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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 5 - ANTI-CHRIST AND THE LAMB OF GOD (REVELATION 13:1 - 16:21)
PART 5.5 - LAST WARNING ABOUT THE WRATH OF GOD (REVELATION 14:6-20)

6. The Son of Man upon a white cloud (Revelation 14:14-16)


REVELATION 14:14-16
14 I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Send your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” 16 He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

The Man Having a Crown on His Head and Sitting on a Cloud: Tossed to and fro between sadness and hope, in the midst of persecution as well as in the promise and in the power of eternal live John cared for his orphaned churches on the dry land. He saw the campaign of destruction of the Roman emperors come inevitably against the followers of Jesus. There was no other way for him than to look up to heaven, and behold he saw a new meaningful vision. He saw a white shining cloud, without shadow, all white, pure and lofty. This cloud grabbed his attention. In it was life, power and motion as if thousands of angels as a balled up swarm wafted together above the blue Mediterranean Sea.

When John saw this cloud, he recognized a man, a young man in a lofty white robe, being enthroned on the glorious cloud. Like lightning John remembered the promise to Daniel saying that one like a Son of man will come with the clouds of heaven and presented to the Eternal God who will give him power, glory and the kingdom so that all peoples and men from many tribes should serve him. His power will be forever and will never perish. And his kingdom will come to no end (Daniel 7:13-14).

John knew by heart the wording of this promise and became electrified when he thought that he would see the sign of the Son of man likewise as Jesus had impressed it on his apostles several times (Matthew 16:27-28; 19:28; 24:27.30.37.39.44; 25:13.31; 26:64). The prophet has been waiting for the sign of the Son of man and watching out eagerly whether He is already approaching. And now he could really see the cloud moving over the Sea, and one was sitting on it. The apostle got thrilled, jumped up and gazed at the cloud-throne of the Lofty One and saw his golden crown on his head as a symbol of his authority and glory. And then he noticed that he had a sharp sickle in his hand. His Lord did not come as a ruler having a scepter nor as a high priest having the breast-piece with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, but he came as an unerring judge, as the Lord of the harvest so as to gather all fruits grown in all the time of the church.

The seer recognized the deep sense of this vision. Neither anti-Christ who is residing in the third temple was the lord of the world, nor his false prophet nor the great harlot, but solely the Son of man was ruling, who had appeared to him in great glory at the beginning of his revelations on the isle of Patmos (Revelation 1:12-20). Already then the lofty judge of the world had imprinted the following on the mind of the seer: Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, I am He who lives. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Revelation 1:17-18)

That was the comfort which the patriarch was in need of for his doomed churches. The victor over hell and death is alive! He is the creator and judge. He himself died in agony suffering terrible pains, but behold, he is alive and will never more die. Not anti-Christ has overcome death, his so-called immortality is a satanic deception. Solely Jesus has the keys of hell and death and has the authority at every time to lead out everyone who follows him and will be killed for Jesus' sake. Not only the eternal life in those loving Christ is immortal, but the Lord himself guarantees it: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives (in the Holy Spirit) and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) All these words of the Son of man had a deep impact on the heart of the apostle, who suffered from his persecuted church but could not help her as he himself was banned to isle of Patmos.

The Earth is Ripe for Harvest: John gazed at the white cloud and at the Son of man being enthroned on it and would have liked to draw him down to the isle of Patmos. But suddenly he saw in his vision the profile of the heavenly temple like the familiar shape of the temple in Jerusalem. Out of the temple an angel came, who called out with a loud voice to the Son of man and king sitting on the cloud: Now the time of harvest has come! Lord of the harvest, put in your sickle and reap! The earth has become dead ripe in the heat of persecution by anti-Christ. Waiting any longer would cause the overripe grains to drop from the ears.

The church of Jesus in its suffering has reached the full maturity of belief, love and hope. And now, in the midst of the tribulation of the church, in its persecution and depression, at this very point Christ must act decisively.

The Lord of the harvest does not need any angel who advises him or even commands him to bring in the harvest of his church in this time. But in order to demonstrate to the seer John that He, the Almighty Risen One, not had arrogantly set the date of translation of the church and of the judgment in his own but waited for order of his Father in glory, he made an angel come out of the temple in the vision who communicated him as a messenger of the Father: Now the time of the great harvest has come when the eternal fruits will be brought in. Now, instantly, without delay! (John 5:27-30).

The Greek text says with a godly simplicity: He, who was sitting on the throne, “threw” his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped (Revelation 14:16).

The use of the term sickle inspired several scientists and astronomers to think of a meteor racing toward the earth. It will not hit the earth vertically but will be trapped by the gravitational force field of the earth and hit the rotating earth spirally like a sickle and destroy it like a barrage out of the universe having an impact force which will be several hundred times greater than the most destructive known hydrogen bomb. A meteor with a diameter of only 1 km has the impact force of roughly one thousand 50MT hydrogen bombs (see Book 2 of this series with the exposition of Revelation 6:12-17, and in the Internet: http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/)

Other expositors emphasize that this picture of harvest does not speak of the wrath of God with any word, and not of punishment for sin, rebellion, or worship of the son of the dragon. In this case it is only spoken of a harvest after the godly sower had sown his seed (Matthew 13:3-17). Now he commands his angels to gather his saints from the four winds (Matthew 13:36-43; 24:31 and other verses) and thus to bring in his “harvest". This first harvest report in the book of Revelation points to the translation of the church of Jesus at the end of the great tribulation, because the Son of man does not come on to the earth in this vision, but abides at this time in the remote clouds. However, he will save his church at the end of the ages and bring it to a shelter.

PRAYER: We magnify You heavenly Father because You will send Your only Son Jesus Christ upon a white cloud to our earth, where good and evil are ripe, to reap the divine harvest all at once. We thank You because Your Son has planted his gospel in the hearts of men. He who has believed in Him and has been baptized shall be saved and shall walk under the guidance of Your Holy Spirit bringing the good fruits demanded of him. Amen.

QUESTIONS:

  1. What is the remarkable sign that confirms to us the second coming of Christ?
  2. When will the world be ripe for the final reaping?

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