What will God be doing during the Tribulation?

Read Revelation 14.

While Satan, his world ruler, and his false religious leader try to govern the world by force, God is still very active and in ultimate control.  The earth will be experiencing systematic and planned judgments from God in order to demonstrate His power and to give every opportunity for unbelievers to respond.  If they do not, they will be the targets of these temporal judgments with an eternal judgment to come.

So, what will God be doing to further show His sovereignty and to lovingly continue His call for repentance?

1. He will continue to protect the 144,000. (vv.1-5)
One evidence of His power is seen the protection of these 144,000 Jewish (7:4-8), sexually virgin men who are committed followers of Jesus (v.4), who speak only the truth, and are blameless before the Lord.  Their ministry of proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah will continue unharmed despite the enormous pressure of the Great Tribulation.

2. He will send a heavenly messenger of hope. (vv.6-11)
This is the first of three angels in this chapter.  With all the rejection of Jesus that has taken place up to this point, the Lord will send out the good news message again to every man, woman, and child on earth.  There is only one eternal Gospel.  The Old Testament looked forward to a time when God would ultimately provide for the removal of sin and Messiah would come.  This redemptive plan came to fruition when Jesus paid the price on the cross as God's sacrificial Lamb and our substitute.  The Gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures."  There is no other Gospel.  "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8)

This angel will not only proclaim the good news that there is eternal life for believing in Jesus but this is the means of escaping God's wrath.  In providing every opportunity, the angel will give an invitation for people to respond.  "Fear God and give him glory"-it would be insane and spiritual suicide to not respect the Lord for who He is and what He is saying to them.  "The hour of his judgment has come"-these earthly displays are only precursors for the eternal judgment that is waiting.  "Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."-acknowledging who God is means bowing down before Him as the Creator of all things, including humanity.  He is the Owner, the Redeemer, and the One who will hold each individual accountable for how they respond to Jesus.

3. He will send a heavenly messenger of warning. (vv.7-16)
The second angel will proclaim that "the earth is fully ripe" for God's wrath to begin an unprecedented reaping of those who have rejected Him to worship the satanic world leader instead.  Please note that while believers experience God's discipline for correction, the wrath of God is reserved for those who do not turn to Jesus for salvation.  This is consistent throughout Scripture.

4. He will send a heavenly messenger to implement God's wrath. (vv.17-20)
In Revelation 9:16, the army mentioned may not have seemed to be literal.  But as it turns out, here that army definitely is.  For 184 miles the blood will be "as high as a horse's bridle".

In a word of encouragement to believers in Jesus, the Holy Spirit had John write verses 12-13.  Though the principle statements certainly apply to other followers of Jesus, specifically, this promised blessing is to those martyrs of the Tribulation.  We will be blessed with eternal life, rest from our labors, leaving a legacy of faith and ministry for Christ, and receiving rewards for faithful service to Jesus.