15th October 2025

15th October 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Revelation 14:14-20 focus v15-16)


Message (Alan Burke)


The harvest has been brought in from the fields and once more we are reminded of the Lord’s provision to us, how he keeps his promises but the imagery of harvest is used in scripture to speak of the coming judgment and how Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. Unlike in the incarnation where his coming went largely unnoticed by the world this time when Jesus comes it will be a day that no one will miss. There stated on the cloud, the Lord Jesus Christ with a sharp sickle in his hand, were are told another angel will come Out of the Temple and call in a loud voice to the Son of Man. The loud voice stresses the importance of the message which is “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 


This angel is not giving a command but the signal from the Father to the Son that the time has come, the harvest is ripe. An angel comes from the heavenly temple from God the Father he is but a messenger delivering the divine command. After the command, the harvest begins with the son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is seated on the cloud swinging his sickle over the earth and the earth is harvested. We’re not given the details of how this will look but instead to see that the harvest will come. 


This is the harvest of souls, the harvest of those who have repented and believed in the Son of Man, in Jesus Christ. The world is the field to be harvested by the Lord, he has harvested the sons of the kingdom those who have repented and believed in the glorious gospel (Mt 13:37-43). They are those who will enter into the eternal kingdom of God (See Lk 10:2 & Jn 4:35-38). This is in relation to the future judgement to the way it's all for us not only speak of the gathering of those who are his, but also the harvest of the wicked (see Mt 13:30, 40-42). The harvest of the Earth will come whenever the harvest is ready when it is fully ripe when the seed has done its job. Jesus will reap when the harvest is ripe. 


What we need to see that until then this is the day of grace. For all who will turn from their sin, turn to Jesus they will be his for all eternity, the offer of salvation is there for all who will repent and believe. It is a harvest that should fill us with terror for those who have not responded to the grace of God through Jesus Christ, for while there is a harvest of the righteous, those who have repented and believed there is a harvest also of the wicked which we will think more about on Friday. But for now know that in the midst of all that is going on today, in your life as well in the world it will not always be like this, Jesus will come again and for all who have repented and believed the great and glorious hope that they have is not after Jesus comes that it will be more of the same, more living in a world that is far from how we would want it or desire it to be, no it will be a world that will be made new, there will be a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth will have passed away, the dwelling of God will be with man and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Re 21:1–4).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q100 What doth the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?
A. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven,” teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.