The Fifth Vision, “On Earth”

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The Fifth Vision, “On Earth”

The Six Angels and the Son of Man

Revelation 14: 6—20

The next vision, “on earth” follows closely on the last and is an introduction (preliminary) to the

pouring out of the Seven Vials. No angel has been seen or heard since the seventh angel sounded

the seventh trumpet in chapter 11 below:

Revelation 11

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms

of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever

and ever.

This fifth vision on earth consists of the appearance of six angels consecutively, each having a

separate mission, and all but one (the fifth) having his own proclamation.

The six angels are distinct from each other, and continue the Episode by giving us God's side of

what is going to happen; and telling us of what He is doing during the time that the Beast and False

Prophet are running their course in chapter 13. They form also an account of all the remaining

judgments contained in the rest of Revelation.

The six angels with the Son of Man make seven heavenly appearances The first three stand out

clearly by themselves. The first part of the structure describes the Harvest, and the second is the

Harvesting.

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Structure

The Fifth Vision, “On Earth”

Revelation 14:6-20

Correspondences Verse(s)

A1 The First Angel 6

B1 His Proclamation 7

A2 The Second Angel 8-

B2 His Declaration -8

A3 The Third Angel 9-

B3 His Condemnation (-9-11). His Consolation. (12,13).

A4 The Son of Man. 14-

B4 What he had. A sharp sickle. -14

A5 The Fourth Angel 15-

B5 His Command to the Son of Man (-15). Its Execution (16)

A6 The Fifth Angel 17-

B6 What he had. A sharp sickle. -17

A7 The Sixth Angel 17-

B7 His Command to the Fifth Angel (-18). Its Execution (19,20).

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verse 6

KJV 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,

having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,

and to every nation,

and kindred,

and tongue,

and people,

NAB

6 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven,

having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth,

and to every nation

and tribe

and tongue

and people;

• I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven…from a Greek term, “mid-heaven” which

describes the point in the sky at noonday when the sun reaches its highest point. This is

the highest and brightest point, the same point where the angel will make his proclamation-

where ALL can see and hear.

• Having the everlasting gospel to preach…We must keep in mind that although the Gospel

is often used in a technical sense, the word itself means, glad tidings or good news. It is so

called because it takes us back to the beginning, and tells of the earliest good news, or

gospel, preached from God as Creator, and consists of the one great truth which was

preached from the beginning. It goes back to God's claim as Creator and the fact that the

beginning of knowing Him and of knowledge is fear of the Lord. Note this below:

Proverbs 1

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…

Genesis 22

12 "Now I know that thou fearest God" was God's word to Abraham

Job 1

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright,

and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Genesis 42

18 "This do and live, for I fear God," said Joseph. So with Job (i. 1); and the Egyptian midwives

Exodus 1

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but

Acts 13

26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God,

to you is the word of this salvation sent.

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verse 6 continued KJV

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,

having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth,

and to every nation,

and kindred,

and tongue,

and people,

• The events in Revelation should press this fact (The Fear of God) upon the people of the

earth, but they instead turn their hearts away.

• To preach unto them that dwell on the earth…Again, in this message by the angel, God is

graciously calling allowing all to hear the message and calling all to Salvation. For those

that accept it is good news that God saves by the forgiveness of sin and opens His

kingdom to all who will repent and believe. For others, however, this is an announcement

of judgment rather than an appeal. This is not the first time God has spoken from

Heaven. In addition to His speaking at the baptism of Christ and at His Transfiguration,

we have a further occurrence below:

John 12

28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it,

and will glorify it again.

29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel

spake to him.

30 Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

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KJV

7 Saying with a loud voice,

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.

NAB

7 and he said with a loud voice,

"Fear God, and give Him glory,

because the hour of His judgment has come;

worship Him who made the heaven

and the earth

and sea

and springs of waters."

• Fear God and give Him Glory…worship Him (not the Beast) who made the heaven and

the earth. It is God as creator who is proclaimed, and that by an angel, not by men which

may add greater validity to the message. This is theme of Scripture, calling people to give

honor, glory, worship, and reverence to God (Proverbs 23:17, 1 Peter 2:17).

• For the hour of his judgment has come…notice it is not the, “day” of judgment, but rather,

“the hour” this refers of course to the last and final crisis of the judgment –the Seven Vials-

are about to be poured out and closes up everything. As noted in verse 2 below, this is

the time when Isaiah 61 will have its fulfillment. The Lord omitted it when He read

Isaiah in the Synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4: 18-20).

Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good

tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the

captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort

all that mourn;

• Here when this first angel preaches in mid-heaven to all on earth, the time will have come

to preach this, “day of vengeance.”

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verse 7 continued

KJV

7 Saying with a loud voice,

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.

• Worship Him who made the heaven and the earth…Notice the reason the angel gives to

the earth for fearing and glorifying God. Namely, because He is the Creator. The other

Heavenly utterances in Revelation focus on the Father and the Son, but here it is simply

the, Creator. It seems the angel is making the most basic plea to the earth-fear God on

the basis that He is Creator. This gives us a clue as to the awful state the world must be in

at this point, when only this one part of the Gospel can be proclaimed. If you are reading

this you have already heard God’s truth. You know that God’s final judgment will not be

put off forever. The statement put forth by the angel is put to everyman, have you joyfully

received the everlasting Good News? Have you confessed your sins and trusted in Christ

to save you? If, so you have nothing to fear from God’s judgment. The Judge of all the

earth is your Savior!

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KJV

8 And there followed another angel, saying,

Babylon is fallen, is fallen,

that great city,

because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

NAB

8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying,

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,

she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."

• Babylon is fallen…Babylon means, confusion. It is what will become of the prevailing

religion of this future time. This is her judgment and the angel prophesies what will

happen to Babylon. They look forward to the pouring out of the last Vial. The judgment

on Babylon, is closes up the entire series of God’s Judgments. Babylon is described in

further detail in Chapter 17, however, the historic Babylon was both an evil city and an

immoral empire. A world center for idol worship. Babylon ransacked Jerusalem and

carried the people of Judah into captivity (Daniel 1, 2 Kings 24 , 2 Chronicles 36).

Babylon is the name applied to the enemy of God’s people and, by extension, to all God’s

enemies.

• Verse 8 marks the first mention of Babylon in Revelation and this brief announcement by

the angel summarizes the events of chapters 17 & 18. The words of this angel are

prophetic and look forward to the pouring out of the last Vial. The judgment on Babylon,

therefore, closes up the whole series of God’s judgments.

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KJV

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,

If any man worship the beast

and his image,

and receive his mark

in his forehead,

or in his hand,

NAB

9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice,

"If anyone worships the beast

and his image,

and receives a mark on his forehead

or on his hand,

• And the third angel followed them…Five verses are devoted to the third angel and his

announcement. His message is as follows:

o His condemnation Verses 9-11

o His Consolation Verses 12-13

• The condemnation is announced twice at the beginning of the angels proclamation in

verse 9 and towards the end at verse 11. From this we see the nature of this sin which will

be punished. That is the worship of the Beast and the receiving of his mark. The outline

on the next page calls our attention to the importance of the mission of this third angel.

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The Condemnation of the Third Angel

Revelation 14:9-11


A1 The Crime condemned: B1 Worship of the Beast -9

C2 Receiving his mark

B1 The punishment (positive) Drink -10-

A2 Torment -10-

B2 Its nature (fire) -10

A3 Torment -11-

B3 Its duration (eternal) -11-

A4 The punishment (negative) No rest -11-

B4 The Crime denounced B2 Worship of the Beast -11

C2 Receiving his mark

Again, the structure above shows us the angel is issuing a solemn warning. It appears

to be directed against an opposite proclamation which the Beast will have made or

will make.

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verses 9-11

KJV

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,

If any man worships the beast

and his image,

and receive his mark

in his forehead,

or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,

which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;

and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone

in the presence of the holy angels,

and in the presence of the Lamb:

11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:

and they have no rest day nor night,

who worship the beast and his image,

and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

• if any man worships the beast…this is one of the most solemn warnings given in the whole

Bible. It should not be taken lightly or toned down in the slightest degree but taken in all

the fullness of its awful meaning. It is intended to warn thousands from yielding to the

temptations or submitting to threats of the Beast. As we have seen in previous chapters,

the Beast’s threats and enticements will be serious enough, but God’s threat here is

intended to outweigh them, and enable many to “endure to the end.” This will be the

“patient endurance of the saints.” By this message they will be strengthened and

encouraged to “keep the commandments of God,” and not the commandments of the

Beast; to keep “the faith of Jesus,” and not believe the lies of Satan (John 8:44). If this

warning will not keep them, what will?

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verses 9-11 continued

Again, the angel’s consolation in verses 9-11 is as follows:

It is better to die than to yield to the Beast.

It is better to have the blessing connected with death, than to live and come

under God’s curse and suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

This message prepares us for the further consolation in the coming verses as

noted in the structure below:

The Consolation of the Third Angel

Revelation 14:12-13


A1 The “Patience” of the saints 12-

B1 The “Obedience” of the saints -12

C1 The Voice from heaven 13-

C2 Blessing -13-

A2 The “Rest” of the saints -13-

B2 The “Works” of the saints -13


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KJV

12 Here is the patience of the saints:

here are they that keep the commandments of God,

and the faith of Jesus.

NAB 12 Here is the perseverance of the saints

who keep the commandments of God

and their faith in Jesus.

• Here is the patience of the Saints…The angel has just announced the ultimate triumph of

God. As noted below, it was written in Scripture, but it will also be proclaimed by an angel

here for reassurance.

Luke 21

17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

• The news of God’s ultimate triumph is intended as both a warning and an encouragement

to all believers to remain firm through trial and persecution. Trusting in God’s promises

and obeying the commands in His Word. The secret to enduring therefore, is trust and

obedience. Trust God to give you patience to endure even the small trials you face daily,

obey him, even when obedience is unattractive or dangerous. As noted in Timothy below

a good soldier is not afraid to suffer.

2 Timothy 2

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful

men who will be able to teach others also.

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him

who enlisted him as a soldier.

5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the

rules.

6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.

7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verse 13 KJV 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,

Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:

Yea, saith the Spirit,

that they may rest from their labours;

and their works do follow them.

NAB

13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying,

"Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'"

"Yes,"says the Spirit,

"so that they may rest from their labors,

for their deeds follow with them."

• And I hear a voice from heaven saying unto me…notice John says, “another voice” it is not

the third angel.

• Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: The connection is clear;

"from henceforth" refers to death from that time. It is persecution, ending in certain death.

For this reason, the special Blessing is here pronounced upon all that die rather than yield

to the temptations and threats of the False Messiah. "Worship, or be slain" is the

Antichrist’s threat. "Be slain, and be blessed" is God's encouraging reply to the saints and

any that will listen. The blessing is seen for the 144,000 in the first five verses of this

chapter and also in 15:1-4. This is the second of the 7 blessings noted in Revelation see

appendix 30.

• For their deeds follow them…God will remember our love kindness, and faithfulness. Our

works follow us after death. And not only after death, but in this lifetime as noted below:

Jeremiah 2

2 …Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth,

Isaiah 38

1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came

unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die,

and not live.

2Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

3And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and

with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

5Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy

prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

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The Son of Man and the Last Three Angels

Revelation 14: 14-20

The six angelic appearances of this fifth vision on earth are accompanied by a

Vision of the Son of Man as illustrated below:

• The first three angels: verses 6-13

• Vision of the Son of Man: verse 14

• The last three angels: verses 15-20

The Son of Man stands out as the center of the vision. We have considered the first

three angels.

In verses 14 through 20 we are taken into a description of the Son of Man and the

three angels that follow his appearance. These last four are closely connected; the

first two with the HARVEST, and the last two with the VINTAGE or harvesting as

noted in the structure on the next page.

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The Son of Man and the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Angels

Verses 14-20 describe the Harvest and the Vintage

as reaped and gathered by the Son of Man, and the Fifth Angel.


A1 The Son of Man and His sharp sickle 14

B1 The Fourth Angel and where he comes from (Temple) -12

C1 His cry to the Son of Man 15-

D1 Command to reap -15

E1 Reasons 16-

F1 Compliance -16-

G1 The Harvest Reaped -16

A2 The Fifth Angel and his sharp sickle. -17

B2 The Sixth Angel and where he comes from (Altar) 18-

C2 His cry to the Fifth Angel -18-

D2 Command to reap -18-

E2 Reason -18

F2 Compliance 19-

G2 The Vintage gathered -19-20

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KJV

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud,

and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man,

having on his head a golden crown,

and in his hand a sharp sickle.

NAB

14Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud,

and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head

and a sharp sickle in His hand.

• And I looked and behold...one sat like unto the Son of Man...The Son of Man was the

sower mentioned in Matthew 13 and the Son of Man is the reaper here. This is the last

time the title, “Son of Man” is used in the Bible. It connects the Lord Jesus with the earth,

and is therefore used of this “harvest of the earth.” Note the description of this event given

by our Lord in the Gospel of Matthew below:

Matthew 13

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him,

saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the

children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are

the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 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;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears

to hear, let him hear.

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KJV

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud,

and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown,

and in his hand a sharp sickle.

• Upon the cloud...this image is also found in the book of Daniel

Daniel 7

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,

and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and

languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled

me.

• Having upon His head a golden crown...when the title, “Son of Man” was first used in the

day of Christ’s time on the earth He had no where on the earth to lay His head as noted

below:

Matthew 8

20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son

of man hath no where to lay his head.

• Now, in the day of His judgment, Christ has on His Head a crown of gold. He is on the

cloud and although unseen on earth, the effects of the sharp sickle in His hand will soon be

manifest.

• The Crown our Lord wears is mentioned and associated with Psalm 21

Psalm 21

3 you set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

• In verse 3 the crown of gold represents Christ’s incoming Dominion. The Father setting

the crown of gold is in strong contrast with the “crown of thorns” others set upon His head

at His first coming.

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• In His hand a sharp sickle...a sickle is a harvesting tool with a razor sharp curved steel or

iron blade and a wooden handle. It was used by ancient farmers to cut grain. The Holy

Spirit uses this imagery here as a representation of swift and devastating judgment.

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KJV 15 And another angel came out of the temple,

crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud,

Thrust in thy sickle,

and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap;

for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

NAB 15And

crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud,

"Put in your sickle and reap,

for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe."

• Put in your sickle and reap...this is a judgment scene. The title “Son of Man” emphasizes it

and our Lord tells us in the Gospel of John He is appointed to judgment as noted below:

John 5

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not

the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath

everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the

voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And

hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his

voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have

done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

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30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek

not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.


KJV

15 And another angel came out of the temple,

crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud,

Thrust in thy sickle, and reap:

for the time is come for thee to reap;

for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

• The earth is ripe for judgment and will thus be harvested. What is seen here is one of the

six brief announcements heralding and explaining in a few words certain judgments yet to

follow on the earth. When the judgment takes place and the earth is harvested it will be the

scene in which “the sun and moon shall be darkened” as noted in Matthew.

Matthew

29 immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall

not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be

shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the

earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and

great glory.

31 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.

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KJV 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth;

and the earth was reaped.

NAB 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth,

and the earth was reaped.

• The word “earth” is repeated to emphasize where the judgment is to be administered. It is

not to a nation or a people or a land, but to the earth as a whole. This is 2 Thessalonians

verses 6-8 here. Where evil increases on the earth to the point that the entire earth will be

judged separating those that offend.

2 Thessalonians 2

6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken

out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his

mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying

wonders,

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not

the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

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KJV

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven,

he also having a sharp sickle.

• Came out of the temple...this temple is heavenly. It is mentioned in chapter 11 below

Revelation 11

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of His covenant was seen in His

temple...

• John had seen the throne of God (Revelation 4:5) and the altar (6:9) and in 11:19 the

Heavenly Holy of Holies where God dwells. It is again mentioned here in verse 17 above. • As noted previously, verses 14-17 is an image of judgment: Christ is separating the faithful

from the unfaithful. It will be a time of joy for those who have endured especially those

persecuted and martyred. It will be just the opposite for all others. Notice the contrast in

the Gospel of Luke below:

Luke 21

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the

earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the

earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your

redemption draweth nigh*.

*compare with Acts 7:55-56

• Christians should not fear the last judgment. Jesus assured us...

John 5

24 verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath

everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

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KJV 18 And another angel came out from the altar,

which had power over fire;

and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,

Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth;

for her grapes are fully ripe.

• Another angel...this angel is put in charge of the harvest of grapes and call forth the

command to harvest

• Which had power over fire...the same angel at the altar in chapter 8

Revelation 8

5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cat it into the earth: and

there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

• The fire from the altar represents the prayers of the saints (6:9-11; 8:3-5). It may be, that

the fire mentioned here in verse 18 is associated with the burning of the tares separated in

the harvest and described in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew:

Matthew 13

41 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;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire...

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Revelation 14 Verse by Verse Verses 19 & 20

KJV

19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth,

and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

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.

• And the angel thrust in his sickle...Three times we are reminded that the sickle is, “sharp.”

Therefore, it will reap without difficulty. This is a description and preview of the final

judgments of the book. We are given here a description of chapters 16-19 as one rapid

succession of judgment.

• The angels of verses 18 and 19 are servants of, “the Lord of the earth” (Revelation 11:4).

• Gathered the vine of the earth and cast into the great winepress of wrath of God...and

blood came out of the winepress even unto the horses bridles...The imagery signifies a

tremendous slaughter and bloodbath. It is the slaughter of all the enemies of God who are

still alive. This a an announcement of the sixth Vial and the great battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 19:15 tells us of this treading of the wine press. Joel 3: 12-15 refers to it and

Isaiah 63:1-4; Psalm 75:8; record it.

• Anyone that gives their allegiance to the False Messiah and his kingdom will suffer the

outpouring of God’s wrath and the full force of His divine anger. Nothing can equal the

awful nature of those final judgments of the Seven Vials which are here described in

preview through the imagery of the harvest and the vintage.

• God is not administering judgment arbitrarily. As noted by John McArthur:

Divine wrath is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people God does

not like. It is the settled, steady, merciless, graceless, and compassionless response of a

righteous God against sin.

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The Fifth Vision, “On Earth”