"Babylon the Great Has Fallen!"

Treading the Vine of the Earth

The visionary treading is done by horses, for the blood trodden out from the vine reaches "The bridles of the horses."  Since the term "horses" usually refers to war operations, this must be a time of war. The armies of the heavens that follow Jesus  into the final war with Satan's system of things are said to tread "the winepress of the Thereanger of God the Almighty."  (Revelation 19:11-16)  These are clearly the ones that do the treading of the vine of the earth.  The winepress is "trodden outside the city," that is, outside heavenly Zion.  Indeed, it is fitting that  the vine of the earth should trodden on earth. But it will also be "trodden outside the city" in that no harm will come to the remaining ones of the woman's seed, who represent the heavenly Zion on earth.  These together with the great crowd will be safely hidden within Jehovah's earthly organizational  arrangements. - ISAIAH 26:20, 21. 

This vivid vision has a parallel in the crushing of the kingdoms of the earth by the Kingdom stone represented described at Daniel  2:34, 44.  There will be an extermination.  The river of blood from the winepress is very deep, up to the bridles of the horses, and it extends for distance of 1,600 furlongs."  This huge figure, produced by multiplying the square of four by the square of ten (4x4x10x10), emphatically conveys the message that evidence of the destruction will involve all the earth.  (Isaiah 66:15, 16) The destruction will be complete and irreversible. Never, no never again, will Satan's vine of the earth take root! - PSALM 83:17, 18.

Living as we do deep in the time of the end, the vision of these two harvests is very meaningful.  We have only to look around us to see the fruits of Satan's vine.  Abortions and other forms of murder; homosexuality, adultery, and other forms of immorality, dishonesty and lack of natural affection-all such things make this world vile in Jehovah's eyes. Satan's vine bears the fruit of a poisonous plant and wormwood."  It's ruinous, idolatrous course dishonors mankind's Grand Creator.  (Deuteronomy 29:18; 32:5; Isiah 42:5, 8) What a privilege it is to be actively associated with the John class in the harvest of the wholesome fruitage that Jehovah is bringing forth  to Jehovah's praise!  (Luke 10:2)  May all of us be determined that we will never be tainted by the vine of this earth when Jehovah's adverse judgment is executed. 

Next time: "Babylon the Great Has Fallen!" - 'The Wine of Her Fornication'

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