Treading The Vine Of The Earth

With the harvest of salvation completed, it is time for another harvest, John reports: "And still another angel [the fifth] emerged from the temple sanctuary that is in heaven, he, too, having a sharp sickle. And still another angel [the sixth] emerged from the altar and he had authority over the fire. And he called out with a loud voice to the one that had the sharp sickle, saying: 'Put your sharp sickle in and gather gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, because its grapes have become ripe.' " (Revelation 14:17, 18) The angelic hosts are entrusted with much harvesting during the Lord's day, separating the good from the bad!

The fifth angel comes from Jehovah's presence in the temple sanctuary; hence, the final harvest also takes place according to Jehovah's will. The angel is commanded to begin his work by a message relayed through another angel that "emerged from the altar." This fact is most significant, since faithful souls underneath the altar had asked: "Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:9, 10) With the harvesting of the vine of the earth, this cry for vengeance will be satisfied.

But what is "the vine of the earth"? In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish nation was spoken of as Jehovah's vine. (Isaiah 5:7; Jeremiah 2:21) Similarly, Jesus Christ and those who will serve him in God's Kingdom are spoken of as a vine. (John 15:1-8) In this setting, the significant characteristic of a vine is that it produces fruit, and the true Christian vine has produced abundant fruit to Jehovah's praise. (Matthew 21:43) "The vine of the earth," therefore, must be, not this genuine vine, but Satan's imitation of it, his corrupt visible system of government over mankind, with its various "clusters" of demonic fruitage produced over the centuries. Babylon the Great, in which apostate Christianity is so prominent, has exercised great influence over this poisonous vine. -Compare Deuteronomy 32:32-35.

Judgment must be executed! "And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and he hurled it into the great wine press of the anger of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press high up as the bridles of the horses, for a distance of a thousand six hundred furlongs." (Revelation 14:19, 20) Jehovah's indignation against this vine has long since been announced (Zephaniah 3:8) A prophecy in the book of Isaiah leaves no doubt that whole nations will be destroyed when the wine press is trampled. (Isaiah 63:3-6) Joel too prophesied that huge "crowds," whole nations, would be trampled to destruction in "the wine press," in the low plain of the decision." (Joel 3:12-14) Truly, a stupendous harvest the like of which will never again occur! According to John's vision, nor only are the grapes harvested but the whole symbolic vine is cut down and thrown into the wine press to be trampled. So the vine of the earth will be stamped out and will never be able to grow again.

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