Revelation 14:14-20 - Homiletics

Harvest time.

Any attempt to interpret the visions of this book as if they followed each other chronologically only, will inevitably fail. Sometimes, at any rate, the visions are such that they overleap the near future and glance forward to one far more remote. In fact, speaking generally, the order of them is far more moral than it is temporal, following not so much the order of years as the evolution of principles and the growth of souls. It certainly is so in the paragraph before us, in which we are carried forward in thought and symbol to Heaven's great harvest day—a day of which our Lord had himself spoken, not only in a parable, but in an exposition of that parable ( Matthew 13:1-58 .), in which terms that were figurative and symbolic are exchanged for such as are plain. It will be a study of no small interest to see how our Lord, in his communication to his apostle from heaven, sets forth the same truth which he had taught to his disciples when on earth. Revelation 14:14 , "I saw, and behold, a white cloud." This is the symbol of the Divine presence, so that we are not surprised when we read further, "On the cloud I saw one sitting like unto the Son of man"—emblem of the Lord appearing in his glory—"having on his head a golden crown"—in token of royalty—"and in his hand a sharp sickle"—setting forth the work for which he will come in his glory, viz. to reap "the harvest of the earth." Revelation 14:15 , "Another angel … crying … Send forth," etc. That this angel came forth out of the temple speaks his authority as from thence. Nor should it seem strange that thence should come the commission to the Son of man to reap. For as the Son of man, our Lord has his authority and appointment from the Father ( John 5:22 , John 5:26 , John 5:27 ). Revelation 14:16 , "He … cast his sickle upon the earth." The final reaping is under the superintendence of the Son of man. Revelation 14:17 , "Another angel … he also having a sharp sickle." The ministry of angels will be employed by our Lord in gathering in the harvest ( Matthew 13:1-58 .). Revelation 14:18 , "Another … he that hath power over fire." Each of our Lord's host has his own department of service. "Her grapes are fully ripe"—have reached the acme of ripeness,—their full growth. Revelation 14:19 , "The angel … gathered the vintage of the earth." As believers are branches in Christ, the living Vine, bringing forth good fruit, and only good, so there shall be an earthly product, a mimicry of the heavenly, bringing forth bad fruit, and only bad. "And cast it into the wine press … of the wrath of God." A striking figure drawn from the Old Testament (see Isaiah 63:1-6 ). As there, so here, the treading of grapes in the wine press represents the defeat of the foes of God and of his Church. Revelation 14:20 , "Without the city." The Church is the city of God. All the wicked are outside of it. "There came out blood from the wine press" (cf. Genesis 49:11 ; Deuteronomy 32:14 ). The sap of the grape is called the blood of the grape, as being the element of its life. In an actual material conflict actual blood would he shed. Here the whole of the reality is in the spiritual realm, though the figures are drawn from the material. The main, yea, the sole thought is the defeat of the enemies of God. "Blood … even unto the bridles of the horses." It is said in Revelation 19:14 , "The armies which were in heaven followed upon white horses," etc. The hosts of God ever have, ever do, ever will, join him in trampling down the foes of righteousness. And it is but the carrying out the figure when the chapter speaks of the blood coming up to the bridles of the horses. "As far as sixteen hundred furlongs." Hengstenberg understands this as equivalent to "a judgment encircling the whole earth." £ What can we learn in so obscure a vision? We reply—The vision is not an obscure one, if we let Scripture be its own interpreter. There are at least six lines of high and holy thought, which, on the basis of it, may be profitably followed up.

I. LONG , LONG BEFORE THE END COMETH , THE SPIRIT OF GOD HAS TOLD US WHAT IT WILL BE . We gather not only from other Scriptures, but from the fact that our Lord spoke in parables when on earth, and thus set forth truth in parable when he spake from heaven, that there is an analogue between the earthly and the spiritual kingdoms. As in the natural world there are tendencies ever at work which move forwards towards development and completion, so is it in the Spiritual. "First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." So is the kingdom of God. And because the great Creator perfectly understands the tendencies of today, he can with entire certainty forecast the issues of the last day. In fact, the foreknowledge of God is an infinite power of the calculation of chances. As he knows perfectly the meaning of what is today, he clearly sees what will be on any given day. And in his fellowship with men, he has taught them to write the main feature of the end, viz. the harvest time of seed already in the ground, whether good or bad.

II. IT IS A MANIFEST FACT THAT THERE ARE ON EARTH AT THIS MOMENT MEN IN THE TWO WIDELY DIFFERENT CLASSES OF GOOD AND EVIL . No one can deny this unless he ignores plain facts before every one's eyes. There are men who are stainless in their sanctity. There are others who are fiendish in their vileness. And it is not in reference to such widely contrasted lives that men find so much difficulty. Many years ago, an Oxford professor remarked that there were some who had never known anything about repentance towards God or faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, and who yet therefore could not be classed among the wheat, yet they were externally so moral and irreproachable they could not be classed among the tares! What was his conclusion? That there must be an intermediate class! There is another and a sounder conclusion. Our Lord declares there are two, and but two. But even if there are some that seem to us to come between, we dare not impeach the verdict of him who searcheth the hearts. The fact is, we can understand only issues. Christ can discern tendencies. He knows them now, and by their fruits we shall know them. Germs. Growth. Development. Manifestation.

III. FOR WISE REASONS , NOT ALL OF WHICH ARE KNOWN TO US , BOTH GOOD AND EVIL ARE TO GROW TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE . The good have to confront the evil and keep it in check. The evil is permitted to counterplot the good and to retard its spread. But we must not speak only in the abstract. Rather let us say, good men , evil men . For when we bring human nature, with all its powers of willing and combating, into the question, then we can at once see that at least one purpose is gained by this temporary comingling together. Good men are made better, sturdier, and braver for having a conflict to endure. And much of the evil is turned into good through the grace of God. Note: Do not let us fall into the millennarian heresy of supposing that the tares are going to increase prodigiously and the wheat to diminish, until the Lord comes. There is not one Scripture text for that. Scripture only says, both are to get riper—the good, better; the bad, worse.

IV. AT THE TIME FORESEEN BY GOD THIS ' PROCESS WILL , ON BOTH SIDES , BE CONSUMMATED . Do we understand by this that in the spiritual world there comes a time when character cannot possibly advance further either in goodness or in wickedness? We do not so understand it. Analogy is not identity, but only resemblance with some difference. And because there is all the difference between natural growth and spiritual, we must not expect a resemblance on every point. But two points are certainly clear, and a third is possible.

1 . A time will come in the development of character when all doubt ceases as to what a man is.

2 . Then there can be no question whether his destiny is the garner or the fire.

3 . It may be that then no such thing as a change of character is possible. Eternal punishment will only be in the case of eternal sin ( Mark 3:29 , Revised Version).

V. AT THIS STAGE THE GREAT REAPING TIME WILL COME . Then the commission to consummate all will be fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ ( Matthew 13:41 ). The angels will be the reaper band. The result will be the complete manifestation—the final division—the great decision. The gathering in of the righteous into the kingdom. The trampling down the grapes in earth's vineyard in the wine press of the wrath of God! Dread words! whose detail no pen of man can sketch; but that towards one end or the other every one is at this moment tending, is one of the most certain of the laws of human nature.

VI. THIS DREAD VISION IS GIVEN US FOR HIGH AND HOLY PURPOSES .

1 . It should relieve those whose faith and patience are now being so sorely tried by the growth of error and sin. Both are putting on riper forms than ever. Well, the end will come. "The fire will try every man's work."

2 . It should lead us all to estimate the value of this life. The end towards which we all are tending is one of ripeness, either in righteousness or sin.

3 . It should lead each one to look solemnly at the fact that, however long it may be before the universal consummation will be,