The book of Revelation is a book of contrasts. Each of these contrasts calls us to make eternal choices. We will worship either the dragon or the Lamb. We will receive either the mark of the beast or the seal of God. Either we will fall for the cunning deceptions of the woman in scarlet—Satan’s counterfeit movement—or we will walk with the woman in white—God’s true church. Either we will accept the deceptive teachings of spiritual Babylon, or we will rejoice in the truth that flows from the New Jerusalem.
This week, we will especially study the two harvests in Revelation 14:14–20. They are the harvest of golden grain gathered into the garner of God and the harvest of gory grapes, tread in the winepress of His wrath.
Throughout the Bible, God uses the symbolism of the harvest to describe the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. When that work is complete and the gospel is proclaimed to all nations, “the end will come” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV). The Gospel of Mark puts it this way: “ ‘But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come’ ” (Mark 4:29, NKJV). Jesus adds, “The harvest is the end of the world” (Matt. 13:39). Before the return of Jesus, every human being on planet Earth will have a reasonable opportunity to respond to His love, receive His grace, and walk in His truth. This week we will study earth’s final harvest and discover how we can be part of the harvest of “golden grain” and not “the gory grapes.”
Part II: Commentary
Revelation 14:14–20 describes the result of the proclamation of the three angels’ messages, blazoned with a loud voice to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (NKJV) in verses 6–12. The second coming of Christ happens only after these messages have been promulgated. The preaching of these messages prepares the world for the coming of Jesus. Thus, these messages are of eternal significance. To accept these messages means eternal life. To reject them results, ultimately, in the second death, an annihilation whose results are irreversible and permanent.
In Revelation 14:14, John declares, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man” (NKJV). Throughout Scripture, clouds represent the presence of God. During the Exodus “the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way” (Exod. 13:21, NKJV). At Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments, the record states, “A cloud covered the mountain” (Exod. 24:15, NKJV). God’s glory rested upon Sinai, and “the cloud covered it six days” (Exod. 24:16). When the ancient sanctuary in the wilderness was dedicated, the presence of God was revealed as a cloud resting at the door of the sanctuary. When the high priest entered the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary, God’s presence was also made known by His appearance “in the cloud above the mercy seat” (Lev. 16:2, NKJV).
In the magnificent judgment scene described in Daniel 7:9–14, Daniel beholds “ ‘One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!’ ” (Dan. 7:13, NKJV) to His Father, the Ancient of Days. At His ascension, Jesus ascends in a cloud (Acts 1:9). Jesus ascended in the clouds, and when He comes again in glory, He will descend in the clouds (Rev. 1:7).
“The Son of Man” is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself. It is used more than 80 times in the four Gospels. It is fascinating to observe that no one except Jesus uses the title Son of Man to identify who He is. Jesus uses this title to reveal His total identity with our humanity. He is “one with us.” He is our Savior who is exceedingly near. He understands our weaknesses, has experienced our trials, and has known our sorrows. As the book of Hebrews so eloquently puts it: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14, NKJV).
It is the Son of Man who returns in clouds of glory to take us home. It is the same Jesus who walked the dusty streets of Galilee. This same Jesus healed the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He opened blind eyes. He unstopped deaf ears. He delivered demoniacs from the power of Satan and his legions of evil angels. Jesus forgave adulterers, thieves, self-righteous Pharisees, and faltering disciples. This Christ who came once is coming again. John uses Jesus’ favorite title for Himself, the Son of Man, to reassure each one of us that those who have been redeemed through the Cross, accepted His grace, and have been transformed by His power will look up on that glorious day with rejoicing and experience the fullness of Isaiah’s promise: “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’ ” (Isa. 25:9, NKJV).
The Concept of the Harvest
What does it mean that the harvest is fully ripe? Specifically, what does the angel mean when he says to the Son of Man, “ ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe’ ” (Rev. 14:15, NKJV)? Most farmers wait until their crops are ripe before they harvest them. In the same way, Jesus, the Divine Harvester, will not return until the crop is fully ripe. Revelation 22:11, 12 describes this harvest in another way: “ ‘He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work’ ” (NKJV). The preaching of God’s last-day message leads men and women to make eternal decisions. The Holy Spirit brings conviction to their hearts. Their choice to accept or reject Jesus’ love, grace, and truth settles their eternal destiny forever. Thus, they make their final, irrevocable decision.
When these conditions are met, the harvest will now be ripe for the harvest. At that time, there will be only two classes upon the earth: those that are fully, unreservedly committed to Christ—nothing can shake their loyalty to Him—and those that have compromised their integrity and have sold out to the devil. At this point, the entire universe will see the character of Christ revealed in the redeemed and the character of Satan revealed in the lost.
It is the purpose of the message that we are studying this quarter to produce the glorious harvest for the kingdom of God. Commenting on the harvest principle in Mark 4, Ellen G. White writes, “ ‘When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69.
Here is the incredibly good news. Jesus will complete what He has started in the lives of His people. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1, 2). As the apostle Paul declares to the church at Philippi: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, NKJV). Grace is greater than sin, for “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20, NKJV).
It may be difficult to understand how Jesus will produce a final harvest in these sin-polluted lives of ours, but it is all accomplished by grace through faith. And though we are always, and only, saved by Christ’s imputed, credited righteousness for us, by grace through faith, we accept His sanctifying power in our lives as well, and we daily grow in our spiritual walk with Him.
Part III: Life Application
For Personal Reflection: Our study this week clearly reveals that Jesus will complete the work He has begun in this world. “ ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’ ” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV; emphasis supplied). The word “witness” in this verse is especially significant. A witness gives a testimony under oath in a court of law. The evidence submitted by the witness proves the veracity of his or her statements. Thus, the final proclamation of the gospel will be more than a mere verbal proclamation of gospel truth, but it will be a living demonstration, as attested by the divinely transformed lives of Jesus’ followers, of that truth to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” before the return of our Lord (Rev. 14:6, NKJV). This “witness” will cause one of two reactions: either acceptance or rejection of the claims of Christ by the people on earth. Their response, in turn, will lead to the final harvest.
Here is the good news. History is not an endless cycle of events. It is not an infinite circle of time going nowhere. All of history is catapulting toward one climactic event: earth’s final harvest and the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ. There can be no neutrality in earth’s final hours. Men and women will either be saved by His grace, transformed by His righteousness, filled with His Spirit, and witnessing to the glory of His name or wrapped in the self-centeredness of their uncommitted lives, controlled by the power of demons. The seriousness of our times and the reality of the eternal choices before us lead us to ask some life-changing questions, as outlined below.
Instructions to Teachers: Read aloud the questions to your students. Ask them to ponder the questions in their hearts as you read them aloud. Pause between the questions to give your students time to reflect internally on their answers.
1. Is there anything in your life that keeps you from being totally committed to Jesus in these last, climactic hours of earth’s history? If so, what are these things?
2. Read Hebrews 12:15. All roots produce fruits, whether good or evil. Are there any roots of bitterness, jealousy, anger, resentment, lust, or selfishness in your heart?
Closing Prayer: As you close class, invite your students to take a moment to reflect on their own lives, asking God, by His grace, to give them victory over anything that would keep them from being ready for His return. Before you pray, ask for a student to read this encouraging promise to the class: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV).
Notes
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The book of Revelation is a book of contrasts. Each of these contrasts calls us to make eternal choices. We will worship either the dragon or the Lamb. We will receive either the mark of the beast or the seal of God. Either we will fall for the cunning deceptions of the woman in scarlet—Satan’s counterfeit movement—or we will walk with the woman in white—God’s true church. Either we will accept the deceptive teachings of spiritual Babylon, or we will rejoice in the truth that flows from the New Jerusalem.
This week, we will especially study the two harvests in Revelation 14:14–20. They are the harvest of golden grain gathered into the garner of God and the harvest of gory grapes, tread in the winepress of His wrath.
Throughout the Bible, God uses the symbolism of the harvest to describe the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. When that work is complete and the gospel is proclaimed to all nations, “the end will come” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV). The Gospel of Mark puts it this way: “ ‘But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come’ ” (Mark 4:29, NKJV). Jesus adds, “The harvest is the end of the world” (Matt. 13:39). Before the return of Jesus, every human being on planet Earth will have a reasonable opportunity to respond to His love, receive His grace, and walk in His truth. This week we will study earth’s final harvest and discover how we can be part of the harvest of “golden grain” and not “the gory grapes.”
Part II: Commentary
Revelation 14:14–20 describes the result of the proclamation of the three angels’ messages, blazoned with a loud voice to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (NKJV) in verses 6–12. The second coming of Christ happens only after these messages have been promulgated. The preaching of these messages prepares the world for the coming of Jesus. Thus, these messages are of eternal significance. To accept these messages means eternal life. To reject them results, ultimately, in the second death, an annihilation whose results are irreversible and permanent.
In Revelation 14:14, John declares, “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man” (NKJV). Throughout Scripture, clouds represent the presence of God. During the Exodus “the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way” (Exod. 13:21, NKJV). At Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments, the record states, “A cloud covered the mountain” (Exod. 24:15, NKJV). God’s glory rested upon Sinai, and “the cloud covered it six days” (Exod. 24:16). When the ancient sanctuary in the wilderness was dedicated, the presence of God was revealed as a cloud resting at the door of the sanctuary. When the high priest entered the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary, God’s presence was also made known by His appearance “in the cloud above the mercy seat” (Lev. 16:2, NKJV).
In the magnificent judgment scene described in Daniel 7:9–14, Daniel beholds “ ‘One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!’ ” (Dan. 7:13, NKJV) to His Father, the Ancient of Days. At His ascension, Jesus ascends in a cloud (Acts 1:9). Jesus ascended in the clouds, and when He comes again in glory, He will descend in the clouds (Rev. 1:7).
“The Son of Man” is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself. It is used more than 80 times in the four Gospels. It is fascinating to observe that no one except Jesus uses the title Son of Man to identify who He is. Jesus uses this title to reveal His total identity with our humanity. He is “one with us.” He is our Savior who is exceedingly near. He understands our weaknesses, has experienced our trials, and has known our sorrows. As the book of Hebrews so eloquently puts it: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14, NKJV).
It is the Son of Man who returns in clouds of glory to take us home. It is the same Jesus who walked the dusty streets of Galilee. This same Jesus healed the sick. He cleansed the lepers. He opened blind eyes. He unstopped deaf ears. He delivered demoniacs from the power of Satan and his legions of evil angels. Jesus forgave adulterers, thieves, self-righteous Pharisees, and faltering disciples. This Christ who came once is coming again. John uses Jesus’ favorite title for Himself, the Son of Man, to reassure each one of us that those who have been redeemed through the Cross, accepted His grace, and have been transformed by His power will look up on that glorious day with rejoicing and experience the fullness of Isaiah’s promise: “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’ ” (Isa. 25:9, NKJV).
The Concept of the Harvest
What does it mean that the harvest is fully ripe? Specifically, what does the angel mean when he says to the Son of Man, “ ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe’ ” (Rev. 14:15, NKJV)? Most farmers wait until their crops are ripe before they harvest them. In the same way, Jesus, the Divine Harvester, will not return until the crop is fully ripe. Revelation 22:11, 12 describes this harvest in another way: “ ‘He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work’ ” (NKJV). The preaching of God’s last-day message leads men and women to make eternal decisions. The Holy Spirit brings conviction to their hearts. Their choice to accept or reject Jesus’ love, grace, and truth settles their eternal destiny forever. Thus, they make their final, irrevocable decision.
When these conditions are met, the harvest will now be ripe for the harvest. At that time, there will be only two classes upon the earth: those that are fully, unreservedly committed to Christ—nothing can shake their loyalty to Him—and those that have compromised their integrity and have sold out to the devil. At this point, the entire universe will see the character of Christ revealed in the redeemed and the character of Satan revealed in the lost.
It is the purpose of the message that we are studying this quarter to produce the glorious harvest for the kingdom of God. Commenting on the harvest principle in Mark 4, Ellen G. White writes, “ ‘When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69.
Here is the incredibly good news. Jesus will complete what He has started in the lives of His people. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1, 2). As the apostle Paul declares to the church at Philippi: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, NKJV). Grace is greater than sin, for “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20, NKJV).
It may be difficult to understand how Jesus will produce a final harvest in these sin-polluted lives of ours, but it is all accomplished by grace through faith. And though we are always, and only, saved by Christ’s imputed, credited righteousness for us, by grace through faith, we accept His sanctifying power in our lives as well, and we daily grow in our spiritual walk with Him.
Part III: Life Application
For Personal Reflection: Our study this week clearly reveals that Jesus will complete the work He has begun in this world. “ ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’ ” (Matt. 24:14, NKJV; emphasis supplied). The word “witness” in this verse is especially significant. A witness gives a testimony under oath in a court of law. The evidence submitted by the witness proves the veracity of his or her statements. Thus, the final proclamation of the gospel will be more than a mere verbal proclamation of gospel truth, but it will be a living demonstration, as attested by the divinely transformed lives of Jesus’ followers, of that truth to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” before the return of our Lord (Rev. 14:6, NKJV). This “witness” will cause one of two reactions: either acceptance or rejection of the claims of Christ by the people on earth. Their response, in turn, will lead to the final harvest.
Here is the good news. History is not an endless cycle of events. It is not an infinite circle of time going nowhere. All of history is catapulting toward one climactic event: earth’s final harvest and the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ. There can be no neutrality in earth’s final hours. Men and women will either be saved by His grace, transformed by His righteousness, filled with His Spirit, and witnessing to the glory of His name or wrapped in the self-centeredness of their uncommitted lives, controlled by the power of demons. The seriousness of our times and the reality of the eternal choices before us lead us to ask some life-changing questions, as outlined below.
Instructions to Teachers: Read aloud the questions to your students. Ask them to ponder the questions in their hearts as you read them aloud. Pause between the questions to give your students time to reflect internally on their answers.
1. Is there anything in your life that keeps you from being totally committed to Jesus in these last, climactic hours of earth’s history? If so, what are these things?
2. Read Hebrews 12:15. All roots produce fruits, whether good or evil. Are there any roots of bitterness, jealousy, anger, resentment, lust, or selfishness in your heart?
Closing Prayer: As you close class, invite your students to take a moment to reflect on their own lives, asking God, by His grace, to give them victory over anything that would keep them from being ready for His return. Before you pray, ask for a student to read this encouraging promise to the class: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV).
Notes