The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

Chapter 34: Rev. 14:14-19
Reaping the Harvest of the Earth
"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of
Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another
angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust
in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is
ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was
reaped."--Rev. 14:14-16.
As introductory to the exposition of this portion of the Apocalypse we believe it will be of
advantage in grasping its significance and appli-.cation to bear clearly in mind that at the
time of the vision described in the opening verses of this chapter, or very soon thereafter,
all the succeeding visions of this chapter begin to meet their fulfillment, and continue
contemporaneously to the end of the Church's earthly history. All the symbols of this
vision of verses 14-16 indicate that in this respect it is like the preceding visions. It is
designed, however, to represent a different picture of the harvest, the consummation of
the Age.
The special symbol employed is that of a gathering of the ripened crop at harvest time.
There can be no doubt concerning who is represented by the personage seated on the
white cloud in whose hand was the sharp sickle. Nearly all expositors are agreed that the
Lord Jesus Christ is here represented. The fact that St. John describes Him to be one "like a
Son of Man" immediately brings to mind the vision that the Apostle saw at the first,
recorded in chapter 1. In that instance the person he saw was also one "like a Son of Man."
There, however, the symbols that surround, or are associated with Him, differ widely from
those of this vision. There the Son of Man is represented as in the midst of seven golden
candlesticks (lampstands). St. John was informed that these candlesticks represent the
seven Churches--the professing Christian Church throughout the Age; and the One like a
Son of Man in the midst of them represents our Lord Jesus, our glorified Master--although
in person absent from the Church, yet by His spirit and providences, present. As has been
said:
"We see that our Lord Jesus . . . has been present with His Church throughout the past
eighteen centuries and more, protecting the interests of His cause and directing in respect
to all of His people's affairs, especially inspecting and caring for the Church as a light
bearer, a candlestick."
Thus He fulfilled His promise, "Lo, I am with you all the days even unto the end of the
Age." (Matt. 28:20.) The symbols that surround His person in that vision disclose the
nature, etc., of the work that He was to perform in overruling in the affairs of the world for
the good of His Church throughout the Age. The symbols that surround His person, in the
vision under consideration enable us, as in the other, to see the character of His work. In
this case it is His work in the end of the Age--that of superintending the work of reaping
or gathering the ripe fruitage of the Age. That He was to assume the office of Chief Reaper