Sunday, January 11, 2015

Revelation 14

Much of Chapter 14 gives us an "overview" of end time events, but is not chronological. Chapter 14 falls within the "great parenthesis" from Revelation 11:6 to 15:4.

Revelation 14 describes three key events that will occur:

  1. The 144,000 "first fruits" of Israel will meet the Lord Jesus on Mount Zion. As promised, they were sealed.
  2. Three angelic proclamations will be delivered to the world.
  3. Angels will harvest the wicked for judgment.
Revelation 14 answers two questions from chapter 13:
  1. Is the beast completely victorious over all God’s people? The presence of the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb emphatically says “no.”
  2. What happens to those who take the mark of the beast? They cannot be saved. 

The purpose of chapter 14's events is listed in verse 12: Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus.

What has happened so far? At the 3 1/2 year mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation, the Antichrist walked into the newly-rebuilt temple, putting a stop to the sacrifices and claiming to be god. A world-wide persecution of the Jews broke out that day. Many of the Jews in Judea fled into the wilderness, pursued by the armies of the Antichrist, but the earth opened up and swallowed them. These Jews were brought to safety, presumably in the city of Petra, where they will spend the next 3 1/2 years. The Antichrist turned his attention to killing the rest of the Jews in the world. Then there was an assassination attempt and the Antichrist was killed. But he appeared to rise from the dead! The after-effects seemed to be only a blind eye and a withered arm. The Antichrist's right-hand man, the false prophet, commissioned an image of the Antichrist to be built, and somehow gave it breath and speech. It was commanded that everyone on the earth worship this image of the beast, and receive a mark on them, demonstrating their worship of, and loyalty to, the beast. It became impossible to even buy or sell without this mark. So, chronologically, we are somewhere between the halfway point and the end of the Tribulation.

(1) THEN I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

  • Mount Zion:
    • Occurring over 150 times in the Bible, the word “Zion” means “fortification.” In the Bible, Zion is both the city of David and the city of God. The first mention of the word “Zion” in the Bible is 2 Samuel 5:7: But David captured the fortress of Zion, now called the City of David. When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, “Zion” expanded in meaning to include the temple and the area surrounding it (Psalms 2:6; 48:2, 11-12; 132:13). “Zion” was eventually used as a name for the city of Jerusalem, the land of Judah and the people of Israel as a whole (Isaiah 40:9; Jeremiah 31:12; Zechariah 9:13). Peter refers to Christ as the Cornerstone of Zion in 1 Peter 2:6.
    • The question here is whether this is the physical Mount Zion or the heavenly Zion.
  • 144,000:
    • If this group of 144,000 is the same as the 144,000 of chapter 7, they are specifically said to be sealed and kept safely through the tribulation. In their first mention, they are seen at the beginning of the great tribulation. In their second mention in chapter 14, they are seen still intact, preserved by God through the fearful days of persecution and standing triumphantly with the Lamb on Mount Zion at the beginning of the millennial reign.
    • Some say that this 144,000 are different people than the 144,000 in chapter seven but that view is not founded on any scripture and is not logical. This is the same 144,000 that were sealed on the earth.
  • Name ... foreheads:
    • Having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads clearly refers back to Revelation 7:3-8.

(2) And I heard a sound from heaven like the roaring of a great waterfall or the rolling of mighty thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.

  • Heaven:
    • The image now moves to heaven.

(3) This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. And no one could learn this song except those 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

  • New song:
    • A. R. Fausset: “The song is that of victory after conflict with the dragon, beast, and false prophet: never sung before, for such a conflict had never been fought before; therefore new.”
  • Twenty-four elders:
    • The twenty-four elders, probably representatives from among the Church, “sang a new song” (Revelation 5:9). The subject of their song was redemption (Revelation 5:8-10+).
  • Redeemed from the earth:
    • Taken from the twelve tribes of Israel, these redeemed are God’s first fruits of Israel’s national salvation.

(4) For they are spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb.

  • Spiritually undefiled ... Virgins:
    • Walvoord: "If the term virgins is a picture of purity in general, it reinforces the identification of the 144,000 with Israel. Israel is referred to frequently in the Bible as ‘the virgin the daughter of Zion’ (2 Kings 19:21; Isaiah 37:22), as ‘the virgin daughter of Zion’ (Lamentations 2:13), and as ‘the virgin of Israel’ (Jeremiah 18:13; Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 31:21; Amos 5:2).”
    • Paul uses the term “chaste virgin” (KJV) or "pure bride" (NLT) in 2 Corinthians 11:2 in reference to the church as a bride.
    •  John is probably using these terms in a spiritual sense to declare their spiritual chastity and devotion to Christ. During the Tribulation, there will exist a great ecumenical apostate church, or religious Babylon, the mother of all harlotries and the great harlot of the Tribulation. This will be followed by the apostate and idolatrous worship of the beast (Revelation 17-18:24). But, these 144,000 escape all spiritual defilement with these religious systems of the Tribulation. They remain pure, i.e., spiritual virgins. One might compare also a similar use of virgins in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The emphasis is not on sex but on spiritual purity.
  • Following the Lamb:
    • These 144,000 are of Jewish heritage (Revelation 7:4-8). Yet, they are also clearly believers in Jesus or they would not stand with the Lamb, follow the Lamb wherever He goes and could not be without fault before the throne of God.
    • Joshua and Caleb were allowed into the Promised Land because they followed God fully: Numbers 14:24: But my servant Caleb is different from the others. He has remained loyal to me, and I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will receive their full share of that land.
    • John 10:27: My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
    • John 12:26: All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them.
  • Special offering:
    • Firstfruits in the KJV.
    • William Varner, Jacob’s Dozen: A Prophetic Look at the Tribes of Israel: "These sealed Jews [Revelation 7:4-8+] are those who come to faith in Jesus as Messiah during the Tribulation period. They are further described as “first fruits unto God and to the Lamb” Revelation 14:4+), indicating that they compose the first stage of a final harvest of Jewish souls to be gathered later at the Lord’s coming in glory. . . . These comprise the “remnant” of Jews “who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17+b).

(5) No falsehood can be charged against them; they are blameless.

  • Blameless:
    • Jeremiah 50:20: In those days," says the LORD, "no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve."
    • Blameless (without fault) is used throughout the New Testament to describe a faithful follower of Jesus Christ who exhibits moral purity:
      • Ephesians 1:4: Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
      • Ephesians 5:27: He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
      • Colossians 1:22: yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

(6) And I saw another angel flying through the heavens, carrying the everlasting Good News to preach to the people who belong to this world -- to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

  • Another angel:
    • The last angel we encountered was the seventh angel who sounded his trumpet in Revelation 11:15+. Another angel (called an eagle in the NLT and angel in the KJV) mentioned was back in Chapter 8. This was the angel that said "Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world". (Revelation 8:13). The terrors or woes themselves were specific judgments that were already described in previous chapters.
  • Everlasting Good News (Gospel):
    • It is everlasting because it is ageless, not for any specific period. The everlasting gospel seems to be neither the gospel of grace nor the gospel of the kingdom, but rather the good news that God at last is about to deal with the world in righteousness and establish His sovereignty over the world.
    • The content of this Gospel or good news will be defined in verse 7.

(7) "Fear God," he shouted. "Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the springs of water."

  • Notice that this angel's message does not mention Jesus.
  • This good news or gospel is a six-fold message:
    1. He Is To Be Feared.
    2. He Is To Be Given Glory.
    3. Judgment time has arrived.
    4. He Is Going To Judge.
    5. He Is To Be Worshiped.
    6. He Is The Creator.
  • Fear God ... Give glory to him:
    • It is certain that one day all will give glory to God. Philippians 2:9-11 says, Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
  • The time has come:
    • Compare Isaiah 61:2 and the point where our Lord stopped in His reading (Luke 4:19):
      • Isaiah 61:2: He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
      • Luke 4:18-20: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue stared at him intently.

(8) THEN another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen -- because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality."

  • Babylon:
    • This is the first mention in Revelation of Babylon. There are two Babylons that are mentioned in the Book of Revelation: First, Babylon the harlot, appearing in chapter 17; and secondly, Babylon the city, which is described in chapter 18.
    • Mystery Babylon will oppose the purposes of God and support the Antichrist in his persecution of Israel and believers. Mystery Babylon will be judged and destroyed for her sins. The destruction of Mystery Babylon will be a phenomenal end-times judgment during the Day of the Lord.
    • Walvoord: “Prophetically, ‘Babylon’ sometimes refers to a literal city, sometimes to a religious system, sometimes to a political system, all stemming from the evil character of historic Babylon.”
    • The name Babylon is designed to take us back to the original city of Nimrod and Babel because this became the seat of Satan's ancient counterfeit strategy to destroy and corrupt the knowledge of God as well as God's plan of salvation as anticipated in Genesis 3:15. This was accomplished by Nimrod's political, commercial and international system as demonstrated in the tower of Babel and by the mother-child cult instituted by Nimrod's wife, Semiramis. This system has never ceased to exist in one form or another, exists today and will exist in the Tribulation as never before (Revelation 17 and 18). The history and spread of this system is described and documented in The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop.
    • Hislop: "From ancient Babylon and the kingdom of Nimrod, this cult spread all over the world. In Egypt, its worship centered in the names of Isis and Osiris; in India in the names Isi and Iswara; in Asia in the names Cybele and Deoios; as Diana in Ephesus, and as Fortuna and Jupiter in Pagan Rome. In Greece, it appeared under the names of Ceres, the Great Mother with the babe at her breast, or as Irene, the Goddess of Peace, with the boy Plutus in her arms. The names have changed, but certain elements are always there as the mother with the child in her arms, or the lady in heaven. Thus, Babylon has become the biblical name and symbol for this world-wide religious system which has touched all the nations of the world to some degree or another. She is indeed the "Mother of Harlots" (Revelation 17:5)."
  • Fallen:
    • the word "fallen" is repeated for emphasis. It is first in the sentence in the Greek. Literally, the text reads "Fallen, fallen, Babylon the Great."
    • The judgment of Babylon has not yet occurred, but it is so certain that it is stated as a past event (Revelation 16:19+; 18:2-3+).
    • Isaiah 21:9: Now at last -- look! Here come the chariots and warriors!" Then the watchman said, "Babylon is fallen! All the idols of Babylon lie broken on the ground!"
    • Jeremiah 51:6-9, 37-41: Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves! Don't get trapped in her punishment! It is the LORD's time for vengeance; he will fully repay her. Babylon has been like a golden cup in the LORD's hands, a cup from which he made the whole earth drink and go mad. But now suddenly, Babylon, too, has fallen. Weep for her, and give her medicine. Perhaps she can yet be healed. We would have helped her if we could, but nothing can save her now. Let her go; abandon her. Return now to your own land, for her judgment will be so great it cannot be measured. ... and Babylon will become a heap of rubble, haunted by jackals. It will be an object of horror and contempt, without a single person living there. In their drunken feasts, the people of Babylon roar like lions. And while they lie inflamed with all their wine, I will prepare a different kind of feast for them. I will make them drink until they fall asleep, never again to waken," says the LORD. I will bring them like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats to be sacrificed. How Babylon is fallen -- great Babylon, praised throughout the earth! The world can scarcely believe its eyes at her fall!
    • Revelation 17:3-5: So the angel took me in spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, written all over with blasphemies against God. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World."
    •  Revelation 18:2: He gave a mighty shout, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen! She has become the hideout of demons and evil spirits, a nest for filthy buzzards, and a den for dreadful beasts
    • Immorality:
      • The Greek porneia is used figuratively of spiritual prostitution and apostasy from God. It particularly refers to the various idolatries and human ideologies of man as found in the religious and politico-commercial system of the beast. Babylon's porneia is contrasted with the "spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins" 144,000.

(9) THEN a third angel followed them, shouting, "Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or the hand

  • It could be translated, "if (for the sake of argument) anyone worships the beast and his image…." There is no doubt that people will take the mark and worship the beast. So the statement is not made because of any doubt that people will engage in these actions. Rather, the point is to emphasize the consequences of doing so.

(10) must drink the wine of God's wrath. It is poured out undiluted into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.

  • Undiluted:
    • The emphasis of this whole clause is that God's wrath at this point in time will in no way be diluted with His grace and mercy. At this point, all of God's mercy and grace will be withdrawn. Now the longsuffering of God in His mercy and grace holds back the divine justice and holiness of God, but a time is coming when the man who is without Jesus Christ as his Savior will face the unalterable and absolute wrath of God's holiness.

(11) The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.

  • Forever and ever - Greek eis aiōnas aiōnon (“to ages of ages”):
  • Those who worship the Beast and take his mark are irredeemable. Even though they have not yet died, their fate in the Lake of Fire is sealed. As we saw in Revelation 13:8, those who worship the Beast “are not written in the book of life” and are destined for the Lake of Fire. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15).
  • Those who are left behind after the Rapture of the Church must reject the Mark of the Beast if they are to receive eternal salvation. The Third Angel proclaims that anyone who takes the Mark of the Beast will be condemned to endure the wrath of God during the Trumpet and the Bowl Judgments and suffer eternal separation. This proclamation is not aimed at those who have already taken the Mark of the Beast and sided with Antichrist - they are forever lost to God - but rather as a final warning to the undecided.

(12) Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus."

  • If the Christian church is "raptured" prior to this future time frame, then those who turn to Jesus during this time frame will wonder if it is too late to be saved. These verses give assurance of one's salvation to those living at that time. God understands that Christians are suffering during this time frame. God is saying in effect, "This is terrible, but it's only for a set period of time. It will not continue forever. Have patience, your victory is guaranteed!"
  • As Antichrist gathers his armies to battle at Armageddon, the pressure to join his ranks will greatly increase. This warning is for those who are fighting to be found faithful at the Lord’s coming at Armageddon.
  • This verse is the key to why this announcement occurs at this point in the chronology of the Revelation. This is within days of the final outpouring of the wrath of God - the bowl judgments. The battle of Armageddon is probably only a few weeks away, which adds to the importance of this warning.

(13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord FROM NOW ON. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from all their toils and trials; for their good deeds follow them!"

  • Voice:
    • This is probably the same voice which told John to "Write down what you see" (Revelation 1:11), to "come up here" (Revelation 4:1), to “Keep secret what the seven thunders uttered” (Revelation 10:4) and called the two witnesses up to heaven (Revelation 11:12) - "Come up here".
  • Die in the Lord from now on:
    • The dead which "die in the Lord FROM NOW ON" are Tribulation martyrs. They will be blessed through rest, resurrection and reigning with Christ during the Millennium:
      • Revelation 20:4-6: Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
  • In the Lord - Greek en kurio:
    • In the Lord is a favorite phrase of the apostle Paul occurring more than 40 times in his writings. This is the only exception outside the writings of Paul. This phrase in Paul’s writings speaks of the special relationship believers have with the Lord Jesus.
  • From now on:
    • There is a special reason why John is told to add the words, "from now on." It is because the saints of that day it will feel as if they have missed the resurrection! The church has already been taken out of the world and these tribulation believers know it. To those who are saved during the tribulation, it will raise the troubling thought that when they die, they are not sure that they will be included in the resurrection, for it is already past. The words "from now on" intimate the near end and that the blessing is just about to be entered upon. 
  • Rest:
    • The martyrs attending the opening of the fifth seal are found under the altar in heaven (Revelation 6:9). The ones coming out of the Great Tribulation are immediately before the throne of God (Revelation 7:14). Those who overcome the Beast and his image (by death) are seen straightway in heaven (Revelation 15:1-3). Scripture denies the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory.
      • Revelation 6:9: And when the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their witness.
      • Revelation 7:14: And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
      • Revelation 15:1-3: Then I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion. I saw before me what seemed to be a crystal sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.
  • Their good deeds follow them:
    • 2 Timothy 4:7-8: I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me -- the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.

(14) THEN I saw the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

  • White cloud: Possibly the Shekinah.
  • The purpose of Revelation 14:14-20 is to preview the final judgment of God. Revelation 15-16 will expand Revelation 14:14-20. Revelation 17-18 will expand Revelation 14:8-13. Revelation 20 expands Revelation 14:6-7.
  • This brings now the coming of the Son of Man with judgment into view. The day of judgment has come. The nations and their armies will be in the land; the Assyrian from the north, Antichrist, foreshadowed by Antiochus Epiphanes (Daniel 8:1-27) will do his awful work. The false prophet is in Jerusalem. But then the judgment clouds break. The battle of Armageddon comes into view for the first time in Revelation 14:20.
  • The Son of Man:
    • May also be translated, "One like the Son of Man". This is the last occurrence of this title.
    • The reason that Son of Man oversees the harvest of wheat is that it is He who sowed the good seed (Matthew 13:37).
    • The person John saw was evidently Jesus Christ, though some commentators think he was an angel. Since the sickle is "sharp," the reaper can do His work swiftly and completely.
  • Gold crown:
    • "Gold" in Scripture is a symbol of deity, of value, of what is imperishable and of righteousness. "Crown" is the Greek stephanos which refers to the victor's crown rather than diadem, the crown of royalty. Christ is coming to conquer, having the right and power to do so as the victorious Savior.
  • Sharp sickle:
    • The word "sickle" occurs 12 times in the Bible, 4 times in this chapter.
    • The Lord Jesus stated in Matthew 13:39 that "the harvesters are the angels" at the end of the age.
    • The sickle is sharp so that this harvesting will be complete and thorough.

(15) THEN an angel came from the Temple and called out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, "Use the sickle, for the time has come for you to harvest; the crop is ripe on the earth."

  • Use the sickle:
    • Joel 3:13: "Now let the sickle do its work, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the winepress because it is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people." Joel 3:13 combines both the wheat and wine harvests. However, they are separated into two events in Revelation. This first harvest mentioned is the wheat harvest. The sickle can be used because "the time has come" - time for judgment!
  • Harvest:
    • The harvest is used throughout the Scriptures to symbolize the final gathering and separation of that which is desirable and productive (wheat) from that which is useless and for the fire (tares, chaff).
    • This judgment will occur at the end of the tribulation Revelation 19:17-21:
      • Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.  Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great." Then I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast -- miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came out of the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And all the vultures of the sky gorged themselves on the dead bodies.
    • From Matthew 13:39-41, we learn that "The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels" and that "I the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will remove from my Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil". But in the parable as Christ told it before giving the meaning, he said of the tares (the enemy or unbelievers) and of the wheat (the people of God, believers), "Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.” (Matthew 13:26-30).
    • The tares, which is a plant called the Bearded Darnel, look just like wheat as it matures. The difference between the two plants becomes clear when they near harvest time. The head, or top, of the tare turns black and stands up straight. It is filled with tiny black seeds that can cause nausea or even death. It is a natural emetic and when tares are harvested with the wheat, every kernel must be inspected. The wheat, on the other hand, has a head filled with heavy kernels of wheat. These kernels cause the head of the wheat plant to bend toward the earth - the obvious contrast between the saved and the lost.
  • The crop is ripe:
    • That the crop on the earth is ripe explains why the time of harvest begins at this point. A ripe earth continues the metaphor of the wheat harvest. Literally, wickedness has run its course and demands punishment.
    • The phrase "is ripe" is the Greek verb exeranthe which means "to be dry, be parched, withered". It refers to a dry, withered or overripe harvest. Ryrie says, "The inhabitants of the earth are withered, lifeless and fully ready for judgment" (Ryrie, Revelation, Moody Press, p. 105).

(16) So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

  • These events are taking place right here on earth. When the Son of Man swung His sickle into earth’s harvest, men “ground their teeth in anguish” (Revelation 16:10). During this time, the great whore sitting on the beast is stripped of her pride and haughtiness. She is filled with torment, burning, sorrow, anguish, woe and misery.

(17) AFTER THAT, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

  • After that:
    • The fact that the wheat harvest is followed by the grape harvest similar to Joel 3:13 argues for the conclusion that this is a preview of the bowl judgments to be unleashed in Revelation 15-16.

(18) THEN another angel, who has power to destroy the world with fire, shouted to the angel with the sickle, "Use your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are fully ripe for judgment."

  • Grapes:
    • Expresses the second harvest depicted from Joel 3:13. This is the grape harvest. The metaphor is carried forward, but the literal idea is that the wicked get their deserved punishment.
  • Fully ripe:
    • The expression “fully ripe” is a different expression from the verb used in the description of the harvest in verse 15. Here it pictures grapes fully grown in their prime almost bursting with juice. Though the figure is somewhat different, the spiritual meaning is the same. The time has come for the final harvest.

(19) So the angel swung his sickle on the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God's wrath.

  • Winepress:
    • This angel’s job is to gather the wicked of the earth. This overview will be expanded in Revelation 16:12-16 (the sixth bowl) and Revelation 19 (the actual battle of Armageddon). A winepress is the place where the grapes were pressed to separate the juice from the pulp. God’s literal winepress will be on the plains of Megiddo.
      • Revelation 16:12-16: Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.  These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty. "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed." And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew.

(20) And the grapes were trodden in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse's bridle.


Above image from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation14/


1600 furlongs = 183 miles
Above image from www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/177796-the-restrainer/page-2

  • Winepress:
    • Revelation 19:11-15: Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God.
  • Outside the city:
    • The city is Jerusalem. The exact location of God’s judgment will be specified in Revelation 16:16 as Armageddon, north of Jerusalem.
    • This is the terrible battle described in Revelation 16:14; 19:19. The Beast and False Prophet meet their doom there.
  • Blood:
    • Isaiah 63:1-6: Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in the greatness of his strength?" It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? "I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes. For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. I looked, but no one came to help my people. I was amazed and appalled at what I saw. So I executed vengeance alone; unaided, I passed down judgment. I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground."
    • Jeremiah 25:29-38: I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city where my own name is honored. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken! Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, 'The LORD will roar loudly against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout against everyone on the earth, like the harvesters do as they crush juice from the grapes. His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with his sword. The LORD has spoken!' This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!" In that day those the LORD has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered like dung on the ground. Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like fragile pottery. You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape. Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds, to the leaders of the flock shouting in despair, for the LORD is spoiling their pastures. Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland by the LORD's fierce anger. He has left his den like a lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the LORD's fierce anger.
    • Zechariah 14:1-4: Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! On that day I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken away into captivity, and half will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south.
  • 180 miles:
    • The valley of Jezreel, the location of Armageddon, is exactly 183 miles from Petra!
  • As high as a horse's bridle:
    • This probably describes blood splattering up to the horses’ bridles, a picture of tremendous carnage in the battle of Armageddon described in Revelation 16 & 19.
  • John fast-forwards through to Armageddon, a time of harvesting the wicked.
  • The battle described here, and the battle of Gog and Magog, described in Revelation 20:8-9, are two separate battles. Most respected Bible prophecy scholars today place the timing of Gog/Magog before or at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation period. Armageddon on the other hand occurs at the end of the seven year Tribulation period. The purpose of Gog/Magog is to take a spoil and prey, while the purpose of Armageddon is to destroy Israel once and for all.

Revelation 15: THEN I saw in heaven another significant event, and it was great and marvelous. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God's wrath to completion. I saw before me what seemed to be a crystal sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your actions, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed." Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God's Tabernacle, was thrown wide open! The seven angels who were holding the bowls of the seven plagues came from the Temple, clothed in spotless white linen with gold belts across their chests. And one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the terrible wrath of God, who lives forever and forever. The Temple was filled with smoke from God's glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

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