FRIDAY
This week we have been talking about the people of God as those who can stand amidst the judgment of God. I’ve suggested that the people of God are those who believe in Jesus and are faithfully allegiant to him alone in this current era of tribulation. These Christians have not given their allegiance to their nation or their political ruler, but have given their allegiance fully to King Jesus. In concluding this theme for this week (we will perhaps touch on it again next week), we see the harvest at the end of chapter 14.
Revelation 14:14-16 The Harvest of the Earth
14 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. 15 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.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
This first paragraph is likely referring to Jesus as the one like a son of man. Some would disagree with this because it seems as if the angel is giving him the command. Yet, we see the same exact language in 1:13 clearly referring to Jesus. Also, it seems as if the angel is simply announcing the time of harvest from the throne of God, so this is the command from the Father who sits on the throne. So it seems best to take this as Jesus.
This harvest is the harvest of God’s people. Jesus is gathering his people into his barn for safety from the judgment to come. This second paragraph is the judgment of the wicked. Yet again, in different language and images we see the salvation of God’s people from the judgment to come.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 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.” 19 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. 20 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.
This is another image of God’s judgment on the evil and the wicked. The winepress of the wrath of God is a common Old Testament metaphor for God’s judgment (Isa. 63:1-6; Jer. 25:15-33; Joel 3:13). We will see this metaphor again in chapter 19. This was also a common metaphor in other apocalyptic literature in this day, for example, 1 Enoch 100.
This theme of judgment and salvation being likened to the harvest is a common theme in Jesus’ teaching and emphasizes the same ideas:
Matthew 13:30 (ESV)
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
Matthew 9:37–38 (ESV)
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
John 4:35–38 (ESV)
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
So this metaphor of harvest for both the people of God and the judgment of the wicked was a common one in this day.
Reflection
Pray for those who are not currently among the people of God and remain under the wrath of God. Pray for them to believe in Jesus and be gathered into his barn at the final harvest.