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Revelation 14:15-20

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

15. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18. 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. 19. 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. 20. 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 14:15-20 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Revelation 14:15

Theological / Devotional

Another angel. That is, in addition to the three who delivered the messages of warning before the second advent of Christ (vs. 6, 8, 9).

Temple. Gr. naos (see on ch. 3:12). The temple has earlier been introduced into the prophetic picture (see ch. 11:1, 2, 19). It will be noticed that John frequently alludes to items introduced in earlier visions. The setting remains largely the same. For example, the four “beasts” introduced in ch. 4:6 appear repeatedly in subsequent visions (see chs. 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4).

The harvest. Verses 15–20 describe the great harvest at the end of all things. The harvest comprehends two distinctive events. One is described in vs. 16, 17, and the other in vs. 18–20. The first refers to the gathering of the righteous, represented here by ripened grain, as shown in the Greek by the word translated “ripe.” The second refers to the wicked, represented by the clusters of “fully ripe” grapes.

Is ripe. Gr. xēraino, “to become dry,” “to become withered,” used of the ripening of grain crops.

By SdaBc