Reaping The Earth's Harvest

INTRO

This is a brand-new week, and we are still in the book of Revelation. Revelation feels like one long lesson or story that is unfolding. At the end of chapter 13, we saw the Great Tribulation unfold. The Antichrist was given free reign on earth from the Lord. We saw the dragon (Satan), the sea beast (the Antichrist), and the land beast (the false prophet) all working together. We also saw a picture of the saints going through a hard time. Chapter 14 begins to show the end of the Great Tribulation. John changed his viewpoint from the beast to a whole new seed. No more creepy monsters.

TEACHING

Revelation 14:1: “The Lamb” referred to in this verse is Jesus. Many biblical scholars have discussed what Mount Zion represents here. Nelson’s Commentary explains, “Mount Zion is a synonym for earthly Jerusalem, focusing on the hill where the temple was built. There is some difficulty in deciding whether this is a reference to the earthly or heavenly Mount Zion.”¹

Revelation 14:2–3: John saw “The Lamb” but also heard sounds from heaven. This heavenly noise was a new song. It sounds like the 144,000 redeemed from earth are in heaven. These redeemed were the only ones singing.

Revelation 14:4: The 144,000 worshippers of the Lord and elders in heaven are drastically different from the worshippers of the Antichrist who are alive on earth. The 144,000 were the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. Nelson’s Commentary states, “Firstfruits are the first part of the crop to be gathered, implying a much larger harvest to come later.”² Jesus modeled this idea better than anyone (1 Corinthians 15:23–26). This is a picture of Christ coming back for more. He is coming back for those who belong to Him.

Revelation 14:5: Many scholars believe this verse means the 144,000 were without sin. I don’t believe that is true. We believe Romans 3:23, we are all sinners. Nelson’s Commentary states, “The 144,000 were not sinless in their earthly lives, but they were without deceit and fault with regard to their testimony for Christ.”³ MacArthur wrote, “The 144,000 speak God’s truth accurately and precisely, with no exaggeration or understatement.”⁴ This is the backdrop of the 144,000. At this point of our reading, they are the representation of the great harvest to come. I believe the Great Tribulation is ending at this point.

Revelation 14:6–7: There is an angel that proclaimed the gospel to the nations. Somehow, everyone hears God’s proclamation (Matthew 24:14). The Lord is going to make sure everyone has the chance to hear His good news. We can know God will fulfill His promise. The word “gospel” here means “good news.” MacArthur writes that even at this late stage, God continues to urge “the people of the world to change their allegiance from the beast to the Lamb.”⁵ The angel’s message was to give God glory and warn that judgment was coming.

Revelation 14:8: John next described a second angel who followed the first. The first angel brought forth the seven bowls of wrath. Nelson’s Commentary explains, “Babylon is first mentioned in Revelation here, and it becomes the focus of God’s judgment in Revelation 16—18.”⁶ It represents more than a city; it is an entire world system in rebellion against God.

Revelation 14:9–12: News does not get any better in verse 9. A third angel appeared behind the other two proclaiming, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath” (v. 10). The wrath here is also the wrath of the devil. It is God’s wrath, through Satan. The language here is fire and brimstone. Torment will last forever. If you do not embrace the Lamb of God, you will experience torture in hell forever. We cannot afford to be afraid to talk to others about the Lord. The consequences are too great.

Revelation 14:13: In verse 13, there is another voice John heard from heaven saying, “Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.” Remember how we talked about the Beatitudes, the “blessed”? This would be one of them.

Nelson’s Commentary basically says, “Hang in there, and you will be blessed at the end.”⁷ When a believer dies in this context, they will find rest in the Lord. These words are to serve as encouragement to persevere even when times are difficult. Endure until the end. And it looks like we’re at the end of the tribulation, according to this text. The gospel had been proclaimed to every person, and the consequence of rejection had been spelled out.

Revelation 14:14: We see in this verse an incredible picture of Christ. The sickle in His hand is a tool for grain harvest. This is the picture of Christ as king. Read Psalm 48:1–2; Isaiah 24:23; and Revelation 19:16. I want to tie in this imagery of Christ coming back as king.

Revelation 14:15–16: A fourth angel appeared crying out that the harvest is ripe—everyone has heard the good news. This was now the best time for everyone to be harvested. With one swing from Christ’s sickle, the earth was harvested.

Revelation 14:17–19: A fifth angel appeared who also has a sickle in hand. Then a sixth angel appeared, who had “authority over fire,” (v. 18) and tells the fifth angel to use his sickle to gather the ripened grapes from earth. This got drastic really quick. I believe this sickle and the grapes are a representation of judgment. Christ was gathering the harvest, and judgment was being dispensed by the fifth angel.

Revelation 14:20: Many would say this is the battle of Armageddon beginning to take place. This could be the event described in more detail in Revelation 19:11–21.  "Outside the city" could be referring to the valley of Jehoshaphat just outside of Jerusalem (Joel 3:12-13).

CLOSING

Embrace the gospel. Do not embrace the false worship. Embrace Christ. If you do not believe, know that judgment is coming and the blood will begin to flow. The battle of Armageddon will take place, and Christ wins.