Decision Determines Destiny
Revelation 14
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality."
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
Today's Bible Study : https://youtu.be/LDbao5p8e0k
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Questions.
Reflect on this quote: "Many today avoid trying to "scare" people into the kingdom. In a culture in revolt against authority and skeptical of threats, emphasizing God's loving invitation may be a more strategic approach. But John had no such scruples against "scaring" people, and as long as we speak the truth and are able to reason with people (Acts 19:9; 24:25), there remain occasions when this approach is appropriate. A young atheist chose to consider the claims of Christ immediately rather than deferring the decision because the doctrine of hell made the stakes too high to ignore. Twenty-four years later that former atheist remains a committed Christian—and is writing this commentary"
How direct should we be in challenging people to commit to become followers of the Lamb?
Earnestness and Compassion are both quite powerful. How does this passage cause us to become more compassionately earnest?
Summarise the events of the Last Days as described in the passages listed.
Sources:
Akin: A Christ Centred Commentary on the Book of Revelation
Strauss: Revelation
Duvall: Revelation
Lamb: Revelation
Easley: Revelation
The Big Decision About Your Destiny
Revelation 14 is a chapter of great contrast.
It tells about the Lamb and about the beast.
It tells about Earth and about Heaven.
It tells about the harvest of the doomed and the harvest of the saved.
Revelation 14 is a Big Picture Piece that gives us the overview of the next 8 chapters of Revelation. It is a summary of what we are going to see next. And it particularly challenges us about the need to make a decision about following the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today is decision time.
God created you a living soul.
Your soul will be in existence somewhere when the sun, moon and stars have grown cold.
There was a time when you were not; there will never be a time when you will not be.
Where will you spend eternity?
It is decision that determines destiny.
We will either say "yes" to Jesus or "no" to Jesus.
Matthew 12:30
If a person decides not to decide, that is a decision.
We are free to choose. We're not free not to choose, and we're not free to choose the consequences of our choices.
Revelation 14:13
When we die, we will either die in the Lord or outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you were to die today, where would you be?
When you get to where you are headed, where will you be?
There is the destiny of the dead.
Revelation 14:1 (NKJV) 1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.
John now sees a LAMB. He had been seeing the antichrist and the false prophet in chapter 13. They both were described as BEASTS because of their cruel nature and ferocious treatment of God's people. Now in contrast to that scene he sees a LAMB who is the Lord Jesus Christ. LAMB emphasizes first and foremost the sacrifice Christ made which is the basis for relationship with Him. He is the sacrificial Lamb who died for the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29). Lamb also pictures gentleness, and dealing with His people in grace. No more will God's people be brutally treated by the BEASTLY leaders of this world, but from this time on, they are led by the LAMB.
Standing on Mount Zion: Mount Zion as in Ps. 2:6 There is no easy answer.
Isa 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
6 For you have rejected your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines,
8 Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.
10 Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty.
11 The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled,
and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
12 For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan;
17 And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
18 And the idols shall utterly pass away.
19 And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
20 In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats,
21 to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the LORD,
and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
22 Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?
Mount Zion and the Day of the Lord.
Joel 3
1 "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,
9 Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, "I am a warrior."
11 Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there.
Bring down your warriors, O LORD.
12 Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
16 The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.
17 "So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.
19 "Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20 But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations.
21 I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion."
Micah 4 1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills;
and peoples shall flow to it,
2 and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore;
4 but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5 For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
6 In that day, declares the LORD, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away
and those whom I have afflicted;
7 and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.
8 And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come,
the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
10 Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
11 Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, "Let her be defiled,
and let our eyes gaze upon Zion."
12 But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; and shall devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.
Zechariah 14 The Coming Day of the LORD
1 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. 7 And there shall be a unique2 day, which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. 8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.
10 The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. 11 And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction.5 Jerusalem shall dwell in security.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
13 And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other. 14 Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15 And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.
16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them.
The triumph of the 144,000 14:1-5
14:1 "And I looked" (Gr. kai eidon) introduces three scenes in chapter 14 (vv. 1, 6, 14), as this phrase did twice in chapter 13 (vv. 1, 11). "Behold" (Gr. idou, cf. v. 14) calls special attention to the greatness of the sight that John saw here. Then I looked, and behold,
John saw, in this scene, the time yet future at the end of the Great Tribulation, when Jesus Christ will return to the earth. The Second Coming does not actually take place here, chronologically, but in 19:11-21. John only saw a preview of it, as if happening here, in his vision. He saw "the Lamb … standing" on earth, specifically "on Mt. Zion," with the "144,000" Jewish witnesses whom God had sealed for the Tribulation (7:3; cf. Zech. 14:4-5).
Decision Determines the Destiny of the Saved
John Saw The Blessings Of A Right Decision
1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads
They are probably the 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Israel.
There are similarities for believers today.
They follow the Lamb.
They have been set aside to serve. Revelation 7:15
They are secure
Sealed with the Lamb's Name and the Father's name signifying Jewishness.
A seal symbolizes protection, possession and preservation.
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit having believed the gospel. Ephesians 1:13 It is possible that the reason that the sealing here mentions the Father and the Son but not the Spirit is that this is after the rapture and therefore the Spirit of God, the restraining One has been taken from the world with believers.
They are Singing
2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
It is their own song.
They have a special song because of their own special experience that nobody else can sing.
They are separated
4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless
"Not defiled" in this Scripture is not referring to marriage.
This is symbolism used to express that they are spiritually undefiled.
Satan's false church is called a harlot. Later on in the book of the Revelation, we see a scarlet woman who represents false religion. False religion tends towards using idols.
Buddha, Hinduism, Islamic Holy Places etc.
This passage represents spiritual fornication.
They are true to the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ.
They are steadfast
It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They are marked by loyalty to the Lamb.
No rival, no refusal, no restraint.
Do you have loyalty to the Lamb? Are you steadfast ?
Are you a soldier of the cross, a follower of the lamb? Isaac Watts in 1731 wrote:
Am I a soldier of the cross, A follow'r of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies On flow'ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord;
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.
Thy saints in all this glorious war Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar, By faith's discerning eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise, And all Thy armies shine
In robes of vict'ry through the skies, The glory shall be Thine.
They are sincere
5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless
They are Special
These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb,
In Israel, there was a feast during harvest time called the Feast of the First Fruits. They would take the first ripening grain to the temple. The first fruits typify the harvest that is to come.
The first to enter the millennial kingdom?
Rev 20: 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
2. John Saw The Results Of A Wrong Decision
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."
Beginning with verse 6, we are introduced to six angelic messengers who appear in the remainder of the chapter (14:6,8,9,15,17,18). Their messages contain both blessing and cursing. There are words of gospel (14:6). There are also words of judgment. What is made crystal clear is there is no place in a biblical, orthodox theology for universalism (i.e., the belief that eventually all persons will be saved). A biblical portrait of hell and eternal torment is painted for us in verses 10-11 that are simply too plain to be denied. Revelation 14:6-20 could not be more politically incorrect for an age that tolerates anything and everything. However, one thing is certain: the God of all the earth will do right (Gen 18:25). A day of reckoning is coming for all of us. We will not all be treated the same though we will all be treated justly and righteously. No one will stand before God at judgment and say, "You did me wrong. You were unfair." Such a day will never come.
The Opportunity of A Right Decision
All Peoples Are Called to Fear, Glorify, and Worship Their Creator God (14:6-7)
Flying "high overhead" (ESV, "directly overhead") is actually mid-heaven. It refers to that point in the sky where the sun reaches its apex or highest point. This angel will be at the highest point, and verse 7 informs us that he will speak with the loudest voice. All will see him and all will hear him.
He preaches the everlasting gospel. This is the only time an angel is said to preach the gospel! Generally this is our assignment. The "eternal" gospel is the same gospel proclaimed throughout all of history. It is the good news of forgiveness and eternal life made possible through the death of Jesus Christ for sinners. Old Testament saints looked forward to this day. All New Testament believers look back to what Christ accomplished.
One aspect of the gospel is made known to all people in all ages. Inwardly every person knows there is one True God whom they should fear glorify and worship. God has made Himself known. But people generally make bad decisions.
The Culpability for Making A Wrong Decision
The issue involved is the culpability of all people. You are only culpable if you deliberately break the law.
The lockdown laws were made widely known so that people could be held accountable for their actions. Small businesses and churches filled out covid safety plans, the purpose of which was to demonstrate that the businesses understood the restriction requirements.
The driving test before you get a drivers license is primarily so that you know what the law says, and are held culpable for infringements. The purpose of your drivers license was to demonstrate that you understood the requirements for driving in NSW.
God's law is written in all human hearts. People refuse the knowledge of God and the knowledge of the gospel. And they are culpable before God.
All people are expected to make a right decision about whom they will worship from the innate knowledge within them. They are expected to acknowledge God and fear Him! But because of our own selfishness and sinfulness all of us make the wrong decision unless God helps us.
The Consequences of A Wrong Decision
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality."
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
Verses 8-13 contrasts those who follow the Lamb and those who follow the beast, between the saved and the lost. We see first the destiny of the unsaved. Their end can only be described as heartbreaking, sorrowful, and tragic. Their future is unimaginably dark and hopeless.
Verses 10 and 11 provide a terrifying picture of hell and eternal damnation. It is impossible to read these verses and come up with any kind of doctrine of universalism, annihilationism, or conditional immortality. The picture is one of conscious, eternal, and everlasting torment before the angels and the Lamb. Those in hell will have a constant awareness and knowledge of the God they rejected. This will only enhance the horror and torment they will experience.
Revelation 14:11 tells us that this punishment will never end: "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." The smoke goes up forever because the fire never goes out. They have no rest day or night because the wrath of God against them will never be exhausted, because the punishment fits the crime. The crime of refusing to "fear God and give him glory" (14:7) is infinite in heinousness and effrontery. Therefore the punishment such an infinite crime deserves is infinite in scope and duration. Hell lasts forever because God is infinitely important. Hell is about the worth and majesty of God. If you understand what it means for God to be God, you will understand why Hell lasts forever. If Hell is offensive to you, it is because you have not yet realized how significant God is.
No one has sufficiently felt the weight of God and eternity, and to get at it I want to quote James Joyce:
Last and crowning torture of all the tortures of that awful place is the eternity of hell. Eternity! O, dread and dire word. Eternity! What mind of man can understand it? And remember, it is an eternity of pain. Even though the pains of hell were not so terrible as they are, yet they would become infinite, as they are destined to last for ever. But while they are everlasting they are at the same time, as you know, intolerably intense, unbearably extensive. To bear even the sting of an insect for all eternity would be a dreadful torment. What must it be, then, to bear the manifold tortures of hell for ever? For ever! For all eternity! Not for a year or for an age but for ever.
The Consequences Of A Decision To Be Followers of the Lamb.
Satan's deceptions may be powerful, his beast may be convincing, and his false prophet may persuade every unbeliever in the world to worship the beast and kill Christians.
But for those who decide to follow the Lord Jesus the Contrast in the Consequences are stark.
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"
3. John Saw The Final End
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
This is very much a picture of our Lord Jesus' words in Matthew 13
24 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants4 of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Treading grapes in a winepress was a familiar figure of divine wrath and judgment.
I trampled the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and ground them underfoot in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. For I planned the day of vengeance, and the year of My redemption came. (Isa 63:3-4)
The Lord has rejected all the mighty men within me. He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. The Lord has trampled Virgin Daughter Judah like grapes in a winepress. (Lam 1:15)
Swing the sickle because the harvest is ripe. Come and trample the grapes because the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because the wickedness of the nations is great. (Joel 3:13)
A sharp sword came from His mouth, so that He might strike the nations with it. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. (Rev 19:15)
Jerusalem will be spared the terrible judgment at the second coming of Christ according to God's Word. She will be damaged but not destroyed. This is in keeping with God's prediction and promise in Zechariah 14:1-5.
The war that will truly end all wars will no doubt be worldwide, yet its focal point will be on the Plain of Esdraelon near Mount Megiddo (about 60 miles north of Jerusalem). This is what we know as Armageddon. Here will take place the most horrific and destructive battle the world will ever know.
Armageddon is also noted in 16:12-16 and 19:17-21. It is more a slaughter than a battle. Blood will flow or be splattered up to a horse's bridle, or about four feet high. It will run for 1,600 furlongs or stadia—184 miles. This is hyperbole suggesting massive, unimaginable slaughter and destruction (MacArthur, Revelation 12–22, 117). Josephus tells us that when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman general Titus, he killed so many Jews that the whole city ran with blood so much that the fires of many houses were quenched with their blood (Wars of the Jews, 6.8.5). In the coming battle, the blood will fill the troughs and streambeds throughout the valley of Megiddo and beyond. It will truly be a just and terrible day of vengeance and judgment.
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