Chapter Thirty -"Babylon the Great Has Fallen!"

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 you sharp sickle in and 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, he final harvest also takes place according to Jehovah's will.  The angel is commanded to begin his work by a message related through another angle that "emerged from the altar."  This fact is most significant, since faithful souls underneath the altar had asked:  "Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and rue, 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 justified.

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 off as the 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 it 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. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty -"Babylon the Great Has Fallen!" -Conclusion of Treading the Vine of the Earth

From the book of Revelation