Two Harvests and a Reaper

Revelation 14:14-20

In studying Revelation, we’ve seen 2 kinds of people - God’s people sealed by him and the inhabitants of earth marked by the Beast. We’ve also seen 2 cities - Zion with her 144,000 pure undefiled inhabitants and Babylon with her intoxicated nations defiled by fornication. We’ve also seen 2 masters - the Lamb whose angels who obey him, and the Red Dragon supported by the Sea and Earth Beasts. There are also 2 destinies on Judgment Day - heaven or hell. Heaven for those who hate Babylon and fear the Lamb; and Hell for those who love Babylon and don’t glorify the Lamb. It’s that simple. Today, we examine this final Day of Judgment. What happens? There are 2 harvests by a reaper; we shall examine this in 2 points. Firstly, the joyful reaper comes to harvest his people; secondly, the grim reaper comes to harvest the wicked.

Firstly, the joyful reaper comes to harvest his people. When Christ comes, there’ll be two harvests. One harvest delivers the Lamb’s people to eternal life! The other delivers the Dragon’s people to eternal condemnation. In this final judgment Christ reaps his people. He’ll bring them to heaven. Verses 14-16 tell us that John looked and saw the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud, he had a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. Then an angel - the 4th angel - came out of the temple and told him to swing his sickle because the harvest was ripe. When he did, the earth was harvested. Now, this Son of Man was Christ. This was his title from Daniel 7, showing he’s judge of all. And he sat on a white cloud - what the Old Testament calls the war chariot of God. And he wore a golden crown - a “stephanos” - a special crown earned through great victory. And what was Christ’s victory? Sin. Remember Revelation chapter 5? All the elders and angels worshiped him because his death redeem God’s people. So Christ was victorious in saving his people. He’s pictured as a victorious, divine, savior coming in judgment! But it’s not a scary thing for us. It’s a wonderful thing. The Bible calls it the blessed hope. Jesus is coming to bring back his people. He said in John 14 - I’m going to prepare a place for you, and I’ll come again to take you to myself. Yes, he had a sickle and normally it’s an instrument designed to inflict harm. But in this case, it’s meant to harvest believers to safety before the other harvest of verse 18 comes. That harvest is of grapes, this is not. That harvest sends grapes to be crushed, this does not. So there’s a difference between the use of the sickle. Similarly, Psalm 2 describes Christ using an iron scepter to smash the wicked. But thy rod and staff, they comfort me. A pistol in the hand of a policeman means different things to victims than it does to criminals - it’s comforting to one but not the other. So Christ coming with his sickle is a picture of him rescuing his people. Dearly beloved, especially those today who confessed your faith today, you say you belong to Christ’s church, you’re counted among the 144,000 of Zion - if you’re alive at his coming, his sweet sickle brings you to heaven. But when’s that?

We see this time of reaping. It’s foreordained. Verse 15 says an angel came from the temple and told Christ to swing his sickle to reap. “The time is come to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” It’s the reaping hour. It’s scheduled. It can’t be postponed. And that’s a wonderful assurance. The suffering saints had cried out - “how long?” Well, this was the time. It’s appointed; God appointed. Now, we may think it odd for an angel to tell Christ what to do. But this instruction came from the heavenly temple - from the Father. It reminds us of Jesus’ words - “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” So the angel brought God’s message to Christ. And it was swift. Verse 16 says he swung his sickle and the earth was reaped. What an exciting thing to the original listeners! It’s a time of joy! Jesus’ the joyful reaper. He’s come for his people. Angels rejoice over one soul saved. The Shepherd rejoices over one lost sheep found. The woman in finding her lost coin. But here, it’s great joy because the whole earth is harvested of God’s people.

But how does this vision affect us? Dearly beloved, Satan and his fiery temptations, your boss and her oppressive world system of success, the highly sensual culture affecting our children faith, and in other countries - real opposition to Christians - all these things will end. Our deliverance is timed by God. What an assurance! Christ’s first coming was described as happening at the fulness of time; but so too is his second coming. Yes, we don’t know when it is; but it’ll come. It’s planned. Watch. Wait. Press on. Today, you’re so tempted to drink the wine of Babylon’s fornication, to give into the world, to your sinful impulses. And young people, I know how hard it can be. But these today have confessed their faith - they identify with the 144,000 inhabitants of Zion; they’ve rejected the devil, forsaken the world and its evil lusts. Why? Because Christ is whom they want. Is he the one you want? You see, those who forsake the world and its lusts are in this harvest of believers. They’re rescued. Verse 16 says he that sat on the cloud swung his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24:30-31 - “they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” In this harvest, not everyone is gathered - only the elect. Again, the 2 people theme. Jesus said two are in the field, one’s taken, the other left; two women grinding at the mill, one’s taken and the other left. Why are they left? There’s another harvest for them - but not by the joyful reaper, but the grim reaper.

Secondly, the grim reaper comes to harvest the wicked. After Christ brings the elect to heaven with his sweet sickle, verses 17 onwards say that a fifth angel came from the heavenly temple with a sharp sickle, and was told by the sixth angel that came from the altar, to swing his sickle to harvest clusters of grapes. Here we see several differences. In the first, the Son of Man harvests; here, it’s an angel. There, Christ reaped some grain - we’re not sure what - but likely the imagery is wheat, not tares. But here, it’s grapes. There, the grain is not threshed or winnowed, but here, the grapes are crushed, verse 19-20. So we want to see the meaning. Why does an angel reap instead of Christ? To be clear, this was Christ’s angel. He came from the temple to harvest the unbelievers. But why not Christ? Isn’t he the judge? These verses fulfill another teaching of Christ’s in Matthew 13:38-42 when he explained the parable of the wheat and tares - “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Hence, the sickle is Christ’s sharpsickel, and Christ’s angel comes with his full authority. Just as an angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrians and an army of angels struck the Syrians blind, Christ is harvesting the wicked by his angel.

So what this tells us is it’s a big deal. Christ means business. He sends, as promised, these angels to do his bidding. The angel swung the sickle, and all the cluster of grapes - all the wicked - were ushered to the wine press. Or like how Matthew described - the angels gathered bundles of tares to be burned. Meaning, none of them will be lost or overlooked. None can hope to be forgotten that day. Every person who loves the Beast, who’s seduced by the world system, who doesn’t gives glory to the Lamb will all be accounted for. Just as God counts the hairs on our heads, he counts those marked by the Beast. This reaping is truly grim. That’s why, we must all make sure of our salvation. There were members of the 7 churches who were Nicolaitans, who were seduced by Jezebel. Do you kiss the Son? Because he comes. Will it be a comforting rod or iron scepter? Will it be a sweet sickle or a sharp sickle?

And we see the reason for the reaping. May we never say they’re reaped because they don’t believe in Christ. They’re judged because they’re wicked. But also, may we never say they’re not judged for not trusting in Christ. They’ve been given many chances to turn to Christ - the call has always given - “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son!” Or like the first angel in verse 7 - “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” But despite the call, there’s no repentance. It’s unbelieving rebellion. There’s no fear, wisdom, trembling, or adoration of the Son. The call is always given to you in the church - be wise, receive the gospel. Don’t rebel! But it’s also not just unbelief - it’s wicked acts. Notice in verse 18, the 6th angel who gave instruction to the 5th, came from the altar. It had power over fire. Now, what’s this? This takes us back to chapter 8. If you recall, the angel placed the prayers of God’s people on the altar. They cried because they were oppressed. As the prayers ascended to God, the angel hurled fire from the altar to earth - unleashing God’s judgment. So God judged the wicked for their sins against his people. Here too! But now with a sharpsickle. It’s God’s final judgment on the wicked. Why? They oppressed God’s people.

And now we see the grim judgment of unbelievers. The 6th angel told the 5th angel to reap the cluster of grapes and place them in the winepress of God’s wrath. They were ripe for judgment. Verse 20 - “And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” In the past, maidservants would step on grapes in wine vats, and the juice would be collected through little channels at the bottom. But this vat was called the vat of God’s anger. So while the angel harvested them, the one who did the stepping was Christ. Revelation 19:15 says he’ll tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God. Psalm 2 says he’ll make his enemies his footstool. And where did the occur? Outside the city - outside Zion, the New Jerusalem. Meaning, they have no part in God’s kingdom. They’re not the 144,000 sealed from judgment. And their judgment is like a carnage. Blood, not juice, is pressed out - as deep as a horse’s bridle - covering a space of 1,600 furlongs. Meaning, a lot of blood. Now, this figurative language describes the severity of judgment - like some apocalyptic slaughter - where blood was a pooled over an area of 500 square kilometers to a man’s head. That’s the size of Singapore pre land reclamation. Israel had 40 years punishment to kill off the rebellious - but 1600 is 40 squared. A more severe punishment. And this symbolism is seen in Isaiah 63:2-4 where God was asked - why are your clothes red? Did you step in a wine vat? And God answered - “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.”

What does this all mean to us on such a happy day? As we look at this, there are some applications to our new and existing members. We’re encouraged to continue in our faith. To fear God and give him glory. To kiss the Son. To struggle on in forsaking the world and its lusts. There is a day of judgment and we’re spared. Why? God gathers us up first. For those who have yet to believe, and to our children - you must believe in Christ. Babylon will fall. What are you living for? Be part of that 144,000. Confess your faith, or is it because you’re living in sin? It won’t satisfy. The world is passing away along with its lusts. What is our duty here? Preach the gospel. All of these people, real, living, human beings, will be gathered up by angels, thrown into the winepress and stomped upon by Christ. They need the good news. But to you struggling believer, battered by this world; be assured by God’s love. Divine wrath show us divine love.

Never forget that our Lord Jesus was pierced through and cut outside the city, shedding his blood for you to cover you; so he wouldn’t have to be covered in your blood. So that he can welcome you into his city - the everlasting city. Never forget that he obediently drank of the bitter cup of God’s judgment, without mixture, so that you can drink of his blood now. And one day, we’d drink with him that cup of the kingdom in his very presence of that wine, because you’re spared that crushing. And he took every blow of the rod of man, enduring 40 days temptation, to gently guide you to his side, and his kingdom where you are eternally safe. And when we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days, to sing God’s praise, than when we’d first begun. This is why we can read this passage without fear.

1. The Joyful Reaper Harvests His People

                A. Christ reaps

                B. The time of reaping

                C. The believers are rescued

2. The Grim Reaper Harvests the Wicked

                A. Christ’s angel reaps

                B. The reason for reaping

                C. The unbelievers are judged