Revelation 14

Revelation 14:1-5

Chapter 29 Christ our satisfied savior ‘And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads’ Revelation 14:1-5 Isaiah declared that the Lord Jesus Christ ‘shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied’ (Isaiah 53:11). That simply means that in the end, the Son of God will have with him in glory all those who were given to him from eternity (John 17:24) and that they will be made perfect, holy, unblamable, and unreprovable, without fault before God himself (John 17:23). This is what it will take for Christ to be satisfied (Ephesians 5:25-27). Nothing short of the eternal blessedness of God’s elect will satisfy him who satisfied the wrath and justice of God for them upon the cursed tree. In Revelation 14:1-5, the apostle John describes that eternal blessedness of God’s elect in their ultimate glorification, which is the satisfaction of Christ as the Lamb of God, their Redeemer. Turning his eyes from the terrible scene of woe in chapter 13, John looked up to heaven, ‘And, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion.’ This is that ‘mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abideth forever’ (Psalms 125:1). This mount Sion is heaven, the city of our God, the final abode of God’s saints (Hebrews 12:22-23). John is still talking about the same place when he says in Revelation 14:2, ‘And I heard a voice from heaven.’ In Revelation 14:6-20 he describes the events immediately preceding and leading up to the ultimate blessedness of God’s elect; but he appears to have been so overjoyed by what he saw in store for God’s saints that he had to describe their glorious end first. Try to get the picture fixed in your mind’s eye as John saw it. There stands the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, preeminent in heaven. With him there are 144,000 who have ‘his Father’s name written in their foreheads.’ This is the same sealed multitude described in chapter Revelation 7:3-4. There the saints were seen as still living upon the earth, surrounded by numerous enemies. Here they are seen standing in heaven with the Lamb, enjoying the bliss and glory of their predestined inheritance after the final judgment. ‘Although the dragon has done his utmost to make them unfaithful to their Lord, and although he has employed two beasts to assist him, not a single one of the hundred and forty-four thousand is missing’ (William Hendriksen). The scene before us is both magnificent and inspiring!

Child of God, lift up your eyes to behold it. This shall be your final end! Let heart and soul rejoice! In the end, when all things are finished, you will stand without fault before the throne of God. In that glorious, perpetual day, you will worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved you and gave himself for you, perfectly! The singular object of adoration and worship in heaven is the Lamb of God Though john saw and described many things, nothing so arrested his heart and mind as the person of that all-glorious lamb, who is the lord jesus christ, our god and savior. That lamb is the reward, glory, and delight of heaven. Indeed, christ the lamb is heaven! ‘heaven and christ are the same things; to be with christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with christ’ (samuel rutherford). Notice the figure under which Christ is represented in heaven - ‘I looked, and lo, a Lamb!’ Twenty-six times in the Book of Revelation, Christ is referred to as a Lamb. Why is the Lamb always in the forefront?

1. No one can approach God, but by the Lamb (Hebrews 9:7).
2. We cannot know, serve, praise, and honor God in true worship, but by the Lamb (John 1:18; 1 Peter 2:5).
3. Christ is worshipped as the Lamb in heaven, because it was as a Lamb that he died and accomplished the redemption of his people (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-20).
4. He who sets upon the throne of God in our nature is seen as a Lamb to encourage us to come to him. Christ is a Lion to his enemies, but a Lamb for his people. What child fears a lamb? We need never fear coming to the Lamb of God upon the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Notice also the posture of the Lamb in heaven - ‘A Lamb stood in heaven.’ Standing is the posture of triumph. The Father said to the Son, ‘Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool’ (Acts 2:34-35). Now it is done! All his enemies have been made to bow before his throne. Like a mighty Victor, he stands erect in the last day, gloriously triumphant. He stooped to be merciful to a sinner (John 8:6; John 8:8). He knelt to pray (Luke 22:41-42). Once he hung upon the cursed tree to put away the sins of his people (1 Peter 2:24). Today, he sits in sovereign dominion upon the throne of God (Hebrews 10:12-13). But in the end we see him standing to receive eternal praise for all his accomplishments (Isaiah 45:20-25; Philippians 2:9-11). Those who shall be found in heaven worshipping the Lamb are God’s elect multitude (Revelation 14:1) Remember the 144,00 are the same ones who were sealed in chapter 7. They are an elect multitude, marked out from eternity with the Father’s name written upon their foreheads. The number 144,00 indicates two things:
5. God’s elect are a very great multitude. At any given time and in any given place in history, they appear to be few. But when all the elect are gathered in heaven, they shall be ‘many brethren’ (Romans 8:29), a multitude which no man can number (Revelation 7:9).
6. The number of the elect is a certain number. We do not know who they are, but God does. We do not know how many there are, but God does. The elect are a multitude known by God from eternity whom he will gather from the four corners. Thank God for his electing love! Were it not for God’s election, no one would ever have been saved (John 15:16; Psalms 65:4). Election guaranteed that a great multitude, ’ten thousand times ten thousand,’ would be saved (Romans 8:29-30). The saints of God in heaven sing a new song, but it is a song learned upon the earth (Revelation 14:2-3) It is a song born of experience, inspired by gratitude, and intended solely for the praise of the Lamb. It is a song sung by many, from many places - ‘many waters.’ It is a song of majestic wonder, indicated by ‘great thunders.’ It is a song of great joy, inspired by electing grace, indicated by the ‘harpers harping.’ it is a song of particular, special, accomplished redemption. The ones singing are all those who ‘were redeemed from the earth,’ not redeemed with, but from the rest of the people of the earth. It is called a ’new song,’ because it is about the blessings and privileges of the new covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12) and a new experience of grace - The Resurrection of the Body! Those who shall be found in heaven worshipping the Lamb in eternity are those who experienced his saving grace upon the earth (Revelation 14:4-5) None shall enter heaven but those who have been chosen by God the Father (2 Thessalonians 2:13), redeemed by God the Son (Galatians 3:13), and made to experience grace by the call of God the Holy Spirit (Psalms 65:4). And not one of the chosen, redeemed, and called ones shall fail to reach this blessed estate (Romans 8:29-30). Grace is glory begun; and glory is grace completed. Grace does not merely offer glory. Grace makes sinners worthy of glory and brings them into glory (Colossians 1:12; Philippians 1:6). Though we are by nature corrupt and defiled, in Christ we are virgins (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Though we have all gone astray from God (Isaiah 53:6), grace has made us followers of the Lamb (John 10:3-5). Though we were lost and ruined with Adam’s fallen race, God’s elect have been effectually ‘redeemed from among men’ (Galatians 3:13). Do not fail to observe the fact that redemption is spoken of throughout the book of Revelation as an effectually accomplished, particular work of grace specifically for those who are God’s elect. It is never spoken of as a vague, general atonement for all people. Though we are by nature full of deceit (Mark 7:21-23), grace has made the believer guiltless, without hypocrisy, and sincere (Philippians 3:3). And every child of God stands without fault before the throne of God!

We are so now, judicially, through the blood of Christ and the imputation of his righteousness to us. And we shall be, in eternity, without fault personally as we stand before our God (Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 5:25-27; Hebrews 12:14). Will you be in that number?

Revelation 14:4-5

Chapter 30 Look what Christ has done ‘And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God’ Revelation 14:4-5 The apostle Paul tells us that God’s reason for saving us by his grace in Christ Jesus is ‘that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:7). Just as the rich man saw Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, and knew the blessedness he enjoyed, by some means or other, those who are forever damned in hell will be able to clearly see the blessedness of God’s elect in heaven. Those who despise God’s grace will be forever tormented by the realization of what grace has done for God’s elect. In Revelation 14 John sees the whole company of God’s elect multitude, 144,000, gathered around the throne of God in glory. He describes them for us in Revelation 14:4-5. These are the characteristics of those men and women John saw around the throne of God. They describe all who are, or shall be, the heirs of eternal life. It is as though the apostle John, by inspiration, anticipates that glorious day when God will show to wondering worlds the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Here the Holy Spirit, by John’s pen, holds up all the hosts of God’s elect as they shall be in glory, and says, ‘Look what Christ has done!’ In Heaven everybody ascribes the whole work of salvation to the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ.

Nothing is said to the praise and honor of man, because no praise or honor is due to man. In these two verses, the apostle John describes five distinct works of grace experienced and enjoyed by all who are found in heaven’s glory and bliss around the throne. The elect multitude, standing before the throne of God, stand in his presence as chaste virgins ‘These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.’ This description of the Lord’s people reveals two things about the character of God’s saints in heaven. ‘They were not defiled with women’ These words do not speak of sexual purity or celibacy, as opposed to impurity and marriage. John is describing the spiritual purity and chastity of God’s elect. Actually, he is telling us that all who enter heaven have been preserved by the grace of God from the damning corruptions of false religion. They have been preserved from defilement by the great whore and her daughters (Revelation 17:1). While the people of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of Babylon’s fornications, committing gross acts of idolatry, superstition, and will worship, God’s elect are not. Idolatry is spiritual fornication.

But God’s elect are preserved from it by his grace (2 Thessalonians 2:10-14; 1 John 2:19-20). Though persecuted by the beast and surrounded by the delusions of the false prophet, though all others embrace the religion of antichrist and persecute those who do not, these men and women remained faithful to Christ. They were not turned away from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). Being preserved by the grace of God, they would not drink of the wine of freewill, the liquor of works religion, or the champagne of ritualism. (Read Proverbs 7 and learn to avoid the strange woman.) God’s saints cannot and do not defile themselves with false religion (2 Corinthians 6:14 to 2 Corinthians 7:1; Revelation 18:4). ‘They are virgins’ Grace has made them chaste, pure, and undefiled in the sight of God. They are naturally as vile and corrupt as any other children of Adam. But God has, by his free grace, through the sin-atoning blood of Christ, removed all their sins and all the consequences of sin from them, so that in Christ he looks upon them as chaste virgins (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Hosea 2:18-20; Son 2:10; Son 5:1-2; Son 6:4; Son 6:9; Ezekiel 16:8-14). God’s church, all his saints, are compared to virgins (2 Corinthians 11:2) for many reasons. (1.) They are betrothed and espoused to Christ as their Husband by their own voluntary profession. (2.) Like chaste virgins, all believers love Christ and cleave only to him. (3.) Like virgins, adorned for their wedding, God’s saints are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. (4.) Like virgins, they are chaste and pure in character, in doctrine, and in worship. Grace has made them so. All those whom John saw in heaven are followers of the Lamb ‘These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.’ It appears as if John saw in the glorified the character of God’s saints upon the earth. All Christ’s sheep ‘follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth’ (John 10:4-5; John 10:27). God’s elect are not followers of men, but followers of Christ. They do not follow their feelings, but follow Christ. Hearing his voice, they follow him. They follow the example of his life as the rule of their lives (John 13:15). They do not live under the yoke of Moses, which is hard and rigorous, but under the yoke of Christ, which is easy and light (Matthew 11:28-30; Ephesians 4:32 to Ephesians 5:1). They follow Christ in all the duties, privileges, and responsibilities of worship.

With willing hearts and excited spirits, those who are born of God follow their Savior in the worship of God. We cannot follow him perfectly. But, with sincere hearts, we strive to worship God as he did while he lived on this earth as a man. Like their Redeemer, all God’s saints live by faith, call upon God in prayer, and find their place in the house of worship. Like Christ, they seek to glorify God in all things (Ephesians 4:17-21). And like Christ, believers submit to the ordinances of God in public worship. In baptism, in the Supper, in songs of praise, in hearing the Word, in all matters of worship, those who know God, worship in the Spirit (John 4:24; Philippians 3:3). All who are born of God follow Christ, the Lamb of God, all the way to glory.

Not one draws back to perdition. They all persevere to the end. Through water and through fire, through burning desert and freezing night, up the hill of difficulty and through the slough of despond, every believer follows Christ all the way home. We all went astray from the womb, speaking lies. All we, like sheep, wandered far, following our own wicked wills. But Christ bought us, Christ sought us, and caught us, and Christ will carry us home. Christ is the Way. Christ put us in the Way.

And Christ will keep us in the Way (John 10:27-29; Philippians 3:13-14). All who are in heaven are there because they were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb of God ‘These were redeemed (bought) from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.’ They were bought by an act of special, particular, effectual redemption. The text does not say, ‘These were redeemed along with those who are in hell. Of course not! That would be blasphemy! The text says, ‘These were redeemed (effectually bought) from among men.’ All who were redeemed are seen in heaven at last. None of those who are not with the Lamb in glory were bought by the blood of the Lamb at Calvary.

Christ redeemed us by paying the price of our ransom from the hands of God’s offended justice. And that ransom price was his own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-20; 1 Peter 3:18). His work of redemption effectually ransomed all for whom he died from the penalty of the law by the satisfaction of divine justice (Romans 3:24-26; Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 9:12). And the ransom price was paid for a particular people (Revelation 5:9; Isaiah 53:8). The matter of particular, effectual redemption is not a minor point of strict doctrine. It is a major issue, vital to the faith of the gospel. Universal redemption denies the power and efficacy of Christ’s blood. It is a doctrine that teaches that the Lord Jesus did not really accomplish anything by his death on the cross, but only made it possible for sinners to be redeemed, justified, and saved. Universal redemption makes the Son of God a failure, declaring that he tries to save all men, but in most cases fails (Isaiah 42:4; Matthew 1:21). And it makes man his own savior, declaring that it is each man’s faith that makes the blood of Christ effectual for his own salvation. Blasphemy! John specifically tells us that this redeemed multitude in heaven was bought from among men because they are God’s elect - ‘Those were redeemed from among men, being (or because they were) the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.’ There was a separation made. The firstfruits were for the Lord. They were set apart from the rest. God chose the firstfruits for himself. These 144,000 are not the firstfruits as opposed to other believers, a group of special, supersaints. They are the firstfruits ‘redeemed from among men.’ In the Old Testament, Israel brought the firstfruits to the Lord.

That belonged to him. He had no interest in the rest. The Jews could do what they pleased with that (Exodus 23:19; Numbers 15:20; Numbers 18:12; Deuteronomy 26:2; Nehemiah 10:35; Nehemiah 10:37). In this chapter God’s elect are the firstfruits. They are redeemed. They are called.

They are gathered around the throne. The rest are cast into the winepress of the wrath of God as useless things (Revelation 14:14-20) That which is not redeemed must be destroyed (Exodus 13:13). All who are found in heaven are without guile ‘And in their mouth was found no guile.’ God’s rich grace, freely bestowed upon them in Christ, has made them honest, sincere worshippers of God. They are not liars, deceivers, pretenders, hypocrites (Philippians 3:3). Among these saints was found no idolatry, superstition, false doctrine, or will worship (Jeremiah 16:19; Amos 2:4; Jonah 2:8; Romans 1:25). They did not speak lies in hypocrisy, following antichrist, pretending to be what they were not. They were not given up with the reprobate to believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). These words, ‘no guile,’ declare the openness, sincerity, and truthfulness of God’s saints.

They are not pretentious deceivers. Like Nathaniel, they are Israelites indeed (John 1:47). Christ has made them so. They draw near to God, not in word only, but in sincerity and truth, with believing hearts. All the saints of God in heaven are without fault before the Throne of God In themselves by nature, God’s saints have many faults. They have nothing but faults, wrinkles, and blemishes! But ‘they are without fault before the throne of God.’ Not so much as one fault or blemish is found upon even one of God’s saints, not even by God! (Read Jeremiah 50:20.) We were chosen in eternal election that we might be holy and without blame before him (Ephesians 1:3-4). We were redeemed by the blood of Christ so that all our guilt, sin, fault, and blame might be forever removed from us (Ephesians 5:25-27). And we shall be presented at last by the Lord Jesus Christ as trophies of God’s almighty, saving grace, holy, unblamable, unreprovable, and without fault before the presence of God’s glory (Colossians 1:22; Jude 1:24-25). If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are among these ‘firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.’ What Christ has done for them he has done and shall do for you. Be sure you give him the glory for the great things he has done (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Revelation 14:6-20

Chapter 31 Christ the Judge ‘And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters’ Revelation 14:6-20I do not pretend to understand all the prophecies of the Book of Revelation, but I do know that everything in this world is moving to a foreordained, predestined end. I have made no attempt to explain those things that are hidden and shrouded in mystery. Many of the events described in this Book, I am sure, will not be explained or fully understood until they occur. It has been my desire from the beginning of this exposition to simply show ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’ as it was given to and recorded by John. However, there are some things plainly revealed in this Book which even the most casual reader cannot fail to see. The everlasting gospel of God’s free grace in Christ will be preached throughout the entire world Though false religion spreads through and permeates the entire world, deceiving the multitudes, until it appears that the truth of God is entirely expunged from the earth (Revelation 11:1-11), there is to be a time of great revival. Just before the end of the world, God shall stretch forth his mighty arm again and reveal his saving goodness, grace, and glory in Christ by the gospel. The Spirit of life from God shall enter into his church again, his witnesses will stand upon their feet and confound their enemies. The power of antichrist shall be utterly destroyed, Babylon at last shall fall, and the abomination of false religion shall be thoroughly defeated (Revelation 14:8) The superstitions of papacy, ritualism, freewillism, and works religion of every kind (Islam, Judaism, Mysticism, and Pseudo-Christianity) will be exposed, brought to utter confusion, and destroyed by the power and grace of God through the preaching of the gospel. Bad as things may appear at present, the truth of God shall prevail at last. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of the living God. The Lord Jesus Christ will come again to this earth to reign gloriously and forever in peace and righteousness (Revelation 11:15) He who loved us with an everlasting love, washed away our sins in his precious blood, called us from death to life by the power of his Spirit, and robed us with his own perfect righteousness, shall come again in power and in great glory. He will destroy this present, sin-cursed earth with the brightness of his coming, and create a new heavens and a new earth, ‘wherein dwelleth righteousness.’ In this new creation, Christ shall reign as King forever. With Job of old, we shall see our Redeemer, who ‘shall stand at the latter day upon the earth’ (Job 19:25-27). When Christ comes again, there will be a great, general resurrection and judgment of all who ever lived upon the earth (Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46) I do not know how these events are to be chronologically arranged. But it is evidently revealed in Holy Scripture that there is to come, sometime, we know not when, but at the hour ordained by God from eternity, a solemn winding up of all the events of the world’s history. God ‘hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead’ (Acts 17:31). ‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’ (Hebrews 9:27). ‘We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men’ (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). It is that great and terrible day of the Lord which John sees and records for us in Revelation 14:6-20. In this passage, the final judgment has arrived. It is described under the symbolism of a twofold harvest. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming to judge the earth (Revelation 14:14) On that great and terrible day of judgment, Christ shall come sitting upon a cloud to judge the inhabitants of the earth (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10). He says, ‘Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be’ ((Revelation 22:12). The Judge of all men in that great day shall be the Son of man, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all authority has been given (John 5:21-22; Daniel 7:13; Revelation 1:7). Christ is the Judge by divine right, because he is God. And he is the Judge by Right of his mediatorial accomplishments, having earned the place of highest authority and the right to judge all things by his obedience to God as a Man (Psalms 2:6-8; John 17:4; Romans 14:9; Philippians 2:9-11). The throne of judgment is described as ‘a white cloud’ Our Lord does not borrow a throne from man. He sits upon a throne of his own making. No doubt the figure is symbolical, implying both supremacy and purity. Our Lord will never come in humiliation again. He will not stoop to assume an earthly throne, neither in Rome nor in Jerusalem. His throne will be a cloud in the heavens, so highly exalted and elevated that at one time all the inhabitants of the earth shall see him distinctly and hear his voice.

All who ever lived shall be gathered before his august majesty! The throne of judgment will be a throne of greatness, majesty, and power, and it will be a throne of white purity (Revelation 20:11). Here John calls it ‘a white cloud.’ That word, ‘white,’ does not express so much the color of whiteness as it does the dazzling brilliance of light, holiness, and purity (1 John 1:5). This throne shall be without spot or blemish. It will be a throne of strict, inflexible justice, brilliant, dazzling purity, absolute truth and perfect righteousness. Before this august, holy throne, from the lips of this great Judge, everyone will receive precisely his just, righteous, and true reward.

All whose works are perfectly righteous and without any sin shall receive the reward of eternal life. All whose works are evil shall be justly condemned. All who believe on Christ shall be forever accepted on the basis of his blood atonement and imputed righteousness. All who believe not shall be forever damned on the basis of their own sin. The judgment will not determine or alter anyone’s condition or eternal estate. It will only reveal the grounds of man’s acceptance or banishment, execute the just sentence of the law, and vindicate the justice of God in both the salvation of his elect and the eternal ruin of the wicked. Now look at the Judge himself John says, ‘And upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man.’ This one whom John saw was and is the Son of man, our Savior, who is also the Son of God. He is called ‘the Son of man,’ because he is the truest man who ever lived. He is the Man after whose image man was created. He is the only man in whom manhood ever reached perfection. In that day, every eye shall see that this Man is himself God over all, blessed forever. Yet, he is a man.

Though he is exalted to heaven’s lofty throne, our Savior is still a man. And when he comes to judge the earth, he will still be a man, the perfect man. The despised Nazarene is now Lord of all. The man striped naked, beaten, spat upon, mocked and crucified by men at Calvary is now the exalted King. The man who bears in his hands, his feet, his head, and his side the scars of his death shall be our Judge. And those very scars will either be our plea for mercy or his plea for wrath. This great Judge has on his head ‘a golden crown’ That crown signifies both victory and sovereignty. The word used for ‘crown’ means, ‘a crown won in conflict.’ It is the Victor’s crown. When Christ comes to judge the world, he will wear the crown which he won in the great battle which he has fought as our Substitute. What joy it will be for the believing heart to see him wearing the crown of victory when he comes. That crown indicates that he is coming to claim the spoils of his victory. The crown also signifies sovereign dominion. His will is irreversible. His power is irresistible. His judgments are irrevocable. This Judge, sitting upon a cloud of purity, wearing a crown of gold, has ‘in his hand a sharp sickle.’ The scepter of his throne is a great reaping hook. It suggests that he has come to finish his last great work, to reap the harvest of the earth. And his work of reaping will be sharp, swift, and decisive. He comes, not to sow but to reap, not to water but to mow down, not to show mercy but to execute justice. What a sight that will be! The day of harvest will come suddenly, the work will be done swiftly, and when it is over, the Lord of the harvest will reign gloriously (Romans 9:28). When Christ comes again he will harvest his elect out of the earth (Revelation 14:15-16) These verses speak of the harvest of wheat. The first order of business will be to gather his own people unto himself. He will gather his wheat into his garner before he mows down and burns up the tares (Matthew 3:12). The wheat which he sowed in the earth, watered with his own blood, and raised up by his Holy Spirit, that precious grain will be Christ’s first, primary concern when he comes again. (See John 12:24.) The reaping of the wheat is the matter of first importance Our Lord looks forward to the day when he shall gather his redeemed ones unto himself. This is his delightful work. His strange work of judgment must be done. But it is the work of his left hand. He puts it off to the very last. But ‘he delighteth in mercy!’ The reaping of the wheat is the first in order of time, too.

Paul tells us plainly that the dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). There will be a general resurrection and a general judgment. There will not be two resurrections and two judgments, one for the righteous and one for the wicked, separated by a long period of time. When Christ comes again, the order of events appears to be: First, the dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:14-15). Second living believers will be raptured, translated (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Third, Christ will destroy the earth with the brightness of his coming and create all things new (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; 2 Peter 3:11-13; Revelation 21:5).

Fourth, the unrighteous, unbelieving will be raised to the judgment bar (Revelation 20:11-13). Until Christ comes, the wheat and the tares grow together in his field No man can tell the tares from the wheat until the harvest time. Should we try to uproot the tares, we would surely uproot some of the wheat. But in the harvest time, the wheat will be ‘ripe.’ The word ‘ripe’ might be translated ‘dried.’ The meaning is twofold. First, the wheat is dried in the field and must be gathered, because the field has nothing more to offer it. There is nothing in the world for the believer, just as there is nothing in the ground for the dried wheat. Second, the wheat, at Christ’s coming, will be ripe for heaven.

How is a man made ripe for heaven? Not by works, but by grace alone (Colossians 1:12). Christ has put away his sins. Christ has given him perfect righteousness and a new nature. Christ causes that new man to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord unto the full maturity of faith. He needs only to drop his robe of flesh! It is Christ himself who comes to personally gather his wheat ‘He that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped’ (Revelation 14:16). He alone knows the value of the wheat. He chose us, redeemed us, and called us. And he shall gather us. When he comes to gather his own, every precious grain of wheat shall be gathered into his heavenly garner. What a joyful, blessed hope! But there is another scene in this picture. After he has gathered his elect out of the earth, the Son of Man, our Lord Jesus Christ, will send his angel to gather out of the earth every wicked unbeliever who ever lived and destroy them forever in the winepress of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:17-20) After the wheat is harvested the grapes of wrath must be gathered as well (Matthew 13:41-43). In that day, the wicked will be clearly distinguished from the righteous. No one will make a mistake about them then. Here they are often confused. They go to the same place of worship. They sing the same hymns.

They believe the same doctrines. We often mistake tares for wheat and wheat for tares now. But then, there will be no mistake. The cluster of unregenerate men will fall like grapes from the vine when the angel of judgment thrusts in his sickle. Notice, it is not Christ, but an angel of Christ that is sent to execute justice upon the wicked. Christ Jesus personally gathers his elect.

But he will not even execute the wicked by his own hand. He has an angel appointed for the work of judgment. They would not have anything to do with him. And he will have nothing to do with them, except to deliver them over to the hands of an angel for execution. They despised him. Now he despises them.

They mocked him. Now he mocks them. They would not have him. Now he will not have them. These ungodly souls shall be justly condemned forever, because they are fully ripe for judgment (Revelation 14:18). Like ripe grapes ready for the winepress, they have filled up the measure of iniquity. They have reached the highest point of sin. They have added evil upon evil until they are fully ripe for wrath. All who persist in their sin, rebellion, and unbelief shall surely be trodden in the winepress of the wrath of God without the city (Revelation 14:19-20). These verses describe the terrible sufferings of lost men and women in eternity! But there is something far more terrible about the doom of the lost than language can ever express: Endless banishment from God and all that is good; endless wrath without mercy; endless torment without relief; justice without mercy!