The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

likewise, following Him. . . . Nor does it seem undeserving of remark, that the extent of the
hill country of Judah, between the two seas has been estimated at about fifty miles square."
Of all the interpretations that have come under our observation concerning this symbol,
significant of terrible destruction, this seems to us to be well substantiated and to open the
way for a correct solution; indeed, understood from the standpoint that this last winepress
feature of the time of trouble occurs in the land of Palestine, wherein will then dwell a
Jewish Commonwealth, and consequently outside of Christendom, we believe the
following conclusions are most reasonable:
Two features of an Eastern vintage are implied in the words of the vision: first, the
winepress into which the grapes are cast and trodden; and second, the winevat into which
the blood of the grapes flows.
The treading of the winepress of God's wrath seems to clearly represent the final feature of
the great conflict of the "Word of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords," and His
armies, the glorified saints, with the last representatives of the anti-Christian hosts of
Christendom. (Rev. 19:11-21.) The scene of the conflict is the Holy Land--outside of
Christendom; and in harmony with this interpretation the immense symbolical winevat
into which the blood is represented as flowing, etc., would represent the territory of the
fatal field of destruction. The great quantity of blood, represented in the symbol as up to
the horses' bridles, is designed to teach the extensiveness of the destruction. While the
destruction will include the loss of many lives, this is not the chief thing represented in the
symbol. It is rather the great and final victory of truth over error, bringing all the many
various elements of Christendom, the opponents of God, to an enforced and complete
submission to His will. On the other hand it will bring great rejoicing on the part of those
friendly to righteousness, as represented in the new order, the Kingdom of God.
Chapter 36: Rev. 15:1-8
The Seven Last Plagues
"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven
last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God."--Rev. 15:1.
The "heaven" of the vision is evidently the symbolical heaven--the ecclesiastical, the
religious world. The pouring out of these seven vials of the wrath of God is a symbolic
description of the various aspects of the Divine judgments on the different organized
systems of apostate Christendom, the seventh of which results in the complete overthrow
of the same. Chapter 14:17-20 we have seen gives in symbol a brief sketch of the same
judgments. The events portrayed in the symbols of the seventh vial are those relating to
the very last closing judgment scenes of the Age. It should be kept in mind that the events
that mark the complete downfall of everything in Christendom that falsely bears the name
of Christian are closely related to the events portrayed in the symbol of the treading of the
winepress (Rev. 14:20), although the latter occurs in the land of Israel. These matters are
described more fully in the seventh vial. The pouring out of the vials of the wrath of God