Bird's-eye view
In Revelation 14:14-20, the apostle John witnesses a vision of the end of the age, depicted as two distinct and dramatic harvests. This passage follows the proclamation of the eternal gospel and the dire warnings against Babylon and those who worship the beast. Here, we see the consequences of heeding or rejecting that gospel. The first harvest is the grain harvest, conducted by one "like a son of man," clearly Jesus Christ, who gathers His righteous people into the granary of heaven. The second harvest is the grape harvest, a terrifying picture of the judgment of the wicked. An angel gathers the "vine of the earth" and casts it into the great wine press of God's wrath, resulting in a symbolic flood of blood. This section serves as a stark reminder that history is not cyclical or meaningless; it is moving toward a final separation and a final judgment, orchestrated by God for His ultimate glory.
The entire scene is a portrait of divine sovereignty and righteous judgment. The time for the harvests is determined in heaven, announced by angels coming from the sanctuary, the very presence of God. Christ, the Son of Man, executes the first harvest in perfect submission to the Father's timing, while angelic ministers carry out the second. The contrast could not be clearer: there is a harvest of salvation and a harvest of damnation. There is no third option.
Outline
- 1. The Harvest of the Righteous (Rev 14:14-16)
- a. The Divine Harvester (Rev 14:14)
- b. The Divine Command to Reap (Rev 14:15)
- c. The Earth is Reaped (Rev 14:16)
- 2. The Harvest of the Wicked (Rev 14:17-20)
- a. The Angelic Harvester (Rev 14:17)
- b. The Command from the Altar (Rev 14:18)
- c. The Wine Press of God's Wrath (Rev 14:19-20)
Context In Revelation
This passage is the climactic conclusion to the series of visions that began in chapter 12. After seeing the spiritual warfare behind the scenes, the woman and the dragon, and the rise of the beasts from the sea and the land, John is shown the 144,000 with the Lamb on Mount Zion (14:1-5). This is a picture of the redeemed and protected church. Following this vision of assurance, three angels fly forth proclaiming the gospel, the fall of Babylon, and the wrath awaiting beast-worshipers (14:6-13). The two harvests of our text are the direct execution of these proclamations. They are the divine answer to the question, "What happens in the end?" The judgment described here is not abstract; it is the concrete result of the world's response to the Lamb and the beast. It is the final separation that history has been building toward since the fall.
Key Issues
- The Two Harvests
- The Son of Man as Judge
- The Vine of the Earth
- The Wine Press of God's Wrath
- The Symbolism of 1,600 Stadia
- Key Word Study: Therismos, "Harvest"
- Key Word Study: Lenos, "Wine Press"
Beginning: The Harvest Theme in Scripture
The Bible frequently uses the metaphor of a harvest to describe the end of the age and the execution of God's judgment. Jesus Himself used this imagery in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43), where the harvest is "the end of the age" and the reapers are the angels. In that parable, the righteous (wheat) are gathered into the barn, while the wicked (tares) are gathered and burned. The prophet Joel also spoke of the final judgment in these terms: "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great" (Joel 3:13). John is drawing on this rich biblical theme to communicate a truth that should be familiar to every student of Scripture: God is a God of justice, and a day of reckoning is coming for all men.
The Two Harvests
It is crucial to see that two entirely different harvests are described here. They are distinct in who performs them, what is harvested, and the final destination of the crop.
- The Grain Harvest (vv. 14-16): This is the harvest of the righteous. The harvester is Christ Himself, the Son of Man. The crop is the "harvest of the earth," which is "ripe" (in the sense of being dry, ready for gathering). The result is that "the earth was reaped," a picture of salvation and ingathering. This is the fulfillment of God's promise to gather His people to Himself.
- The Grape Harvest (vv. 17-20): This is the harvest of the wicked. The harvester is an angel, not Christ directly. The crop is "the clusters from the vine of the earth," whose grapes are ripe for judgment. The result is not a joyful ingathering but a terrifying crushing in "the great wine press of the wrath of God." This is a picture of damnation.
The juxtaposition of these two events teaches us that the same end of history that brings ultimate salvation and deliverance for the people of God brings ultimate destruction and wrath for His enemies. The day of the Lord is a day of light and a day of darkness.
The Son of Man as Judge
John sees one "like a son of man" sitting on a white cloud (v. 14). This is a direct reference to Daniel's vision where "one like a son of man" comes with the clouds of heaven and is presented before the Ancient of Days to receive an everlasting dominion (Dan. 7:13-14). Jesus repeatedly applied this title to Himself, and it is a title that carries with it the authority to judge. He is wearing a golden crown, signifying His royal authority, and holding a sharp sickle, the instrument of judgment. It is Christ the King who presides over the final harvest. However, notice that the command to reap comes from the sanctuary (v. 15). This demonstrates the Son's perfect submission to the sovereign timetable of the Father. The Father has set the day and the hour, and when that time comes, the Son faithfully executes the judgment.
The Wine Press of God's Wrath
The second harvest is one of pure wrath. An angel is commanded by another angel from the altar, the place where the saints' prayers for justice ascend to God (Rev. 6:9-10). This judgment is the answer to those prayers. The "vine of the earth" represents the apostate world system, humanity in its organized rebellion against God. These grapes are thrown into the wine press of God's wrath. This is not a metaphor for a bad day. This is a picture of de-creation, of the complete and violent crushing of God's enemies. The treading of the wine press was a physical, messy, and violent act, and John uses this to illustrate the fury of divine judgment. The result is a river of blood, a symbol of utter destruction. This imagery is drawn from the Old Testament, particularly Isaiah 63, where God treads the wine press alone, and His garments are stained with the blood of His enemies. God's wrath is not a petty tantrum; it is the settled, holy, and just opposition of a righteous God to all that is evil.
The Symbolism of 1,600 Stadia
The wine press is trodden "outside the city," and blood flows for 1,600 stadia, up to the horses' bridles (v. 20). We should not get out our calculators and maps to figure out where this battle will be. This is apocalyptic literature, and the numbers are symbolic. The city is the New Jerusalem, the people of God. The wicked are judged outside, having no part in the holy city. The number 1,600 is 40 times 40, or 4 squared times 10 squared. Four is the number of the earth (four corners, four winds), and ten is a number of completion. The symbolism points to a complete and total judgment that covers the entire earth. The height of the blood, "up to the horses' bridles," is a poetic way of describing a catastrophic and overwhelming slaughter. The point is not the precise dimensions, but the absolute finality and totality of God's judgment on a rebellious world.
Key Words
Therismos, "Harvest"
The Greek word therismos means harvest. In the New Testament, it is used literally for the gathering of crops, but it is also used metaphorically for the gathering of souls into the kingdom (Matt. 9:37-38) and, as here, for the final judgment at the end of the age. The harvest is the point at which the crop is separated and its ultimate purpose is realized, whether it is stored in the barn or thrown away. It signifies a point of no return, the culmination of a period of growth.
Lenos, "Wine Press"
The Greek word lenos refers to the trough or vat where grapes were trodden by foot to extract the juice. In the Old Testament, the wine press became a potent symbol of God's fierce wrath against sin and rebellion (Isa. 63:2-3; Lam. 1:15; Joel 3:13). John taps into this established imagery to convey the terrible reality of God's judgment. To be thrown into the lenos of God's wrath is to be utterly crushed by His divine fury.
Context: Judgment Outside the City
The detail that the wine press was trodden "outside the city" is theologically significant. In the Old Testament, unclean things were to be taken outside the camp (Lev. 13:46). The sin offering was burned outside the camp (Lev. 4:12). Most importantly, our Lord Jesus Christ, "that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate" (Heb. 13:12). There is a profound reversal here. Christ, the holy one, was cast out as if He were a sinner. In the final judgment, the unholy are permanently cast out from the holy city, the dwelling place of God and His people. They are excluded from the place of blessing and life and are made to suffer the full consequences of their sin in the place of the curse.
Application
This passage forces a decision. The world is divided into two groups and two groups only: the wheat and the grapes. One is harvested by Christ for salvation; the other is harvested by angels for damnation. There is no third category, no neutral ground. You are either part of the true vine, Jesus Christ, and will produce fruit for His glory, or you are part of the vine of the earth, destined for the wine press.
For the believer, this passage is a profound comfort. The injustices of this world will not last forever. The prayers of the saints for justice will be answered. Our King is coming, and He will set all things right. This should steel our resolve to endure persecution and to remain faithful to the end. We know the outcome.
For the unbeliever, this passage is the most serious warning imaginable. The God of the Bible is not a sentimental grandfather in the sky. He is a God of holy love and a God of holy wrath. The sickle is sharp, and the harvest is certain. The only escape from the wine press of God's wrath is to take refuge in the one who was crushed for us. Jesus Christ endured the wrath of God on the cross so that all who trust in Him might be gathered as precious wheat into His barn. Flee to Him now, for the hour to reap has come.