Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” - Matthew 9:36-38
Good morning. Last week we talked about the first half of Revelation 14, which included scenes of the Lamb and the 144,000 on Mt. Zion, the flights of 3 angels, and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Today we will finish this chapter with a message tiled “The Harvest”. As people who live and work in an agricultural area, I think we’ll be able to easily identify with and appreciate the symbolism presented in this passage.
I. THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH (Revelation 14:14-16)
John looked and saw someone “like a son of man” sitting on a white cloud. He wore a golden crown on His head and held a sharp sickle in His hand. An angel came out of the heavenly temple and said to Him, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Hearing this, the one who was sitting on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and it was reaped.
The harvest depicted in these verses was of the “earth”, generally thought of as a grain harvest. There are some who believe that the one sitting on the cloud was an angel, but the large majority (myself included) identify him as Jesus Christ, who often referred to Himself as “the Son of Man”. Angels are not human and would therefore not be described as being like a man, but Jesus is both fully human and fully God at the same time. Furthermore, it is more consistent with other related passages to view this harvester as the Lord, Jesus Christ. Let me explain…
During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of this future harvest in a parable known as the “Wheat and the Tares” (Matthew 13:24-30). In the parable, He told of a farmer who sowed a field with good wheat. However, his adversary came along and sowed bad seeds in the same field so that when the wheat began to sprout there were weeds growing up with it. Not wanting to potentially damage his harvest, the farmer allowed both the wheat and the tares to grow together. He intended to separate them one from another later, at harvest time.
Jesus went on to explain this parable to His disciples (Matthew 13:36-43). He explained that the Son of Man was the one who had sowed the field with good seeds. The enemy who sowed bad seeds was the devil. The field was the earth, the wheat was the children of God, and the tares (or weeds) were lost unbelievers. The workers who helped to reap the field and separate the good grain from the bad were angels. Jesus explained that this story depicted a future judgment that would occur at the end of the age, during which the unrighteous would be gathered up and cast into a fiery furnace while the righteous would shine like the sun in the Father’s kingdom.
I believe, as do many other Bible scholars, that the harvest of the earth which John described in Revelation is the literal fulfillment of Jesus’ parable. Jesus will someday divide the wheat from the tares, so as to reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Until then, however, we are all living in this world together.
II. THE HARVEST OF THE VINE (Revelation 14:17-20)
John saw another angel coming out of the heavenly temple, also holding a sharp sickle. Then yet another angel with the power of fire came out from the heavenly altar and cried out to the first one, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” Having received permission, the angel with the sickle swung it over the earth, gathered the clusters from the vine, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. There they were trampled outside of the city and great quantities of blood poured out, forming a pool measuring roughly 4 to 5 feet deep and almost 200 miles long.
The harvest described in these verses was “from the vine”. In Biblical times, grapes were gathered and pressed, and their juice was collected and used for making wine. What John saw had been spoken of by the prophet Joel in the Old Testament (Joel 3:12-14). Again, it referred to a great end time judgment. In this harvest, the ripened grapes represented the wicked who would be thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath to be crushed. The resulting blood that flowed has been determined to be either that of the wicked themselves or of the saints who they martyred.
Some interpreters understand this harvest of the vine to be completely distinct from the grain harvest mentioned in the previous verses insisting that they are totally separate events. However, I (and many others) tend to think they describe the same event in 2 different ways. The first depiction emphasizes that Jesus is the chief harvester, with the angels following His direction. The second stresses and graphically describes the horrifying fate of the unsaved. Let me repeat: I believe that there will only be 1 grand harvest, and propose that this pair of scenes (of grain and of grapes) are both representations of the same occurrence.
From this passage we get the phrase, “the grapes of wrath”. This is the title of a classic American novel by John Steinbeck that tells the story of a small-time farm family struggling to survive during the Dust Bowl era. The “grapes of wrath” are also mentioned in the lyrics of the popular patriotic anthem called “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. In these verses we also read of “the grim reaper”, although pop culture’s image of this character is vastly different that the angel described here in Scripture.
III. PARALLEL PASSAGES IN THE GOSPELS
I equate the harvest of Revelation 14 with a couple of other passages found in the gospels. Not only did Jesus tell a parable about wheat and tares (which we discussed earlier), but also about a dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50). In this story, fishermen cast their net and caught all kinds of fish. After dragging it ashore, they separated their catch by putting the good fish into containers and throwing the bad fish away.
Jesus also spoke of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). He foretold that one day the Son of Man will return and gather the nations together. At this time He will separate them, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. The righteous sheep will be placed on His right, and will inherit the kingdom of God that has been prepared just for them. However, the unrighteous goats will be placed on his left, and will go away into eternal punishment.
All of these passages, the grain harvest of Revelation 14, the grape harvest of Revelation 14, the parable of the wheat and tares, the parable of the dragnet, and the prophecy of the sheep and goats all describe the same thing in various ways. During the last days, Jesus will come and judge the world. He will separate everyone - the living and the dead - into 2 categories. There will be no middle ground. Those who have been born again will receive eternal life while those who remain unrepentant sinners will face eternal condemnation.
CONCLUSION
According to my understanding of the Bible, there will be 3 major judgments that take place during the last days. First, all Christians who accept Jesus prior to the Rapture will be rewarded at the Bema Seat Judgment. This is reserved only for the New Testament Church and will take place during tribulation. Second, all nonbelievers will be judged based on their works and condemned eternally to the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This will occur after the Millennium ends. In between these 2 events, a third judgment will occur. There will be a great separation of the righteous and the unrighteous at “the Harvest”. This will take place during a brief window of time after the tribulation ends and before the Millennium begins. All of the redeemed will live on into the Millennium with Jesus while the unsaved will be cast into Hades for 1,000 years to await their eternal fate.
Good morning. Last week we talked about the first half of Revelation 14, which included scenes of the Lamb and the 144,000 on Mt. Zion, the flights of 3 angels, and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Today we will finish this chapter with a message tiled “The Harvest”. As people who live and work in an agricultural area, I think we’ll be able to easily identify with and appreciate the symbolism presented in this passage.
I. THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH (Revelation 14:14-16)
John looked and saw someone “like a son of man” sitting on a white cloud. He wore a golden crown on His head and held a sharp sickle in His hand. An angel came out of the heavenly temple and said to Him, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Hearing this, the one who was sitting on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and it was reaped.
The harvest depicted in these verses was of the “earth”, generally thought of as a grain harvest. There are some who believe that the one sitting on the cloud was an angel, but the large majority (myself included) identify him as Jesus Christ, who often referred to Himself as “the Son of Man”. Angels are not human and would therefore not be described as being like a man, but Jesus is both fully human and fully God at the same time. Furthermore, it is more consistent with other related passages to view this harvester as the Lord, Jesus Christ. Let me explain…
During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of this future harvest in a parable known as the “Wheat and the Tares” (Matthew 13:24-30). In the parable, He told of a farmer who sowed a field with good wheat. However, his adversary came along and sowed bad seeds in the same field so that when the wheat began to sprout there were weeds growing up with it. Not wanting to potentially damage his harvest, the farmer allowed both the wheat and the tares to grow together. He intended to separate them one from another later, at harvest time.
Jesus went on to explain this parable to His disciples (Matthew 13:36-43). He explained that the Son of Man was the one who had sowed the field with good seeds. The enemy who sowed bad seeds was the devil. The field was the earth, the wheat was the children of God, and the tares (or weeds) were lost unbelievers. The workers who helped to reap the field and separate the good grain from the bad were angels. Jesus explained that this story depicted a future judgment that would occur at the end of the age, during which the unrighteous would be gathered up and cast into a fiery furnace while the righteous would shine like the sun in the Father’s kingdom.
I believe, as do many other Bible scholars, that the harvest of the earth which John described in Revelation is the literal fulfillment of Jesus’ parable. Jesus will someday divide the wheat from the tares, so as to reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Until then, however, we are all living in this world together.
II. THE HARVEST OF THE VINE (Revelation 14:17-20)
John saw another angel coming out of the heavenly temple, also holding a sharp sickle. Then yet another angel with the power of fire came out from the heavenly altar and cried out to the first one, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” Having received permission, the angel with the sickle swung it over the earth, gathered the clusters from the vine, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. There they were trampled outside of the city and great quantities of blood poured out, forming a pool measuring roughly 4 to 5 feet deep and almost 200 miles long.
The harvest described in these verses was “from the vine”. In Biblical times, grapes were gathered and pressed, and their juice was collected and used for making wine. What John saw had been spoken of by the prophet Joel in the Old Testament (Joel 3:12-14). Again, it referred to a great end time judgment. In this harvest, the ripened grapes represented the wicked who would be thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath to be crushed. The resulting blood that flowed has been determined to be either that of the wicked themselves or of the saints who they martyred.
Some interpreters understand this harvest of the vine to be completely distinct from the grain harvest mentioned in the previous verses insisting that they are totally separate events. However, I (and many others) tend to think they describe the same event in 2 different ways. The first depiction emphasizes that Jesus is the chief harvester, with the angels following His direction. The second stresses and graphically describes the horrifying fate of the unsaved. Let me repeat: I believe that there will only be 1 grand harvest, and propose that this pair of scenes (of grain and of grapes) are both representations of the same occurrence.
From this passage we get the phrase, “the grapes of wrath”. This is the title of a classic American novel by John Steinbeck that tells the story of a small-time farm family struggling to survive during the Dust Bowl era. The “grapes of wrath” are also mentioned in the lyrics of the popular patriotic anthem called “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. In these verses we also read of “the grim reaper”, although pop culture’s image of this character is vastly different that the angel described here in Scripture.
III. PARALLEL PASSAGES IN THE GOSPELS
I equate the harvest of Revelation 14 with a couple of other passages found in the gospels. Not only did Jesus tell a parable about wheat and tares (which we discussed earlier), but also about a dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50). In this story, fishermen cast their net and caught all kinds of fish. After dragging it ashore, they separated their catch by putting the good fish into containers and throwing the bad fish away.
Jesus also spoke of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). He foretold that one day the Son of Man will return and gather the nations together. At this time He will separate them, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. The righteous sheep will be placed on His right, and will inherit the kingdom of God that has been prepared just for them. However, the unrighteous goats will be placed on his left, and will go away into eternal punishment.
All of these passages, the grain harvest of Revelation 14, the grape harvest of Revelation 14, the parable of the wheat and tares, the parable of the dragnet, and the prophecy of the sheep and goats all describe the same thing in various ways. During the last days, Jesus will come and judge the world. He will separate everyone - the living and the dead - into 2 categories. There will be no middle ground. Those who have been born again will receive eternal life while those who remain unrepentant sinners will face eternal condemnation.
CONCLUSION
According to my understanding of the Bible, there will be 3 major judgments that take place during the last days. First, all Christians who accept Jesus prior to the Rapture will be rewarded at the Bema Seat Judgment. This is reserved only for the New Testament Church and will take place during tribulation. Second, all nonbelievers will be judged based on their works and condemned eternally to the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This will occur after the Millennium ends. In between these 2 events, a third judgment will occur. There will be a great separation of the righteous and the unrighteous at “the Harvest”. This will take place during a brief window of time after the tribulation ends and before the Millennium begins. All of the redeemed will live on into the Millennium with Jesus while the unsaved will be cast into Hades for 1,000 years to await their eternal fate.