CHAPTER 17
Outline of Revelation — Part 2

With the seven seals (and seven trumpets) revealed, the book of Revelation now expands on important topics necessary to comprehend God's end-time program. First to be discussed is the New Testament relationship between Satan, the church and the world.

In this third of seven sections into which Revelation can be divided, the relationship between Satan, the church and the world is explained through the following visions, each of which follow chronologically:

• Rev 12 – Satan and the Era of Church Outreach
• Rev 13 – Satan's Rule as the Antichrist
• Rev 14 – The Fate of Those Who Worship the Beast

Rev 12 – Satan and the Era of Church Outreach

Revelation 12 begins with a vision of two "wonders," or notable signs, in heaven:

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (vv. 1-5)

The first sign was a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet. The second was a great red dragon, later identified as Satan. (Actually, the dragon is fiery-red in colour. The word used here is purrhos, which means flame-coloured. This word derives from pur, meaning fire, which is frequently used in the Bible to refer to hell. Fittingly, the only other instance of purrhos is in Rev 6:4, which discusses the red horse of the second seal, whose rider is Satan.)

Who does the woman in Revelation 12 represent? Based on the unfolding of events in this chapter, I believe that she represents the corporate church, which in Old Testament days was Israel (observe the "crown of twelve stars" on her head, reflecting the twelve tribes – cf. Gen 37:9). The woman pained to be delivered of child. Throughout her history, Israel had endured great persecution. More recently, she had suffered at the hand of Antiochus Epiphanes. She therefore waited expectantly for her child, the Messiah. However, when He was finally born, king Herod tried to kill Him (cf. Mt 2:1-21). Of course, it was the dragon of old, Satan, behind this activity. He wanted the baby Jesus killed from the beginning. Thus, we read that "the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

The child would "rule all nations with a rod of iron." Premillenarians often use this statement to show that sin will not be permitted in Christ's future 1,000-year reign on earth. However, when we search elsewhere in the Bible for guidance, we find that Christ's rod of iron pertains to the overthrowing of the nations. For instance, we read in Psalm 2:

. . . the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (vv. 7-9)

Christ will use a rod of iron (symbolising strength) to break the heathen. This is a picture of the nations being defeated on the last day, as Christ exerts His authority over them. This same truth is repeated in Revelation 2:26-27, which speaks of the believers' victory (along with Christ) on that day:

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (cf. Rev 19:15)

A multi-headed dragon. In Revelation 12, the dragon is depicted as having seven heads and ten horns. As we will discuss when reviewing Revelation 17, the seven heads refer to Satan's rule throughout time, while the ten horns refer to the kings and rulers of the earth through whom Satan works to foster wickedness.

The dragon's seven heads were each crowned. This word translated "crown" here is not stephanos (the usual word) but diadema. Whereas stephanos implies victory, honour and glory, diadema relates more to authority (as in kingly authority – cf. Rev 13:1; 19:12). The dragon's seven diadems therefore reflect the rule that God has allowed him throughout time (cf. Lu 4:5-7).

The dragon's tail "drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth." This language reminds us of Daniel 8:10, where the little horn cast a portion of the stars to the ground. As we found there, the starry portion referred to believers, and their being cast down portrayed Satan's end-time success in overpowering their witness. In Revelation 12, a third of the stars are cast down before the woman gives birth. This probably refers to Satan's strong rule in Israel during the Intertestamental Period (of about four centuries) when there was no prophetic word from God, and when the voice of believers was largely overcome.

The woman in the wilderness. After her child was caught up to God (that is, after Christ ascended to heaven), two important events transpired. One was earthly and it affected the woman; the other was heavenly and it affected the dragon. Concerning the earthly event, we read:

and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (Rev 12:5-6)

After Christ's ascension, the woman – who now typifies the corporate church of the New Testament era – fled to the wilderness. As revealed later in verses 13 and 14, she was escaping the Devil's wrath after his expulsion from heaven (at Pentecost). In the wilderness, she will be protected for 1,260 days. This language reveals at least two truths:

1. for 1,260 symbolic days – which is the first half of Daniel's seventieth week – the corporate church will be accorded divine protection (this period also corresponds to the thousand-year term of Satan's binding), and

2. the church is obeying God's many directives to flee from evil (e.g., Jn 10:5; 1 Cor 6:18; 1 Tim 6:11)

Being located in the wilderness shows that the church will establish itself throughout the world, which is like a spiritual wilderness (cf. Isa 35:6; Eze 34:25; Rev 17:3). That she had a "place prepared of God, that they should feed her" means that God has taken steps to ensure the church's nourishment and protection, just as He did for Israel in the wilderness (Ps 78:19) and for the Psalmist of old (Ps 23:5). The fact that "they" (plural) will feed her shows that all three persons of the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – will be active in caring for and protecting the church.

War in heaven. Having discussed the impact of Christ's ascension on the woman (the earthly effect), Revelation 12 now reveals its impact on the dragon (the heavenly effect):

and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne . . . And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. (vv. 5, 7-12)

After Jesus ascended to heaven, a great war was fought there between Michael (presumably Christ Himself) and the Devil, resulting in the Devil's expulsion with his demons to earth. It is not revealed how long this war lasted, but it probably continued for the full ten days between the Ascension and the Day of Pentecost (refer Chapter 2, Table 1 for dates). Christ was qualified to fight this war because He defeated Satan at the cross (cf. Lu 10:18; Heb 2:14).

Enraged by his expulsion from heaven, and knowing that "he hath but a short time" (compared to the awful eternity that awaits him), Satan intends to inflict maximum harm in the world, by ensuring the greatest number of people are consigned to hell. To achieve that, he must attack the sanctuary of the Gospel, which is the church. Thus, we read in verse 13:

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

The Devil is bent on persecuting the woman, because he does not want the Gospel outreach of the church to succeed. He therefore works through men to vex the church in every possible way (hence the sevenfold exhortation in the church letters for Christians to "overcome" – Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Mercifully, the woman will be protected from the dragon for a set term:

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (v. 14)

Just as God bore Israel on eagle's wings in her flight from the Egyptians (Ex 19:4), so He will nourish the woman and protect her from the dragon's presence. This duty of care, however, will not last indefinitely; it will continue for a fixed term, being "a time and times and half a time," which is 3½ times. This period corresponds to the 1,260 days, or 3½ years, reported earlier in verse 6. As we found in our study of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9 (Chapters 14 and 15), both periods refer to the first half of Daniel's final week of years, which typifies the era of church outreach. During this time, Satan will be "bound" to allow the extension of the church. This era will end when Satan is loosed to stand as the abomination of desolation in the holy place (during the Great Tribulation period).

Recognising that the woman enjoys protection, and that persecution will not silence her, the dragon has another tactic:

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (vv. 15-16)

To destroy the woman, Satan cast water out of his mouth, as a flood, to try to carry her away. Ordinarily, rivers and waters typify the Gospel (cf. Isa 43:20; Jn 7:38). However, coming out of Satan's mouth, a flood represents torrents of deception and false teaching. This is a common way by which Satan attacks the church. However, during the days of her protection (under God's care), the earth will help the woman by opening itself up to swallow the dragon's flood. This symbology, I believe, derives from Numbers 16. There, we read that the earth opened itself up to swallow several Jews who challenged Moses' authority:

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. (Num 16:28-32)

Miraculously, the earth swallowed Satan's emissaries to prevent them from corrupting the church. God has done the same thing spiritually throughout the New Testament era. Although many rebellious movements have risen and gained a following, God has caused the earth to "swallow the threat," so to speak. As promised, the gates of hell will not prevail while Jesus builds His church (Mt 16:18).

Not surprisingly, the Devil's reaction to God's defence of the church is one of anger:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Rev 12:17)

Despite his best efforts, Satan will not overcome the church during its 1,260 days of security. Enraged by this, he will instead make war with the "remnant" of the woman's seed, which comprises individual believers. So, unable to destroy the institution, Satan will instead concentrate on fighting its faithful witnesses. As the Apostle Paul taught, the whole armour of God will be required to resist this assault:

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:11-12)

Rev 13 – Satan's Rule as the Antichrist

Revelation 12 revealed the relationship between Satan and the church during its 1,260 day-period of security, which corresponds to the first half of Daniel's seventieth week. God's protection of the church, however, is contingent on its faithfulness. As we know, most congregations will fall into apostasy during the end-times, prompting God to "remove their candlesticks" from His presence (Rev 2:5), thereby removing their protection.

The outworking of this is seen in Revelation 13. Here, Satan's end-time rule (during the closing years of the Fourth Kingdom) is portrayed symbolically through two beasts. As we will find when we review this chapter in depth (see Chapter 21), the first beast represents Satan's rule through the nations (which will have become very wicked by then), while the second represents his rule in the church as the Antichrist (through false prophets and teachers). This strong rule – his most powerful ever – will last for 42 symbolic months, which is the second half of Daniel's final week.


Rev 14 – The Fate of Those Who Worship the Beast

Having outlined the relationship between Satan and the church for the entire New Testament period (1,260 days + 42 months), the vision now moves, appropriately, to the end-point of the 42 months, which is the Lord's return. Revelation 14 therefore begins with Christ at the threshold of His coming:

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (vv. 1-3)

In Revelation 13:11, John saw a beast with two horns like a lamb, representing the end-time Antichrist. Now, at the end of the Antichrist's rule, he sees the true Lamb standing on heavenly mount Zion, poised to break the nations (cf. Ps 2:6-9; Heb 12:22). With Him are 144,000. In contrast to the unsaved who are marked as belonging to the beast (Rev 13:16), these ones are marked with God's name on their foreheads, confirming that they have overcome the world (Rev 3:12).

As in Revelation 7, I believe this group of 144,000 typifies the family of believers. However, whereas in Revelation 7 the family on earth was in view, this group represents the family in heaven (cf. Eph 3:14-15). With their number now complete (cf. Rev 6:11), they are ready to accompany the Lord at His coming.

The 144,000 "sung as it were a new song." In Revelation 5:9, the twenty-four elders sung a new song to herald the beginning of God's New Testament program (cf. Ps 40:1-3). Now, with eternity at hand, the Israel in heaven sing a new song in anticipation of the Lamb's victory over the nations. The new song therefore celebrates deliverance (cf. Ps 98:1; 144:9; Isa 42:10).

Four attributes concerning these saints are specifically identified:

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. (vv. 4-5)

Because they have not defiled themselves with women, the saints in heaven are "virgins." Given the context of idolatry in the preceding chapter, the term "women" here probably represents the seducing attractions of the world (cf. Rev 2:20; 14:8; 17:5). Since the 144,000 have not worshipped the beast (cf. Rev 14:9-10), they are virgins in the sense that they have not made their bed with this world.

Second, the 144,000 "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Because the saints denied themselves on earth to follow Jesus, they have gained eternal life with Him (Mk 8:34-36). This stands in contrast to the unsaved who desire this world, thereby following the beast.

The saints in heaven are also identified as being "redeemed from among men as a firstfruit to God and to the Lamb" [LITV]. Just as firstfruit offerings were selected for the Lord before the main harvest, so these ones – by giving up their lives in the sacrifice of service – are now in heaven ahead of those who will be gathered at the Rapture.

Finally, it is said of the saints that "in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." This language reminds us of Jesus, the suffering servant:

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. (1 Pet 2:21-23)

The 144,000 did indeed follow Jesus' example through their suffering. And marvellously, because they committed themselves to God's righteous judgment (through Jesus' shed blood), they will be found faultless before His throne. As such, they are the firstfruits of the new, eternal Israel about which the book of Zephaniah prophesies:

The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. (Zep 3:13-15)

The final harvest. The harvest of the last day is now developed through the warnings and activities of six angels. In all likelihood, these angels represent Christ. (Witness, for instance, how the angel in verse 15 directs the Son of man to thrust in His sickle. Obviously, no angel can order Jesus about.) Since this chapter follows thematically from Revelation 13, the warnings here are particularly directed at those who worship the beast.

The first angel: And I saw another angel [i.e., in addition to the Lamb] fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (vv. 6-7)

The first angel had the everlasting gospel to preach to those on earth. Recall that the Gospel is a two-edged sword inasmuch as it speaks of both salvation and judgment (Heb 4:12; cf. 2 Cor 2:15-16). Since judgment is now in view, reference to the Gospel confirms the judicial basis for the Lord's return, while also emphasising the dire consequences if the Gospel is rejected. Additionally, it confirms that men are without excuse regarding their cognisance of coming wrath (Rom 1:18-20).

The angel announced that the hour of God's judgment had come. As other passages show, this hour is a literal period. It begins with Christ's return and ends with the destruction of the universe (cf. Rev 11:12-14; 18:10, 17, 19). Given the enormity of this hour, fear and worship were demanded, and will be received (Rev 11:13; cf. Rom 14:11).

The first angel spoke with a "loud voice" and flew "in the midst of heaven." This imagery is also used in Revelation 8:13. There, an angel flew "through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" It is possible, therefore, that the angel in Revelation 14:6 corresponds to the angel of Revelation 8:13.

The second angel: And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (v. 8)

The first angel confirmed the judicial basis for the Lord's return. Now, a second angel in mid-heaven reveals the instigating reason. It is because Babylon has fallen.

Babylon, as we have found, typifies the world. She is fallen – meaning that she is now ready for judgment – because "she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Because the nations have committed spiritual adultery with the attractions of this world (especially during its final days), they will drink of the judgment this incurs, which is the Lord's return in wrath to destroy them. (In similar fashion, the world's wickedness prompted the destruction of humanity in Noah's day – Gen 6:5-7; cf. Mt 24:37-39.)

We read more about the fall of Babylon in Revelation 16:19 (where the cities of the nations are decimated by the great earthquake of the seventh bowl), and also more fully in Revelation 18 (where we see the kings of the earth, the merchants and the seafarers all bewailing the earth's demise, because their hopes and dreams rested on its continued existence).

The third angel: And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (vv. 9-13)

Revelation 13:15 stated that those who do not worship the beast will be killed (which refers to the spiritual slaying of believers by the world's hatred and rejection of their witness). Now, in the warning of the third angel, a far worse fate is revealed for those who follow the beast: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God."

Although directed in the first instance to the end-time generation, this warning also applies throughout the New Testament era. Namely, if anyone continues to worship Satan's kingdom by being enamoured of earthly things, he will drink of God's wrath – which is far more powerful than Babylon's wine – by being tormented with fire and brimstone forever. (This language of fire, of course, is not literal. Rather, it conveys the agony of hell inasmuch as the wicked will suffer, for all eternity, the assurance of their hopeless condition and the pain of their allotted punishment.)

Having revealed the fate of those who worship the beast, the third angel declared, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." This is an exhortation for believers throughout the New Testament era to persevere in their calling and to spurn the world, despite the suffering that this may cause.

Marvellously, there will be great reward in heaven for those who endure. Hence, a voice in heaven told John to write, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." In view in this beatitude – the second of seven in Revelation (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14) – are believers who die throughout the New Testament era. Because they will die as ambassadors of the Gospel, they will enter heaven and rest from their labours. Also, their works will follow them because they have stored spiritual riches by their witnessing. This stands in contrast to the fate of the wicked just revealed.

The fourth angel: And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel [i.e., a fourth one] came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (vv. 14-16)

The first three angels (all of whom flew in mid-heaven) made preparatory statements concerning the Lord's return. Now, John saw one like the Son of man sitting on a cloud. He wore a golden crown and had a sharp sickle in His hand. The cloud shows that He is coming in glory (1 Ki 8:10 11; Mt 17:5), the golden crown emphasises His sovereignty (Ps 21:3; 132:18; Rev 6:2), and the sickle shows that the time for harvesting has come (Mt 13:39).

A fourth angel (who came out of the temple rather than mid-heaven), called to the Son of man to reap the earth. This is the first of two reapings. Although this passage does not mention it as such, I believe those being gathered here are believers; it is the event we call the Rapture. Little information is given concerning this particular harvest, evidently because the main focus of the chapter is the fate of the wicked.

Note that verse 15 is more accurately translated: "the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is withered [in the sense of being dried]." This accurately describes the harvesting of wheat, which occurs after it dries and turns golden. (Observe that wheat represents believers in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares – Mt 13:24ff.)

The first reaping is also called the "harvest of the earth." This term supports the conclusion that only believers are being gathered here (Mk 4:28-29; cf. Lu 10:2; Jn 4:35-36).

The fifth angel: And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (v. 17)

A fifth angel emerged, also with a sickle (like the fourth, he came out of the temple). This angel is responsible for the second part of the harvest, which is the reaping of the unsaved. Recall that, in the first reaping (the Rapture), Christ held the sickle. In this second reaping, it is the fifth angel. There is no contradiction here if we accept that all the angels represent Christ. With the believers reaped, He is ready to gather the unsaved for judgment, who are the only ones left on earth now.

The fifth angel, however, is not called to action just yet (although he will be when the sixth angel appears). This suggests a pause, or a gap in time, between the first and second reapings. Such a gap agrees with our finding that the world will not be destroyed immediately after the Rapture. There will be an intervening series of plagues, being the bowl judgments of Revelation 16.

Some commentators question why the "Son of man" is responsible for the first reaping (vv. 14-16) while an "angel" is responsible for the second (vv. 17-20). Perhaps this is a literary device used by God to show that two different groups are being reaped (even though Christ is the reaper in both cases). This would accord with the two different commodities being harvested: wheat first then grapes.

The sixth angel: And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (vv. 18-20)

A sixth angel, who had power over fire (to burn the universe), came out from the altar. He called for the fifth angel to thrust in his sickle, to gather the earth's vine for casting into God's great winepress. This imagery refers, I believe, to the slaying of the nations in the "battle" of the last day, as people are killed through a great earthquake, hailstones and cosmic inferno. By their deaths, the souls of the wicked will thus be reaped, in preparation for their standing before the Judgment Throne.

The book of Joel also refers to this wrathful harvest. In Chapter 3, we read about the gathering of the nations to battle. As in Revelation 14, they are typified as grape clusters that are ripe with wickedness, and therefore ready to be gathered and crushed in God's winepress. Observe in this passage how the nations will be gathered (symbolically) in the "valley of Jehoshaphat." Just as King Jehoshaphat witnessed one of the Lord's great victories over the assembled nations there (2 Chr 20:1-30), so the Lord will comprehensively defeat the nations gathered against Him on the last day:

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press 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 the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. (Joel 3:11-16)

Notice how the Lord will "utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake." This is how the battle will be won, through the earthquake (and subsequent hailstones) that will break the nations.

Revelation 14:20 states that the winepress will be trodden "without the city." Undoubtedly, the city in view here is spiritual Jerusalem. Treading the winepress outside of it therefore suggests the following meanings:

• The unsaved, upon whom God's wrath is falling, are outside of God's heavenly enrolment.

• Christ's blood was likewise shed to pay for sinfulness "outside the gate" (Heb 13:12).

• Being outside the city reinforces the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" imagery of Joel 3.

A great bloodbath. In the treading of the earth's grapes, "blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse[s'] bridles." This language speaks of victory in battle. The winepress represents the Lord's wrath, blood represents judgment, and horses represent man's strength in warfare. In the battle of the last day, the Lord's wrath will be so great, that all the strength of the unsaved will avail to nothing, and their defeat will be as a great bloodbath. (Observe in Rev 19:15 that Christ Himself is the one who "treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" – cf. Isa 63:1-6.)

Undoubtedly, literal blood will also be spilt during the closing moments of the last day, as falling buildings and great hailstones tear bodies apart (Rev 16:17-21). The book of Zephaniah prophesies about the destruction of men's flesh on that terrible day:

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. (Zep 1:14-17)

Human blood will be "poured out as dust" in the wrath of the last day. In other words, it will be poured out cheaply and in quantity. This same truth is reflected in the symbolic language of Revelation 14:20, which states that "blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles."

This great volume of blood will spread for "a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (or 1,600 stadia), which is about 200 miles. Geographically, this is the approximate north-south length of Palestine, suggesting that the blood of all Israel will be avenged (Rev 19:2). Numerically, 1,600 is the conspicuous product of 40 x 40. In the Bible, forty is identified with trial or testing, particularly through temptation (cf. Mk 1:13; Heb 3:8-9). This is significant, because the harvest concludes the Great Tribulation period, which itself is an "hour of temptation" that will come to test the world. Of this hour, Jesus told the church at Philadelphia:

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Rev 3:10-11)

Marvellously, believers will be "kept" or "delivered" (cf. 2 Pet 2:9) from the manifold temptations of that time. God will indeed single out His servants for protection then (Rev 7:3), to ensure that the "oil and wine" remain unharmed (Rev 6:6).

Go to Chapter 18 — Outline of Revelation – Part 3
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