1. We have seen how the beast and the false prophet have established Satan’s apparent rule on earth. But then we saw that all this time the Lamb has been standing on Zion. In fact He is the one who is ruling.
2. Today we see that Christ is actually going to take complete rule. For He comes to us as the king. The one who wears a crown of gold. This will mean the destruction of any rule at all that Satan has. It means the destruction of the political and religious means by which Satan has ruled. And for the people of God, it means their deliverance.
3. Christ is seated on a white cloud. The white cloud symbolizes deliverance and it symbolizes judgement. Its purity means that he will judge in righteousness. He comes with a sickle, another indication that He is about to judge. He will cut down that which needs to be cut. The sickle has been sharpened for its task.
4. We will see that the angels will actually do the reaping but that Christ is supervising the work. At the end of the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13, we are told: The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Mat 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
5. Then an angel comes out of the temple and makes an announcement:
vs. 15 "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
An angel tells Jesus that it is time to harvest. He has been given the message by God. This ties in with what Jesus says:
Mat 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
6. We are told in vs. 16 that Christ swings his sickle over the earth and the earth is harvested. That makes it seem that the reaping is done in one quick act, but the details of the reaping will be given in chapters 19-20.
7. Another angel came out of heaven. He also had a sharp sickle.
8. And still another angels calls out to this angel. This angel comes from the altar and is in charge of the fire. The cry for vindication had come from the saints who had been martyred who were under the altar. The fire showed their prayers had been lifted up to God. The announcement by this angel shows that now their prayers are being answered.
9. He tells the angel with the sickle to "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."
10. And the angels carries out this command.
11. In our passage we have seen two harvests. One in vs. 16 and one in vs. 19. Hoeksema says there is a distinct difference between these two harvests. And as we look at these two we must remember that terms such as grapes are symbolic terms.
12. The first harvest seems to be a harvest of grain. Sickles are usually used to harvest grain. And that ties in with the parable of the wheat and tares we already mentioned. This harvest carries no sense of judgement as the second harvest does. And so the first harvest, in vs. 16 probably refers to removal from God’s people from the earth.
13. The second harvest refers to the harvest of grapes. As we said it is a response to the prayers of the saints for vindication. And what happens to the harvest is that they are put into the great winepress of God’s wrath.
14. The judgement is severe. For a distance of 300 km, the blood rises as high as the horses bridles -six feet? Not to be taken literally but symbolically. This harvest is the harvest of the wicked. Other scripture passages refer to this harvest as well:
Joel 3:13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow-- so great is their wickedness!'
Isa 63:3 "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.
15. We now turn to chapter 17 and the seven angels. John sees a great and marvellous sign. This sign is of the utmost importance. It cannot be looked on without filling ones heart with wonder and joy. Why?
16. Because the angels have been given the power of pouring out God’s seven plagues which will end up destroying the earth. When these plaques are poured out, the subjects of the kingdom of the antichrist will have received all their punishment.
17. John gives us some details about these angels. They come out from the temple. This reminds us that God is about to make the entire earth His temple. To break forth from His temple. The temple is holy, it is the dwelling place of a holy God. And when holiness confronts wickedness, the wickedness must be destroyed. Remember the saints are already in heaven. They will not be subject to this wrath. The fire of His holiness will come forth upon the earth.
18. Their number is seven. When their work is done, the kingdom of God will be completed, His wrath will be finished. With the seven seals and the seven trumpets the seventh of each did not occur. In fact the seventh seal was the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet was the seven plagues or seven bowls which contain them. But there will be a seventh plague and that will mark the end.
19. The plague are in the bowls which are filled with the wrath of God. And they are given to the angels by one of the four living creatures. The creatures represent all that is living in God’s creation in their perfect state. And so all of creation is concerned with the wok of these angels. It is a privilege to hand these bowls to them.
20. These angels stand ready on the eve of the realization of all things. The end is to come.
21. And it is at this time that we hear the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Celebrating the victory they can already see.
Rev 15:2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God.
22. Who are these singers? They are those who lived at the time of the final manifestation of the antichristian kingdom. They are those who remained faithful. They had refused to worship the beast. They had received great persecution.
23. But remember that to a lessor extent the work of the beast and the false prophet has been going on throughout the history of God’s people. The choir includes all the saints throughout history.
24. They will stand beside the sea of glass mixed with fire. They are now no longer on the earth. This sea mixed with fire reminds us of the judgement about to come. And the sea may represent the persecution they went through but have victoriously passed through. Just as the people of Israel could look back to the Red Sea and consider their rescue and the destruction of their enemies.
25. They are given harps by God. Their song of victory is a song given by God. They were given salvation by God through Christ by God’s grace. And it was through His grace that they were able to withstand the temptations and the persecutions and remain faithful. It is by His grace alone that they are victorious and it is by God’s grace that we will be part of that great choir. Our salvations is not our work but primarily the work of God.
Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.
Phil 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
26. We need not fear whether we will be faithful. God will enable us to.
27. The song is both the song of Moses and the Lamb. Moses represents the old testament and Jesus the new. They are one and the same. God’s plan for salvation did not change between the two. Faith was the requirement for salvation in the old. And the new does not do away with the need to be holy and obey the law. It provides us with a way to do so
28. The story of God with His people does not change. He saves us from the flood, from the Red Sea, through the Jordan, from the Babylonoians and from our sins. And He saves us from Satan.
29. The song itself glorifies God. Man is not mentioned. The victory is complete. It is a tribute, testimony to God’s greatness, His truth, His holiness and His righteousness. It is a celebration
30. Also, they can sing as we cannot sing today. We sing of God’s greatness. But that has not been fully manifest or revealed to us. And so we sing by faith. But then we will sing by fact. For we will see how great He is. And I believe that is much greater than we could ever imagine.
31. And they sing that all nations will come and worship Him. How great that will be!
32. The result was that the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power. Soon the judgement will take place. Then they could enter the temple.
33. Brothers and sisters, in Christ. How great it will be to be standing beside that sea with a vast multitude, knowing that God will soon reign supreme.
34. Glory be to Him! Thank you Lord, for your grace. Fr choosing each of us. Praise be to your name!
