AM Bible Study Group; September 16, 2009
Revelation 14:13-20
Theme: John is given a vision of two great ‘reapings’ of the earth before the outpouring of God’s wrath after the tribulation .
Just before the beginning of the seven bowl judgments (15:1-16:21)—which depict for us the outpouring of God’s just wrath upon the earth—John is given a vision of two great "reapings" of the earth. These reapings are ‘pre-millennial’ in nature—that is, they preceed the coming of the Lord Jesus to this earth to begin His bodily reign for a thousand years. They declare for us the completion of the collection from the earth of God’s elect, and the commencement of the outpouring of His wrath.
I. THE BLESSING ANNOUNCED AT HARVEST TIME (v. 13).
A. The story of the two reapings follows after the description of God’s gracious offer of the gospel to the unbelieving world (see 14:6-12). The two reapings are then preceeded by an affirmation of the blessedness of those God has brought to Himself from out of the tribulation (see 7:14).
B. The announcement comes from "a voice from heaven" (see 14:2). The fact that this voice comes from heaven indicates its authority. John is told by the voice to write; and what he is told to write is something that is preserved in order to encourage the saints during the dreadful trials of the tribulation. "Blessed are the dead," the voice says, "who die in the Lord from now on". The most likely meaning of this is that those who have died in the Lord during this dreadful period are, from that point on, blessed. What they then experience is described for us in 7:9-17.
C. This word of blessedness is also affirmed by the Holy Spirit. "Yes," He says; and goes on to say that the nature of their blessedness is that "they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them." Their faithfulness is not forgotten by God. And now—even as wrath is about to be poured out on an unbelieving world—they themselves begin to be forever blessed!
II. THE REAPING OF THE GRAIN AT HARVEST (vv. 14-16).
A. John next sees in a vision a white cloud; and one sitting on the cloud who was like the Son of Man. This is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ that is very much like that of Daniel 7:13-14. The golden crown on His head is not a royal crown, but rather a victor’s wreath. He is shown as having a sharp sickle.
B. Another angel comes out of the (heavenly) temple and announces to the Lord with a loud voice, "Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." At this, the Son of Man, who sat on the cloud, thrust in His sickle, "and the earth was reaped". This is symbolic of the Lord taking to Himself the elect of the earth just before the outpouring of His wrath (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; 24:29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
III. THE REAPING OF THE GRAPES FOR THE WINEPRESS (vv. 17-20).
A. A second reaping then occurs—this time, not of grain, but of grapes from the vine. Another angel is shown coming out of the temple which is in heaven with a sharp sickle. Note that this time, it is not the Lord who reaps but one of His angels.
B. Yet another angel comes out of the temple "from the altar". The altar, previously, was shown to be the place from which the saints who were put to death for the Lord cried out for Him to judge and avenge their blood (see 6:9-11); and now, that judgment is occurring. It was the angel who was said to have power over fire—suggesting further the nature of this reaping as one of judgment. He commands the first angel to thrust in his sickle and "gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe".
C. It is then that the angel thrusts in his sickle and gathers the vine of the earth, and throws it into "the great winepress of the wrath of God" (see 6:17). We’re told, in dreadful terms, that the winepress was then trampled (see Isaiah 63:3). The blood that is pictured coming out of the winepress "up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs may be meant to depict the last great battle of Armageddon (see Joel 3:12-13- 16; Revelation 16:12-16; 19:17-21). The image of blood splattered as high as the horse’s bridle is symbolic of battle at its most violent and intense level; and here, it is shown that such intensity of battle will be spread over an area that stretches for 184 miles!