Revelation 14:14-20
Verse 14 gives us a glimpse at what could be another Rapture to take place toward the latter part of the Tribulation Period. Many are confused over the first Rapture; it will take place prior to the seven year Tribulation.
Many who subscribe to the pre-Tribulation Rapture expect only one rapture to take place. However, if we will broaden our horizons and not be dogmatic, realizing that there are many things that we do not understand as of yet, we can then be open to more revelation on the subject of Raptures (Plural).
There have been many Raptures take place throughout the Old and the New Testaments. We discount it because the word “Rapture” is not found in the English version of the Bible. However, it is found in the Latin Vulgate and defines as the “catching away” or “gathering together” in our Bibles. The Latin Vulgate is a recognized translation of the Bible.
When someone is caught away out of the earth to meet with the Lord, it is not hard to apply the word Rapture to the situation as it is defined. We have the stories of Enoch and Elijah as examples in the Old Testament.
Because Jesus ascended in the book of Acts it is not viewed as Rapture. However if we pay attention to the context, we will note that He was caught away into the clouds, just as 1Thessaloninas 4 states that we will be caught away to meet the Lord in the air.
Then in chapter seven of the book of Revelation in previous pages of this study, we noted a mid-Tribulation Rapture, and again in this chapter the 144,000 being taken up with the Lord to be presented before the Throne. There are also the two witnesses being resurrected and then caught away or ascending into Heaven as well.
If we can see our way clear to accept these various Raptures, then the one we are looking at here will not seem strange.
Here is a white cloud in which our Lord is seated and prepared to reap or (Rapture) His people from off the earth before the great day of the wrath of God which is to be at the conclusion of the seven years and noted as the battle of Armageddon. I would like to address the question of whether this is the Lord or an Angel?
Notice that John uses the same terminology as he used in the first chapter of this book; “One as like unto the Son of man.” Just because Angels are involved in the context of this chapter by a statement such as “ another Angel,” this does not discount that John is describing the Lord and Savior that He knows personally in the same terms as He used previously. Not to mention Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of man many times in the Gospels.
So Jesus is prepared to reap with His sickle a precious harvest of Believers that have suffered so much during the first part of the Tribulation Period. God’s mercy and love is evident here that since these came aboard later in the Tribulation period, He still wants to spare them the worst which is yet to come.
In verse 15 we have an Angel coming out of the temple, which would indicate he came from the presence of God with an instruction from the Throne. This statement may cause some confusion that an Angel is instructing the Lord God Jesus to do something.
However, remember that throughout the Bible, Angels are used as messengers speaking as the voice of God Himself. We also have Jesus waiting at the first Rapture for the instruction of the Father found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. Jesus said only the Father knows, implying an appointed time, in which the instruction will be given to Rapture the saints out of the earth.
So this Angel gives the instruction to thrust the sickle and reap the harvest from the earth and we see in verse 16 Jesus obeys the instruction of His Father.
In verse 17 another Angel comes from the temple (God’s Throne,) this time carrying the sickle that God gives him to start the cycle of judgment. From here it is sad to see how many have rejected God’s plan of Salvation and will suffer His wrath.
In verse 18 another Angel from the altar with the tragic instruction to thrust this sickle of divine judgment into the earth to gather the clusters of the vine of the earth. This will be the time of the gathering of the forces for the battle of Armageddon that is to come.
In verse 19 the Angel thrust forth the sickle to reap the harvest due to judgment and cast it into the wine press of the wrath of God!
In verse 20 we have the conclusion of this wonderful scene when Jesus reaps His precious ones and the terrible judgment of those who rejected and embraced this world’s system. The battle begins and the blood flows at such an amazing level; to the horses bridle.
There will be millions upon millions of lost souls involved in this battle, so that much blood would not be inconceivable to witness.
Let’s not lose sight of when these events are to take place at the end of the seven years, for we still have to discuss the seven plagues; Babylon falling; the harlot; etc.
