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Revelation 14:17-20
In Revelation 14:17 another angel appears as one that came out of the temple in heaven. This angel also has a sharp sickle as does the Son of Man who is sitting on the white cloud (Revelation 14:14). Then another angel appears, now being the third angel to appear in this scene along with the Son of Man sitting on the white cloud; The first angel made the announcement to the Son of Man that the time has come to reap the harvest of the earth (Revelation 14:15), the second angel to appear in this scene came out of the temple of heaven having a sharp sickle as does the Son of Man sitting on the white cloud (Revelation 14:17); and the third angel appears from the altar and had power over fire (Revelation 14:18). This angel is possibly an angel representing those under the altar who had been martyred and cried out in Revelation 6:10 (NKJV), “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” This third angel from the altar cries out to the second angel with the sickle, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe” (Revelation 14:18b). In Revelation 14:19 we learn that this angel with the sharp sickle then, “thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:19). Revelation 14:20 states, “20And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.” This passage does not, however, tell us who is trampling the winepress, but we will soon learn in Revelation 19:11-16 that it is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS that fulfills this duty of the wrath of Almighty God.
This is an example of the wrath of God being poured out on the wickedness of the earth in an ironic twist of Babylon/the devil/wickedness being destroyed in the great winepress in reference to Revelation 14:8 declaring, “8And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
The tainted wine that the devil has given all nations to drink will come full circle to include punishment for all who drink that wine, being, the sinful nature of this world and continuing to live freely in it by refusing to open their hearts to God and accept the salvation that He offers in forgiveness through His One and only Son Jesus, who died for the sin of the world (John 1:29, John 3:16-17). Those who follow the sinful nature will be made into wine themselves “the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs” (Revelation 14:20). This ironic twist is in reference to Jesus being the vine and we, as His disciples/followers are the branches (John 15). The devil falsely imitates God once again as he is now being referred to as “the vine of the earth” (Revelation 14:18), but this vine will be destroyed in the great winepress “for her grapes are fully ripe” in being full of the earthly nature/sinful nature of the devil.
Dear LORD,
Please open our eyes so that we may see how the devil tries to imitate You but always falls short; and open our ears so that we may hear Your Word speaking to our hearts, minds, and souls to turn from following the evil ways of this world and to putting on the righteousness of Christ Jesus as He gives freely to all who will come to Him. In Jesus name I pray, amen.