In the first vision, Jesus is coming in the clouds. Seeing Jesus in the clouds - is THE LAST CHANCE for anyone to quickly change or make up their minds! The allegory is that of harvest time.
When the harvest is ripe - it is a time when all growth of fruit is done and ready to be gathered - meaning - everyone who will become believers during this time will have become a believer.
This parable keeps the details very concise: when Jesus returns to earth. He will have all believers collected together in order to escape the Battle of Armageddon's destruction, in order to enter the Millennial kingdom alive...
(Revelation 14:14-16) Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
The second vision is a description of the Battle of Armageddon itself. The allegory is that of the great wine press (of God's wrath). God has given all people a very fair chance to become believers, and even if He would give them any more time, the unbelievers at this point would refuse to believe - so - it is the time where all unbelievers are killed, and removed from the earth...
(Revelation 14:17-20) And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
Today's takeaway: just as God will spare the believers from the destruction of the Battle of Armageddon, God will spare all believers from entering the Tribulation! God is fair and just! It is only the believer (the one living in God's will) who will be comforted by these truths.
As a believer, I cannot lose my salvation. And in heaven I will only be judged according to the good deeds I have done, because my sins have been forgiven and God chooses to remember them no more. But while on earth, I will still suffer consequences of my own actions, as well as the actions of others.
The beauty of God's justice is that I can rest in His abundant and generous grace! He is not weak or petty. He will not say, "This error is just too big for Me to handle." or "Wait a minute, you've done this thing now about twenty times. I'm done with this. So you can now face My punishment." NO! When I do mess up or when I am in trouble - He wants me ALWAYS to be looking to Him for every solution and running into His arms for peace and comfort...
(Proverbs 21:15) The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, but is terror to the workers of iniquity.
(2 Corinthians 9:6-14) Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written,
“He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
(Romans 14:8-14) Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
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