Two Harvests

The fourteenth chapter of the book of Revelation seems to give a summary of end-time events to the judgement of the nations. Briefly, the chapter is about: setting apart the 144,000, the preaching of the Gospel, the fall of Babylon, the warning about the mark of the beast, and the two harvests. It is possible to apply God’s word to more than one time in history. That is the beauty of the Bible. It can be applied to the struggles of Christians in many generations. I believe this chapter can be applied to our generation.

I believe we are close to the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. The two harvests would prepare the world for his rule. Regarding the 144,000 it says, “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Verse 5). Only Christians are without fault. They have been justified by their faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Regarding the preaching of the Gospel, I believe it is almost complete in the world, and the last part of the world to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the Middle East. The completion of it could come any day now, or it may have come already. Next would be the fall of Babylon. It will be with violence (Revelation 18:21), meaning, I believe, war. Learning from the Second World War, we might expect financial collapse followed by war. This may have already started. The next item in Revelation chapter 14 is a warning about the mark of the beast. It is in the hand or in the forehead. (Verse 9). The hand is the symbol of power. For example, Jeremiah prophesied about Jerusalem: “Thus saith the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.” Jeremiah 38:3. Perhaps the people receiving the mark of the beast will have the hand of power. The forehead is where decisions are made. For example, Jeremiah said of Israel: “Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.” Jeremiah 3:3. Perhaps the rulers who make decisions for the people will receive the mark of the beast. Could it be that nobody could be in leadership without the mark of the beast? “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12). The verse tells us how to remain free of the mark of the beast.

The final part of Revelation chapter 14 is about the two harvests. “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 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.” Revelation 14:14-16. I believe this is symbolic of Jesus Christ gathering his elect (Christians) to himself. The cries for him to reap come from the temple (Christians). Already many Christians are crying out to the Lord and saying, “Come Lord, and take us out of this abominable rule of Satan!” I believe the first harvest is explained in the book of Matthew: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:30-31. That is what we Christians have been waiting for, the meeting with our Lord. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Following the first harvest comes the second terrifying harvest of the wicked. “And 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, 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.” Revelation 14:17-20. I believe the angel coming out of the temple means the judgement is at the request of Christians, who have been caught up in the air (heaven) with the Lord. The angel from the altar means a great sacrifice is about to be made. He has power over fire, which means the destruction will be with fire. The first judgement of the world was by a flood of water. The second judgement will be with fire. “For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.” Isaiah 66:15-16. I believe the book of Matthew has a further explanation of this. Jesus said, “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Matthew 24:38-41. Could it be that the Lord will destroy half of the world’s population at his return?

Wait and See!