And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over fire; and he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress, of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Revelation 14:14–20

Read More Than Conquerors, pp. 187, 188

THE FINAL JUDGMENT

A. THE HARVEST FIELD, verses 14–16

As we have seen, the vision of chapters 12–14 began with a clear reference to Christ’s birth. Here in chapter 14;14–20 it ends just as clearly with a symbolic description of the final judgment. The entire dispensation has once more been covered.

Now in the present section -verses 14-20 -there are two scenes. One is that of a harvest field (verses 14·16), the other is that of a winepress. Here again, as so often, the book of Revelation is rooted in the soil of the Old Testament. Particularly striking in this respect is Joel 13:13, “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, tread ye, for the winepress is full.”

It was in his capacity as Son of man (One who through suffering attains to glory) that Jesus earned his right to be the Judge in the final day, the day of his own vindication before the whole world. He wears his golden crown by right. It is, nevertheless, also a great comfort for the believer to see a) that their own Savior whom they love so much is being thus honored, and b) that in this scene of the harvest field it is Christ Jesus himself, in very person, who gathers them in. By contrast in the scene of the winepress we notice that the vintage is left to angels.

Note that the Son of roan does not only have a crown of gold on his head but also a sharp sickle in his hand. Moreover, here I would place special stress on the adjective sharp. This sickle is, indeed, very sharp. What a comfort, for now we know that not a sheaf, no not an ear, no not even one wisp is left behind. None of God’s dear children will be overlooked. All will be gathered in.

B. THE WINEPRESS, verses 17–20

In the paragraph just covered an angel shouted to the Son of man, “Send forth thy sickle and reap.” In the present paragraph it is one angel who shouts to another angel, “Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” God has waited until the cup of iniquity was filled to overflowing, for it is he who says, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked…and not gather that he should return from his way and live” (Ezekiel 18:23)? But when once the time of the vintage arrives there is no turning back, no further stay of execution. Awe-inspiring and characterized by dreadful finality are the words, “And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great winepress of the wrath of God.”

Is not God merciful then? There is a story to the effect that when upon a certain occasion the Rev. Jonathan Edwards preached his overwhelming and terrific sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Cod,” a woman sitting near to where he stood and not being able to endure any longer the great emphasis which the preacher placed on this wrath of God, pulled him by his coat-sleeve, saying to him, “Mr. Edwards, Mr. Edwards, is not God also merciful?” She had probably forgotten that it is the greatness of the love of God which implies that those who reject it be also punished roost severely! Of course, his justice, too, and all his other attributes, demand this.

               

Questions

1. Where will the final judgment take place?

2. According to what standard will men be judged?

3. Why is this final judgment necessary?

4. Why did the angel in verse 18 come out “from the altar”?

5. Why was the winepress trodden “outside the city”?

6. What is implied in the fact that the winepress was great?

7. Explain “a thousand six hundred furlongs.”