The once rejected and crucified Jesus is now seen sitting upon a white cloud, having on His head a golden crown—the righteous One, to whom all judgment is committed; “And in his hand a sharp sickle. The harvest of the earth is now ripe. The wheat and tares are both ripe. It is the end of the age. The tares are gathered and burned in the fire. Then shall the righteous’ shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear let him hear, (Matt. 13:40-4340As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:40‑43).) “And the earth was reaped.” There will be no escape from that sharp sickle.
It is not, however, the gathering of the heavenly saints, but the commencement of the kingdom of God on earth—the judgment of the quick; the gathering out of all that do iniquity, and casting them into the furnace of fire. As to judgment, however, there is still another part.
The seventh part, verse 17 to end. It is the great vintage of the earth. An angel comes from heaven with a sharp sickle. Another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire. ‘This points to divine judgment; even as the fire of divine judgment consumed the victim on the altar, the divine wrath of God against sin is now to be fully displayed.
The grapes of the vine of the earth are now fully ripe. The wickedness of men of the earth is at its full growth. This vine of the earth is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city. This takes place at the coming of Christ with all the armies of heaven. “He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Rev. 19:1515And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15).)
And, further, if we compare this with Isa. 61:22To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (Isaiah 61:2), we see it is the long delayed day of vengeance immediately preceding the setting up of the millennial kingdom in Israel: and through them blessing to the Gentiles. Then if we read Isa. 62; 63, the city is Jerusalem. “For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake will I not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness,” &c. Chapter 62. Read carefully the whole chapter.
Then He comes and treads the winepress alone. “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and. the year of my redeemed is come.” The city then is Jerusalem. The carnage of this day of vengeance will fill Palestine: for 200 miles this terrible destruction extends.
This may seem like exaggeration; but it is in. perfect keeping with all the prophets. See what the prophet Joel says will take place in those days (chap. 3); all nations are to be gathered there. Then will they turn their implements of husbandry into arms of destruction. Yes, that very Jerusalem, over which Jesus wept, and where He was crucified, is the place where the last grapes of human wickedness will fully ripen. “For the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.” (Ver. 13.) This immediately precedes the day of Israel’s blessing. The day when the Lord shall dwell in Zion. So we may read in Zeph. 3, how God has determined to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them His indignation and all His fierce anger. And this introduces the kingdom on earth. “For THEN will I turn to the people a pure language,” &c. And this is clearly at Jerusalem, as may be seen if we read to the end, of the chapter.
Then Eze. 38; 39 show the gathering of Israel’s great enemy, Russia, and all the vast empire of the North of Palestine. He says “Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm; thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy bands, and many people with thee.” But the day of vengeance is now come. “Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee.”
Thus ends at last what men call the Eastern Question. So vast is the slaughter that “seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land.” (Chap 29:12.) Be careful, then, ye nations, what ye do to God’s chosen, He will surely remember your doings in the day of vengeance. When the vine of the earth is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God, that awful winepress will be trodden outside Jerusalem. It will not be as the last destruction of the city when surrounded by the Romans, fearful as that was; for it says: “And blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand, and six hundred furlongs.” Thus it is in contrast to the destruction of Jerusalem. That is, it is destruction of the vast multitudes gathered against it, so great that they cover the land like a cloud. We learn from Zech. 14 that great numbers of Jews will have been destroys in Jerusalem, and the Lord comes just in time to deliver the city. “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives.” Then, as in every reference to this time of the winepress of the wrath of God, the kingdom is set up. “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth.” (Ver, 9.)
CHAPTER 15.
We must not however suppose that the fierceness of the wrath of God will only be poured out on the multitudes gathered in the land given to Israel. Another distinct revelation is now given: John saw a sign, “great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues: for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” As usual God gives us the security of the remnant, who get the victory, by being slain, it would appear, in this tribulation. (This new vision, however, is occupied with the time of the beast, or last diabolical empire). They stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. It is a sea of glass mingled with fire: enduring purity, though they have passed through the fire of tribulation. Their song is the joyful praise suited to saved nations. It is the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb—the triumph of judgment over evil. It is also the triumph of the Lamb, the living Lord who only is holy. Faith sees the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven open. This is also very blessed. Whatever may be the state of Satan’s kingdom on earth, the testimony of God is secure in heaven.
Verse 6. The seven angels came out of heaven. The judgments about to be poured out are now direct from God. “One of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials,” full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever.” This is more terrible than the judgments of the trumpets. None escape the torments of these vials of divine wrath. Yes, men will then feel the wrath of God against sin.
The first vial is poured out upon the earth upon the ordered empire, the men who had the mark of the beast.
The second is poured upon the sea, the nations outside the ordered empire of the beast. Al becomes putrid corruption; all appearance of life is extinguished.
The third is poured out on the rivers and fountains of waters, and they become blood. Every source of blessing becomes utterly corrupt! The angel of the nations declares the righteousness of God in His judgments. Another answers from the altar. Yes, the wrath of God against sin as felt once by the holy Victim laid on the altar, will be the character of that wrath now poured upon those who have finally rejected the mercy to men, proclaimed through His blood. These are the men who have shed the blood of His saints.
The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun. The supreme power; that is the beast, will burn men with fire. And there is no repentance, men are then utterly given up to judgment. “They repented not to give him glory.”
The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, &c. What a termination to all the boast of men! Yet this must be so; God has been rejected; Christ has been rejected, and there is no other true light. And now the very throne of the beast, the empire, is full of darkness. Men will then be in the deepest distress; “They gnawed their tongues for pain.” They blaspheme God, and there is no repentance. And these things must shortly come to pass. Poor, careless souls, awake, ere it be forever too late.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates.” This seems to be the breaking up of the eastern boundary of the empire. The way is thus open for the Asiatic nations to come on the scene. The awful character of the imitation trinity of iniquity now comes out—the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, or Antichrist. From them demons proceed, working miracles to gather the nations to the great battle of the great day of God Almighty. They are gathered together like the kings of Canaan in Judg. 5:1919The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. (Judges 5:19).
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air.” The most awful figures are used to describe this closing vial of divine wrath on rebellious man; such a break up as never had been known amongst men. “And there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men—were upon earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” The judgment of God on apostate Christendom is now fully revealed; indeed, occupies the next two chapters. “To give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” And every island fled away. All separate security, and all that seemed fixed and immovable disappears. Men are smitten with heavy and fierce judgments from heaven. The figure is that of a mighty hail-storm.
This is a brief outline of these seven judgments of the seven angels clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. The wickedness of men will then, be punished according to the purity and righteousness of God. Now impurity and wickedness pervade all classes, and all business, and even all governments of this deeply sunken Europe; yea, of the whole world. The Lord knoweth them that are His, and He will surely take them to Himself. But these judgments, according to the holiness and righteousness of God, will surely come to pass. Not a verse in this Revelation shall fail to be accomplished. There may have been foreshadowings of these future judgments; but to endeavor to interpret these awful revelations, as having received their complete fulfillment in past history, is worse than childishness. It can only be attempted by men asleep, as the Lord foretold they would be. While He tarried they all slumbered and slept. Surely it is high time to awake. The last scenes are developing. All is in readiness. There is only just time to awake. Oh! awake, thou that sleepest. Lord, awake us each one.
We desire to avoid all fanciful interpretation of details, but just to call attention to the undoubted facts in this wondrous book made known to the servants of God.
We now approach the most solemn subject that can be brought before the notice of Christendom—that which calls itself the true church; that which is dreaming at this moment of universal conquest; that which will use any means, however diabolical, to accomplish that conquest. How many, with the Bible in their hands, have been dreaming that the Christianity we see around us would extend until it had converted the world. This dream, however, is fast disappearing. Still the solemn question is, What will be the end of Christendom?
May our God, by the Holy Spirit, enable us to understand His answer to that question in the next two chapters.