Four Climactic Announcements and the Harvest and the Vintage

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Four Climactic Announcementsandthe Harvest and
the Vintage

• Revelation 146-20

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The Structure of Daniels 70th Week(aka The Day
of the Lord)
Rapture of the Church
Return of Christ
Abomination of Desolation
3.5 Years
3.5 Years
Beginning of Birth Pangs
The Great Tribulation
You are here.
3
Outline of Revelation

• Publication of the Prophecy Its Future
  Expectation (41 225)
• Opening of the Seven-Sealed Scroll
• (41 81)
• The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets
• (82 1119)
• Pouring Out of the Seven Bowls
• (121 1824)
• Background of the Bowls (121 1420)
• The woman, the male-child, and the dragon
  (121-17)
• The beast out of the sea and the beast out of the
  earth (131-18)
• The Victorious Followers of the Lamb (141-5)
• Four Climactic Announcements and the Harvest and
  the Vintage (146-20)

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Overview of Revelation 14

• The whole of chapter 14 is proleptic, i.e., the
  scenes are described from the vantage point of a
  future point in time.
• The first 5 verses feature the Lamb and His
  followers victory over the beast.
• The rest of the chapter furnishes an outline of
  both the catastrophes and the bliss that will be
  treated chronologically and in more detail in
  1617-225.
• Thus chapter 14 provides an important word of
  encouragement for the faithful by describing the
  ultimate triumph for those who refuse the mark of
  the beast and the doom of those who do receive
  it.
• The latter part of the chapter consists of a
  series of 4 announcements that provide incentives
  to give glory to God by remaining faithful to the
  Lamb and resisting the demands of the beast.

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The Everlasting Gospel (146-7)

• The angel who makes this announcement is the
  first of six to participate in the announcements
  and events of this chapter.
• His location in midheaven enables him to be seen
  and heard by all on the earth.
• His exhortation is to give glory to God and
  worship Him as the Creator of the universe.
• The true God must be recognized for who He is,
  and the dragon and false Christ must not be
  worshipped!
• The basis of the command is Gods impending
  judgment.
• This is the last chance for those on the earth to
  declare their allegiance to the one, true God.

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The Fall of Babylon (148)

• The second announcement proclaims the fall of
  Babylon, the consequence of those who reject the
  command in the first announcement.
• This announcement anticipates a further
  description of Babylons fall in 1617-1824.
• Babylon here should be understood as the literal
  city on the Euphrates River, but also
  representing a worldwide political and religious
  system connected with that city.
• This city and its associated system have
  exercised their power over the earths
  inhabitants and caused them to choose a path of
  rebellion against God.
• Babylons fornication here refers to all types of
  unfaithfulness to God.
• Accepting Babylons wine of fornication also
  requires that one drink the undiluted wine of
  Gods wrath (v. 10).

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The Torment of the Beast Worshipers (149-12)

• The warning of the third announcement is this
  the suffering you avoid if you worship the beast
  is much less severe than the eternal punishment
  you will endure if you do worship him.
• Notice the progression of the first 3
  announcements
• The command to worship God as Creator
• The fall of Babylon to motivate such worship
• The eternal punishment for those who reject the
  truth
• Gods eschatological judgment will be without
  mercy!
• Just as Abraham saw smoke from Sodom and Gomorrah
  as a sign of Gods punishment of those cities
  (Gen 1924-28), smoke will also serve as a token
  of Gods future, eternal punishment of the wicked
  in the lake of fire.
• John adds a word of admonition to steadfastness,
  serving as a warning to the one who may be
  thinking of defecting to beast-worship and an
  encouragement to the faithful to endure.

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The Blessedness of Those Dying in the Lord (1413)

• The fourth announcement comes by a voice from
  heaven and deals with the blessing that belongs
  to those who are faithful unto death.
• In this context, the promise is not a general one
  to all martyrs of all time, but to those who die
  at the hands of the beast.
• In contrast to those who will suffer eternal
  torment, these will receive rest from their
  labors and reward for their deeds.

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The Harvest and the Vintage (1414-20)

• One more scene remains in this section furnishing
  background to the seven bowls.
• The scene is in two parts, picturing the coming
  judgment as a
• Harvest
• Harvesting is an OT figure for judgment (Joel
  313 cf. Matt 1330, 39), especially judgment
  for Babylon (Jer 5133).
• Christ (one like a son of man) is the one who
  performs this harvest. The crown upon His head is
  an emblem of His imminent conquest over His
  enemies.
• Vintage
• Another angel takes another sharp sickle and
  separates the grapes from their vines, because
  her grapes are ripe, i.e. the time is right for
  judgment.
• This judgment takes place chronologically in
  1911-21.

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The Harvest and the Vintage (1414-20)

• This vineyard has produced the wrong kind of
  fruit and must now be trodden in the the great
  winepress of the wrath of God which is outside
  the city (i.e. Jerusalem).
• The result of this treading out was blood flowing
  from the winepress up to the bridles of the
  horses from a distance of a thousand six
  hundred stadia (about 180 miles), which is
  approximately the length of Palestine.
• Such a depth and coverage of blood suggest a
  massive slaughter and loss of human life.

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Next WeekRejoicing OverandPreparation forthe
Seven Last Plagues (Rev 151-8)

• Read Rev 12 - 15