Seven Angels [part three] ...

So far in our study of the proclamations and work of this second set of seven angels, three messages have been conveyed to the earth.  First, that salvation is come, and it comes on a global scale in the final hours of earth’s history.  Second, that Babylon has fallen has fallen, the lament warns us not to trust our historical greatness because it has been overcome by greed and avarice and is no longer what it once was.  And Third, that our motives and our actions, can reveal if we are willing to trade in our identity as followers of Christ for commercial expediency in the world of the last days.  Should we declare as the third beast wishes accepting the compulsion of our conscience, or should we remain silent yet also having not been willing to have our hearts transformed by the power of Christ, we will have taken on the mark of this beast.  In so doing we forever distance ourselves from Christ and the salvation He alone can offer to us.

These messages are delivered in sequence, in order.  They are delivered AFTER the rise of the third beast.  It is after all the mark of the third beast we are trying to avoid.  So from a timing perspective, it is to us who John writes.  It is to us, who John is trying to reveal Jesus Christ, and our Lord’s plans for our salvation.  If we read the preceding revelations with dread, it is perhaps because we have not yet come to a place in our lives where we are willing to be fully rid of sin.  Perhaps some cherished idea, or current habit, still takes a priority in our hearts.  The way in which we greet these three messages, delivered against the finality of our existence, should help us see what spiritual condition we are in, in these last days.  While there is no such thing as being “ready”, there is the real condition of being in “transformation” by the power of the love of Christ.  Our submission of our will, and our desires, to Christ allows Him to alter them.  He can alter how we think, what we want, and therefore what we do.  This is the basis of salvation, to be saved from the slavery of self-service we have embraced.  The revelations of John of these final events were NOT meant to scare us, but to bring us joy.  If we have faith in the ability of Christ to save us from ourselves, despite our own inability to conceive of how He could do it, we can remain followers of Christ.  Our identity confirmed in the book of Life and records of heaven.

Despite the warning nature of the previous message, what follows next is an event of great joy.  Keep in mind there are 7 angels who have a work in this sequence of events and so far, we have only heard from three of them.  John continues in chapter 14 of his book of Revelations of Jesus Christ in verse 14 saying … “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.”  What follows the emergence of the mark of third beast is a new work of the Son of Man, or Jesus Christ.  In this instance He is situated on a white cloud.  The imagery itself is reminiscent of how He ascended back to heaven on His first coming, and so may represent His second.  John continues in verse 15 … “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”  The fourth angel in this sequence bears a message to Jesus, informing Him that the time has come to reap the harvest of this world.  And so in verse 16 … “And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”

This series of events announced by the proclamation of the fourth angel could be interpreted in 2 ways.  The most likely first interpretation is that the reaping described and performed by Jesus Christ is brought about by His physical return.  It should however be noted that once before the idea of “cleansing” the sanctuary was interpreted as the physical second coming of Christ and caused a great disappointment.  If the reaping described here in this sense, is the second coming, then the Mark of the Beast would have been implemented on a global scale and as such, the only thing left to do is to come back and claim those faithful few who have not taken up this mark by “reaping” the harvest.  However, if this interpretation is correct, the work yet to come of the fifth angel makes a bit less sense.  And the entire sequence of plagues described in the next chapter of Revelation also makes less sequential sense.  Why pour out plagues on a world that has already been destroyed?

The alternative interpretation might be that the “reaping” of the harvest of souls, is more about the work Christ performs in those who refused the mark of the third beast.  Humanity has so long waited to see the work of the transformation of Christ fully completed in our lives while we yet live them.  Successive generations have gone into the grave still under the process of transformation.  Even the apostles never claimed to have seen the work completed in themselves.  Only Enoch appears to have seen it done prior to the grave that we are aware of.  But in these last days of earth’s history, there is to come a declaration of finality, proclaiming let he who is holy be holy still.  We are the farthest things from holy in our current state.  But, if the work of transformation is completed within us, while we are still alive, and prior to His return, He may well create holiness where none existed before.  In this sense, the final “reaping” of this world may occur after the warnings of the mark of the third beast, but prior to its universal implementation.  This may represent the time of the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the world of those who continue to follow Christ.  This may represent the latter rain poured out upon the earth before He returns to take us home.

Imagine for a minute the effects upon this world of having a broad spectrum of Christians in every denomination, in every country around the world, in every language, finding themselves with the work of transformation of the perfect love of others completed within them.  No more hidden agendas.  No more attempts to take credit for benevolent actions performed for others.  Motives that are pure.  Actions performed for the joy of loving others without thought of reward or credit.  Imagine too the words of Christ that one day we, His final servants, would perform actions and miracles greater than He did on a global scale before He returns.  This was not idol flattery by Christ to His followers.  It was a promise that one day, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that we would be honored to join with Christ in the mission of the redemption of mankind.  These final actions would indeed “seed” the earth and cause the final harvest to be plentiful.  God does not desire that wicked men and women be lost for all eternity.  These revelations are designed to counter that notion at every turn.  Perhaps the better interpretation of this fourth angel’s work is see a great number of “former” wicked people redeemed at the final hours and brought into the sheepfold of Christ.

Consider also the imagery of the sickle in gathering the wheat of the harvest.  In order be gathered, the wheat must be cut from its roots.  It must be separated from the ground in which it grew up, from the nature of the earth that birthed it.  But as Christ harvests the wheat, He separates it from what it used to know, and then alters it for a greater purpose than it knew before.  We cannot be transformed while we cling to what we once knew, and loved.  We must be separated from the love of self.  We must be transformed for a higher purpose, to serve others and love others.  What we offer of ourselves after our transformation feeds others, not ourselves.  The act of cutting us away from what we once knew might seem frightening at first.  How will we survive being cut away from our roots, from everything we ever knew?  But Christ tells us to trust Him, that in His hands what we will become is greater than anything we ever knew before.  Trusting in Him, despite our fears, or apprehension, is what leads to our transformations in the first place.

Whether the work of the fourth angel is in the announcement of His second coming, or in a great outpouring of transformation that will change the world; the news remains happy to all who retain their identity as followers of Christ.  Hope has not been lost, it has been amplified.  These series of messages and events are not designed to “scare” us into a false submission.  They are presented to enlighten us as to the mission of redemptive love we are to see poured out in our each of our lives, by the transforming power of Jesus Christ.  If the message of the fourth angel heralds the second coming of Christ, so be it, we are to return with Him to be with Him forever.  If the fourth angel describes only a massive harvest of our world of souls that were once lost, to now find Him and entrance into His kingdom, then so much the better.  In the latter version, we find ourselves gathered by Christ for a greater purpose, and throughout eternity we will be overjoyed to find those around us, who are there because the redemptive love of Christ was reflected through us in these final days.  In either version of events, the joy is overwhelming.

John then continues in verse 17 … “And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.”  The fifth angel emerges from heaven also carrying a sharp sickle, apparently there is another harvest yet to come.  John continues in verse 18 … “And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.”  The sixth angel enters the scene, coming from the altar of God, and noted has having power over fire.  He proclaims to the fifth angel that the earth’s clusters are ready for harvest.  They are in fact fully ripe.  John continues in verse 19 … “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. [verse 20] And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”

So if the work of the fourth angel was to announce the second coming of Christ, then the work of the fifth and sixth angels could be interpreted as being the destruction of the wicked who remain at the second coming.  First note that the fifth angel emerges with another sickle to perform another harvest.  But in contrast with the wheat who are fitted for a higher purpose, the grapes are ultimately to be “cast” into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  This harvest is not conducted with a spirit of joy and hope, but instead appears to be punitive.  Further the location of the winepress is outside the city, in this version of events perhaps outside the city of heaven.  When the winepress is engaged, it is not wine that springs forth (grape juice), instead it is blood deep enough to stand all the way up to a horse bridle.  By estimation that may be as deep as 5-6 feet.  The area of this product of blood covers a space of 1,600 furlongs or roughly 200 miles.  We do not know if John’s intent was to mean 200 square miles, or 200 miles by some other measurement of width.  But regardless, this a quite a measure of blood.

If following the first interpretation that the fourth angel heralds the second coming, then the work of the fifth and sixth angel may be a fulfillment of the promise of God, that those who take the mark of the beast will drink the wine of the wrath of God from the cup of His indignation.  This imagery described here is certainly to be seen as the winepress that creates the blood drink to be given to those who took the mark of the third beast.  In any event the destruction of the wicked will occur at the second coming so this series of events could support that interpretation of the revelation.

Another interpretation might be found in what occurs to those “Christians” who claim the name of Christ but who have no love for others within them.  The division between the wheat and the tares will become more apparent at the end of days.  While the transformation is poured out and completed in those who submit their lives to Christ.  It is fully rejected by those who do not wish it to occur in themselves, choosing rather to retain sins, than give them all away.  These keep the name “Christian” but reflect no love of Christ through them at all.  For love of others is not inherent, because no transformation has taken place, only the love of self is evident in their lives.  These “Christians” will be genuinely surprised at the return of their Lord, expecting fully to partake of His kingdom, without ever having known how it works beforehand.  They go as far as to work miracles in the name of Christ, but have never visited the sick, met the needs of the needy, or seen to those in prison.  In His commission for us to love others, Christ did not limit us to love only our own families, or other “deserving” peoples.  Instead He intended us to love those who did NOT deserve our love.  We were to love our enemies, not just those who love us.

Perhaps the winepress of the wrath of God has been reserved to stamp out of these purported Christians, the results of the love of self.  Perhaps what is revealed from the engagement of the winepress is the blood of those who have been hurt and abused by those who bore the name of Christ.  Throughout history, those who truly love others as Christ loves, have been systemically killed by others who carried the name of Christ, but knew nothing of His love.  Purported “Christians” in every denomination have by omission, or direct negative action, seen those who truly loved, put to death for their dissent with the majority.  The Catholic church of the dark ages is not unique in this.  Puritans were no less forgiving in earlier ages.  And our modern churches are content to watch the suffering in the world around them and do nothing to relieve it.  We give our money, but not our time, or personal energy.  We would prefer to buy ourselves free time, while others actually engage in ministry using our means.  Modern Christians are all eager to enact laws of “morality”, and attempt to compel the conscience of those with dissenting beliefs.  In so doing they align with the beast and the dragon behind him.  As this course will end in only one outcome, the same one it has always followed, the death of those who would dissent.

Perhaps what is seen emerging from the winepress of this harvest is the produce of blood that is inevitable when sin is embraced, when love of self, triumphs over transformation offered by Christ.   If the work of the fourth angels heralds not the second coming, but rather the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit and transformation of all who will yet hear before it is too late, then the work of the fifth and sixth angel must begin after the probation of God has expired in our world.  The time to decide must have ended as now the choices of the wicked are to be allowed to fall upon them.  The mark of the third beast is in full universal effect.  No more will the protective hand of God, keep the wicked from bearing all the consequences of their own evil actions.  Instead the winepress will engage, and the blood resulting from the deeds of the wicked will be seen, mixed with that of their own. 

Every attempt at avoiding this fate has been made in this series of revelations and the work of these angels.  But as in the days of Noah, evil will not be permitted to go on indefinitely.  It will come to an end, if not of choices to find the salvation offered by Christ, then by the final edict that time has expired by a God who will not see us live in torture forever.  The work of the seventh angel begins in chapter 20 of this book.  We will study its description in more detail later, however it centers around the millennia between the second coming of Christ, and the last great judgment and end of evil that occurs after that final thousand years.  What occurs next is the final seven last plagues that are poured out upon the earth.  The sequence of these events is important to the understanding and interpretations we can gather from what is presented here by John.

The work of this second set of seven angels begins AFTER the rise of the third beast.  What happens AFTER the work of the fifth and sixth angels are the final seven last plagues.  Perhaps it makes more sense then, that the work of the fourth angel described here is more about the transformations completed in our lives, than about the second coming of Christ.  If taken in context, and in sequence with what follows in chapter 15, this interpretation seems to make more sense.  However as stated before, in either interpretation, the news for those who have retained their identity as followers of Christ, the news is good either way.  The relevancy and immediacy with which we should take these final messages cannot be understated.  For we live now in a world where compulsion of the conscience is considered acceptable, even by those who carry the name of Christ, let alone by those who oppose Him.  Given the time in which we live, the messages and works of these angels could not be more relevant to us.  Our salvation is here.  Our Babylon has fallen.  And our world is nearly ready to enact a mark of the third beast, intended to deny us commerce if we do not submit and declare against Christ.  This is the time in which we live.  It is not intended to be a time of fear, but rather one of hope.

Our salvation is here.  This is the great hope we should center our attention upon.  Submission to Christ is our key to finding perfection in the here and now.  A transformation of how we love others, is to see reflected in us, His perfect love.  We, the broken tools of His mission, are to be used to help point others to Him, and see salvation spread across our world.  As we love others without limit, or precondition, or restraint, there can be no other result.  This is the message of hope and the revelation John offered to those of us who live in our day.

And the revelations were not completed yet …