Day 346 – The Harvest of the Earth

Today’s reading for study: Revelation 14

Today’s reading shows forth imagery from which we can make important inferences.  First, it this passage, we see that the torment of the damned in hell will be eternal:

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also shall drink the wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."  Revelation 14:9-11

Thus, we can see that concepts like “soul sleep” and the animation of the souls of the unrighteous are false.  In the next passage, we see that works are relevant to salvation.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"         Rev 14:13

We also see this Eucharistic imagery:

Then I looked, and lo, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.  And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat upon the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." So he who sat upon the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has power over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe."  So the angel swung his sickle on the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God…             Revelation 14:14-19

The blood then flows out of the wine press and covers an area of two-hundred miles. This is the approximate size of Israel.  Thus, we see that it is the Eucharistic blood that will cleanse the nation of Israel. 

Tomorrow: Revelation 15