The Smoke of Torment Forever Revelation 14:11

After writing about the “beast or the antichrist” and “the dragon – the devil or Satan” being worshiped by people upon the earth, John the apostle wrote how a “third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb”, and in chapter fourteen and verse eleven of Revelation John shares more about the judgment of those who worship the beast and how, “the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever” where we read:

And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

The verse reads, “And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever:” John began with the words, “and the smoke” which means “and the smoke as from a burning pile” “of their torment” or “the torture of the people who worship the antichrist and receive his mark” “ascends up” which means “arises and springs up” “for ever and ever” or “till the unbroken age, perpetuity of time and eternity”. John shared how “the smoke” of the burning of the people who “worship” the antichrist and receive his mark shall rise up for all of eternity.

The verse goes on to say, “and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.” John continued with the words, “and they have no rest” which means “and the people who worship the antichrist and receive his mark will have no intermission, cessation of any motion or recreation” “day nor night” or “not within the interval between sunrise and sunset or the time when work ceases between sunset and sunrise”, “who worship” which means “that adore, reverence and pay homage to” “the beast” or “the ferocious animal or antichrist” “and his image” which means “and the antichrist's figure, likeness, representation and resemblance”, “and whosoever receives” which means “and whatever person accepts, lays hold of, claims and procures” “the mark” or “the sign, stamp and branded graven work” “of his name” which means “pertaining to everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing and remembering”. John shared how those who “worship” the antichrist and “received his mark” will have no “recreation or cessation of torment forever”.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we begin to see the horrific fate for those who “worship” the antichrist and “receive” his “mark”. Not only will the “smoke” of their “burning” rise up forever, but they shall have “no rest” from these things in either the “day or the night”. God desires to “save” everyone from this torturous time, and those who receive God's Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” shall be kept from these things, but woe be to those who persist in their pride and refuse to accept Jesus as their “Savior and Lord”.

Next time John declares, “here is the patience of the saints”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.