v. 6 – This interlude occurs immediately after the victorious scene of the previous chapter.  John sees “another angel” – this might just be a way to differentiate this scene from other angelic scenes earlier in the book.  This angel and the two more that follow proclaim judgment, and their message becomes more severe with each proclamation.  This first of three proclaiming angels is seen flying overhead – kind of like the eagle of woe we remember chapter eight.  The angel has an eternal gospel to proclaim to those on the earth.  This is not the gospel of redemption in Jesus Christ.  This is the gospel of God’s purpose for all people – “every nation and tribe and language and people.”  

 

v. 7 – The message is proclaimed in a “loud voice,” so all will hear.  This is an important call – a last chance for repentance and recognition that God is the Creator supreme and in control of all that is.  God has revealed Himself to humanity in a variety of ways, and this is one last call for remaining humanity to respect God, reverence God, and worship God.  In Acts 14:15, Barnabas and Paul made a similar plea to the people in Lystra.  Turn from worthless idols and serve the God who created everything.  This is a plea that goes beyond the cross.  It is an appeal to logic and is being proclaimed by an angel overhead.  For the church about to be persecuted harshly, this was a way of reinforcing the judgment that is waiting all who do not recognize God as God – Rome had no such respect.  They will either turn and revere God now, or they will realize later their error – too late.

 

v. 8 – A second angel appears with another proclamation.  This time it is an announcement of the fall of the great city Babylon.  The original hearers of this message understood full well the corruption and fall of Babylon – once the ruling empire of the world.  There is a flashback to the book of Daniel again as these words are read or heard.  Rome was the present day Babylon to this first century church.  Its power and moral depravity paralleled the ancient Babylon.  It represents all that is Godless and all that is therefore doomed to destruction ultimately.  However, it is a very real presence in the world that lures humanity away from the worship of God.  The tense of the proclamation speaks as if this has already happened – the judgment is a sure thing.  The symbol of Babylon can stand for the evil in the world in any time frame – it stands for all that is opposed to God and His will for humanity.  The main fault of this Babylon is not that she is evil, but she has influenced innocent humanity to join allegiance to her corruption.  She “made all nations drink the wine” of her immorality.  To drink her wine of immorality is to drink the wine of God’s wrath.  The center of pagan corruption will be destroyed and God’s judgment has been determined.  This may sound bizarre to us, but these are encouraging words to the early church.  They are given more hope of the victory that is coming for all the faithful in the Lord.

 

v. 9-10 – We see here another angel, a third angel, making yet another strong proclamation.  The words make us realize what will happen to all those who yielded to the demands of the beasts of chapter 13.  Their claim was that all must receive the mark and worship the image or else.  Here we see that all who do receive the mark and worship the image will be the recipients of the full potency of God’s wrath – undiluted (full strength).  This wrath of God will not be buffered by His mercy or grace.  This is the final outpouring of pure wrath on fallen humanity.  It will be poured out upon pagans and any who have denied the faith and yielded to the temptation to save their necks by aligning with the beasts and their demands.  This is a sobering call to all humanity, even the church.  Luke 12:9 tells us that whoever denies Jesus before men will be denied before the angels of God.  There can be allegiance to only one master.  The punishment of His wrath is the same as was for Sodom and Gomorrah – the symbols of sulfur and fire torture.  Only the angels and the Lamb (Jesus) will be present to witness this horrible punishment.  The faithful will not gloat over those who persecuted them.  Their torture is magnified by the fact that only the purest of heaven will look on as they suffer.

 

v. 11 – The terrifying reality of the wrath of God against evil is cemented in here in this verse.  We see here that the punishment and torture are not temporary but everlasting.  The gentle Jesus taught about this in Mark 9:44, when He said that it would be better to enter life maimed than have two hands and suffer in hell where the fire never goes out.  With all the symbolism that exists in this book, we see here the sobering reality of the punishment that awaits all those who take the mark and worship the Antichrist.  Our allegiance must be to God only through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.  The choice is ours as it was for the early church.  In weakness some may choose to deny the faith in order to avoid physical suffering and possibly death.  John is trying to get this to sink in.  There is no escaping suffering by joining the other side.  It is just postponing it for worse suffering at God’s hand for all who deny the faith.

 

v. 12 – Suffering will befall the saints of God.  John states that it will call for patient endurance.  Their suffering will be temporary, even if it results in death physically.  The torment of their persecutors will be eternal.  Those who are faithful to the commandments of God and to their faith in Jesus Christ will be victorious, and must suffer patiently.  This will be a test of their loyalty – remain faithful to death.

 

v. 13 – Blessed indeed – are those who remain faithful even in death for Christ.  This verse follows perfectly the previous one.  Yes the believers may suffer and even be put to death, but that is a victory in itself if they die with Christ.  John hears a voice in heaven – another unidentified voice.  He is commanded to write this down – a sign of the importance of what is being proclaimed to the church.  A double blessing is pronounced.  They will rest from their labors – or pain.  They have suffered enough for the sake of the faith.  Now it is time to rest and receive the blessings and rewards of being faithful to the end.  God will certainly not forget their (our) steadfastness in the faith in the face of persecution and torture at the hands of the evil pressure to renounce Jesus.  Great are the rewards and blessings for those to remain loyal to the end.