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Revelation 14:14-18, I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[b] with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.  Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.”

Chapter 14 is another interlude, a reprieve of sorts, before the pouring out of the cups of God’s wrath in the next chapter.  The interludes provide a respite for God’s persecuted people before the next bout of suffering, assuring them of God’s divine protection for them.  The interlude scenes in this chapter are visions of comfort.  Again, remember the original audience and what they were enduring.  They needed to know that God was going to keep them safe in the Lord.  This doesn’t mean they would not experience hardship, pain, and even torture, but they could be assured that God ultimately would care for them.

The first vision of comfort is the Lamb with the 144,000, standing on Mount Zion.  This image would have been incredibly reassuring to those listening to this message.  Mount Zion represents the hope of what’s to come, the final safe dwelling place for God’s people.  The 144,000 are the “first fruits” of God’s people, those who have gone before, most likely through martyrdom.  Even for those experiencing severe persecution, this vision points to how there is something amazing ahead, don’t lose hope.

The second vision of comfort is the angel flying in midair.  This angel is proclaiming the Good News to all the earth.  A second angel follows with more excellent news, Babylon has fallen. Babylon, the place of Israel’s exile, was a symbol for paganism, hedonism, and immorality.  Finally, a third angel warns against being swayed by the temptation of the evil one.  This would have been a warning to the faithful to not swear allegiance to the corrupt worldly system.  As it is for believers right now, how easy it would be for those who professed faith in Jesus to gradually be absorbed into the majority culture, looking more Roman than Christian.

(Umm…this was a bit convicting.)

The third and final vision of comfort consisted of one like the Son of Man standing on the clouds with a sickle.  Our focus verses illustrate this third vision.  He’s wearing a victory crown.  The Scripture says that the time to reap has come and the Son of Man reaps the grapes from the earth.  Some see this as representing the time when God will gather up all the believers from the earth.  Another angel comes to gather a second harvest and those grapes are thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath, another way of describing the judgement of the wicked.  There is this emphasis on being found faithful and righteous when God returns so that we can be ripe for God’s harvest rather than his wrath.

And the visions of comfort are done.  Prepare yourself, tomorrow will be a toughie.

Let’s pray…Lord, We thank you for your comfort in times of trial.  There are times in which we simply need to rest in your lap.  But help us also remember to stay faithful.  I worry that sometimes I blend too neatly into the culture around me.  Show me, Lord, how to be loving and grace-filled while also living out your truth.  I seek to be in the world but not of it.  In Your Name, Amen.