The Winepress of the Earth

"And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." (Revelation 14:17-20 - King James Version)

Notice the difference in the actions of the first angel who harvests and the one in verses seventeen to twenty. The first thrust his sickle on the earth. This one thrusts his sickle into the earth. The first was harvesting the lives of men. The second is preparing a winepress.

Notice also that the angel commanding this one has power over fire. Remember that in the Bible, Isaiah 25:21, the earth is said to have blood, referring to the molten magma inside the earth.

This winepress will not be filled with human blood. It will be filled with the blood of the earth, red hot lava. The angel will strike the earth with his sickle opening up the Fault of Arabah which runs the length of Israel. For 300 km (about 180 miles), the lava will flow four feet deep.

The Earth is "Harvested"

"Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, 'Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.' So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested." (Revelation 14:14-16 -New Living Translation)

There is great disagreement on whether the person sitting on the cloud in verse fourteen is Jesus or an angel. There are strong arguments for both views. However, it is most likely an angel. Because if this was Jesus, then in verse fifteen, we have an angel giving a command to Christ. This is unlikely. As well there is no definite article before “son of man” in the original. This person was like a son of man. He is not the Son of Man, Jesus.

This angel is of high rank since he wears a crown. In his hand, he holds a sickle. He is waiting to harvest the wicked, that is, cut off their lives. An angel comes from the heavenly temple and commands the harvest to begin.

The word the angel uses for ripe means to dry up or wither. The picture is of a rotten crop which needs to be cleared from the field. It is not a good harvest. God has held back his wrath until the wickedness of man has become overwhelming. It is time to bring it to an end.

The angel puts his sickle to the earth, and the clearing of the wicked from the fields begins. When God's wrath is finished and the events of the Tribulation come to an end, there will be no unsaved people alive.