Lesson 44            

                                Revelation Chapter Fourteen                      

                       Snapshots of the Victory of Christ     

 

Rev 14:14-20  Preview of Armageddon Campaign;

1. 14:14-18 The Reapers; The Executors or administers of God's wrath

#1 Lord  14:14-16           #2 Angels 14:17-20

 

2. The Reasons Given: vs:15, 18  revolves around "harvest is ripe"

 

3. Result Great Judgment carried out  vs:19-20

 

 

First Reaper = Christ vs:14-16

- know this by the description; "son of man" no def article 

 

The term son of man then emphasizes that what John saw had the nature, quality of humanity; and homoios says that is not the complete pkg. there is more!

 

 

This use, the last time it appears its in the context of the judgment associated with His 2nd advent.

Then His poverty was in view;  Now it is His power and right to judge.    

 

* Other indicators in vs:14 that identify this "son of man" as Christ.

- There is an association with a cloud;  In His 2nd advent Christ is identified with clouds; Dan 7:13; Mt 24:30; Rev 1:7

- That He is wearing a "golden crown";

 

- That the sickle is sharp,  speaks to the nature of the judgment;  that it will be a searching, discriminating judgment; its severe!

 

 

Vs:15 speaks to one important issue really; Now is the time;

"the hour to reap has come,"  Now is the appropriate time!

* The strong implication is that God has a calendar of events; and that there are certain events that make the outpouring of His wrath appropriate.  Tonight is not the time!

 

 

This aspect of God being a where, when, how kind of God is reflected by Christ when He says that "I am the way the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but through Me."

Says that if you don't come through Him, by faith in Him, then you don't come to God, you can have no relationship with Him now or in eternity.

 

* Notice that there are two reasons given here for the appropriateness of the judgment;  that is that the WHEN is here;

 

1st  "the hour to reap has come,"  time is appropriate because God is ready.

2nd  "the harvest of the earth is ripe."  the earth is ready.

 

* The rebellion against God with the resulting degeneration of the moral condition reaches the point that God's Justice must act.

 

** The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares in Mt 13 casts light on what we find here in our context.

In Mt 13 the Son of man is the sower, in Rev 14 He is the reaper.

- parable; Matt 13:24-30;  then interpretation Matt 13:37-43.

 

** What is one of the basic principles seen through out Scripture;

Always a period of grace; a period of time replete with warning before judgment!

 

 

 

14:16 speaks to the rapidity of the harvest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next in vs: 17  The judgment shifts to Angels as Reapers;

Note also the Change of imagery here; from harvesting to the wine press;

 

Now check  Isa 63:1-5 for parallels.

 

That the sickle is sharp, (vs:17,18) speaks to the nature of the judgment; that it will be a searching, discriminating judgment; and its severe!

 

14:18

"and another angel, the one who has power (evxousi,a) over fire, came out from the altar;"

- would take this as referring to the same angel as we saw back in 8:3-5;   takes us back to the altar of incense;  picture of the prayers of the saints rising to God;

 

This is an exhortation, a call to get with the judgment.

 

Vine is used in the OT many times to refer to Israel

 

- What we are seeing is judgment because the vine is producing the fruit of wickedness and corruption and rebellion.

 

Check the figures  used in:

Hos. 10:1-2; Joel 3:1-2; 11-17  note the parallel with Rev.

 

14:19-20 The Great wine press; pictures the execution of Judgment

- This action is what is detailed in 19:15. 

 

- This passage speaks prophetically as does ch-19, of the events that follow the return of Christ to the earth.

It is reassuring to the saints of the day, that though they may be suffering greatly, some even be martyred;

God's ultimate justice will prevail, the wicked will be judged and the saints will be rewarded