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Eschatology The Study of Last Things by WordExplain |
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"So
the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from
the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the
wrath of God. Revelation 14:19 |
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Revelation 14:14-20
John the Apostle records an
apocalyptic vision of the vengeance of "one like a son of man", most
likely a reference to Christ, Himself. He is the
primary actor, and He
takes vengeance upon an
evil earth (Rev. 14: 14-20). He is seen sitting on a cloud, symbolic of
power and glory (Matt. 26:64). He wears a golden crown, symbolic of His
Kingly authority (Rev. 14:14). He also holds a sharp sickle, symbolic of
His judgment. An angel emerges from the temple in heaven with the
authority of God, instructing the one on the cloud to swing his sickle
and reap, for the time has come to harvest the earth (Rev. 14:15). He
who had the sharp sickle "swung His sickle over the earth, and the
earth was reaped" (Rev. 14:16). This was the signal for terrible
judgment upon the earth below.
Another angel emerged from the temple in heaven, also holding a sharp sickle (Rev. 14:17). Yet another angel emerged from the altar of the temple in heaven. He loudly commanded the angel with the sickle to swing it and "gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe" (Rev. 14:18). So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God" (Rev. 14:19). So we as readers are informed as to the meaning of the vineyard symbolism. - at the signal of the Son of Man, God's fierce wrath is poured out upon the earth. In the last verse of this paragraph, "the wine press was trodden outside the city," probably a reference to Jerusalem (Rev. 14:20). What was it that emerged from the wine press? Not grape juice, but blood. Blood issued from the wine press, up to the height of the horses' bridles. This was no small local carnage. Incredible bloodshed was witnessed in the Holy Land for a distance of two hundred miles, literally 1600 stadia (Rev. 14:20). The treading of the wine press (Rev. 14:19-20) and the incredible number of casualties, as witnessed by an enormous amount of blood (Rev. 14:20), is imagery drawn from Isa. 63:2-3, 6. Wrath, anger, and vengeance were associated with the warrior of Isa. 63:3, 4, 5, 6, and also with "the great wine press of the wrath of God" (Rev. 14:19). The incredible bloodshed described in Rev. 14:18-20 is consistent with the bloodshed that will eventuate when Yahweh sets about "to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Ezek. 38:14-23; Ezek. 39:1-6; Zech. 12:1-9; 14:12-15; Rev. 19:17-21). Revelation 14:14-20 is a passage describing the retribution of God in connection with the return of Christ. I am not suggesting that each of these passages describes the actual return of Christ. Some are. But each of these passages describes judgment in connection with Christ's return. Related News: Israel discovers large Byzantine-era wine press. |
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