Revelation 14:14-20

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.  And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”  So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.  Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.  And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”  So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

The Lord Jesus Christ stands ready to execute the final judgment on the earth.  This passage seems to be a preview that summarizes what will take place in the following chapters.  The second coming of Christ is about to take place.  This time He is coming as King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is wearing a crown and is coming to judge the earth and execute judgment on all who have rejected Him and are living in rebellion against Him.  The final series of judgments are coming and that will culminate in a massive battle from which Jesus will emerge victorious while the armies of the earth are slaughtered by His powerful might. 

THE “GRAIN” HARVEST: A command comes from the throne room of heaven that is communicated to Christ by and angel sent from the Father.  The command was to harvest the earth.  The earth is described as being past ripe for the harvest.  This reaping of the earth seems to be a reference to the final judgments that are about to be described in the following passages.  It is pictured as being instantaneous in this passage, so there could be some other event associated with Christs second coming.  Whatever the specific event being portrayed here, one thing is clear: there will be judgment executed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE “GRAPE” HARVEST: Another angel comes out that has power over the fire.  It is possible that this angel is pictured as being a response to the prayers of the saints for justice to be brought upon those who killed and persecuted them. Again, Christ extends the sickle in his hands and gathers what are described as clusters of ripe grapes that are then put into a wine press.  As a result of this, blood flows from the winepress to the level of a horse’s bridle.  This description seems to be consistent with the final battle of Armageddon when the armies of the earth will gather and eventually unite to war against the returning Christ.  The result will be the death of all who have rejected Him and followed the beast and the dragon.

APPLICATION: Trust that God will bring about justice on the earth at the return of Christ.  Pray for the coming of the Lord while also seeking to warn others of the wrath to come.  Proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our neighbors and the nations.

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