Revelation 14:10

Rev 14:10. Ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ—ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ τῆς ὀργῆς, of the wine of wrath—in the cup of indignation) As the wine is to the cup, so is wrath to indignation. A designed difference of words: ch. Rev 16:19, Rev 19:15. ἡ ὀργὴ leads τὸν θυμὸν into action. Comp. Rom 2:8, note. חמה is θυμὸς, חרן ὀργὴ, in the LXX.—τοῦ κεκερασμένου ἀκράτου, which is poured in without mixture) κεράννυμι, I mix, is used generally for I pour in, even of unmixed wine.—ἄκρατον is unmixed, with which nought of grace or hope is blended. Such an unmixed potion is already mingled and prepared for the worshippers of the beast. There is at hand both a salvation, which awaits the saints, and a punishment, which overhangs the wicked. Psalms 75 (74):9, ποτήριον ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου οἴνου ἀκράτου, πλῆρες κεράσματος.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev_14:10. The καὶ αὐτός[3504] represents the details, as well as likewise the harlot herself, incurring the judgment.[3505]

πίεται (fut.). Winer, p. 84.

The οἶνος τοῦ θυμοῦ τ. θ. is represented in the ποτήριον τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτου; but the dreadful power of this wine of wrath is rendered conspicuous, since it is itself designated: τοῦ κεκερασμένου ἀκράτου. It is meant that in the cup of indignation there is found unmixed wine (ἀκρατος, Psa_74:9, LXX.), i.e., not tempered with water, and hence that the wine of wrath, thus set forth, works with its entire force. The contradiction in the words occurring in the connection of κεκερασμ. and ἀκράτ. is without difficulty, because[3506] the custom of adapting the wine for ordinary use, by mixing it with water, has brought with it a usage of words in which the κερᾷν, without giving prominence to its special signification, attains the further sense of ἐγχέειν εἰς κέρας, διδόναι πιεῖν, etc.[3507] So Ewald: I have drunken wine so prepared (mixed) as to be pure; De Wette, Ebrard, etc. According to Züll., the ἀκράτου is regarded not as undiluted wine, but as designating the compounded, i.e., with additions, as spices, myrrh, opiates, etc., whereby the Orientals make their wine still stronger; and thus it is indicated that the Divine cup of indignation contains no wine but a pure mixture, pure essence of mixtures. Hengstenb. interprets artificially, in a still different way.

καὶ βασανισθήσονται. Cf. Rev_9:5. The punishment of hell here described (ἐν πυρὶ κ. θείῳ, Rev_9:17, Rev_20:10) is not, with Grotius, to be resolved into pangs of conscience.

ἐνώπιον τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγ. κ. ἐν τ. ἀρνίον. Incorrectly, De Wette: According to the judgment. Rather, they suffer this their pain before the eyes of the holy angels, and of the Lamb despised and persecuted by the worshippers of the beast, which appears just on this account to render it the more bitter.[3508]

καὶ ὁ καπνὸς τοῦ βασανισμοῦ αὐτῶν, κ.τ.λ., according to Isa_34:10. Cf. Isa_19:3. It is to be observed, that in this passage βασανισμός is passive, in the sense of βάσανος. Cf., on the other hand, Isa_9:5.

ούκ ἔχουσιν ἀνάπαυσιν, κ.τ.λ., viz., in their βασανιαμός.[3509] The expression as Rev_4:8.

καὶ εἴ τις λαμβ. With grave emphasis this expression, individualizing the general conception, οί προσκυνοῦντες, affirms that every one who in any way resigns himself to the beast[3510] incurs that eternal torment.

[3504] Cf. Rev_14:17.

[3505] Cf. Ewald.

[3506] Cf. Wetst.

[3507] Rev_18:6.

[3508] Cf. Rev_11:12; Luk_16:23 sqq. Hengstenb.

[3509] Rev_20:10.

[3510] De Wette.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev 14:10 . κεκερασμένου here as in Rev 18:6 by oxymoron = “poured out,” the original meaning of “mixed” (with water) being dropped. The torture (depicted from Isa 34:9-10 ) is inflicted before the holy angels (who evidently sit as assessors at the judgment, En. Isa 48:9 ), ἁγίων being either an epitheton ornans or an allusion to Rev 12:8-9 . Normally the prophet refrains from introducing such spectators of doom (Rev 19:20 , Rev 20:10-14 ). “Fire is the divine cruelty of the Semitic religions” (Doughty), but the torment which Judaism designed for fallen angels and apostates is assigned here to the worshippers of the Cæsars. The Apocalypse is silent upon agents of torture; they are not the angels, much less the devil (who is himself punished, Rev 20:10 ). But, like 4 Ezr 7 [ver. 36] (“the furnace of Gehenna shall be disclosed and over against it the paradise of delight”), John locates the place of torment over against the place of rest. For such grim popular fancies Enoch (xxvii. 2, 3, xlviii. 9, xc. 26, 27) is mainly responsible; there (as in Clem. Hom , xvii.) the tortures proceed under the eyes of the righteous, though (especially in the later fragments, as in John’s Apoc.) the moralisation of the idea has advanced, until Gehenna vanishes from the scene of bliss. “It is impossible for us to understand how such a sight could be compatible with heavenly happiness” (Stanton, Jewish and Christian Messiah , p. 344; cf. Lecky’s European Morals , ii. 225 f.), but the psychological basis of the ghastly expectation can be verified in the cruder types of primitive and modern religion. Most critics delete καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου as another gloss ( cf. on Rev 14:4 ); the position of Jesus after the angels is not unexampled ( cf. Rev 1:4-5 ), even if before the holy angels were not taken (Bs., Baljon) as a periphrasis for the divine presence (Luk 12:8-9 ; Luk 15:10 ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The same--Greek, "he also," as the just and inevitable retribution.

wine of . . . wrath of God-- (Psa 75:8).

without mixture--whereas wine was so commonly mixed with water that to mix wine is used in Greek for to pour out wine; this wine of God's wrath is undiluted; there is no drop of water to cool its heat. Naught of grace or hope is blended with it. This terrible threat may well raise us above the fear of man's threats. This unmixed cup is already mingled and prepared for Satan and the beast's followers.

indignation--Greek, "orges," "abiding wrath," But the Greek for "wrath" above (Greek, "thumou") is boiling indignation, from (Greek, "thuo") a root meaning "to boil"; this is temporary ebullition of anger; that is lasting [AMMONIUS], and accompanied with a purpose of vengeance [ORIGEN on Psa 2:5].

tormented . . . in the presence of . . . angels-- (Psa 49:14; Psa 58:10; Psa 139:21; Isa 66:24). God's enemies are regarded by the saints as their enemies, and when the day of probation is past, their mind shall be so entirely one with God's, that they shall rejoice in witnessing visibly the judicial vindication of God's righteousness in sinners' punishment.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. The wine of the wrath of God] As they have drunk the intoxicating wine of idolatry or spiritual fornication, they shall now drink the wine of God's wrath, which is poured out into the cup of his indignation. This is an allusion to the poisoned cup, which certain criminals were obliged to drink, on which ensued speedy death. See Clarke on Heb 2:9.

Shall be tormented with fire and brimstone] An allusion to the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrha for their unnatural crimes.

Presence of the holy angels, and-of the Lamb] These being the instruments employed in their destruction; the Lamb-the Lord Jesus Christ, acting as judge.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. drink of the wine of the wrath of God] Psa_75:8 (9); Isa_51:17; Isa_51:22; Jer_25:15 sqq.

poured out without mixture] Lit. mixed unmixed: there is prob. nothing meant but the sense of the A. V., the “pouring out” of wine being usually a process of “mixing.” But the paradoxical form of expression comes from the LXX. of Psa_75:8, where the word “red” (or perhaps “foaming,” “fiery”) is translated by “unmixed,” proving that St John knows and uses the LXX. version, though he corrects it when necessary.

with fire and brimstone] Perhaps rather in. See Rev_19:20, Rev_20:15, Rev_21:8.

in the presence, &c.] It is impossible to translate these words otherwise: they prove that the holy angels, and the Lamb Himself, acquiesce or something more in the justice and necessity of God’s awful judgements. This being so, we dare not give weight to sentimental or à priori arguments against their possibility, though to our present faculties God’s future treatment of sin may be as hard to reconcile with His known attributes as His permission of its origin in the past. We are forced to pass over the one difficulty: faith and humility will pass over the other.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,.... Which is a just punishment for their sin; that as such have drank of the wine of the wrath of Rome's fornication, Rev 14:8 so they shall now drink of the wine of God's wrath; it is usual in Scripture to express the punishment God inflicts upon wicked men by his wrath, and by the wine cup of his fury; and their suffering such punishment, by their drinking of it; see Jer 25:15 so , "the wine of wrath", is a phrase used by the Jews (q):

which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; sometimes called a cup of fury and of trembling, Isa 51:17 and is sometimes said to be full of mixture, Psa 75:8 of various ingredients of wrath and fury; and the words may be rendered here, "which is mixed without mixture": and though it seems to carry in it a contradiction, yet is true in different senses; it may be said to be mixed as wine with various sorts, which is the stronger, and sooner inebriates and intoxicates; or in allusion to the cup the Jews gave to malefactors, to stupefy them, when going to execution, which had various things put in it for that purpose; See Gill on Mar 15:23 and so designs the several ingredients in the cup of divine indignation, or the several ways in which God expresses his wrath; and yet it is without mixture; it is judgment without mercy, pure wrath, without the least allay; not so much as a drop of cold water granted, or the least your shown, or any mitigation of fury for a moment:

and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone: in allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are now a burning and a sulphurous lake, called Asphaltites, and is an example, pattern, and similitude of the vengeance of eternal fire, Jde 1:7 and hence the beast and false prophet are said to be cast into such a lake, Rev 19:20 and here their followers will be punished; which is expressive of the horrible torments of hell, and the dreadful punishment of the antichristian party there; see Psa 11:6 and what will aggravate their misery is, that it will be

in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; the latter will be their Judge, and will condemn them to everlasting burnings, and pronounce the sentence on them; and the former will be the executioners of it; they will gather them out, and sever them from the righteous, and cast them into the furnace of fire, and will be spectators of their punishment, and rejoice at it; and the sight of their power and glory will increase the torment of the sufferers.

(q) Zohar in Gen. fol. 51. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

10 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:

Ver. 10. Of the wine of the wrath of God] Wine for wine. God delights to retaliate and proportion; as he that said, Fumos vendidit, fumo pereat, He sold smoke, and by smoke let him perish. Imposturam faciunt et patientur, as the emperor said of them that sold glass for pearls: They deceived others, themselves shall be deceived much more.

Without mixture] viz. Of mercy, with which God usually moderateth the cup of believers’ afflictions. See Jas 2:13. They only sip off the top of God’s cup, Illud tantum quod suavius est et limpidius: That which is so sweet and so clear. Reprobates drink the dregs. They shall have an evil, an only evil without mixture of mercy, Eze 7:5. Judgment without mercy, darkness without light. Philosophers say that in this world non dantur purae tenebrae, there is no mere darkness; but reprobates, that here preferred darkness before light, shall be cast into utter darkness without the least glimpse of light. Non surget hic afflictio. God will make an utter end; "Affliction shall not rise up the second time," Nah 1:9. The wicked shall be totally and finally consumed at once.

In the presence of the holy angels] Who shall be not spectators only, but executioners also, as once at Sodom.

In the presence of the Lamb] Notwithstanding their Agnus Dei, Lamb of God and other superstitious trumperies.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God - See notes on Rev 14:8. The “wine of the wrath of God” is the cup in the hand of the Lord, which, when drunk, makes them reel and fall. The image would seem to have been taken from the act of holding out a cup of poison to a condemned man that he might drink and die. See the sentiment here expressed illustrated in the notes on Isa 51:17.

Which is poured out without mixture - Without being diluted with water - that is, in its full strength. In other words, there would be no mitigation of the punishment.

Into the cup of his indignation - The cup held in his hand, and given them to drink. This is expressive of his indignation, as it causes them to reel and fall. The sentiment here is substantially the same, though in another form, as what is expressed in 2Th 2:12. See the notes on that verse.

And he shall be tormented - Shall be punished in a manner that would be well represented by being burned with fire and brimstone. On the meaning of this word see the notes on Rev 9:5; Rev 11:10. Compare also Rev 18:7, Rev 18:10, Rev 18:15; Rev 20:10; Mat 8:29; Mar 5:7; Luk 8:28. The word commonly denotes “severe torture.”

With fire and brimstone - As if with burning sulphur. See the notes on Luk 17:28-30. Compare Psa 11:6; Job 18:15; Isa 30:33; Eze 38:22. The imagery is taken from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 19:24. The common representation of the punishment of the wicked is, that it will be in the manner here represented, Mat 5:22; Mat 13:42; Mat 18:9; Mat 25:41; Mar 9:44-48; 2Pe 3:7; Jud 1:7; Rev 20:14. Compare the Mat 5:22 note; Mar 9:44 note.

In the presence of the holy angels - This may mean either:

(a)That the angels will be present at their condemnation Mat 25:31, or.

(b)That the punishment will be actually witnessed by the angels, as it is most probable it will be. Compare Isa 66:24; Luk 16:23-26.

And in the presence of the Lamb - The Lamb of God - the final Judge. This also may mean either that the condemnation will occur in his presence, or that the punishment will be under his eye. Both of these things will be true in regard to him; and it will be no small aggravation of the punishment of the wicked, that it will occur in the very presence of their slighted and rejected Saviour.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Those that do yield a subjection to him, and profess his faith,

shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God; that is, shall feel the severity of God’s judicial dispensations, which in Scripture are expressed by the wine cup of his fury, Jer 25:15; see also Job 21:20; Psa 75:8; Isa 51:17; either from the intoxicating quality of wine, or the stupifying quality of it, when mixed with myrrh, or other stupifying things. But here it is said without mixture, which signifies their sensible feeling of the effects of Divine wrath.

And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; that is, in short, he shall go to hell at last; the exquisiteness of which torments, as to the pain of sense, is set out by fire and brimstone; brimstone being a material in which fire holds longest to torment any flesh put into it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Wine of the wrath of God—The double effect of wine—first to exhilarate, and then, when drunk in full quantity, to asphyxiate—is here alluded to. The former images the exciting power of sin, the latter its destructive effect. To sip the wine is a delight; to drink the cup to its dregs is destruction.

Poured out without mixture—The Greek has a play upon words: Which is mixed without mixture. The wine was so customarily mingled with water that the Greek word mixed came to signify prepared. Hence the phrase prepared without mixture could, as here, be verbally, mixed without mixture.

Cup of his indignation—As if divine justice had a regular retributive cup.

Fire and brimstone—Imagery borrowed from Gen_19:24. “Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire.” The imagery of fire and brimstone for the wicked is used in Psa_11:6, and brimstone in Job_18:15. This imagery is not used in the New Testament excepting in the Apocalypse, namely, here and Rev_19:20; Rev_21:8. “The addition of brimstone to the imagery,” says Stuart, “renders it exceedingly intense: for this not only makes the fire to rage with the greatest vehemence, but it is noisome to the smell and suffocating to the breath.” Of those who maintain that final punishment is in literal fire it may be asked, Is the brimstone literal?

Presence of angels… Lamb—Their sentence and execution take place by the judgment and solemn approbation of the holiest and most merciful of Kings. Holiness and love ratify the penalties of divine justice.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; he also... which is mingled unmixed (i.e. undiluted) in the cup of his anger (Revised Version). The warning is given to men while there is yet time; the fall of Babylon, which is prophetically spoken of as having taken place (ver. 8), being yet in the future; that is to say, at the end of the world. The language in which the retribution is couched corresponds to that in which the sin is described (see on ver. 8). The verb kerannumi , which originally signified "to mix," gradually came to signify "to pour," from the ancient custom of mixing spices, etc., as well as water, with the wine. The Authorized Version "poured out," therefore, is a correct translation. The pouring is in this case not accompanied by dilution with water; that is, God"s wrath will not be tempered, but the wicked will feel the full force of his anger. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. The figure which is here used to portray the punishment of the wicked is common in the Bible. Isa_34:9, Isa_34:10, cf. with Gen_19:28, may supply the origin of the simile. The punishment is in the presence of the angels and of the Lamb; that is, probably, the purity and bliss of heaven is visible to the wicked, and the sight of it, combined with the knowledge of its in- accessibility to themselves, is part of their torment. (cf. Luk_16:23) It is part of the wrath of God described in the first part of the verse.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall drink - With Babylon, chap. xvi, 19. And shall be tormented - With the beast, chap. xx, 10. In all the scripture there is not another so terrible threatening as this. And God by this greater fear arms his servants against the fear of the beast. The wrath of God, which is poured unmixed - Without any mixture of mercy; without hope. Into the cup of his indignation - And is no real anger implied in all this? O what will not even wise men assert, to serve an hypothesis!

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

angels

(See Scofield "Heb 1:4").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. Those who received the mark of the beast, worshiped the beast, drank the wine of Babylon, shall drink the wine of God's wrath. His judgments shall be poured out on them. Shall be tormented with fire and brimstone. These are symbols, just as wine and cup are symbols. The meaning is that they shall suffer bitter anguish.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

10. ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ τῆς ὀργῆς. A has ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου τὴν ὀργήν.

βασανισθήσεται. A has βασανισθήσονται.

ἀγγέλων ἁγίων. A has τῶν ἀγγέλων, B2 and Text. Rec[487] τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων.

[487] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

10. καὶ αὐτός. He, like Babylon; his fear of the Beast will not excuse him.

πίεται ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. Psa 75:8 (9); Isa 51:17; Isa 51:22; Jer 25:15 sqq.

κεκερασμένου ἀκράτου. Lit. “mixed unmixed”: there is prob. nothing meant but the sense of the A. V[498] “poured out unmixed,” the “pouring out” of wine being usually a process of “mixing.” But the paradoxical form of expression comes from the LXX. of Psa 75:8, where the word “red” (or perhaps “foaming,” “fiery”) is translated by “unmixed,” proving that St John knows and uses the LXX. version, though not exclusively dependent on it.

[498] Authorised Version.

ἐν πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ. Probably the preposition has the same Hebraistic sense as in phrases like ἐν μαχαίρῃ, ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ though the ordinary Greek sense would be possible here. See Rev 19:20, Rev 20:15, Rev 21:8.

ἐνώπιον … ἀρνίου. Only one translation of these words is possible: they prove that the holy angels, and the Lamb Himself, acquiesce or something more in the justice and necessity of God’s awful judgements. This being so, we dare not give weight to sentimental or à priori arguments against their possibility, though to our present faculties God’s future treatment of sin may be as hard to reconcile with His known attributes as His permission of its origin in the past. We are forced to pass over the one difficulty: faith and humility will pass over the other.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Poured out without mixture [κεκερασμενου ακρατου] . Lit., which is mingled unmixed. From the universal custom of mixing wine with water for drinking, the word mingle came to be used in the general sense of prepare by putting into the cup. Hence, to pour out.

Cup of His anger. Compare Psa 75:8.

Brimstone [θειω] . Commonly taken as the neuter of qeiov divine; that is, divine incense, since burning brimstone was regarded as having power to purify and to avert contagion. By others it is referred to quw to burn, and hence to sacrifice.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.