REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE - Chapter 14 - Verse 7

Verse 7. Saying with a loud voice. As if all the nations were summoned to hear.

Fear God. That is, reverence, honour, obey God. Render homage not to the beast, to his image, or to any idol, but to the only true God. This is the substance of the gospel—its end and design— to turn men from all forms of idol worship and superstition, to the worship of the only true God.

And give glory to him. To give glory to him is to acknowledge him as the only true God; to set up his pure worship in the heart; and to praise him as the great Ruler of heaven and earth.

For the hour of his judgment is come. His judgment on the beast and on those who worship him. The imagery here is substantially the same as in Da 7:9-10,14,26-27, and there can be no doubt that there is reference to the same subject. See Barnes on "Da 7:9, seq. The main idea is, that when God shall be about to cause his gospel to spread through the world, there will be, as it were, a solemn judgment on that Antichristian power which had so long resisted his truth and persecuted his saints, and that on the fall of that power his own kingdom will be set up on the earth; that is, in the language of Daniel, "the kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High."

And worship him that made heaven, and earth, etc. The true God, the Creator of all things. As already remarked, this is the ultimate design of the gospel, and, when this is accomplished, the great end for which it was revealed will be reached.

The design of this portion of the chapter, (Re 14:6-7,) also, was to comfort those to whom the book was addressed, and in the same way to comfort the church in all the persecution and opposition Which the truth would encounter. The ground of consolation then was, that a time was predicted when the "everlasting gospel" would be made to fly speedily through the earth, and when it would be announced that a final judgment had come upon the Antichristian power which had prevented its being before diffused over the face of the world. The same ground of encouragement and consolation exists now, and the more so as we see the day approaching; and in all times of despondency we should allow our hearts to be cheered as we see that great Antichristian power waning, and as we see evidence that the way is thus preparing for the rapid and universal diffusion of the pure gospel of Christ.

{g} "the hour" Re 15:4