Read Revelation 14:6-20.

Note: Verse twenty literally reads, the flow of blood rose as high as the horses’ bridles for “a distance of one thousand and six hundred stadia.” A stadia is approximately 600 feet.

Introduction⤒🔗

How likely would it be to pick up your daily newspaper and find a front-page story such as the following, reporting the occurrence of a devastating natural catastrophe?

...the crash of falling walls, the shrieks, the groans, the account of agony and despair of that long night cannot be described. Such events must be numbered amongst the “terrible things of God,” in which his irresistible power to punish his sinful creatures is most awfully displayed; and which fill the human mind with greater terror than any other public calamity. Should not these awful demonstrations of divine power cause us to fear him who can so suddenly sweep away a whole city into destruction? Should not sinners tremble to think how awful it is to have such a God for an enemy? Should they not immediately seek reconciliation to him through the blood of the Lamb? Why sinners, standing on the brink of eternity, and liable by a thousand means to be hurried into eternity, do ye not seek the LORD while he may be found?

This very article did in fact appear in a major American newspaper, The Boston Recorder, in the year 1822. It was reporting the disastrous earthquake that struck the Syrian city of Aleppo.¹

Compare that newspaper article with a contemporary editorial cartoon that appeared shortly after the devastating storms that struck Florida in the late summer of 1992:

Under a drawing of a hurricane-struck community, appears a caption that mockingly proclaims: 'These hurricanes are caused by Godless, non-Christian, pro-choice, anti-family, homosexual-sympathizing, liberal, unpatriotic anti-Christian supporters!'

Reverential fear and worship are an appropriate response to the majestic person of God, especially when He displays His works of judgment. But such an attitude of godliness is tragically lacking in many of the societies of the world today.

In Revelation 14:7 there is this exhortation and commandment set before us: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water.”

As we examine this passage of Scripture, let us consider, “Three Reasons to Fear God and Give Him Glory.”

Fear God and Give Him Glory, because That is Part of the Gospel Call←⤒🔗

The Apostle John reports: “Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (vs. 6). The angel flying in mid-air, where he can be seen and heard by all the world, bearing the eternal gospel, reminds us of the angel who appeared to the shepherds at the time of the Savior’s birth:

...there were shepherds out living in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born for you; he is Christ the Lord.' Lk. 2:8-11

This angel of Revelation 14:6 appears to represent the proclamation of the gospel throughout the New Testament era; beginning with the initial revelation to the shepherds and continuing through the witness of the church, in obedience to the Great Commission given her by her Lord:

Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And surely, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.' Matt. 28:18­-20

The angel’s proclamation of the gospel comes with the commandment, “fear God and give him glory,” and the call to, “worship him,” the One who is the Creator of all (vs. 7). Stated another way, the gospel contains a call both to faith in Christ and to repentance. The Apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21). The command to “fear God and give him glory” should primarily be understood here as referring to a life of reverential devotion to God, which is the ultimate purpose of redemption.

In light of New Testament teaching, the true preaching of the gospel consists of 1) the proclamation of what God has done for man’s salvation at the cross of Calvary, summed up in Paul’s word to the Corinthians, “Christ died for our sins...and he rose again on the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3-4); and, 2) the call to respond to Christ’s work with faith and repentance. There must be a personal response to Christ; the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

Scripture assures us, “to all who did receive him, to those who believe on his name, to them he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn. 1:12). That response to Christ must include both faith: dependence upon Christ and His atoning sacrifice, and repentance: the surrender of our sins and our sinful heart to Christ. The Apostle Paul reminds the Thessalonians, “you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:9b). Our Lord Jesus Himself began His public ministry by declaring, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15).

The reason for urgency in responding to the gospel, and to do so in the way prescribed by God, is found in the angel’s word of warning: “the hour of his judgment has come” (vs. 7). Note the use of the Greek tense: that hour “has come.” At Calvary, God pronounced the sentence of judgment against the world; on His way to the cross, the Lord Jesus declared, “Now has come the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world shall be cast out” (Jn. 12:31). But, at that time, God executed that sentence of judgment only against Christ as He hung upon the cross. At the end of history, God will execute that sentence of judgment against the whole world; at that time the only One who will be exempt is Christ, together with all those who have repented and believed in Him as their Savior. As the Apostle Paul declares to the Corinthians, “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2b).

Here is the first reason to fear God and give Him glory, namely, the fact that this is an integral part of the gospel call; note 1 Peter 1:17-19,

And if you call upon the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, live your remaining time [on earth] in fear, ¹⁸knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life handed down from your forefathers, not by perishable things, such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or defect, [the blood] of Christ.

Fear God and Give Him Glory, because He will Execute the Final Judgment←⤒🔗

A second angel now proclaims, “Babylon the Great has fallen!” (vs. 8). To understand what “Babylon the Great” represents, we may look back to the spirit and purpose of the original Babylon. It was a society built by man and for man, in defiance of God and to the exclusion of God. After the Great Flood, God had commanded the sons of Noah to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen. 9:1). But in direct defiance of God’s purpose, we hear the men of Babylon declare: “Come, let us build a city for ourselves with a tower whose top shall reach unto heaven; so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth” (Gen. 11:4). Their intention to build a tower to heaven may have been an effort to protect themselves from another great flood. They know they are in opposition to God’s will, they view God as their enemy, and they seek to construct a “defense” against God! The tower of the ancient city was a place of refuge from enemy assault (cf. Judges 9:50-51). The men of Babylon form a humanistic alliance to pursue their own purpose and promote their own glory, in direct defiance of God, proclaiming their intention to “make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the whole earth.”

In a later period of history, we find that same spirit of self-exaltation expressed by that great king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. As he considered the great empire of Babylon that lay spread out before him, he became filled with pride: “The king said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Compare these words of Nebuchadnezzar found in Daniel 4:30, with the Apostle Paul’s testimony of praise to the Lord God: “from him, and through him, and for him, are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). Nebuchadnezzar views his kingdom as having originated from himself, as being sustained by himself, and as existing for himself; his pride has caused him to view himself in “God-like” terms, and to demand the worship that belongs to the LORD God alone (cf. Dan. 3:1-6).

We may also look ahead to Revelation 17-18, where “Babylon the Great” is described as a hedonistic, materialistic, and lawless society. In this present chapter (vs.8b), the angel accuses “Babylon” of seducing “the nations to drink the wine of the passion of her immorality” (vs. 8b). All the peoples of the world willingly drink of the “wine” offered to them by “Babylon,” yielding themselves to the lusts of their sinful hearts, as opposed to submitting themselves to the moral law of God. The Apostle Paul describes the society of his day in these terms: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity with the lust for more” (Eph. 4:19). Toward the close of history, all the nations of the world will willingly participate in the hedonistic and materialistic life of one last “Babylon the Great,” when it makes its appearance on the stage of history, (that is the subject of Revelation 17-18).

In verses 9-11, the imagery shifts from “Babylon the Great” to “the beast.” The two are intimately connected; in the Book of Revelation, each represents different aspects of the God-defying kingdom of man. Whereas that kingdom in the form of “Babylon the Great” seduces men to abandon the moral law of God (vs. 8b), in the form of “the beast” it forces men to defy God Himself by compelling them to give unto the secular state and its ruler the worship and allegiance that belongs to God alone (cf. 13:15-17). Verses 9-11 are warning of the dire consequence of submitting to “the beast’s” blasphemous demand to receive the divine worship:

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰he shall indeed drink the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his anger. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.' ¹¹The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; there is no rest day and night for those who worship the beast and his image, for whoever receives the mark [that represents] his name.

In verse eight, we hear the angel of God proclaims, “Babylon the Great has fallen!” Once again, the use of the Greek past tense underscores the certainty of the divine judgment against “Babylon.” Just as the LORD God brought judgment upon the hedonistic, materialistic, and self-exalting societies of the past, (such as Sodom, ancient Babylon, and Rome), at the end of history, He will bring His righteous judgment upon the final *“Babylon the Great,” and upon the whole world of mankind who align themselves with the God-defying kingdom of man. Sinful mankind has a natural affinity with “Babylon the Great” and “the beast,” since the society created by them is nothing other than the creation and desire of sinful mankind himself.

The execution of that final judgment is graphically pictured in verses 14-20:

I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone [who looked] like the Son of Man; he had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵Another angel came out of the temple, and he cried out in a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, 'Use your sickle and reap; for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.' ¹⁶So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. ¹⁷Another angel came out of the temple that is in heaven, he also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸Still another angel, he who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, 'Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the earth’s vineyard, for her grapes are fully ripe.' ¹⁹Then the angel swung his sickle upon the earth, gathered the grapes of the earth, and dumped them into the winepress, the great [winepress] of the wrath of God. ²⁰They trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of it, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of about one hundred and eighty miles.

The Final Judgment will be carried out by the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of God the Father: Coming on a white cloud “was one who looked like the Son of Man,” wearing a golden crown, (the symbol of authority), and holding a sharp sickle, (the symbol of judgment) (vs. 14). Another angel came out from the sanctuary, (the very presence and dwelling place of God), directing this one who looked like the Son of Man, (the one representing the Lord Jesus Himself), to “use your sickle and reap” (vs. 15). What is portrayed here is the Lord Jesus, as the Messiah and the Servant of the LORD, carrying out His Father’s will. To Christ has been given by the Father the authority to carry out the Final Judgment: “just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷Furthermore, he has given him authority to judge, because he is the Son of Man” (Jn. 5:26-27).

This great and final judgment, carried out by the Lord Jesus, will occur on the day appointed by God. The angel gives the one who looked like the Son of Man the command to carry out the judgment, “because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” The Psalmist declares, “When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed forever” (Psl. 92:7). The Psalmist is addressing the question, Why does the LORD allow the wicked to flourish? Why does He tolerate the perpetuation and proliferation of evil on the earth? The answer he gives is that the LORD is permitting “the crop to ripen.” He is allowing evil to reveal itself for what it is, so that when His appointed day of judgment has come, it will be evident that His judgment is righteous: the ripened crop of wickedness must be mowed down and burned.

When that appointed day arrives, the angel, at God’s command, gives the order, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the earth’s vineyard, for her grapes are fully ripe” (vs. 12). God’s act of Final Judgment will be carried out at its appointed time. The Apostle Paul testified before the Athenians, “[God] commands all men everywhere to repent, ³¹because he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

It will be the day when God expresses His righteous wrath against sinful mankind to the fullest extent. The awesome and awfulness of the Final Judgment is presented by using the imagery of the grape harvest (vs. 18-20). The clusters of the grapes are hacked off the vines and dumped into the wine press. The grapes are then trampled underfoot, yielding their blood-red juice. The juice, the blood, flows out of the winepress as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of “about one hundred and eighty miles.” Here is a gruesome picture; giving us some idea of how outrageously wicked it is to rebel against God and what awful consequence the sinful life shall at last receive.

Sinful man is found to be in defiance of an infinite Being, the Lord God the Almighty. Sinful man willfully and persistently violates every aspect of God's being:

• Insulting God’s person with blasphemy (Rev. 13:6) and the misuse of the divine name (Ex. 20:7)
   
• Defiling God’s purity with all manner of immorality and perversity (Eph. 4:19)
   
• Seeking to usurp God’s position with the attempt to assume the very throne of God (2 Thess. 2:4)
   
• Inverting God’s perspective of self-giving love (Jn. 3:16) with a self-centered existence (Gen. 11:4)
   
• Presuming upon God’s patience by refusing to take advantage of the opportunity the divine long suffering affords for repentance (Rom. 2:4) and persisting in defiant hatred of the Creator and His moral law (Rom. 8:7)

Sinful man is found to be in defiance of an infinite Being, a Being who responds to that defiance with all of His infinite being.

When you provoke a lion, you are unleashing a power that is utterly overwhelming and absolutely devastating by its very nature. But sinful mankind has incessantly provoked One who is far greater than a lion: he has defied and provoked his Creator:

This is what the LORD has said to me, As a lion, a great lion, growls over his prey, and even though a whole band of shepherds should be called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor, so the LORD of hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights. Isa. 31:4

The condemnation to which unrepentant sinful mankind is destined is nothing other than a direct and eternal encounter with his Creator and Lord in the unmitigated presence of His infinite being.

The reporter who wrote the article on the great earthquake that demolished the Syrian city of Aleppo understood the fear of God. He accurately expressed in words what the Revelation is graphically presenting in pictorial form:

...the crash of falling walls, the shrieks, the groans, the account of agony and despair of that long night cannot be described. Such events must be numbered amongst the 'terrible things of God,' in which his irresistible power to punish his sinful creatures is most awfully displayed; and which fill the human mind with greater terror than any other public calamity. Should not these awful demonstrations of divine power cause us to fear him who can so suddenly sweep away a whole city into destruction? Should not sinners tremble to think how awful it is to have such a God for an enemy? Should they not immediately seek reconciliation to him through the blood of the Lamb? Why sinners, standing on the brink of eternity, and liable by a thousand means to be hurried into eternity, do ye not seek the LORD while he may be found?

The Book of Hebrews declares, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

Here is the second reason to fear God and give Him glory, namely, the fact that He will execute His final judgment:

Therefore, you kings, be wise, be warned, you rulers of the earth. ¹¹Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. ¹²Kiss the Son [i.e. pay homage to Him; acknowledge Him to be both God and Lord], lest he be angry and you perish in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Psl. 2:10-12

Fear God and Give Him Glory, because He will Honor Those Who Fear Him←⤒🔗

In verse thirteen, John reports that he heard “a voice from heaven;” it is the voice of God. The divine voice commands John to write down what he hears. Here is God Himself not only speaking, but causing what He speaks to be written down as a permanent record, a pledge of assurance, much like a written contract: “Write: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.” Here is a message of blessing addressed to those who have responded to the gospel. Or, in the words of the Psalmist, a message of blessing pronounced upon those who heed the warning, those who “kiss” the Son in homage, rather than continuing to provoke Him until His wrath has flared up; for them there is blessing (Psl. 2:10-12).

Note, also, that this message of blessing and assurance is affirmed by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit adds His personal testimony, “Indeed, says the Spirit.” Bear in mind that the Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 16:13).

This message from God for those who fear Him, expressing that godly fear by trusting in Christ the Savior and surrendering their sins to Him, is this: “Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on” (vs. 13a). The believer in Christ, upon his death, enters into a state of blessing that far surpasses this present state of life on earth. In writing to the Philippian church, the Apostle Paul testifies, “for me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain...I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil. 1:21,23). The Psalmist testifies of the LORD, “in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore” (Psl. 16:11b).

This message of assurance seems to include the fact that, in view of all that is coming upon the world and what lies in store for the church, it is a blessing for the Christian to depart this present earthly life rather than remain on the earth until the LORD’s coming. The prophet Isaiah expressed the same sentiment with regard to the times in which he lived:

The righteous man perishes, but no one takes it to heart; devout men are removed, but no one understands that the righteous are removed [in order that they may be spared] from the [coming] calamity. ²The righteous enters into peace; they rest in their [death] beds, each one who walked in the way of righteousness.Isa. 57:1-2

The Holy Spirit adds an explanation of the reasons for this blessedness: “Blessed are those who die in the Lord...so that they may rest from their labors.” The Scripture’s view of the Christian’s life in this world is a life of spiritual labor: labor to remain faithful to Christ in the face of manifold trials and temptations; labor to produce fruit for God in our lives and in Christ’s church.

Not only is there rest for Christians in the kingdom of heaven, but also a further reason for their blessedness is the fact that “their works will follow them.” What is being referred to here are the Christian’s “works of faith” (1 Thess. 1:5); works that stem from faith and are inspired and stimulated by faith. These works accompany the Christian into the kingdom of God where they have perpetual value and receive a full reward. With this in mind, the Apostle Paul exhorts the church: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor for the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). By way of illustration: When you enter a foreign country, you take the value of your money with you by exchanging it into the currency of the new country. So, too, do you take your Christian works with you into the kingdom of heaven, there to eternally enjoy their value and reap their reward.

Here is the third reason to fear God and give Him glory, namely, the fact that the Lord God is faithful to honor those who fear Him; that is to say, those who are devoted to Him, their dear Lord and Savior:

Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. ¹⁷They will be mine, declares the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. ¹⁸And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Mal. 3:16-18

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Finding ourselves in a world that even now is being visited in some measure by the judgment of God, and that has been appointed for Final Judgment; finding ourselves in a society that either ignores or scoffs at God’s visitations in judgment; let us be diligent to obey the commandment and exhortation of Revelation 14:7, “Fear God and give him glory.” May we be motivated to do so by the three reasons provided for us in this very passage of Scripture.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How does John describe the angel whom he sees flying in mid-air? See Rev. 14:6; cp. Matt. 28:19­-20a. What does John hear this angel cry out in a loud voice? See Rev. 14:7. How does the gospel mentioned in verse six relate to the commandment mentioned in verse seven? Note 1 Thess. 1:9b-10,​

Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. Rev. 14:6

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you...Matt. 28:19-20a

He said in a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water.' Rev. 14:7

To “fear God” is to reverence Him and render to Him the devotion and serve that is due Him.

...you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess.1:9b-10

2. What does a second angel now proclaim? See Rev. 14:8. Along with a hedonistic lifestyle, what else is characteristic of “Babylon”? See Rev. 17:6. In the midst of her hedonistic orgies, why would “Babylon” persecute the Christian church? Note 1 Pet. 4:3-4. Do we in the Western world find ourselves living in a contemporary “Babylon”?

A second angel followed and said, 'Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! [the one] who caused the nations to drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.' Rev. 14:8

The imagery of “Babylon the Great” depicts a great hedonistic society; one that is characterized by debauchery.

Note Rev. 17:3-5:
I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast... ⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold and precious [gem] stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, full of abominable things, [namely], the filthy things of her immorality. ⁵A mysterious title was written on her forehead: Babylon the Great, The Mother of the Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. Rev. 17:3-5

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who have been martyred for Jesus. Rev. 17:6

You have spent enough time in the past doing what the Gentiles choose to do: living for debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. ⁴Engaged in such a lifestyle, they think that it is strange for you not to plunge with them into the same flood of dissolute living, so they malign you. 1 Pet. 4:3-4

3. What awful warning is proclaimed by the third angel? See Rev. 14:9-11. How does the severity of this judgment compare with your view of God? Do you tend to focus only on God’s love, viewing Him almost as a benevolent servant? Does your view of God exclude His righteous indignation and wrath against all who give their worship and their allegiance to themselves and their pleasures and to the demonically-inhabited false religions of the world, whether it be pagan idolatry (cf. 1 Cor. 10:20) or sophisticated humanism? Note Isa. 2:17-18,

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰he shall indeed drink the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his anger. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.' ¹¹The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; there is no rest day and night for those who worship the beast and his image, for whoever receives the mark [that represents] his name.Rev. 14:9-11

[Am I saying] that meat offered to idols has [any] special significance? Or that an idol is anything? ²⁰[No!] But [what I am telling you is] that the sacrifices of the Gentiles are being offered to demons, not to God; and I do not want you to have communion with demons. 1 Cor. 10:19b-20

The arrogance of man shall be brought low, and the pride of man shall be humbled; and the LORD alone shall be exalted on that day, ¹⁸and the idols will totally disappear. Isa. 2:17-18

4. What is required of the Christian as we live in a world given over to hedonism and devoted to paganism; a world that hates the God of heaven and those who are devoted to Him? See Rev. 14:12. What is the source of our Christian perseverance? See Phil. 4:13; Eph. 6:10; 1 Jn. 4:4; 2 Tim. 4:17,

This calls for perseverance on the part of the saints, those who obey God’s commandments and maintain their faith in Jesus. Rev. 14:12

I am able to do all things by him who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

...be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Eph. 6:10

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 Jn. 4:4

...the Lord stood by me and strengthened me... 2 Tim. 4:17

5. What does the voice from heaven proclaim to John and to us? See Rev. 14:13. As the Satanically-inspired hostility against Christ’s church escalates and intensifies, what means of deliverance does the Lord graciously provide? Note Isa. 57:1-2. What assurance are we given concerning our work done for Christ Jesus our Lord? See, also, 1 Cor. 15:58. What is significant about the fact that our works shall “follow” us rather than precede us; are the works the source of our salvation, or the fruit of that salvation? See Eph. 2:8-10,

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Indeed,' says the Spirit, 'so that they may rest from their labors; for their works will follow them.' Rev. 14:13

The righteous man perishes, but no one takes it to heart; devout men are removed, but no one understands that the righteous are removed [in order that they may be spared] from the [coming] calamity. ²The righteous enters into peace; they rest in their [death] beds, each one who walked in the way of righteousness.Isa. 57:1-2

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor for the Lord is not in vain.1 Cor. 15:58

It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹it is not of works, therefore, no one can boast. ¹⁰We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance in order for us to walk in them. Eph. 2:8-10