Revelation Chapter 14

VERSE 17-19 “Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So, the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”

VERSE 20 continued “And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.”

The “winepress” represents dire circumstances and troublesome conditions which will arise under Divine Providence to constrict the liberties, influence, and popularity of the worldly Church, eventually crushing within its confines all false systems of worship. The expression “outside the city” denotes a place of opprobrium and shame (Lev. 14:34, 40).

Blood issuing forth from the winepress is the manifestation of retributive judgment avenging the former spilled blood of the saints (Rev. 6:10). The ensuing bloodbath will reach within the winepress unto the horses’ (See # 1) bridles (See # 2). This symbolism indicates that those of the glorified Church, pictured riding on horses elsewhere in the Apocalypse, will share with their Lord in the treading of the winepress (Rev. 19:14, 19, 20). The same theme is revealed in Isa 21:7 and also in Dan 2:34, where the Kingdom class (pictured as a stone cut out without hands) is seen to smite the great image upon its clay-iron feet.

Although Verse 20 does not specifically state who will tread the winepress without the city, it is strongly implied that the angel of Verse 19 (the true Church) is a participant. (See # 3)

As we saw in our previous post brethren appear to differ on the three angels mentioned here, obviously here Brother Shallieu believes the angel of Verse 17 and 19 (Angel # 5) pictures the true Church (glorified), whereas other brethren believe Angel # 5 depicts the Great Multitude. As stated, this angel (if the latter be correct) does not tread the winepress, but he does throw the grapes in to be trodden.

The next statement, “by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs,” signifies a time measurement of 1,600 years (See # 4) reaching from A.D. 314, the birth of the Antichrist system, to A.D. 1914 (See # 5). This symbolism does not mean that the doom of Babylon was foretold to happen in 1914. Rather, the 1,600 furlongs denote that place on the stream of time at which the blood guilt of the false system reached “the point of no return” in the verdict of its future complete desolation. The date A.D.1878 signifies Christendom’s fall from favor; A.D.1914, the rendering of the verdict; and sometime in the near future, the execution or utter fall of Christendom.

The time measurement of the 1,600 furlongs coincides with, and is corroborated by, the following types or pictures:

(1) The Gentile lease of power expired in A.D.1914, predicated upon the “seven times” mentioned several times in Leviticus 26.

(2) The “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” handwriting on the wall in Dan 5:25, if reduced to gerahs (1,000 + 1,000 + 20 + 500), equals 2,520 years which, when measured from 606 B.C., the year the typical kingdom was removed from Israel, ends in A.D. 1914.

(3) The offering by Abraham in Gen 15:9 of a three-year-old heifer, a three-year old she goat, a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove and a young pigeon each a year old (3 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1) equals eleven symbolic years or (11 X 360) 3,960 years—still another drama pointing out the date A.D. 1914.

From 2046 B.C., ten years before this offering, when Abraham first entered the land of Canaan and God confirmed the covenant with him, until A.D. 1914 is 3,960 years.

Jesus stated in A.D. 33 pertaining to the city and temple of Jerusalem, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:38; Luke 13:35), but the judgment was not executed until A.D. 70. The Master also said to his people the same year that “the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world” would be required of that generation.

“From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias . . . verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation” (Luke 11:50, 51). Yet this pronouncement was not fulfilled until A.D. 70. The same principle of delayed fulfillment applies to the end of the Gospel Age—the judgment will come!

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1. Translators are in unanimous agreement that the Greek word for horse (hippos) is in the plural form, which contradicts the Common Version rendering in the singular. Moreover, the Sinaitic rendering is in the plural.

2. The term “horses’ bridles” could almost equally be translated “horses’ bits” without serious alteration of the symbolism, but “horses’ bits” seems preferable, signifying having something, as it were, up to the teeth. (Rotherham renders this word “bits” in the text.) A “bit” is the metallic mouthpiece of a bridle, to which the reins are fastened.

3. At first Isa 63:1–6 seems to contradict the thought of the true Church’s participation in treading the winepress. However, the garments dyed with blood and the use of the personal pronoun indicate that Jesus assumes full responsibility for the action taken and for his leadership role. Verses 3 and 5, “of the people there was none with me” and “there was none to help,” refer to the indifference and apathy of the world at large down here as far as initiating the divine decree— apathy, that is, until self-interest and the curtailment of former liberties of the public arouse them to action in this direction.

4. Although the Sinaitic text reads, “A thousand two hundred furlongs,” a marginal insertion corrects the “two” to “six” in what appears unmistakably to be the original copyist’s own handwriting style. Scriptorium deletion marks accompany the correction, further indicating that the “two” should be omitted.

5. “It is both natural and consistent to look back into the past for the “man of sin” and expect to be able to recognize him, for Paul says he would be revealed, or his real character shown and seen, before the day of the Lord. This iniquitous seed would be difficult to recognize initially, except as the apostles pointed out by name, with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit vested in them, various individuals of this class in their day. Under the figure of the woman of Revelation 12, the early presence and portent of the false embryo would not be seen, except with the passage of time, when the swelling of the womb and abdomen would manifest the existence of this foreign element working within the Church and constantly on the increase. But not until the birth would the identity of the child be disclosed (A.D. 314), and even then, the character of the child would not be fully revealed until he reached maturity as the Man of Sin (A.D. 539).”

We move on to Revelation Chapter 15 in our next post.