29, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent". This is in stark contrast with verse 11, in which there is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, but this book is a book of contrasts. Their 'deeds will follow them' emphasises again the eternal consequences of our temporal actions, just as worshipping the beast has eternal negative consequences. There is some uncertainty about the text, it could mean blessed are those who die from now on, or, blessed are those who die in the Lord for, from then on, (i.e. after death) they rest from their labours. When a man dies he cannot take his possessions with him, but his deed's done while alive (whether good or bad) follow him (2 Cor 5:10), see also Rev 20:12 in which the dead are judged by what they had done. For the preacher, riches in this present life verses riches in the life hereafter could be expanded upon; see also 1 Tim 6:17-19, Luke 12:32-33, Luke 12:19-21.
The harvest of the earth (14:14)
Rev 14:14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud,
"Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
Rev 14:17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle,
"Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."
19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
In the scriptures there are a number of references to two harvests, a grain harvest and a grape harvest for producing wine from the juice from a winepress (Num 18:27, Deu 15:14, 2 Kings 6:27). In the following passage these two harvests are referred to. The first is the harvest of the righteous the second the harvest of the wicked.
v14 - I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. - 'I looked' marks a new vision. The white cloud once again indicates the second coming. The sickle is a reference to the second coming and the harvest of the age (Mat 13:37, Mark 4:26, and also Joel 3:12-13). The 'one like a son of man' is Christ, 1:13, this is taken from Daniel's vision of 'one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven', Dan 7:13, see also Rev 1:7, Mark 12:26, Mat 24:30. In contrast to the man who had become like a beast by usurping God's authority, the day is coming when the reins of government will be for ever in the hands of a man worthy of the name (Baldwin). Note: the Greek word for crown used here is stephanos not diadema used in 19:12, stephanos is also used of the gold crown worn by the rider on the white horse in 6:2.
v15 - Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." - The end of the age has arrived, Mat 13:39, the angel comes out of the temple meaning God's presence because only God can decide the time of the end of the age, Mat 24:36, Acts 1:7. The angel acts as God's messenger.
v16-17 - So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. {17} Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. - We see here that Christ has a sickle and the earth is harvested, then we see that an angel also has a sickle and gathers the earth's grapes for the winepress of God's wrath. It is likely that the harvest that Christ reaps are his own people, the wheat. These are the firstfruits of the harvest mentioned in Rev 14:4. The angels also participate in the harvest, Mat 13:41, they do the weeding out of the wicked who are left after the rapture of the elect.
v18 - Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." - The angels words are similar to Joel 3:13 which is clearly judgmental. The angel in charge of the fire, that is the fire of judgement, came from the altar where the incense and prayers of the saints are offered, 8:3. This same censer is filled with fire and hurled to earth, 8:5, as a prelude to the seven trumpets. The grapes are ripe meaning that the time that God judges for the second coming and the harvest of the age has arrived. The angel in charge of the fire then orders the angel with the sickle to gather the clusters of grapes because they are ripe, man has filled up his sins to the full (Joel 3:13).
v19 - The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. - The winepress of God's wrath occurs in Isa 63:2-6, Lam 1:15, Joel 3:13, see also Rev 19:15 in which Christ is said to tread the winepress of God's wrath, that passage deals with Christ's second coming as does this passage. The winepress is an expression for God's wrath and the day of his vengeance. Hendriksen sees it as representing hell, but it is more likely the carnage resulting from the day of his vengeance when he executes judgement on the earth (Zep 1:14-18, Lam 1:15 cf. Rev 19:15, 21). In this reference to God's wrath the people are grapes which are pressed in the winepress and their blood is the grape juice, John uses a similar figure in 14:10 in which those who worship the beast will drink the wine of God's fury, see also the reference to Babylon in which God gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath 16:19 which resulted in her being consumed by fire (18:8, 19:3).
v20 - They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. - The Greek word for blood haima can be used figuratively of the juice of grapes. They are trampled in the winepress outside the city because that is where the wicked are, see Rev 22:15, his wrath is not against his people within the city which is the New Jerusalem. Just as the Gentiles trample upon the holy city, Rev 11:2, so Jesus tramples on the wicked outside the city, 19:15. 1,600 stadia (184 miles: about the length of Israel) is a symbolic number derived from the square of 4, the number of the earth, 7:1, multiplied by the square of 10, the number of completeness, 5:11. It thus signifies ' completeness as regards the created world, and the inability of anyone to escape God's judgement' (Wilson). See also the description of the judgement upon Pharaoh in Ezek 32:6 'I will drench the land with your flowing blood all the way to the mountains,...'