The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

This cry of the angel who was seen by St. John coming out of the altar, then, seems to
represent the cry of Justice speaking through the unfolding and proclamation of those
prophecies that describe the just judgments of God about to be poured out on
Christendom.
Chapter 35: Rev. 14:20
Treading the Great Winepress
"And the winepress was trodden outside of the city; and blood came forth out of the
winepress, even to the bridles of the horses, a thousand six hundred furlongs off."--Rev.
14:20.
The time of great trouble so clearly pointed out in Bible prophecy which closes the present
Age, this order or arrangement of human affairs, ecclesiastical, social, and national, is now
seen by the earnest student of prophecy to cover a much longer period of time than some
have supposed. It is already to some extent a matter of history, and has developed more or
less in spasms in these last times. However, the present world troubles are not yet looked
upon, except by a few enlightened ones, as being a fulfillment of prophecy, or as in any
sense related to the providence of God at this time. To see these things taking place as
Scriptural fulfillments is one evidence to the Lord's consecrated that the day of their
deliverance, and the great Judgment Day of mankind draweth nigh.
The "vine of the earth," referred to in this vision is a very comprehensive symbol, and
includes all the organizations, religious, social, fraternal, and national, described in the
word Christendom. Let it be borne in mind that Christendom is described under several
symbols in the Apocalypse, the "vine of the earth" being one of the very significant ones.
The great increase and general diffusion of knowledge is bringing to light how contrary to
the Great Teacher's precepts is the principle that animates, with few exceptions, these
organizations that profess to a greater or less extent to be Christian. This unholy principle
is selfishness. The fruitage of the true vine that Christ referred to when He said, "I am the
vine, ye are the branches" (John 15:1), is that fruit of love--love for God, love for all who
are seeking to serve Him, love for our neighbor, love for all. The fruitage of the many
branches of the vine of the earth is that of selfishness; and while it is true that these
branches are all to be destroyed, the great central object to be realized in this winepress
judgment is that of pressing out and separating this fruitage of selfishness. The symbol
seems to portray it in this way, and when we read that the fruit of this vine of the earth is
cast into the great winepress of God's wrath, it is describing principally the destruction of
this fruitage of selfishness. As expressed by another:
"Selfishness is the controlling principle, not only with the major part of, but with nearly all
Christendom, and is bearing its own bitter fruit and ripening it now rapidly for the great
vintage of Revelation 14:19,20."
We are not to suppose, however, that this will be accomplished in so brief a space of time
as might seem to be portrayed in this symbol. That which will be destroyed in this