Revelation 14

Introduction

Revelation 14 serves as an interlude between the vision of the two beasts in Revelation 13 and the pouring out of the seven bowls of wrath beginning in Revelation 15. The chapter functions as a kind of preview of coming attractions -- offering assurance, warning, and the certainty of final judgment in rapid succession. It opens with a scene of triumph and security: the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000, who bear his name and sing a new song. This vision of redemption and purity stands in deliberate contrast to the beast's followers who bear his mark on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16-17).

The chapter then unfolds through a series of angelic proclamations. Three angels deliver three messages: the eternal gospel with a call to fear God, the announcement of Babylon's fall, and a warning against receiving the mark of the beast. A heavenly voice pronounces the second of Revelation's seven beatitudes -- "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." Finally, two harvest visions close the chapter: a grain harvest by one like the Son of Man, and a grape harvest that fills the great winepress of God's wrath, producing a river of blood that stretches 1,600 stadia. Together these scenes frame the ultimate choice facing humanity: loyalty to the Lamb or allegiance to the beast, with the consequences of each made clear.

The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion (vv. 1-5)

¹ Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps. ³ And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

¹ And I looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of great thunder, and the sound that I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. ³ And they sing what seems a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000, those who had been purchased from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were purchased from among humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And no falsehood was found in their mouth; they are without blemish.

Notes

The chapter opens with the formulaic καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδού ("and I looked, and behold"), signaling a new and significant vision. The Lamb (τὸ Ἀρνίον) stands on τὸ ὄρος Σιών ("Mount Zion"), a location with deep Old Testament roots. Zion is the place of God's dwelling (Psalm 2:6, Psalm 48:1-2), the mountain from which deliverance comes (Joel 2:32, Obadiah 1:17), and the gathering point of the redeemed in prophetic hope (Isaiah 24:23, Micah 4:7). Whether John envisions the earthly Jerusalem or the heavenly Zion (as in Hebrews 12:22) is debated; the presence of the throne and the four living creatures in verse 3 suggests the heavenly reality that the earthly mountain only shadows.

The 144,000 bear the Lamb's name and the Father's name γεγραμμένον ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων αὐτῶν ("written on their foreheads"). This directly contrasts the mark of the beast placed on foreheads and hands in Revelation 13:16. The perfect participle γεγραμμένον ("having been written") indicates a completed and enduring inscription -- their belonging to the Lamb is settled and permanent. This group was first introduced in Revelation 7:1-8, where they were sealed before the outpouring of judgment.

The sound from heaven is described with three similes: like ὑδάτων πολλῶν ("many waters"), like βροντῆς μεγάλης ("great thunder"), and like κιθαρῳδῶν κιθαριζόντων ἐν ταῖς κιθάραις αὐτῶν ("harpists playing on their harps"). The first two convey overwhelming volume and power; the third introduces melody and artistry. Together they suggest music that is both powerful and melodic.

The ᾠδὴν καινήν ("new song") echoes the "new song" of Revelation 5:9, sung before the throne. The adjective καινός means "new in kind or quality" (as opposed to νέος, "new in time") -- this is a song of a radically different order, arising from an experience of redemption that only the 144,000 share. The verb ἠγορασμένοι ("purchased, redeemed") is a marketplace term -- they have been bought ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ("from the earth"), conveying separation from the world-system through the purchase price of the Lamb's blood (compare 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Corinthians 7:23).

Verse 4 describes the 144,000 with the phrase μετὰ γυναικῶν οὐκ ἐμολύνθησαν ("they have not defiled themselves with women"), followed by παρθένοι γάρ εἰσιν ("for they are virgins"). The verb μολύνω means "to stain, defile, soil" and is used elsewhere only in 1 Corinthians 8:7 (of a defiled conscience) and Revelation 3:4 (of garments not soiled). The word παρθένος ("virgin") is applied here to males, which is unusual in Greek literature. The term ἀπαρχή ("firstfruits") draws on the Old Testament practice of offering the first portion of the harvest to God (Leviticus 23:10, Deuteronomy 26:1-2). As firstfruits, these 144,000 are the initial offering that consecrates the whole harvest -- they represent and anticipate a greater gathering to come.

Verse 5 echoes the Servant Song of Isaiah 53:9 ("no deceit was found in his mouth") and the description of the blameless in Zephaniah 3:13 ("no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouths"). The word ψεῦδος means "lie, falsehood" -- in a world dominated by the deceptions of the dragon and the false prophet (Revelation 13:14), these are people defined by truthfulness. The adjective ἄμωμοι ("without blemish, blameless") is a sacrificial term used of animals fit for offering (Leviticus 1:3), reinforcing the firstfruits imagery.

Interpretations

The statement that the 144,000 "have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins" (v. 4) has generated significant interpretive debate.

Some interpreters read this literally as referring to male celibacy. On this view, the 144,000 are a special group of men who have maintained sexual abstinence, either as an ascetic practice or because they are set apart for a particular eschatological mission. Certain monastic and Catholic traditions have drawn on this verse to commend celibacy as a higher spiritual calling, noting Paul's discussion of the advantages of singleness in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35.

The majority Protestant reading takes the language as a metaphor for spiritual purity and faithfulness to God. Throughout the Old Testament, idolatry is described as sexual unfaithfulness -- spiritual adultery or prostitution (see Hosea 1:2, Jeremiah 3:6-9, Ezekiel 16:15-22). In Revelation specifically, "Babylon the great" is characterized as a prostitute who seduces the nations (Revelation 17:1-5), and her "sexual immorality" (πορνεία) represents idolatrous allegiance to the beast's system. On this reading, the 144,000 are "virgins" because they have refused to commit spiritual adultery by worshiping the beast -- they have kept themselves pure in their exclusive devotion to Christ. The fact that the term παρθένος is applied to men — an unusual usage, as παρθένος most commonly designates female virgins in Greek literature — supports taking it figuratively, since the term's natural associations with feminine sexual purity do not map neatly onto a group of men.

A third view draws on Old Testament regulations for holy war, where soldiers were required to abstain from sexual relations before battle (Deuteronomy 23:9-10, 1 Samuel 21:5, 2 Samuel 11:11). On this reading, the 144,000 are depicted as warriors consecrated for eschatological combat -- the Lamb's holy army, ceremonially prepared for the final conflict with the beast. This reading coheres with the military imagery of the sealing in Revelation 7:1-8 and the broader theme of spiritual warfare in the Apocalypse.

The First Angel: The Eternal Gospel (vv. 6-7)

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth -- to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. ⁷ And he said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters."

⁶ And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth -- to every nation and tribe and language and people -- ⁷ saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters."

Notes

The angel flies ἐν μεσουρανήματι ("in midheaven"), the point directly overhead and the position of maximum visibility. This is the same location as the eagle who announced three woes in Revelation 8:13. The word ἄλλον ("another") implies this angel joins a sequence already in progress.

The phrase εὐαγγέλιον αἰώνιον ("eternal gospel") is notable: this is the only occurrence of εὐαγγέλιον ("gospel") in the entire book of Revelation. The adjective αἰώνιος ("eternal, age-long") distinguishes this gospel from any temporal or provisional message -- it is the unchanging, ultimate declaration of God. Yet its content is not the Pauline gospel of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection, but a summons to φοβήθητε τὸν Θεόν ("fear God") and προσκυνήσατε τῷ ποιήσαντι ("worship the one who made"). The call to worship the Creator echoes Exodus 20:11 and Psalm 146:6 and stands in direct opposition to the demand to worship the beast in Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15.

The fourfold designation ἔθνος καὶ φυλὴν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ λαόν ("nation and tribe and language and people") is a recurring formula in Revelation (see Revelation 5:9, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 11:9, Revelation 13:7), emphasizing the universal scope of the proclamation.

The Second Angel: The Fall of Babylon (v. 8)

⁸ Then a second angel followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality."

⁸ And another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who from the wine of the fury of her sexual immorality has made all the nations drink."

Notes

The doubled cry ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν ("fallen, fallen") directly quotes Isaiah 21:9, where the prophet announces the fall of historical Babylon. The repetition conveys both certainty and finality. The prophetic aorist -- past tense for a future event -- presents Babylon's fall as so certain it can already be spoken of as done. This announcement is expanded at great length in Revelation 17:1-18:24, where Babylon's identity, sins, and judgment are described in elaborate detail.

The phrase ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς ("from the wine of the fury of her sexual immorality") packs multiple images into a single expression. The word θυμός here can mean "passion, fury, wrath" -- Babylon's immorality is itself a kind of intoxicating fury. The πορνεία ("sexual immorality") functions both literally and as a metaphor for idolatrous unfaithfulness, following the prophetic tradition of Jeremiah 51:7, where Babylon is "a gold cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunk." The verb πεπότικεν ("she has made to drink") is a perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing effects -- the nations remain in a state of intoxication from her influence.

The Third Angel: Warning Against the Mark of the Beast (vv. 9-12)

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, ¹⁰ he too will drink the wine of God's anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name." ¹² Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

⁹ And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted in the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment goes up unto the ages of ages, and they have no rest day or night -- those who worship the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." ¹² Here is the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Notes

The third angel's warning escalates the severity of the chapter's pronouncements. The conditional εἴ τις προσκυνεῖ ("if anyone worships") uses the present indicative, describing an ongoing pattern of worship, not a single momentary act. The punishment is described with layered imagery of wine: Babylon made the nations drink the wine of her immorality (v. 8), and now those who participated will drink ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ("of the wine of the wrath of God"). There is an irony: those intoxicated by Babylon's cup must now drain God's cup.

The phrase τοῦ κεκερασμένου ἀκράτου ("mixed undiluted") contains a deliberate paradox. The verb κεράννυμι means "to mix" (wine was normally diluted with water in the ancient world), but the adjective ἄκρατος means "unmixed, full strength." The wine has been "mixed" into the cup but is itself undiluted -- it is pure, uncut wrath. The pairing of θυμός ("fury, hot anger") and ὀργή ("settled wrath") in verse 10 heaps up vocabulary for divine anger: this is not a passing outburst but the settled, final expression of God's opposition to evil.

The punishment is described as βασανισθήσεται ἐν πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ ("he will be tormented with fire and sulfur"). Fire and sulfur recall the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24) and recur as imagery for eschatological judgment in Isaiah 34:9-10 and Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 21:8. The torment occurs ἐνώπιον ἀγγέλων ἁγίων καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Ἀρνίου ("before the holy angels and before the Lamb") -- this punishment takes place in full view of heaven.

Verse 11 intensifies the description: εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων ("unto the ages of ages") is the standard expression for unending duration in Greek, the same phrase used of God's own eternal existence (Revelation 4:9-10) and of the reign of Christ (Revelation 11:15). The phrase οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνάπαυσιν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός ("they have no rest day or night") stands in stark contrast to the rest promised to those who die in the Lord in verse 13.

Verse 12 draws a pastoral conclusion from this terrifying warning: ὧδε ἡ ὑπομονὴ τῶν ἁγίων ἐστίν ("here is the endurance of the saints"). The word ὑπομονή means "patient endurance, steadfast perseverance under pressure." The implication is that the knowledge of coming judgment sustains believers to keep resisting the beast's demands. The saints are further defined as those who τηροῦντες τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν πίστιν Ἰησοῦ ("keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus"). The genitive πίστιν Ἰησοῦ can be read as either "faith in Jesus" (objective genitive) or "the faithfulness of Jesus" (subjective genitive) -- likely both dimensions are in view. This same formula appeared in Revelation 12:17.

Interpretations

The statement that the worshipers of the beast "will be tormented in fire and sulfur" and that "the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever" (vv. 10-11) is a debated text in Christian theology regarding the nature and duration of final punishment.

The traditional view, held across most of church history and by the majority of Reformed, Catholic, and evangelical theologians, is eternal conscious torment. On this reading, the language is taken at face value: the punishment of the wicked is conscious suffering that lasts without end. The phrase εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων is the same expression used for God's own eternity and for the duration of the saints' reign with Christ (Revelation 22:5), so if it means "forever" in those contexts, consistency demands it means "forever" here as well. The absence of rest "day and night" reinforces ongoing consciousness. Proponents cite Matthew 25:46, where the same adjective αἰώνιος modifies both "eternal life" and "eternal punishment," and Revelation 20:10, where the devil, beast, and false prophet "will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Annihilationism (also called conditional immortality), held by some evangelicals and increasingly discussed in Protestant theology, argues that the final punishment of the wicked is their complete destruction -- extinction of being -- rather than endless suffering. Proponents note that the imagery of fire in Scripture often consumes what it burns (compare Matthew 3:12, Matthew 10:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:9). They argue that the "smoke rising forever" need not imply ongoing torment but may echo Isaiah 34:9-10, where the smoke of Edom rises "forever" even though the actual burning ceases -- the smoke is a permanent memorial to a completed destruction. They also argue that the primary Old Testament background (Sodom and Gomorrah) is an example of total annihilation, not ongoing suffering, and that Jude 1:7 describes it as "eternal fire" precisely because its effects are irreversible, not because the burning never stops.

A third approach reads the fire-and-sulfur language as metaphorical, representing the severity and finality of divine judgment without specifying its exact nature or duration. Proponents note that Revelation is a book saturated with symbolic imagery -- the beast, the prostitute, the winepress, the harvest -- and that the punishment imagery should be read within this symbolic register. On this view, the text conveys the absolute seriousness of opposing God without necessarily answering the philosophical question of the precise mode of eschatological punishment. Some who hold this view may still affirm either eternal conscious torment or annihilationism as the underlying reality to which the symbols point; the metaphorical reading is a hermeneutical stance, not a doctrinal conclusion.

Blessed Are the Dead Who Die in the Lord (v. 13)

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, "Blessed are the dead -- those who die in the Lord from this moment on."

"Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them."

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them."

Notes

This is the second of Revelation's seven beatitudes (the first is in Revelation 1:3; see also Revelation 16:15, Revelation 19:9, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:14). The command γράψον ("write!") marks this as a declaration of special importance, singled out for permanent record (compare Revelation 1:11, Revelation 2:1, Revelation 21:5).

The word μακάριοι ("blessed, fortunate, happy") is the same word used in the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-11. That the dead are called "blessed" is countercultural -- in the context of Revelation, where martyrdom under the beast's regime is a real prospect, this pronouncement reframes death not as defeat but as entrance into blessedness.

The qualifying phrase οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ("those who die in the Lord") uses a present participle, suggesting that the manner of their dying is characterized by their union with Christ. The phrase ἀπ᾽ ἄρτι ("from now on") may mark a turning point in the narrative -- from this moment in the eschatological timeline, death for the faithful carries a particular blessedness, perhaps because the final confrontation with the beast is now underway.

The Spirit's confirming ναί ("yes") provides divine ratification of the heavenly pronouncement. The purpose clause gives two reasons: they will ἀναπαήσονται ἐκ τῶν κόπων αὐτῶν ("rest from their labors") -- the noun κόπος denotes exhausting toil, burdensome labor, the kind of wearying work that characterizes life under persecution. This rest stands in deliberate contrast to the restlessness of the beast's worshipers in verse 11. Furthermore, τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ("their works follow with them") -- unlike earthly possessions, which cannot be taken beyond the grave, the deeds of the faithful accompany them as an enduring testimony. The verb ἀκολουθέω ("to follow") echoes the description of the 144,000 who "follow the Lamb wherever he goes" (v. 4), creating a thematic link between faithfulness in life and vindication in death.

The Grain Harvest of the Earth (vv. 14-16)

¹⁴ And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, "Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest, for the crop of the earth is ripe." ¹⁶ So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁴ And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, "Send out your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." ¹⁶ And the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Notes

The phrase ὅμοιον υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου ("one like a son of man") is drawn directly from Daniel 7:13, where "one like a son of man" comes on the clouds of heaven to receive dominion, glory, and a kingdom. This is Jesus' self-designation throughout the Gospels and the figure described in Revelation 1:13. The στέφανον χρυσοῦν ("golden crown") is a στέφανος -- a victor's wreath or crown of triumph, distinct from the διάδημα ("royal diadem") worn in Revelation 19:12. The δρέπανον ὀξύ ("sharp sickle") identifies this as a harvest scene, drawing on Joel 3:13: "Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe."

That an angel commands the one "like a son of man" to reap has puzzled interpreters. If this figure is Christ, how can an angel give him orders? The angel comes ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ ("out of the temple"), suggesting he bears a commission from God the Father -- he is a messenger conveying the Father's timing, not exercising authority over the Son. This coheres with Jesus' own statement that the hour of the end is known only to the Father (Matthew 24:36).

The verb ἐξηράνθη ("is ripe") literally means "has dried out" -- the harvest is over-ripe, fully mature, ready for cutting. Some interpreters understand this grain harvest as a harvest of the righteous (gathering believers), distinguishing it from the grape harvest of judgment that follows. Others see both harvests as depictions of judgment from different angles. The ambiguity may be intentional: the grain harvest is described without explicit language of wrath, while the grape harvest is explicitly linked to God's fury.

The Grape Harvest and the Winepress of God's Wrath (vv. 17-20)

¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Still another angel, with authority over the fire, came from the altar and called out in a loud voice to the angel with the sharp sickle, "Swing your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are ripe." ¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

¹⁷ And another angel came out of the temple that is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel, the one who has authority over the fire, came from the altar and called with a loud voice to the one holding the sharp sickle, saying, "Send out your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes have ripened." ¹⁹ And the angel swung his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress up to the bridles of the horses, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Notes

Unlike the grain harvest, the grape harvest is unambiguously a scene of judgment. The angel from the altar ὁ ἔχων ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρός ("the one who has authority over the fire") connects this scene to the prayers of the saints offered at the altar in Revelation 6:9-10 and Revelation 8:3-5 -- the altar fire that carried the saints' cries for justice now authorizes the harvest of judgment. This angel's emergence from τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ("the altar") ties the grape harvest to the theme of answered prayer: the blood of the martyrs cries out from under the altar, and now the vintage of divine retribution is gathered.

The verb ἤκμασαν ("have ripened") derives from ἀκμάζω ("to be at peak, to reach full bloom"), occurring only here in the New Testament. The grapes are at their fullest, most swollen state -- evil has reached its zenith. The word βότρυας ("clusters of grapes") occurs only here in the New Testament.

The image of τὴν ληνὸν τοῦ θυμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μέγαν ("the great winepress of the wrath of God") draws on Isaiah 63:1-6, where God treads the winepress alone in garments stained with the "lifeblood" of the nations, and on Joel 3:13, "Tread, for the winepress is full." The winepress is ἐπατήθη ἔξωθεν τῆς πόλεως ("trodden outside the city"). The "city" likely refers to Jerusalem, and the location "outside" may echo the site of Jesus' own crucifixion, which took place outside the city walls (Hebrews 13:12).

The final image is hyperbolic: blood rises ἄχρι τῶν χαλινῶν τῶν ἵππων ("up to the bridles of the horses") -- approximately four to five feet deep -- for a distance of σταδίων χιλίων ἑξακοσίων ("1,600 stadia"), approximately 184 miles or 296 kilometers. The number 1,600 may be symbolic: it is 4 x 4 x 100, where four is the number of the earth (four corners, four winds) and 100 intensifies it -- suggesting a judgment that covers the entire earth. Some have noted that 1,600 stadia is roughly the length of Palestine from north to south, which may reinforce the symbolic geography. The image is not literal geography but apocalyptic hyperbole for divine judgment against a world in rebellion -- total and inescapable. The winepress image recurs in Revelation 19:15, where Christ himself treads "the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."