Revelation 14:12
Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Here is a call
This phrase introduces a directive or an exhortation, emphasizing the importance of what follows. The Greek word for "call" (ὑπομονή, hypomonē) can also be translated as "endurance" or "steadfastness." It suggests a divine summons to remain firm in faith and practice, especially during times of trial. Historically, this call would resonate with early Christians facing persecution, reminding them of their higher purpose and the eternal perspective they must maintain.

for the perseverance
The term "perseverance" is derived from the Greek word "hypomonē," which implies a steadfast endurance under difficult circumstances. It is not merely passive waiting but an active, courageous holding on to faith. In the context of Revelation, this perseverance is crucial as believers face the trials and tribulations of the end times. It is a call to remain faithful and unwavering, reflecting the strength and resilience that comes from a deep-rooted trust in God.

of the saints
"Saints" refers to those who are set apart, the holy ones, or believers in Christ. The Greek word "hagios" signifies those who are consecrated to God, living lives that reflect His holiness. In the early church, saints were often those who faced persecution for their faith, and this term underscores their identity as God's chosen people. The perseverance of the saints is a testament to their commitment to God's commandments and their faith in Jesus, serving as a model for all believers.

who keep the commandments of God
To "keep" the commandments implies a diligent observance and adherence to God's laws. The Greek word "tereo" means to guard or watch over, suggesting an active and intentional effort to live according to God's will. This phrase highlights the importance of obedience as a mark of true discipleship. Historically, the commandments of God would include both the moral laws given in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus, emphasizing a life of righteousness and devotion.

and the faith of Jesus
The "faith of Jesus" can be understood in two ways: faith in Jesus or the faithfulness of Jesus. The Greek construction allows for both interpretations, but in this context, it likely refers to the believers' faith in Jesus as the Messiah and their trust in His redemptive work. This faith is not merely intellectual assent but a deep, abiding trust that influences every aspect of life. It is the foundation of the saints' perseverance, enabling them to endure trials and remain faithful to God's commandments. Historically, this faith was the cornerstone of the early Christian community, providing hope and strength in the face of persecution.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Saints
Refers to the believers in Christ who are called to endure and remain faithful amidst trials and tribulations.

2. Commandments of God
The divine laws and instructions given by God, which the saints are called to obey.

3. Faith of Jesus
The trust and belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, which the saints are to uphold.

4. Perseverance
The steadfastness and endurance required of the saints in the face of challenges.

5. Revelation
The book of prophecy written by the Apostle John, revealing the end times and the ultimate victory of God.
Teaching Points
Perseverance in Faith
Believers are called to remain steadfast in their faith, even when faced with trials and tribulations. This perseverance is a testament to their trust in God's promises.

Obedience to God's Commandments
Keeping God's commandments is a demonstration of our love and commitment to Him. It is essential for believers to align their lives with God's will as revealed in Scripture.

Faith of Jesus
Our faith should be centered on Jesus Christ, who is the author and perfecter of our faith. Trusting in His finished work on the cross is crucial for our spiritual journey.

Endurance in Trials
Trials are a part of the Christian journey, and enduring them with faith and patience is vital. This endurance strengthens our character and deepens our relationship with God.

Eternal Perspective
Keeping an eternal perspective helps believers to focus on the ultimate victory and reward that awaits those who persevere in faith and obedience.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of perseverance in Revelation 14:12 challenge your current approach to trials and difficulties in your life?

2. In what ways can you actively keep the commandments of God in your daily routine?

3. How does your faith in Jesus influence your decisions and actions? Can you identify areas where this faith needs strengthening?

4. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant trial. How did your faith and obedience to God help you endure it?

5. How can you maintain an eternal perspective in your life, especially when faced with temporary challenges and distractions?
Connections to Other Scriptures
James 1:12
This verse speaks about the blessing of those who persevere under trial, connecting to the call for perseverance in Revelation 14:12.

Matthew 24:13
Jesus emphasizes the importance of enduring to the end, which aligns with the perseverance of the saints.

1 John 5:3
Discusses the love of God being demonstrated through keeping His commandments, similar to the call in Revelation 14:12.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Encourages believers to run with endurance, fixing their eyes on Jesus, which parallels the faith of Jesus mentioned in Revelation 14:12.

Philippians 3:14
Paul speaks of pressing on toward the goal, which reflects the perseverance and faithfulness required of the saints.
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
A Glance into the World to ComeH. Monod.Revelation 14:12-13
A Letter from HeavenD. Roberts, D. D.Revelation 14:12-13
A Voice from HeavenC. H. Spurgeon.Revelation 14:12-13
Blessedness in DeathJohn Lyth.Revelation 14:12-13
Death in the LordA. T. Pierson, D. D.Revelation 14:12-13
Heaven's Description of the Sainted DeadHomilistRevelation 14:12-13
No Monday in HeavenRevelation 14:12-13
Patient Waiting Upon GodJ. A. Alexander, D. D.Revelation 14:12-13
Rest in HeavenPresbyterianRevelation 14:12-13
The Blessed DeadJ. B. Brown, B. A.Revelation 14:12-13
The Blessedness of Dying in the LordT. Gibbons, D. D.Revelation 14:12-13
The Blessedness of Dying in the LordThomas Allin.Revelation 14:12-13
The Blessedness of the Dead in ChristJohn Cairns, D. D.Revelation 14:12-13
The Blessedness of Them that Die in ChristD. Wilcox.Revelation 14:12-13
The Christian's DeathT. Guthrie, D. D.Revelation 14:12-13
The Faith of JesusCanon Gough.Revelation 14:12-13
The Triumphs of PatienceW. Jay.Revelation 14:12-13
The Two VoicesW. A. Gray.Revelation 14:12-13
People
John
Places
Babylon, Mount Zion, Patmos
Topics
Carefully, Commandments, Commands, Endurance, Faith, Faithful, God's, Keeping, Obey, Opportunity, Orders, Patience, Patient, Perseverance, Quiet, Saints, Strength
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Revelation 14:12

     2060   Christ, patience of
     5569   suffering, hardship
     7155   saints
     8251   faithfulness, to God
     8318   patience
     8405   commands, in NT
     8418   endurance
     8453   obedience
     8787   opposition, to God

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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