◄ Revelation 14:9 ►
And a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand,
Study Bible
And a third angel followed them
The phrase introduces the third angel in a sequence of three, emphasizing the divine order and completeness often associated with the number three in biblical literature. The Greek word for "angel" is "ἄγγελος" (angelos), meaning "messenger." This highlights the role of angels as divine messengers delivering God's warnings and judgments. The presence of a third angel signifies the importance and urgency of the message being delivered, as it follows the proclamations of the first two angels in Revelation 14.

calling out in a loud voice
The phrase "calling out in a loud voice" underscores the urgency and importance of the message. The Greek word for "loud" is "μεγάλης" (megalēs), from which we derive the English word "mega," indicating something great or significant. This loud proclamation ensures that the message is heard by all, symbolizing God's desire for all to be aware of the impending judgment and the consequences of their choices.

If anyone worships the beast and its image
"Worships" comes from the Greek word "προσκυνέω" (proskyneō), meaning to bow down or show reverence. The "beast" refers to the apocalyptic figure introduced earlier in Revelation, symbolizing oppressive, anti-God powers. The "image" of the beast represents idolatry and false worship. Historically, this reflects the Roman Empire's demand for emperor worship, but it also serves as a timeless warning against any form of idolatry or allegiance to worldly powers that oppose God.

and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand
The "mark" is a symbol of allegiance and identity, contrasting with the "seal of God" on the foreheads of the faithful (Revelation 7:3). The Greek word for "mark" is "χάραγμα" (charagma), which can mean an engraving or stamp. The forehead and hand signify thoughts and actions, respectively, indicating a total commitment to the beast's authority. This mark is a counterfeit to God's seal, representing a deliberate choice to reject God and align with the beast's system. Historically, this could relate to economic and social pressures faced by early Christians, but it also serves as a prophetic warning for future generations to remain steadfast in their faith.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Third Angel
This angel is the third in a sequence of three angels delivering messages in Revelation 14. The angel's proclamation serves as a warning against worshiping the beast and receiving its mark.

2. The Beast
Symbolic of a powerful, anti-God entity or system that demands worship and allegiance, often interpreted as representing oppressive governments or ideologies contrary to God's kingdom.

3. The Image of the Beast
Represents the manifestation or representation of the beast's power and authority, which people are tempted to worship.

4. The Mark of the Beast
A symbolic mark indicating allegiance to the beast, often interpreted as a sign of loyalty to worldly systems opposed to God.

5. Forehead and Hand
Symbolic locations for the mark, representing thoughts (forehead) and actions (hand), indicating total allegiance and conformity to the beast's system.
Teaching Points
Allegiance Matters
The passage emphasizes the importance of where our ultimate allegiance lies. Christians are called to remain faithful to God, even in the face of pressure to conform to worldly systems.

Discernment in Worship
Believers must discern what they worship and ensure it aligns with God's truth, avoiding idolatry in any form.

Consequences of Compromise
The warning highlights the severe consequences of compromising one's faith by aligning with anti-God systems.

Spiritual Warfare
The passage reminds Christians of the ongoing spiritual battle and the need to stand firm in faith against spiritual deception.

Endurance and Faithfulness
Encourages believers to endure trials and remain faithful, trusting in God's ultimate victory over evil.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the warning of the third angel in Revelation 14:9 challenge us to examine our own allegiances in today's world?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our thoughts and actions (symbolized by the forehead and hand) reflect our commitment to God rather than worldly systems?

3. How does the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3 inspire us to resist pressures to conform to ungodly practices?

4. What practical steps can we take to develop discernment in identifying and resisting modern-day "beasts" or systems that oppose God's kingdom?

5. How can we encourage one another to remain faithful and endure in the face of spiritual and societal pressures, as highlighted in Revelation 14:9?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Revelation 13
Provides context for the beast and its image, detailing the rise of the beast and the implementation of the mark.

Deuteronomy 6:8
Discusses binding God's commandments on the hand and forehead, contrasting allegiance to God with allegiance to the beast.

Daniel 3
The account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's image parallels the call to resist worshiping the beast's image.
Sermons
A Song of FreedomJ. M. Hoppin.Revelation 14:1-13
Absolute Obedience to the Guidance of ChristBp. Woodford.Revelation 14:1-13
Angelic IncompetencyT. De Witt Talmage.Revelation 14:1-13
Devotion to ChristR. Forgan, B. D.Revelation 14:1-13
Man Training for HeavenHomilistRevelation 14:1-13
Music in HeavenG. Kingsley.Revelation 14:1-13
Musical Art in its Relation to Divine WorshipJ. W. Shackelford, D. D.Revelation 14:1-13
The 144,000J. A. Seiss, D. D.Revelation 14:1-13
The Church God's FirstfruitsW. Milligan, D. D.Revelation 14:1-13
The Communion of SaintsArchdeacon Manning.Revelation 14:1-13
The Followers of JesusT. Kidd.Revelation 14:1-13
The Followers of the LambC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 14:1-13
The Followers of the LambW. Dyer.Revelation 14:1-13
The Greater SalvationS. Conway, B. A.Revelation 14:1-13
The Music of HeavenS. D. Hillman.Revelation 14:1-13
The Name on the ForeheadPreacher's Portfolio.Revelation 14:1-13
The New SongJames Kidd, B.A.Revelation 14:1-13
The New SongT. G. Selby.Revelation 14:1-13
The New Song in the SoulFred. Brooks.Revelation 14:1-13
The Song of the RedeemedR. Watson.Revelation 14:1-13
The Sublimest Human DistinctionHomilistRevelation 14:1-13
The Unlearned Song of the RedeemedC. A. Bartol.Revelation 14:1-13
TruthfulnessRevelation 14:1-13
UndefiledW. Milligan, D. D.Revelation 14:1-13
HellJ. Saurin.Revelation 14:9-12
PunishmentR. Green Revelation 14:9-12
Soul Prostitution and Soul LoyaltyD. Thomas, D. D.Revelation 14:9-12
Soul Prostitution and Soul LoyaltyD. Thomas Revelation 14:9-12
The Most Awful Threatening the Bible ContainsS. Conway Revelation 14:9-12
People
John
Places
Babylon, Mount Zion, Patmos
Topics
Angel, Anyone, Beast, Bow, Brow, Exclaiming, Follow, Followed, Forehead, Gives, Homage, Image, Loud, Mark, Messenger, Receive, Receives, Receiveth, Saying, Statue, Third, Voice, Wild, Worship, Worshipeth, Worshippeth, Worships
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 14:9

     5154   forehead

Revelation 14:7-9

     5196   voice

Revelation 14:8-10

     4544   wine

Revelation 14:8-11

     4125   Satan, agents of

Revelation 14:9-11

     4369   sulphur
     4609   beast, the
     5518   seal

Revelation 14:9-13

     4113   angels, agents of judgment

Library
The Approval of the Spirit
TEXT: "Yea, saith the Spirit."--Rev. 14:31. The world has had many notable galleries of art in which we have been enabled to study the beautiful landscape, to consider deeds of heroism which have made the past illustrious, in which we have also read the stories of saintly lives; but surpassing all these is the gallery of art in which we find the text. Humanly speaking John is the artist while he is an exile on the Island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. The words he uses and the figures he presents …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

The Declensions of Christianity, an Argument of Its Truth.
"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" That the coming of the Son of man, is here intended of Christ's coming at the commencement of the latter day glory, hath been alleged in the preceding discourse, and several considerations adduced in proof. Additional evidence will arise from a view of the prophecies relative to the great declensions which were to take place in the church, during the gospel day. These, we observed, are of two kinds, one, a corruption of religion, …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

Heavenly Worship
"Up to her courts, with joys unknown, The sacred tribes repaired." Between the wings of the cherubim Jehovah dwelt; on the one altar there all the sacrifices were offered to high heaven. They loved Mount Sion, and often did they sing, when they drew nigh to her, in their annual pilgrimages, "How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord God of hosts, my King and my God!" Sion is now desolate; she hath been ravished by the enemy; she hath been utterly destroyed; her vail hath been rent asunder, and the virgin …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

20TH DAY. Bliss in Dying.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord."--REV. xiv. 13. Bliss in Dying. My Soul! is this blessedness thine in prospect? Art thou ready, if called this night to lie down on thy death-pillow, sweetly to fall asleep in Jesus? What is the sting of death? It is sin. Is death, then, to thee, robbed of its sting, by having listened to the gracious accents of pardoning love, "Be of good cheer, thy sins, which are many, are all forgiven thee?" If thou hast made up thy …
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

Wherefore Also the virgins of God Without Blame Indeed...
49. Wherefore also the virgins of God without blame indeed, "follow the Lamb whithersoever He shall have gone," both the cleansing of sins being perfected, and virginity being kept, which, were it lost, could not return: but, because that same Apocalypse itself, wherein such unto one such were revealed, in this also praises them, that "in their mouth there was not found a lie:" [2205] let them remember in this also to be true, that they dare not say that they have not sin. Forsooth the same John, …
St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

Let the Inner Ear of the virgin Also...
24. Let the inner ear of the virgin also, thy holy child, hear these things. I shall see [2284] how far she goes before you in the Kingdom of That King: it is another question. Yet ye have found, mother and daughter, Him, Whom by beauty of chastity ye ought to please together, having despised, she all, you second, marriage. Certainly if there were husbands whom ye had to please, by this time, perhaps, you would feel ashamed to adorn yourself together with your daughter; now let it not shame you, …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

Letter Xlix to Romanus, Sub-Deacon of the Roman Curia.
To Romanus, Sub-Deacon of the Roman Curia. He urges upon him the proposal of the religious life, recalling the thought of death. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to his dear Romanus, as to his friend. MY DEAREST FRIEND, How good you are to me in renewing by a letter the sweet recollection of yourself and in excusing my tiresome delay. It is not possible that any forgetfulness of your affection could ever invade the hearts of those who love you; but, I confess, I thought you had almost forgotten yourself …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Whether virginity is the Greatest of virtues?
Objection 1: It would seem that virginity is the greatest of virtues. For Cyprian says (De Virgin. [*De Habitu Virg.]): "We address ourselves now to the virgins. Sublime is their glory, but no less exalted is their vocation. They are a flower of the Church's sowing, the pride and ornament of spiritual grace, the most honored portion of Christ's flock." Objection 2: Further, a greater reward is due to the greater virtue. Now the greatest reward is due to virginity, namely the hundredfold fruit, according …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Glory of the virgins and Religious.
Here are two other bright throngs that present themselves. They are the holy Virgins and the Religious. Let us first contemplate the bright glory of the virgins. I quote again from the Apocalypse: "And I heard a great voice from heaven. . . . And the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers, harping upon their harps. And they sang as it were a new canticle before the throne. . . . And no man could say that canticle but those hundred and forty-four thousand. These are they who were not defiled …
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

Naked or Clothed?
'As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.'--ECCLES. v. 15. '... Their works do follow them.'--REV. xiv. 13. It is to be observed that these two sharply contrasted texts do not refer to the same persons. The former is spoken of a rich worldling, the latter of 'the dead who die in the Lord.' The unrelieved gloom of the one is as a dark background against which the triumphant assurance of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ripe for Gathering
'Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. 2. And He said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon My people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. 3. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. 4. Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Which Sentence Dishonoreth the Holy Martyrs, Nay Rather Taketh Away Holy Martyrdoms Altogether. ...
3. Which sentence dishonoreth the holy Martyrs, nay rather taketh away holy martyrdoms altogether. For they would do more justly and wisely, according to these men, not to confess to their persecutors that they were Christians, and by confessing make them murderers: but rather by telling a lie, and denying what they were, should both themselves keep safe the convenience of the flesh and purpose of the heart, and not allow those to accomplish the wickedness which they had conceived in their mind. …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

Therefore, if we Compare the Things Themselves, we May no Way Doubt that The...
28. Therefore, if we compare the things themselves, we may no way doubt that the chastity of continence is better than marriage chastity, whilst yet both are good: but when we compare the persons, he is better, who hath a greater good than another. Further, he who hath a greater of the same kind, hath also that which is less; but he, who only hath what is less, assuredly hath not that which is greater. For in sixty, thirty also are contained, not sixty also in thirty. But not to work from out that …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

Letter Lii to Another Holy virgin.
To Another Holy Virgin. Under a religious habit she had continued to have a spirit given up to the world, and Bernard praises her for coming to a sense of her duty; he exhorts her not to neglect the grace given to her. 1. It is the source of great joy to me to hear that you are willing to strive after that true and perfect joy, which belongs not to earth but to heaven; that is, not to this, vale of tears, but to that city of God which the rivers of the flood thereof make glad (Ps. xlvi. 4). And in …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Appendix the Daughters of Jerusalem
The question is frequently asked, Who are represented by the daughters of Jerusalem? They are clearly not the bride, yet they are not far removed from her. They know where the Bridegroom makes His flock to rest at noon; they are charged by the Bridegroom not to stir up nor awaken His love when she rests, abiding in Him; they draw attention to the Bridegroom as with dignity and pomp He comes up from the wilderness; their love-gifts adorn His chariot of state; they are appealed to by the bride for …
J. Hudson Taylor—Union and Communion

Vanity of Human Glory.
"The world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not."--1 John iii. 1 Of St. Simon and St. Jude, the Saints whom we this day commemorate, little is known[1]. St. Jude, indeed, still lives in the Church in his Catholic epistle; but of his history we only know that he was brother to St. James the Less, and nearly related to our Lord and that, like St. Peter, he had been a married man. Besides his name of Jude or Judas, he is also called Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus in the Gospels. Of St. Simon we only …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

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