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And another angel went forth out of the Divine Habitat1 crying out in a great voice to the One sitting upon the cloud: “Send your sickle and harvest2 for the hour to harvest has arrived3 [Matthew 13:39] for the harvest of the earth has dried up.”4
| 1 | Divine Habitat: The NAOU from which angels come and go. The word group (NAO, NAOS, NAON) occurs in Revelation 3:12; 7:15; 11:1, 2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5, 6, 8; 16:1, 17; 21:22. It is always heaven. |
| 2 | Send your sickle and harvest: An unnamed angel commands the Son of Humankind to begin the harvest. |
| 3 | The hour to harvest has arrived: Compare Matthew 13:39. There is something of Revelation 7:1-4 here. |
| 4 | The harvest of the earth has dried up: The word rendered “dried up” is EXERANTHE (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #3583 = mature, ripe; dry) and is variously translated: ripe. It may infer wheat consistent with Matthew 13:39. |
Dear Friends of the Nazarene,
We choose Revelation 14:15 as the theme verse of chapter fourteen – Harvest Time. Having seen the horrors experienced by the end-time Saints John now sees the triumphant in heaven with the Lamb – the 144,000. [1-5] These end-time Saints are the first-fruits of a great harvest involving the Church, Babylon, and the nations. The 144,000 are singing the same song as the “great crowd” of chapter seven. These are holy and clean persons who tell the truth. John now hears a global warning to fear God and give Him glory for the hour of judgment has arrived. [6, 7] A second angel declares “Babylon has fallen.” [8]
Returning to the elements of chapters 11, 12 and 13 a warning is given to the Saints to endure and refuse to worship the Image of the wild Sea Beast. [9-12] Those who accept the “engraving” of 666 will experience “torment.” Only those who keep the faith of Jesus and observe God’s commandments will endure. Dead martyrs are declared blessed, and like those in chapter six, they may rest from their earthly labors. [13]
Christ appears on a cloud to begin the harvests of the earth. [14] First there is a harvest of wheat which likely begins with the 144,000 on earth during the Great Oppression. [15, 16] Another angel with a sickle appears. [17] Now a great harvest of corrupt grapes is seen as the winepress of God’s anger begins. [18-20] The amount of blood is described as the winepress is trodden “outside the Holy City.”
Abba our Father bless those who obey and endure.
[28 September 2002]
