17th October 2025

17th October 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Revelation 14:14-20 focus v17-20)


Message (Alan Burke)


You don’t need to be a farmer to see that farming has changed dramatically in the past 50 years. I remember as a wain when the harvest was bring brought in it was all hands on deck, there were tractors being used that today are nothing more than toys and collector pieces but then if she ran and there was someone to drive her she was used. Although I don’t know why the tractors were referred to as her and she. These days the machinery that is used, tractors, combines and the likes are massive and far removed from what I grew up with but for those 100 years ago the scenes that are played out as the harvest is brought in would be totally alien to them. Back then much of the work was done by hand. We have already looked at how Jesus will come, with a sickle in his hand bringing in the harvest, a tool that would have been more familiar with those 100 years ago than now but as the vision of John continues, after the harvest of the righteous is brought in there is another harvest, again a sickle is used. 


Now one comes with a sharp sickle, another who was in charge of the fire coming from the altar and instructs the other to take the sickles to the clusters of grapes from the earth for the grapes are ripe. The imagery that is used here is not only of the cutting of the grape clusters as with the heads of grain, no, the grapes are harvested, the clusters are then put in the winepress of God (see Isaiah 63:1-6). The imagery used here is one that while may be alien to us would have been the normal way for making wine as a wooden or stone container, but this is a really vivid picture that is given to us here. We may ask who is it that will tread those in this winepress, well the one who will trample those under his feet in the winepress is Jesus, Rev 19:15 tells us that; He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 


The judgment of God is coming and it will be of epic proportions, we are told they, the wicked will be trampled in the winepress outside the city, blood will flow out of the press and the press itself rising as high as the horses bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia V20 a stadia literally referring to a stadium, was used as a common measurement of 1/8 of a mile, a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters. But what flows from the grapes that are crumpled in the wine press outside the city is blood, not grape juice to be turned into the wine, but blood. 


You might have heard what is portrayed to us here in the book of Revelation in the harvest of the earth, that awaits us and found it distressing, you should have for it is intended to evoke such a response within us. For those of us who have repented of our sin and believed then this picture of what lies ahead should lead us to an ever increasing desire to reach out to a world that is perishing. For all those who have not trusted and believed in the name of the son of man will be thrown into this wine press, with the blood flowing out of the winepress as they are trodden under the full fury of the wrath of God the almighty by Jesus Christ. This should be a rallying cry to the people of God, we are not playing games here, eternity is at stake, the farmer knows that with a bad harvest his farm and livelihood are at stake but for the church we are dealing with eternity.


The only way that we can find refuse is to seek refuge in the Son of Man himself. This is why we are warned “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Ps 2:12). All who refuse to bow the knee in this life will know his anger against them. Jesus the Son of Man is coming both as Judge and Saviour, he will judge all and for some he will be their saviour. As we confess in the words of The Apostles Creed, Jesus, “he will come to judge the living and the dead”.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q102 What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come,” we pray, that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
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