Revelation 14:15-20 - The earth was harvested

14:15,16

The “son of man” has a sickle and a crown and is told that it is time to reap for the harvest is ready. Jesus told His disciples that the harvest was ripe, and to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out many workers (Luke 10:2). So the message of this vision is that although times are difficult, the harvest is ready, and it is part of the duty of the church to bring in the harvest. We can always find excuses not to bring the harvest in, and we find it difficult to believe that there even is a harvest to bring in. But there is a harvest, and we will bring it in.

14:17-20

In the previous three verses we have had the “good” harvest, the harvest of people for salvation. Now we have the “bad” harvest, the wrath of God being poured out on the earth. It should be noted that there are a variety of views on exactly how these all hang together here. The “sickle” of salvation, if I can put it like that, is effective, but so is the sickle of judgement. It should be noted that we, the church, are involved in the harvest of salvation. We are not involved in the harvest of judgement, vengeance belongs to the Lord! (Jer 46:10; Rom 12:19). However, we need to take the wrath of God seriously, for the Bible certainly does! This can also be seen in part as an answer to the cry in Rev 7:3-5. We need to realise that salvation and judgement are going on at the same time.