The Vintage
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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.
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Revelation 14:15,18
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.» (...)
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.»
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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.
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Revelation 14:16,17
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.
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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.
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Revelation 14:17
Then another angel came out of the temple which is in
heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
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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.
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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.
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Revelation 14:18
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.»
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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?
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Revelation 6:9,10
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,
«How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell
on the earth?»
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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.
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Revelation 8:3,5
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.
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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 «Introduction to the Seven Trumpets».
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Matthew 24:31
[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.
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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.
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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.
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Deuteronomy 32:31-33
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.
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1 Corinthians 10:4
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,
and that Rock was Christ.
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In fact, the vintage affects the poisoned grapes of the wicked, those who
rejected the Rock which God offered them, that is, Christ.
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Isaiah 5:4-6
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.
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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.
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Revelation 14:18
Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of
the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.
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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.
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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.
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Amos 8:1,2
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of
ripe fruit.
«What do you see, Amos?» he asked.
«A basket of ripe fruit,» I answered.
Then the Lord said to me: «The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no
longer.»
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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.
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Joel 3:13,19
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.
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Revelation 6:10
How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and
avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?
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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.
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Revelation 14:19
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.
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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.
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How will the vintage take place - this sad event, this work of God which the
prophet Isaiah described as an «awesome» and «unusual» work?
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Joel 3:13-16
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.
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Immediately after the great harvest, a terrifying spectacle will take place on
earth, filling men with an indescribable fear.
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Isaiah 63:1,2
«Who 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?»
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This terrifying spectacle is symbolized by the coming of a man who speaks «in righteousness», and who is «mighty to
save».
This man is clothed with red garments, just as if he had trod the grapes of the vintage in
a winepress.
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Isaiah 63:3,4,6
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.
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This man, who is Jesus Christ, explains that «the year
of His redeemed has come».
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.
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Revelation 19:11,13,15
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.
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In our lesson «The Faithful and True
Rider», we have seen a similar vision, that is, the return of Jesus, clothed in red
garments, treading the unrepentant nations in «the winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of God».
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Revelation 14:19,20
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.
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The prophecy of the vintage specifies that the winepress will be trampled «outside the city».
What does that mean?
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Hebrews 13:11-13
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.
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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.
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Revelation 14:20
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.
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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 «How to Study Prophecy».
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...
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The numbers 144 000 and 1600 mean much more than just a simple quantity:
The number 3 is | The number 4
is | The number 12 (3 x 4) indi-
linked with God: | linked with the | cates
the alliance between
«There are 3 who | earth: «I saw 4
| God and men: «[The New
Jeru-
bear witness in hea- | angels standing at | salem had] 12 gates,
(...)
ven: the Father, the | the 4
corners of | and names written on
them,
Word, and the Holy | the earth, holding | which are the names of the
Spirit; and these 3 | the 4
winds of the | 12 tribes of
the children of
are one.» (1 JN 5:7) | earth.» (REV. 7:1) | Israel.» (REVELATION 21:12)
=========================================================================
The number 144,000 (12 x 12 | The number 1600 (4 x 4 x 100) indicates a
x 1000) indicates a group | group of inhabitants of the earth
(number
of believers having made an | 4) which have not made an alliance with God
alliance with God (see the | (absence of number 3). And, compared with
lesson about the 144,000). | 1000, 100 indicates a poorer quality.
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2 Thessalonians 2:8
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.
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Exodus 33:20
[The Lord] said, «You cannot see My face; for no man
shall see Me, and live.»
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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 «the brightness of His
coming».
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Revelation 19:15,17,18
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,
«Come 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.»
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After the great vintage, the book of Revelation
describes a great vulture feast.
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The rebellious men of the sixth seal will make up the birds' meal:
REVELATION 6:15-17 | REVELATION 19:17,18
-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------
The kings of the earth, the great | [The
angel] cried with a loud
men, the rich men, the commanders, | voice,
saying to all the birds
the mighty men, every slave and eve- | that fly in the
midst of heaven,
ry free man, hid themselves in the | «Come
and gather together for the
caves and in the rocks of the moun- | supper of the
great God, that you
tains, and said to the mountains and | may eat
the flesh of kings, the
rocks, «Fall on us and hide us from | flesh of
captains, the flesh of
the face of Him who sits on the | mighty men, the flesh of horses
throne and from the wrath of the |
and of those who sit on them, and
Lamb! For the great day of His wrath | the flesh of all
people, free and
has come, and who is able to stand?» | slave, both small and
great.»
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Revelation 6:14
The sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up.
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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.
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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...
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The earth will be in a state of total desolation, after God's wrath:
«For 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.» (ISAIAH 34:2-4,8,11-15)
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Jeremiah 4:23,25-27
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: «The whole land shall be desolate; yet I will not make a full
end.»
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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.
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Revelation 19:21; 20:1-3
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.
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The earth will remain desolate for a period of a thousand years.
These thousand years will be the subject of a future lesson.
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Isaiah 45:21,22
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.
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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.
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Matthew 13:40-43
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.
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God invites us to accept His salvation, so that we may be among «the righteous shining forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father».
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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!