Harvest time on the earth
After that 13th verse telling of rest and reward two harvests are foretold.
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. (Revelation 14:14-16–ESV)
A first harvest
Here John uses language which immediately suggests Jesus Christ. He is “like a son of man” and wears a gold crown showing his authority. In this vision he was carrying an implement well fitted to a harvest.
The temple in heaven represents the seat of God the Father. God the Father remains above all and directing all. He directs in this passage by dispatching an angel to carry his bidding to Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity. This angel was not giving his own orders, but following them.
Jesus Christ does what God the Father said and the first harvest was accomplished.
This event will have a familiar ring to those familiar with the scriptures. Look at the following verses.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:3–ESV)
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Act 1:9-10–ESV)
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17–ESV)
By these three passages we see Jesus, then an angel at the ascension and further on Paul the late coming apostle telling of Jesus’ return for his followers. Here in the book of Revelation John the Apostle is told to write of a harvest at the end of time. There is a word which I hope you are thinking of: Rapture. The Bible teaches it and we are to be ready for it.
Jesus told his disciples that no man, himself included, knows the date or the hour. Obviously, it has been a long, long time since Jesus uttered those words, but they still fit. When God the Father has arranged a world ripe for his harvest, when the bride of Christ has been fully readied he will send a messenger to tell Christ to go get his children.
On September 3rd, 2017 I taught the lesson just before this one on the 6th through 11th 1. My parents were there for that lesson and after the class we walked out together. My mom asked, “What do you think about the rapture?” The gist of my response was, “I haven’t come across it yet in Revelation.” It made me chuckle as Monday morning the 4th of September 2017 I began the study for this lesson. “Hmmmm, there it is.” 2
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