The Open Door Church

     In today’s lesson from the Revelation, we will begin to examine another vision John received revealing the role Jesus—the Lamb—will play in the judgment of the post-rapture judgment of the unbelieving population of planet Earth during the final 3 ½ years of ‘The Tribulation Period.’  John’s record of this vision spans all of chapter 15 & 16 of the Revelation.  He began his record of this vision by writing, “I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.” (Revelation 15:1, NIV).

     ‘The great day of…wrath’ begins shortly after the beginning of the final 3 ½ years of ‘The Tribulation Period.’  Its beginning was described by John in a previous vision when he wrote, “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (Revelation 6:15-17, NIV).

     ‘The great day of…wrath’ continues as we move further into the final 3 ½ years of ‘The Tribulation Period.’  John wrote, “The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small…” (Revelation 11:18a, NIV).

     In the vision that John began describing in this lesson, ‘the day of…wrath’ is ‘completed.’  That’s why John wrote, “I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.” (Revelation 15:1, NIV).

     Every believer should thank God that Jesus ‘rescues from the coming wrath.’ Paul wrote to the believers at Thessalonica, “…you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (I Thessalonians 1:9b-10, NIV).  In the final chapter of this letter to the believers at Thessalonica Paul explained, “…God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 5:9, NIV).

     The first time I read this verse was shortly after I was saved when I was sixteen years old.  I read, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of god in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV).  I remember thinking, “That’s virtually impossible!”

     Through the years, however, God has taught me ‘Three Keys to Developing a Thankful Heart.’

     In the section of the Revelation that we will continue to examine in this lesson, John saw in a vision two harvests—the first completed by ‘one who was seated on the cloud’ and the second completed by a character simply called ‘the angel.’  The first harvest likely represents Jesus returning to harvest His people from the earth.  The second harvest likely represents the harvest of unbelievers from the earth. In today’s lesson we will examine ‘The Second of the Two Harvests.’

     As we saw last week, there are two separate resurrections described in Scripture—one for believers and another for unbelievers.  These two resurrections are separated by a little over 1,000 years of time. John described these two separate resurrections when he wrote, “…I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God [believers who had been martyred for their faith]. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands [believers who had refused to align themselves with the political/religious system of the global government of the Antichrist]. They came to life [the resurrection of believers—the first of the two harvests in Revelation 14] and reigned with Christ a thousand years [the global government of Jesus here on planet Earth following the ‘Tribulation Period’]. (The rest of the dead [the unbelieving dead] did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. [the first harvest of Revelation chapter 14]” (Revelation 20:4b-5, NIV). 

     As we learned last week, the resurrection and rapture of believers occurs shortly after the beginning of the final 3 ½ years of the ‘Tribulation Period.’ This is the resurrection John was describing when he wrote, “…he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.” (Revelation 14:16, NIV). This was a grain harvest.

     The resurrection and judgment of unbelievers occurs at the close of the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. It is a grape harvest. It is obviously not the same as ‘The First Harvest’ which was a grain harvest. This is the resurrection John was describing when he wrote, “The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.” (Revelation 14:19, NIV). This is the harvest we will examine in today’s lesson.

     In the section of the Revelation that we will begin examining in this lesson, John saw in yet another vision two harvests—the first completed by ‘one who was seated on the cloud’ and the second completed by a character simply called ‘the angel.’  The first harvest likely represents Jesus returning to harvest His people from the earth.  The second harvest likely represents the harvest of unbelievers from the earth. In today’s lesson we will examine ‘The First of the Two Harvests.’

     As we shall see, there are two separate resurrections described in Scripture—one for believers and another for unbelievers.  These two resurrections are separated by a little over 1,000 years of time. John described these two separate resurrections when he wrote, “…I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God [believers who had been martyred for their faith]. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands [believers who had refused to align themselves with the political/religious system of the global government of the Antichrist]. They came to life [the resurrection of believers—the first of the two harvests in Revelation 14] and reigned with Christ a thousand years [the global government of Jesus here on planet Earth following the ‘Tribulation Period’]. (The rest of the dead [the unbelieving dead] did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. [the first harvest of Revelation chapter 14]” (Revelation 20:4b-5, NIV).  

     The resurrection and rapture of believers occurs shortly after the beginning of the final 3 ½ years of the ‘Tribulation Period.’ This is the resurrection John was describing when he wrote, “…he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.” (Revelation 14:16, NIV). This was a grain harvest. We’ll examine this harvest in today’s lesson.

     The resurrection and judgment of unbelievers occurs at the close of the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. It is a grape harvest. This is the resurrection John was describing when he wrote, “The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.” (Revelation 14:19, NIV). We’ll talk about this harvest next week.

     In the section of the Revelation we will examine in this lesson, John saw the appearance of three angels, each making a different announcement:

• The message of the first angel—“…he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth…” (Revelation 14:6b, NIV).
• The message of the second angel—“A second angel followed and said, ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great’…” (Revelation 14:8a, NIV).
• The message of the third angel—“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury’…” (Revelation 14:9-10a, NIV).

     Obviously, the messages of these three angels are starkly different from one another.  So, let’s briefly examine each of them.

     In today’s lesson from the Revelation, we will learn an incredible fact about God—He is faithful.  He always does what He says He will do!  The New Testament repeatedly declares this fact to be true:

• “God is faithful…” (I Corinthians 1:9a, NIV).
• “…God is faithful…” (I Corinthians 10:13b, NIV).
• “…God is faithful…” (II Corinthians 1:18b, NIV).

     We will see in this lesson that God demonstrates His faithfulness by doing what He said He would do for 144,000 Messianic Jews during the final 3 ½ years of the ‘Tribulation Period.’