[00:00:00] Speaker A: I now can sing Since I've been
[00:00:03] Speaker B: redeemed I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock
[00:00:08] Speaker A: I faith in Christ my redeemer king
[00:00:12] Speaker B: I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock Then roll, roll pillows.
[00:00:20] Speaker C: Welcome to the Voice of Hope, a Bible teaching program that's produced by Heralds of Hope. I'm your host, Anthony High. In this episode, we continue our study through the book of Revelation.
[00:00:33] Speaker B: Far and near the fields are teeming with the waves of rob and grave Far and near their gold is gleaming O' er the sun is open Brave Lord of harvest Send for three birds Heroes Lord, to Thee we cry Send them now the she together in the harvest.
Send them forth with morn's first gleaming Send them in the noontide's glare when the sun's last rays are gleaming Bid and gather everywhere Lord of harvest and for three birds Hear us Lord, to we cry Send them now the shelter.
[00:02:09] Speaker C: Harvest is normally a time for celebration, but is this how John depicts it in Revelation chapter 14?
Before today's teaching, we at Heralds of Hope take this opportunity to thank you for your amazing support during our Summer Double Match fundraiser. You have been more than generous, and we have met our goal.
If you would still like to contribute, you may do so by going to heraldsofhope.org give now. Join us as Jmark Horst teaches from Revelation chapter 14.
[00:02:47] Speaker A: At one time or another, all of us have gone through hard things in life.
You know, sometimes we often wonder, God, where are youe?
Don't yout see what's happening?
Do youo even care?
And sometimes we may even put those thoughts into words.
You might recall that many of Israel's prophets did this. Men like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Daniel and Habakkuk, just to name a few.
The Psalms. They're a record of David and others verbalizing their confusion about God seeming to be absent from their lives.
In Revelation 6, we read, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge your blood on those who dwell on the earth?
And then in Revelation 14, we see God's answer to the cries of his people.
There is a time of harvest that's coming, a time of reaping, as Jesus taught us in Matthew 13:24 30. The wheat and the tares will be separated.
The good grain will be gathered and stored. The righteous will be rewarded.
But conversely, According to Psalm 9:17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the peoples that forget God.
Now, since the harvest motif is one that's very common in the scripture, I've titled today's study the Coming Harvest. And I invite you to follow along as I read Revelation chapter 14, beginning with verse 1.
This is a longer section than usual. I'm doing the whole chapter, but we will try to do justice to it in our explanations.
So here now is the word of God.
Then I looked, and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion.
And with him 144,000 having his Father's name written on their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth.
These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.
And another angel followed, saying, babylon is fallen, is fallen that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Then a third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever. And they have no rest, day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.
Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, write Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works follow them.
Then I looked and behold a white cloud. And on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man, and having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, thrust in your sickle and reap. For the time has come for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
So he who sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
And another angel came out from the altar who had power over fire. And he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.
So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress and of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress up to the horses bridles for 1,600 furlongs.
In this chapter, several proclamations concern the coming harvest. I've grouped them under three headings to help us in our study.
The first proclamation is the firstfruits of the Redeemed.
The scene opens with the Lamb accompanied by the 144,000 standing on Mount Zion.
Mount Zion is the highest point in Jerusalem, and it will be the site of the new city of God, the seat of the messianic millennial kingdom. That's the thousand year reign of Christ.
And that immediately calls to mind the words of Isaiah, chapter 2, verses 2 and 3.
Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it.
Many people shall come and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths.
For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
If this is a correct interpretation, why would you introduce a millennial scene right here?
The previous two chapters that we looked at in the book of Revelation deal with Satan's attempts to destroy the Jews, God's people.
The first verse of our text today proves that those attempts have failed. And now comfort is being provided to the tribulation. Saints, I want you to remember something that I've said repeatedly throughout this study. Not all the events of Revelation are in a strict chronology.
Revelation 7 records the sealing of these Jewish believers. And here in our text, we learn the seal is the name of the Lamb and the Father on their foreheads.
In Revelation, chapter 9, verse 4, this seal protects them from the destruction that's caused by the demonic locusts. You remember them. It was during the fifth trumpet judgment.
This seal symbolizes complete devotion.
These 144,000 will be dedicated to proclaiming the name of the Lamb. Yeshua.
Standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, they now find that their spiritual status is finally aligned with their geographic location.
As John continues watching this scene unfold, he. He hears a voice from heaven. The voice sounds like thunder and like the roar of the sea, but it's not just a loud noise or a tumult. It was like harpists playing.
This seems to be angelic accompaniment to this amazing choir of 144,000.
And they're singing a new song, a song that no one can learn except them.
I take that to mean that no one could understand it except those who were purchased by the blood of Christ to thoroughly appreciate the songs of Zion and to understand the language of praise, to enter into the spirit of the truths which pertain to redemption. The only way you can do that is you must be redeemed by the blood of Christ.
And so this amazing choir is comprised of those who are the firstfruits.
Firstfruits of the great harvest that is yet to come, of those who. Who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
In addition to bearing the names of God and the Lamb on their foreheads, several other characteristics are noted.
First, they must be men, because the text says they are not defiled with women.
Now, if you understand Revelation as a thoroughly Jewish text, as I accept it, then you understand that sexual relationships under the Mosaic Law were temporarily defiling. They were not sinful. They just made you unclean. And so there was a period of cleansing that was prescribed before you could resume your sacred duties.
I understand the point of this to be here, that these servants of the Lamb were so dedicated to the cause that they remained celibate.
That enabled them to be constantly ready, ready for warfare, ready for worship, ready for service.
And, you know, both Jesus and Paul recognize the value of celibacy in Matthew 19:12 and in 1 Corinthians 7:1, respectively.
And then, additionally, they are disciples, the text says. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They are fully devoted to him.
There is no deceit in their mouths.
Zephaniah prophesied of this time, the remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.
And they are morally blameless before God's throne.
This portion of the chapter was evidently intended to comfort those to whom the book was originally written, and in the same way, to comfort all of God's children in times of persecution and trial that we face.
Those who lived in John's time were suffering persecution, and in the previous chapters he had described for them even greater trials that were yet to come.
In these trials it is proper for us to fix our thoughts on the final triumph of the redeemed, that glorious state in heaven where all persecution will cease, and where all the ransomed of the Lord will bow before his throne.
The next proclamation, then, is the announcement of the angels.
As John's vision continues, he sees an angel flying in the midst of heaven with an eternal gospel to proclaim to all the earth.
The gospel is eternal because it encompasses more than time, and it is summarized in verse 7.
Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the springs of water.
As we will see shortly, the message of each of the three angels is a message of judgment.
This seems to me to be the final altar call, the final opportunity to escape the undiluted cup of God's wrath.
In the previous chapter, the Antichrist declared himself to be God, and the false prophet calls everyone on earth to worship the beast whose deadly wound was healed.
So this is an imperative. It's a command. It's a solemn call to the inhabitants of the world. You must choose either Christ or Antichrist.
This is the final call to bow the knee to the Son of God.
This invitation to fear God and give him glory is followed immediately by the pronouncement of several coming judgments.
And then the second angel appears, and he proclaims the demise of Babylon. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
The adjective great is used in every reference to the city of Babylon. In the Book of Revelation and in the Tanakh, Babylon is the epitome of evil.
In Isaiah 14, the king of Babylon is a thinly veiled euphemism for Satan himself.
And so the question is, who or what is Babylon?
Now, we don't have time to explore each of these possibilities in depth, but I'll briefly outline a few of them.
First, the literal city.
In John's time, it was hardly worthy of his attention.
It was neither the center of the Gospel activity nor, nor was it the major power that it had been at one time.
And then, secondly, Rome, known as the city built on seven hills.
Next, the wicked world system that was ruled in the spiritual realm by Satan, and then ultimately in the physical world by the Antichrist.
And then, finally, for those who interpret Revelation figuratively, they would say it refers to the ungodly in general.
I believe the reason for her judgment gives us a clue as to which of these four is most plausible.
She is being judged because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Now, there is no doubt of the degradation of Babylon that was in Jeremiah's day, or the degradation that was in Rome during John's time.
Rome is pictured as a great prostitute who intoxicates and beguiles the nations to fornication. But the cup of God's wrath for her and her paramours is full.
However, both of these empires have long ago faded into history.
In the succeeding chapters, we will see clearly that what is being judged is the wicked political, religious and economic world system and those who lead it.
The third angel cries with a loud voice, giving a detailed and graphic warning to those living on the earth at the time.
If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation.
He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night.
These warnings to refuse the worship of the beast and his mark are in the accusative case. In other words, we could say it means don't do it.
However, there will be those who will ignore this warning and drink the kool aid of the Antichrist, if you want to call it that.
By doing that, they consign themselves to drink of the wine of the wrath of God without mixture. That is, the wine will be full strength, not watered down.
It is strong wine mixed with spices to make it still stronger, according to Psalm 75. 8 the white heat of God's anger withheld through the ages, will finally be turned loose.
Those who worship the beast will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in a similar manner to those who lived in ancient Sodom and Gomorrah.
And this torment will occur. Did you notice this? In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Contrast that statement with what Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
There he says, the ungodly shall be punished with everlasting destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.
My understanding is that the judgment of the wicked will be eternally on display before the righteous.
What it does not mean is that God and his angels occupy the same space as the wicked occupy.
And then finally the text clearly states the eternality of their torment from ages unto ages.
Those who ignore these warnings will be tormented without respite. This is the very same language used in Revelation 4:8 to describe the duration of the praise of the four living creatures.
It is non stop. It is eternal.
Those who desert Christ will be the victims of a remorse that never dies and never sleeps.
Verses 12 and 13 seem a bit like a postscript to this section.
Here we note the perseverance of those who refused to submit to Satan and his henchmen in John's day. These were the ones who refused to worship the Emperor in our text. The faithful followers of the Messiah during the Great Tribulation will cling tightly to their faith in Yeshua.
In our day we too must persevere in faithfulness, because, as Jesus said, those who endure to the end, the same shall be saved.
John's observation and meditation are interrupted by a command to write a beatitude.
And that blessing is from now on. Blessed are those who die in the Lord. They will rest from the weariness of their labors, and their works will follow them.
This pronouncement should be of great comfort to us as we await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And then the final proclamation is the time of gathering.
In these final verses we see two scenes related to harvest.
In the first scene, an angel emerges from the temple and cries loudly to one like the Son of Man to reap the harvest of the earth.
Though the one described is said to be like the Son of Man, this is most likely Christ himself. He is participating in God's divine judgments upon the wicked world, and that probability is reinforced by the golden crown, Stephanos the Victor's crown, which speaks of his glorified state and his Royal dignity.
You know, it's remarkable that an angel should address the Son of Man, but I think it should be regarded as an entreaty of a holy angel to Christ as the Son of Man in his position as the judge of men.
And the fact that the angel comes from the temple seems to allude to this judgment as proceeding from the righteousness of God.
However, the text doesn't give us any details about what this harvest is or who's involved in it. There's no distinct event in this sequence of prophecies that clearly presents a harvest of saints. It is most likely preferable in this sequence of prophecies to consider the first harvest as the judgments in general, and the second harvest as the final climactic one.
John MacArthur sees the grain harvest as symbolizing the seven bowl judgments, and the grape harvest symbolizing the judgment of Armageddon. Revelation 16, 1316 and 191721 give us the details of these events as a whole. The passage echoes Joel 3, 9, 13.
There, grape harvesting and winepressing serve as metaphors for judgment in the context of the eschatological war.
And then in Isaiah 63:1,6, God treads the wine vat in his fury, pressing out the lifeblood of the people.
That same metaphor appears again in Jeremiah chapter 25 and verses 28 to 31.
In the second scene, the angel who has power over fire appears out of the altar and cries with a loud voice to an angel with the pruning hook.
Gather the clusters of the vine, for the grapes are fully ripe.
The picture here is of luscious grapes almost bursting with juice, just waiting for the harvest.
And so, in obedience to the instructions, the angel gathers the vine of the earth and casts it into the winepress, the great winepress of the wrath of God.
The staggering, horrifying bloodbath of the battle of Armageddon will be so widespread that the blood will come out of the winepress up to the horses bridles for a distance of 200 miles or over 300 kilometers.
There will be millions of people engaged in this battle as all the nations gather together to fight against the Lord Jesus.
And yet it is difficult to imagine that they could produce a flow of blood up to the horses bridles that would be about 4ft deep for a distance of 200 miles.
Perhaps a better interpretation, whether there are actual horses involved or not, is to see this as hyperbole and to suggest the slaughter in which blood will spatter profusely into the air along the whole length of the battle.
And when the slaughter reaches its peak, the blood will flow deeply in troughs and stream beds.
Taken as a whole, chapter 14 emphasizes that the 144,000 of Israel seen at the beginning of the Great Tribulation will be preserved triumphantly through it.
The rest of the chapter is devoted to various pronouncements of divine judgment upon a wicked world and reassuring the saints of that day that though they may suffer and even though they may be martyred, God's ultimate justice will triumph.
Eventually, the wicked will be judged and the saints will be rewarded.
Today is a day of grace. The invitation is still open to those who will trust in Christ and avail themselves of the grace of God and be saved from entering this awful period that is surely coming.
The biblical metaphor of harvest is applied to both the righteous and the wicked.
Which coming harvest will you be a part of?
[00:25:57] Speaker B: O thou whom thy Lord is sending Gather now the sheaves of gold hawer then at evening wending Thou shalt come with joy untold Lord of harvest sing for for three birds Hear us Lord, to thee we cry Send them now the she to gather ere the harvest. Timeless Flight
[00:26:43] Speaker C: the apostle John recognizes the coming harvest will be a joyful occasion for the saints, but not for the wicked.
If you are uncertain as to which harvest you'll be part of, we'd encourage you to open the Bible and study it for yourself.
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[00:28:41] Speaker B: Us Lord, to thee we cry Send them now the she together?
The harvest time has come.
