Revelation #24: Revelation Chapter 14:12-20 – The Time of the Harvest and the Vintage of the Earth

Revelation #24: Revelation Chapter 14:12-20 – The Time of the Harvest and the Vintage of the Earth

Summary:
Amidst a vast majority of earth’s inhabitants who follow the Antichrist and the false prophet, a minority will reject the deceitful words of the beast and choose to follow the Lord. All those who turn to God during this time will need to persevere. Many believers will face martyrdom, while others will hide from the Antichrist and his armies. All believers will require endurance, standing firm against all odds. They will keep “the commandments of God and faith in Jesus.”

Introduction

Revelation chapter 14 serves as a pause in the book’s unfolding events. This indicates that the Lord is providing crucial information, without moving forward in the book’s chronology. This chapter gives us a glimpse of the end of the Great Tribulation.

Before we examine the second part of this chapter, let’s summarize the first part, verses 1-11 (already discussed).

The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion (Verses 1-5)

Verse 1: “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.”

We are no longer in the time of the Tribulation. This verse anticipates the triumph of the Lamb. It portrays Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, as returned (cf. Zechariah 14:4), ready to establish His reign of righteousness and peace.

God affirms in Psalm 2: “I have installed My King on Zion, My holy mountain” (Psalm 2:6). God will place His Son on David’s throne in Jerusalem, on “Mount Zion.”

Three Angels Announce God’s Imminent Judgment (Verses 6-11)

In verses 6-11, we witness a radical shift in the manner of proclaiming the Gospel, along with a new emphasis on the message. Three angels declare the imminent divine judgment upon the earth’s inhabitants.

The Message of the First Angel
Verses 6-7: “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people. And he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the springs of water.’”

This angel addresses “those who dwell on earth,” meaning all humanity. Here, even amid the storm, God’s grace is evident. He grants humanity another opportunity to repent and turn to Him.

The Message of the Second Angel
Verse 8: “Another angel, a second, followed, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.’”

This message pronounces judgment upon Babylon, whose fall is detailed in chapters 17 and 18.

The Message of the Third Angel
Verses 9-11: “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.’”

Those who accept the mark of the Antichrist will face severe consequences: “He will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger” (v. 10).

This should motivate us to intercede and share God’s Word, whether it is received or not, for we are still in a period of grace.

Blessed Are Those Who Die in the Lord! (Verses 12-13)

The saints will remain faithful to the Lord.
Verse 12 says: “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

Though many will follow the Antichrist and the false prophet, a small remnant will resist the lies of the beast and remain loyal to the Lord. Those who turn to God in these times must endure, even at the cost of their lives. Many will face martyrdom, while others will hide from the Antichrist’s armies. Every believer will need to persevere, holding on to “the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.”

Jesus referred to this period in His Olivet Discourse: “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

Those who remain faithful to the Lord during this time of deception will be among a multitude from every language, nation, and tribe, who refuse to believe the Antichrist’s lies but instead obey God’s commands.

The Time of the Harvest and the Vintage of the Earth Has Come (Verses 14-20)

Verse 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.”

Who is this figure seated on the white cloud? It is unlikely an angel, since no angel is referred to as “a son of man.” This title likely refers to the Lord. Jesus used this title for Himself over 80 times, emphasizing His humanity and His role as the perfect mediator.

Daniel 7:13-14 says: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man… And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him…”

Verse 15 continues: “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.’”

The angel comes from the temple, from God’s presence, and directs the “son of man” to reap the earth’s harvest. This may seem unusual, but it aligns with God’s ultimate authority being passed to Christ, as indicated in John 5:22,27.

The harvest represents the moral state of humanity. The earth has become “ripe” for judgment, like an overripe fruit that has begun to decay. This parallels Joel 3:13: “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.”

Verses 19-20: “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. 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.”

The time of the vintage is typically a joyful occasion, but here, it signifies judgment. The grapes of the earth are thrown into “the great winepress of the wrath of God,” producing a torrent of blood, symbolic of the widespread destruction at the end of the Great Tribulation.

Conclusion

This passage starkly reveals God’s holiness and justice. He cannot allow evil to go unpunished. Yet, God’s ultimate justice is tempered by His mercy, which He offers through Christ. We must therefore live for Him, remaining faithful in all circumstances, and share the Gospel, as the time is short.

-sermon series by Pastor Michel Bohrer