The Book of Revelation #6 Jesus the Reaper on the White Cloud

The Book of Revelation #6 - Jesus the Reaper on the White Cloud

“I looked. And there was a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.” Rev 14:14

Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Harvest, he is the Builder of the Church.

Here we see him harvesting the earth.

Now we must always be honest, and so we must acknowledge that this is a verse used by those who hold to a mid-Tribulation Rapture position to support their position. Because it comes between the second and last set of plagues, they say this is the Rapture, when Jesus takes his people out from the earth, before the 3rd set of Plagues occur. But I do not think it supports their position, because after this event, there are still Christians on the earth; Rev 16:15 and Rev 18:4 clearly say that. Therefore, I would say it does not support a “Rapture” position, but refers to a time when a significant number of people are saved, like the Great Awakening.

The fact is, since there is much written in Revelation that is un-clear, we should be very charitable in our critiquing of the various positions held by other Christians, even while we hold ours, and clearly defend it.

Now back to the verse.

We see that the time of harvest is known to those who are in heaven: the 4 Living Creatures, the 24 Elders, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the angles, God’s people who have already died (who are the cloud of witnesses appealed to in Heb 12:1) are watching intently the events unfolding on earth. They are not passive observers, they are an active audience. In Rev 6:10 the martyrs cry, “How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

We see that the sole actor/reaper is Jesus Christ. He alone is sitting on the cloud, and it is a while cloud, denoting his personal purity and the purity and rightness of his reaping. He we see him glorious, bathed in light; a resplendent reaper. He has a golden crown on his head, denoting his position of authority – he is king!

Who can prevent king Jesus from reaping. Do you think Satan will rejoice when Jesus reaps? He will not rejoice, but he cannot stop it! Again, I understand this reaping to be a period of time when many people are being saved from the dominion of Satan, and brought under the rule of Jesus. They are brought into endless day, into the light of heaven, this is a reaping unto victory.

We do not often think of the battle that is going on in the cosmos, but there the true clash of kingdoms occurring. This is what Daniel learned about and recorded in Dan 10. Here in Rev 14 we read of Jesus uni-lateral, un-challenged, un-stoppable, mighty act of saving his people, as he builds his church, and not just one here and there, but a mighty reaping of many people, with a single pass of his sickle, as happened in Korean, and recorded in the book, “The Korean Pentecost” by Willaim Blare and Bruce Hunt.

https://archive.org/details/koreanpentecosts00blai

“The time has come” and “the harvest of the earth is ripe” affirms again that God pre-determines certain events to happen at specific times; “the set time”. Here we see that a time of great gospel progress is unfolding.

The fact that God pre-ordains events should not at all perplex us – he is God!

Previous to a specific part of the world getting ready for a gospel harvest, according to his eternal plan of election, a number of the elect are born in that area. He then sends gospel preachers, missionaries to that area. They preach and the elect believe and are saved, meaning that area is harvested for the gospel. What is so strange about that? What is so strange that God orchestrates things like that? He is God.

On a limited scale we see this happened when Jesus entered the Decapolis (deca-polis; 10 cities) area. It was said that light entered that area. Their time had come.

“And leaving Nazareth, He came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, a saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness saw great light. And on those who sat in the land of the shadow of death, light has dawned.”

Mat 4:13-16

There re 2 other reasons why I do no think this supports a “Rapture” position.

Firstly, I do not think Rev 14 is the same event as spoken about in 1Th 4:13-18, because there it specifically says the Lord will bring his saints with him (also Jud 14) and 1Th 4 says the dead will rise; neither of those 2 things are mentioned here in Rev 14.

Secondly, there is another reaping, immediately after the one above, people are reaped and cast into “the great winepress of the wrath of God.”

“Another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. Yet another angel who had authority over fire came out from the altar. He cried with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” The angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.” Rev 14:17-19

Under Pre-Tribulation, and even Mid-Tribulation Rapture teaching, there is no second reaping; after the “Rapture” the Tribulation either starts or continues. There are still many events that will happen; and with both Pre-Trib and Mid-Trib Rapture scenarios, only Christians are removed from the earth, and the un-saved remain, but here in Rev 14 we read of people being thrown into “the winepress of the wrath of God.

Additionally, it cannot mean the Last Day, because many other things happen subsequent to Rev 14. Rev 14 is not recording the “Last Day.”

So for these reasons, I think it refers to a time of greater than normal gospel in-gathering , and then a time of judgment.

First Jesus reaps souls by saving them; then an angel reaps souls unto judgment.

Has this specific time of great gospel in-gather already occurred? I would not venture a guess!

The point here, is that Jesus is in control of these events.

14 June 2024