If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 73

The Vintage

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 1

Let's pray together:

Our Father,

The subject of the great vintage looks a lot less heartening than the subject of the harvest. Yet, we really must understand its meaning, and discover the place of this event in Your plan of righteousness and love.

May Your Holy Spirit show us the truth about this passage of Your prophetic Word. In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 2

Revelation 14:15,18

Comments

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud,

ŤThrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.ť (...)

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,

ŤThrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.ť

The choices we make here on earth will determine our eternal destiny.

This is what the book of Revelation illustrates with the symbolism of the harvest, which was the subject of our last lesson, and the vintage, which is the subject of this lesson.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 3

Revelation 14:16,17	Comments
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.	Immediately after the great harvest, in which the people of God is gathered at the time of Jesus' second coming, another scene is presented to the apostle John. This scene once again introduces an angel holding a sharp sickle.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 4

Revelation 14:17	Comments
Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.	By presenting the temple of God open in heaven, the prophecy indicates that this event will take place at Jesus' return, exactly like the great harvest.
Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 5

Revelation 14:18	Comments
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, ŤThrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.ť	This scene describes a great vintage, illustrating the destiny of those who were not gathered in the great harvest. But before studying this event, let's identify the angel who commands the vintage. This angel has power over fire, and is coming out from the altar. Who is he?

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 6

Revelation 6:9,10	Comments
When He opened the fifth seal, 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, ŤHow long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?ť	The altar from which the angel comes calls to mind the altar of the fifth seal, where the martyrs were crying to God, so that their blood may be avenged. Now, the vintage is God's answer to their cry, as we will see in a moment.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 7

Revelation 8:3,5	Comments
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (...) Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.	The angel having power over fire and coming out from the altar also refers to the angel of Revelation chapter 8. This angel, interceding for the saints, is Jesus Himself, as we have seen in the lesson ŤIntroduction to the Seven Trumpetsť.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 8

Matthew 24:31	Comments
[The Son of Man] will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds.	At the time of the harvest, Jesus Christ will send His angels to gather His faithful people. At the time of the vintage, Jesus, having power over fire, will also send His angels to destroy the unrepentant sinners.
Matthew 13:41
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 9

Deuteronomy 32:31-33	Comments
For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of cobras.	In fact, the vintage affects the poisoned grapes of the wicked, those who rejected the Rock which God offered them, that is, Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:4
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 10

Isaiah 5:4-6	Comments
What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste.	The vintage of Revelation chapter 14 calls to mind the vine which God surrounded with care and love, and which, in spite of everything, brought forth bad grapes. God was patient with His vine, but, seeing this bad result, He had to resign Himself to destroy it.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 11

Revelation 14:18	Comments
Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.	God will wait for the grapes of the earth to be fully ripe before beginning the vintage. Marked by an absolute refusal to repent, this point of no return will lead God to abandon men to the fate they have chosen.
Revelation 22:11,12
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still. (...) Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 12

Amos 8:1,2 (New International Version)	Comments
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. ŤWhat do you see, Amos?ť he asked. ŤA basket of ripe fruit,ť I answered. Then the Lord said to me: ŤThe time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.ť	The grapes of the great vintage, just like Amos' basket of fruit, indicate that men have reached the close of probation, and that their stubborn refusal to repent and to follow God's will has finally cost them eternal life.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 13

Joel 3:13,19	Comments
Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow - for their wickedness is great. (...) Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of violence against the people of Judah, for they have shed innocent blood in their land.	And the juice of the grapes represents the blood of the wicked which will be shed, as a response for innocent blood they have shed throughout centuries.
Revelation 6:10
How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 14

Revelation 14:19	Comments
So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.	How will the vintage take place - this sad event, this work of God which the prophet Isaiah described as an Ťawesomeť and Ťunusualť work?
Isaiah 28:21,22
The Lord will rise up, (...) that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act. Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 15

Joel 3:13-16

Comments

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow - for their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness.

The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake.

Immediately after the great harvest, a terrifying spectacle will take place on earth, filling men with an indescribable fear.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 16

Isaiah 63:1,2	Comments
ŤWho is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? - I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. - Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?ť	This terrifying spectacle is symbolized by the coming of a man who speaks Ťin righteousnessť, and who is Ťmighty to saveť. This man is clothed with red garments, just as if he had trod the grapes of the vintage in a winepress.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 17

Isaiah 63:3,4,6	Comments
I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. (...) I have trodden down the peoples in My anger.	This man, who is Jesus Christ, explains that Ťthe year of His redeemed has comeť. So, the time has also come to tread the wicked in His wrath, the wrath of the Lamb. This is why Jesus' garments are red.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 18

Revelation 19:11,13,15

Comments

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (...)

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood. (...)

Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.

He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

In our lesson ŤThe Faithful and True Riderť, we have seen a similar vision, that is, the return of Jesus, clothed in red garments, treading the unrepentant nations in Ťthe winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Godť.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 19

Revelation 14:19,20	Comments
So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city.	The prophecy of the vintage specifies that the winepress will be trampled Ťoutside the cityť. What does that mean?

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 20

Hebrews 13:11-13	Comments
The bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.	The winepress being trampled outside the city indicates that the wicked will not know a more dignified fate than did Jesus, who was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem like a common criminal.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 21

Revelation 14:20

Comments

And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

Although the vintage will be universal, the prophecy speaks of 1600 furlongs, which represents only 185 miles (300 kilometers).

So the number 1600 necessarily means more than a simple quantity, as we have seen in the lesson ŤHow to Study Prophecyť.

In fact, 1600 is the result of 4 x 4 x 100. Let's remember that the number 144,000, also mentioned in Revelation chapter 14, was the result of 12 x 12 x 1000.

Now, the comparison of these two numbers reveals a very interesting symbolism...

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 22

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 23

2 Thessalonians 2:8	Comments
Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.	So the vintage of Revelation chapter 14 symbolizes the destruction, at Jesus' return, of all who rejected God's offer of salvation. Not being clothed with Jesus's righteousness, they won't be able to survive in His glorious presence, and will be killed by Ťthe brightness of His comingť.
Exodus 33:20
[The Lord] said, ŤYou cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.ť

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 24

Revelation 19:15,17,18

Comments

He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (...)

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven,

ŤCome and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.ť

After the great vintage, the book of Revelation describes a great vulture feast.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 25

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 26

Revelation 6:14	Comments
The sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up.	Besides recalling the feast of the birds, the sixth seal, which ends with the terror of men before the wrath of the Lamb, also refers to a passage in the book of Isaiah which explains that, after the great vintage, the earth will be left in a state of total desolation...
Isaiah 34:4,8
The heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll (...). For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 27

The earth will be in a state of total desolation, after God's wrath:

ŤFor the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.

Also their slain shall be thrown out; their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll. (...) For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance (...).

The owl and the raven shall dwell in [Edom]. And He shall stretch out over it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness. They shall call its nobles to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all its princes shall be nothing.

And thorns shall come up in its palaces, nettles and brambles in its fortresses; it shall be a habitation of jackals, a courtyard for ostriches. The wild beasts of the deserts shall also meet with the jackals, and the wild goat shall bleat to its companion; also the night creature shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.

There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs and hatch, and gather them under her shadow; there also shall the hawks be gathered.ť (ISAIAH 34:2-4,8,11-15)

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 28

Jeremiah 4:23,25-27

Comments

I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. (...)

I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.

I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord, by His fierce anger.

For thus says the Lord: ŤThe whole land shall be desolate; yet I will not make a full end.ť

The book of Jeremiah confirms that, at the time of the wrath of God, the earth won't be completely destroyed, but will be totally desolate.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 29

Revelation 19:21; 20:1-3

Comments

All the birds were filled with their flesh.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.

The earth will remain desolate for a period of a thousand years.

These thousand years will be the subject of a future lesson.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 30

Isaiah 45:21,22	Comments
There is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.	At first sight, the prophecy of the vintage may seem incompatible with a loving God. But we must remember that God is also a righteous God, and that He cannot leave sin unpunished. His immense love for each one of us expresses itself today, as He offers us salvation in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, so that our sins may be forgiven.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 31

Matthew 13:40-43

Comments

Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

God invites us to accept His salvation, so that we may be among Ťthe righteous shining forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Fatherť.

If I Were Told the Future		The Vintage
Lesson 73		Screen 32

Let's pray:

Lord,

The vintage of Revelation chapter 14 bears a hard message.

But this prophecy makes us realize the terrible consequences of sin, and the importance of the salvation You offer us in Jesus Christ.

Please give us a new zeal and enthusiasm, so that, by sharing the good news of Your salvation around us, we may bring as many people as possible to take part in the forthcoming great harvest, and not in the vintage.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray.

Amen.

The test of Lesson 73 is waiting for you!

Source of the Pictures of this Lesson

Screen 1: FARLOW, Melissa. ŤNatural Arcť. In: ŤNational Geographic Photo Galleryť, National Geographic Interactive, 1997. Screen 2: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.213. Screen 3: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.206. Screen 4: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: ŤThe Bible Story, volume 8ť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.82. Used by permission. Copyright Š1956, 1984 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 5: ŤVintage of the Earth: Angel with Sickle Ordered by Angel to Cut the Vineť (c.1260), Lambeth Place Library, London. In: ŤRevelations - Art of the Apocalypseť (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.30. Screen 6: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: ŤImages from the Bible and Sacred History CDť, Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM249.BMP. Screen 7: JUSTINEN, Lars. In: ŤLa Sentinelleť magazine (September 1997), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.8. Screen 8: In: ŤVivez éternellement heureux sur la terre!ť, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1982, picture number 28. Screen 9: In: ŤThe Living Bibleť, Holman Illustrated Edition, 1973, p.992. Screen 10: Photo by: EVEN-AIR, and ALLON, A. In: ŤOur Living Bibleť (AVI-YONAH, Michael, and KRAELING, Emil G.), Biblical Publications Ltd., 1962, p.71. Screen 11: ŤGrapesť. In: ŤThe Compton's Interactive Bible CDť, Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. Screen 12: GAUGUIN, Paul. ŤExotic Fruitť (1892). In: ŤThe Compton's Interactive Bible CDť, Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. Screen 13: ŤVintage Trodden: An Angel Casts Grapes into a Wine Pressť (c.1260), Lambeth Place Library, London. In: ŤRevelations - Art of the Apocalypseť (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.30. Screen 14: JORDAENS Jacob. ŤThe Last Judgmentť (1653), Louvre Museum, Paris. In: ŤRevelations - Art of the Apocalypseť (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.76. Screen 15: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: ŤThe Bible Story, volume 10ť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.187. Used by permission. Copyright Š1957, 1985 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 16: JUSTINEN, Lars. In: ŤSigns of the Timesť magazine (August 2000), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.25. Screen 17: The Justinen Creative Group. In: ŤSigns of the Timesť magazine (November 1998), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.25. Screen 18: In: ŤThe Watchtowerť magazine (May 15, 1990), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.7. Screen 19: In: ŤThe Watchtowerť magazine (May 15, 1987), New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.18. Screen 20: In: ŤVous pouvez vivre éternellement sur une terre qui deviendra un paradisť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1982, p.86. Screen 21: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.214. Screen 22: Picture taken from the Web site: http://bc.sympatico.ca/Features/Hockey96/verdict_.html Table for Screen 22: First picture: ANDERSON, Harry. In: ŤUncle Arthur's Bible Bookť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.510. Used by permission. Copyright Š1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1968, 1996 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Second picture: MOLAN, Chris. In: ŤForever Stories, volume 5ť (BYERS, Carolyn), p.55. Used by permission. Copyright Š1990 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 23: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.233. Screen 24: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.284. Screen 25: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.111. Table for Screen 25: First picture: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: ŤThe Bible Story, volume 10ť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.186. Used by permission. Copyright Š1957, 1985 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Second picture: CONVERSE, James L. In: ŤGod Cares, volume 2ť (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1985, p.496. Screen 26: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: ŤImages from the Bible and Sacred History CDť, Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM239.BMP. Screen 27: RIVIERE, B. In: ŤThe Bible Pageant, Volume 3: Kings and Queensť (NEFF, Merlin L.), Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1950, p.207. Screen 28: In: ŤLa Révélation - le grand dénouement est procheť, New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.285. Screen 29: ŤKey of the Bottomless Pitť (c.1530), Bible Society, London. In: ŤRevelations - Art of the Apocalypseť (GRUBB, Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.110. Screen 30: Picture collection ŤCorel Gallery Magicť by Corel, 1997, CD #8, Photo Library 4, 696008.PCD. Screen 31: ANDERSON, Harry. In: ŤThe Bible Story, volume 6ť (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.65. Used by permission. Copyright Š1955, 1983 by Review and HeraldŽ Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 32: NICHOLS, Michael. ŤSunset in Congoť. In: ŤNational Geographic Photo Galleryť, National Geographic Interactive, 1997.

Any copyrighted images not bearing a statement of permission, are used for the purpose of non-commercial scholarly commentary or criticism in accordance with section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law, and with article 29 of Canada Copyright Act (Chapter C-42), which by law can be without the consent or endorsement of the copyright holder. Images lacking attribution are either known or assumed to be in the public domain, or have an as yet undetermined status. Anyone having knowledge of proper attribution for an image is requested to contact us via email below so that it can be correctly noted. It is our intent to comply fully with applicable laws regarding intellectual property rights.

The Vintage

The test of Lesson 73 is waiting for you!

The test of Lesson 73 is waiting for you!

Click here to send us your questions or comments about our Web site and products. Copyright Š2002 Cyberspace Ministry

Click here to send us your questions or comments about our Web site and products.
Copyright Š2002 Cyberspace Ministry