Well, one Sunday a month, I've been having a sermon in the book of Revelation taking us through that book. And we're now at the end of chapter 14. Our scripture reading is Revelation chapter 14, verses 14 through 20. Let us now give careful heed to the word of God as he recorded for our spiritual benefit. Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud. And on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man, 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 voice to him who had the sharpsicle, saying, thrust in your sharpsicle, 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 of the wrath of God. and the winepress was trampled outside the city. And blood came out of the winepress up to the horse's bridles for 1,600 furlongs. May God bless to us the reading of his word, and to his name be the glory and the praise. Let us pray. Lord, we do thank you for the reading of your holy inspired word. And enable us now, oh Lord, to give attention to your word. Enable us, Lord, to incline our ears to your sayings. And Lord, may your sayings not depart from our eyes. May we keep them in the midst of our hearts. For your words are life, O Lord, to those who find them. For your words are health to all their flesh. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We need to go back and get a little background for today's text. We need to go back to the previous chapter, Revelation chapter 13. And there you might remember we have symbolic representations of evil forces whose goal is to destroy the Christian church. The great dragon there in chapter 13 represents Satan. The beast from the sea in chapter 13 represents the political state that seeks to replace the lordship of Christ with totalitarian rule. And the beast from the land in chapter 13 represents civil religion that promotes the worship of the state as an all-encompassing divine authority. Now, the primary examples of the two beasts in the earliest centuries of church history were the Roman Empire with its divine emperors and the Caesar cult, which promoted their worship. And with enemies such as these, what hope could there have been for the early Christians and for early Christianity? Well, Revelation chapter 14 answers that question. Revelation 14 contains messages of assurance and hope. And we've looked already at many of these messages. We'll review the early ones. The first message of hope in Revelation chapter 14 is the symbolism of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with the 144,000. The lamb is obviously a symbol for Jesus Christ and Mount Zion. Well, that reminds us of the promises in the second Psalm that were fulfilled when God, when God seated the resurrected and ascended Jesus as the Messiah upon his throne in the heavenly Mount Zion. Mount Zion reminds us of those promises about Mount Zion in the Second Psalm. And with this enthronement, God gave Jesus, according to the Second Psalm, the nations for his inheritance and the ends of the earth for his possession. Now the 144,000 who are with Jesus on Mount Zion, we've looked at them before. I'll remind you that I believe they represent the early Jewish church. These were those from the 12 tribes of Israel who believed the gospel message taught by the 12 apostles of Jesus. I think that's where we get the 144, 12 tribes times 12 apostles equals 144. Now, the early Jewish church as represented by the 144,000, well, that was the firstfruits. of a later international harvest that included believers from every nation, tribe, and tongue. In Revelation 14, the 144,000 are called the first fruits of the harvest. And so the gospel, when in time, conquer not just these 144,000, but the pagan nations of the earth as well. So that's a note of optimism. And the second note of optimism in Revelation chapter 14 is the message that we find of the first angel in verse 6. This angel we read flying high in the heavens, this angel speaking with a loud voice we read is preaching the everlasting gospel. And the implication of this preaching is that the pagan Gentiles need to abandon their idols and begin fearing, glorifying, and worshiping the living and true God. And this gospel message, this gospel command, this everlasting gospel is to be preached to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. And through the saving work of Jesus, judgment has come upon the devil, and he's no longer able to deceive the pagan nations. The devil cannot stop the pagan nations from believing the gospel. And the third message of hope, reviewing still, the third message of hope in Revelation chapter 14, it's found in verse eight, and that's the proclamation that Babylon, that great city, is fallen. Now, I believe the city of Babylon here can refer in principle to any civil or religious power that is opposed to Jesus and Christianity. And we do believe that in the course of this age, Jesus is going to defeat all his and his people's enemies. The last enemy defeated being death itself at the second coming. Now, Babylon is here called that great city. And Revelation chapter 11 verse 8 identifies the great city as the city where Jesus was crucified. And that would be Jerusalem. And so I believe that the proclamation here about the fall of Babylon is referring specifically to the fall of Jerusalem, which did occur in A.D. 70. Now Jesus had prophesied the complete destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He said it would happen within a generation, and indeed it did in AD 70. And in the fulfillment of that prophecy, the city of Jerusalem was razed to the ground. If you look at the history of this, all that survived after the two Jewish wars that occurred, all that survived in the city of Jerusalem was the lower layers of the stones of the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount. And we call a short section of these stones, there's a short section that are exposed and can be seen, we call those the Wailing Wall. I'm sure you've heard of that. Now you may think that those walls around Jerusalem today, that they're the walls that were there when Jesus was around, but no. The walls in Jerusalem that today surround what we call the Old City, they do not date back to the time of Jesus. Those walls are only about 450 years old. They were built by the Muslim ruler, Suleiman the Magnificent, in the 16th century. Suleiman the Magnificent, that's the same Muslim ruler, Turkish ruler, Ottoman ruler, who threatened Europe in the early days of the Protestant Reformation. That's how recent the current walls around the old city are. They're not the walls. The Jerusalem of old was razed to the ground. Now, the fourth message of hope in Revelation chapter 14 is a negative message about what the Christian avoids through the saving work of Jesus. And that's found in Revelation chapter 14, beginning in verse nine. Those who remain faithful to Jesus in a time of persecution, well, they may have to experience some painful trials. But in such times, the Christian needs to remember that those who reject Jesus will experience the wrath of God for eternity and will have no rest day or night. The Christian may experience some pain for a time, but in stark contrast to the The one who doesn't believe the Christian will be eternally blessed. And that brings us to our text for today where we read about the two harvests, the double harvest. Now first we will look at the identity of the primary harvester. He is one like the son of man, sitting on the cloud and having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. This person is identified as a harvester by the sharp sickle that is in his hand. And a sickle is a cutting tool used for harvesting various crops. And it's being sharp indicates the effectiveness of this particular harvester. Now, much of the imagery in this verse is taken from a vision that's found in Daniel chapter seven. Now the early part of this vision in Daniel chapter 7 is about four beasts that arise from the sea. And there are many similarities between the four beasts from the sea in Daniel chapter 7 and the one beast from the sea in Revelation chapter 13. For example, let me give you some of these similarities. The first beast from the sea in Daniel chapter 7 is like a lion. And the mouth of the beast from the sea, in Revelation chapter 13, we read, his mouth is like the mouth of a lion. The second beast from the sea, in Daniel chapter 7, is like a bear. And the feet of the beast from the sea, in Revelation 13, we read, are like the feet of a bear. The third beast from the sea, in Daniel chapter 7, is like a leopard. And the beast from the sea in Revelation chapter 13 is also said to be like a leopard. Now the fourth beast from the sea in Daniel chapter 7 has ten horns. And the beast from the sea in Revelation chapter 13 has ten horns. And the fourth beast from the sea have a total of seven heads. There are four beasts and one beast has four heads, so that comes out seven heads in total. And the beast from the sea in Revelation chapter 13 also has seven heads. Now from the time of Daniel's vision in Daniel chapter 7 to the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, There had been four world empires and they were symbolized by these four beasts from the sea in Daniel chapter 7. The Babylonian Empire, it was conquered and absorbed into the Medo-Persian Empire. The Medo-Persian Empire was then conquered and absorbed into the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great. And then the four divisions of the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great was conquered by and absorbed into the Roman Empire. And the Roman Empire, well, it combined all the wicked traits of the previous three pagan empires and exceeded them in cruelty and viciousness. And so the Roman Empire was the culmination, the intensification of the three previous pagan world empires. And I believe that the Roman Empire so understood is the beast that we read about in Revelation chapter 13. Now, getting back to Daniel chapter 7, After the vision of the four beasts from the sea, Daniel received the vision of the Son of Man, who will receive the one kingdom that will never fall. These are very key verses. Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14. Daniel said, I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven, He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. So the four beasts from the sea described in Daniel chapter 7, they point to the beast from the sea described in Revelation chapter 13. And the Son of Man described in Daniel chapter 7 points to the Son of Man we read about in Revelation chapter 14. And this is, of course, a reference to the resurrected Jesus who ascended into heaven. And he's called the Son of Man because Jesus is fully human as God incarnate, God in the flesh. He is sitting on a cloud because Jesus is also a fully divine person. In biblical symbolism, God is repeatedly associated with a cloud. Some call it God's glory cloud. Jesus, as God the Son incarnate, is rightfully associated with this glory cloud because Jesus is fully divine. And he's seated because God has enthroned Jesus in his humanity, seating him at God's right hand, the place of all authority in heaven and on earth. And he has a golden crown because Jesus in his humanity has become the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now we've considered the ultimate harvester in our text. He is the resurrected and ascended Jesus. And so let's now consider the two harvests that are mentioned in our text. The second harvest is obviously a grape harvest because our text talks about grapes and clusters of the vine in verse 18. There is also a subtle indication that the first harvest mentioned in verses 15 and 16 is a grain harvest. Now the key to this subtle indication is the contrast between the two Greek words in our text translated ripe. Verse 15 says that the harvest of the earth is ripe. And verse 18 says that the grapes of the earth are ripe. The English translated uses the word ripe in both places. But the Greek has two different words. The Greek word translated ripe for the first harvest means to become dry. This Greek word is elsewhere often translated wither, as in the grass withers and the flower fades. When, however, this Greek word is used in regard to a harvest, it means that the grain is ripe. in the sense of being dry enough to harvest. You see, grain loses its moisture as it matures, and grain has to reach a certain level of dryness to be ready for harvesting. Now, this same Greek word is not used for the grape harvest, because a farmer doesn't wait until his grapes turn to raisins before he harvests them. The Greek word implying dryness would not be appropriate for a grape harvest. The Greek word translated ripe for the second harvest is a different Greek word. It is a more general term that can apply to the ripeness of grapes which are harvested while still filled with juice. So the first harvest, which is a grain harvest, is described in verses 15 and 16. 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 the harvest of the earth, 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. Well, what's the significance of this first harvest, the grain harvest? Well, to interpret this, we need to consider how the Bible elsewhere uses the symbolism of a grain harvest. Jesus used the symbolism of the grain harvest to refer to the bringing in of souls into the kingdom of God through the preaching of the gospel. After Jesus talked with the woman at the well, And when he saw Samaritans coming out of the city to meet him, Jesus said to his disciples, John chapter 4, verse 35, Do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already ripe for harvest. In his parables, Jesus said, reading Mark chapter 4, verses 26 through 29, Jesus said the kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground and Should sleep by night and rise by day and the seed should sprout and grow. He himself does not know how For the earth yields crops by itself first the blade in the head after that the full grain in the head and But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. Jesus compared that to the kingdom of God. Now one time when Jesus saw the multitudes in need of a shepherd, he said, Matthew chapter 9, verses 37 and 38, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. And let me remind you that John the Baptist said regarding Jesus, Matthew 3.12, his winnowing fan is in his hand and he will gather his wheat into the barn. Now, back in Revelation chapter 14 verse 4, before today's text, the 144,000 are called first fruits to God and to the Lamb. First fruits, you know, the very first harvest that's viewed as a symbol of the coming full harvest. The early Jewish church was the beginning, the first fruits of the harvest of evangelism in the age of the new covenant. That's why they're called the first fruits in Revelation 14. And then Revelation 14 verse 6, just two verses later, speaks of the gospels being preached to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. The harvest that began in Jerusalem and Judea spread to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Now back in Revelation chapter 14 verse 13 before today's text, we read that blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. I believe that the harvest enters a new phase as the souls of believers are gathered into heaven at their death. And I believe that the final phase of this harvest into life will be when Jesus returns, the second coming, and Jesus then gathers his resurrected people to their eternal home on the new earth. And so even while the people of God are being persecuted, they can be comforted by knowing that at the very same time, Jesus is harvesting his harvest unto life. Even when the saints are being martyred for the faith, their martyrdom is part of this harvest as their souls are gathered into heaven. The harvester is the son of man, and he has the one kingdom that will not fall. His sickle is sharp. His harvest will be successful. Not one grain will fall to the ground. And so there is reason for hope. There's even reason for joy. regardless of how painful the immediate circumstances may be. That's the first harvest, the grain harvest. Let's now look at the second harvest. We have said that Jesus, as the Son of Man, is the ultimate harvester. But there are also secondary harvesters who work under the oversight of Jesus. And in our text, we read about an angel who came out of the heavenly temple and functioned under Jesus as a harvester in this second harvest. And a second angel appears and instructs the first angel who has a sickle to begin his work of harvesting. Now, the second angel we read came from the altar and had the power of fire. What does that mean? What's the significance of that? He came from the altar. He had the power of fire. Well, we get the answer to what that means, its significance, by looking earlier in the book of Revelation. We learned earlier in the book of Revelation that the altar, well, that's where the martyred saints in heaven are praying for vengeance. Revelation chapter 6 verses 9 and 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? Now, we also read earlier in Revelation about an angel who had the power of fire. This angel took from the altar, this altar associated with the prayers of the saints, took fire from that altar and threw it on the earth as an act of judgment. Revelation chapter 8 verses 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. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 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. Now in our text for today, this second angel who is from the altar, this second angel who has the power of fire, he instructs another angel to begin his harvest. And so we read, verses 19 and 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. and the blood came out of the winepress up to the horse's bridles for 1,600 furlongs." Now, this second harvest is obviously a harvest of judgment. God sometimes judges the wicked in this life with partial and incomplete judgments. Consider the Emperor Nero that perverse ruler who was the first Roman emperor to persecute Christians for being Christians. In 1868, the Roman Senate declared Nero a public enemy, and Nero committed suicide. Sometimes God judges partially within history. And then there is also the eternal judgment of the wicked. And this was mentioned earlier in Revelation chapter 14, starting in verse 9, with its mention of the smoke of torment that ascends forever and ever, and their eternal judgment is referred to as drinking the wine of the wrath of God. That imagery of drinking the wine of the wrath of God is consistent with this harvest of judgment that includes the great winepress of the wrath of God. Now I think that this harvest of judgment also has a special reference to the judgment upon Jerusalem that Jesus prophesied. I believe that Jerusalem is the Babylon mentioned in Revelation 14.8, the Babylon which made the nations drink of the intoxicating passion of her spiritual fornication. This is the Jerusalem that rejected Jesus, God's Messiah, the Jerusalem which successfully engineered Jesus's crucifixion. Their passionate rejection of Jesus was their spiritual fornication. And they tried to get the pagan nations to drink this wine as well by their rejecting Jesus too. And the appropriate punishment was there being trampled in the great winepress of God's wrath. Now it says the great winepress of God's wrath is located outside the city. Well, the crucifixion of Jesus was outside the walls of Jerusalem. Hebrews 13, 12. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. And so it's only appropriate that the great wine press of God's wrath is also outside the city. And the location of the great wine press of God's wrath outside the city also reminds me of something that happened during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in AD 70. During this siege, there was a period when the Romans were every day capturing 500 people and more who left the city in search of food. And every day, the Romans crucified these captives in front of the walls of Jerusalem, outside the city. And this too is consistent with the great winepress of God's wrath being outside the city. And when the Romans finally broke into the city of Jerusalem, the Roman soldiers killed so many of the people that, according to Josephus, You know, the one who wrote the Jewish wars, the Jewish military captive who was captured by the Romans during that war. According to Josephus, the Roman soldiers killed so many of the people that, and I quote, many fires were quenched with the blood of the slain. Our text prophesies a time of great and extensive bloodshed. Our text ends by saying that the blood from the great winepress of God's wrath came up to the horse's bridles for about 1,600 furlongs. I think that that's just a visionary way of saying that there would be much bloodshed throughout the land in this judgment prophesied by Jesus. Now, there are two harvests in our text for today. Everyone who has ever lived is going to be harvested in one of these two harvests. One is a harvest of everlasting life, and the other is a harvest of eternal judgment. And the only way to avoid the harvest of eternal judgment is for Jesus to endure the judgment for you through his suffering on the cross outside the sea. At Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, Luke 22, 42. Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. Jesus drank that dreaded cup, the cup of the wrath of God against sin, not his sins, but the sins of all who trust in him as Savior. If you do not look to Jesus, to drink the cup of God's wrath in your place through his suffering upon the cross outside the city, then you will have to drink that cup yourself. Jesus drained that cup in a few hours. Those who choose to drink that cup themselves will be draining it for eternity and will never empty it. So cast yourself upon the mercy of God and look to Jesus alone for salvation. And I encourage you to do it today while you have opportunity, because you have no promise of tomorrow. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus, the son of man. Jesus, who is fully man, our brother. Jesus, who is fully God, our mediator between God and man. Jesus, who suffered outside the city wall, that he might drink the cup of your wrath in our place, so that we might be instead harvested in the harvest of life. We pray, Lord, that your Holy Spirit will now work in our hearts, open our eyes, give us faith, work faith in Jesus in our hearts. Enable us to give up trying to save ourselves, to give up by making ourselves good enough to go to heaven. Enable us, O Lord, to look to Jesus alone to do that work which will get us into heaven and that work which will also deliver us from our sinful way of living. And we pray this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.