Friday, October 1, 2010

Winepress Trodden

Rev. 14:14-20 (ESV)
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.
[17] Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. [18] And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." [19] So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [20] And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

“And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horses bridle, for 1,600 stadia.” Gruesome scene. Sometimes I am in awe of just the picture drawn by the wording of the Bible. This is judgment. This is the judgment of the world. The grapes are gathered and pressed, the blood is human blood, trodden outside the city so as to not contaminate the city.
But Christ has the first harvest, he sends out his sickle and gathers the believers to himself.

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