Revelation Chapter 14

VERSE 17-19 “Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry 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.” So, the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.”

VERSE 20 “And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.”

The winepress is for the purpose of crushing out the juice. Clearly here the juice is not juice, but blood. This winepress is for the purpose of crushing out the life (blood) of Babylon. Isaiah 63 informs us that it is our Lord who will trample out the vintage where these grapes of wrath are stored.

The process is said to happen OUTSIDE THE CITY. The only cities mentioned by Revelation are the New Jerusalem and Babylon. Outside the New Jerusalem seems to make little sense, and Babylon is the only city in Chapter 14. The logical conclusion is that the city here mentioned is Babylon. So, it appears that the lifeblood of Babylon will be pressed out in a locality which is not affiliated with Babylon. Since God intends to make His holy name known in the midst of His people, Israel (Ezek. 39:7), it seems logical that the trouble from which Israel shall be miraculously delivered (Ezek. 38 and 39) will also be the trouble in which Babylon will lose its life. Hence, events OUTSIDE THE CITY will spell its doom.

The blood (life) comes out even to the horses’ bridles. Since a horse represents doctrine, and the bridle represents the control of doctrine, the symbolism is strong: Babylon will no longer have the life to direct teaching.

It is interesting to compare Rev. 14:20 with Zech. 14:20. Both refer to horses’ bridles — although in Zechariah the marginal translation must be used.

“In that day there shall be upon the bridle of every horse Holiness to the Lord Almighty; and the caldrons in the house of the Lord shall be as bowls before the altar.” (Brenton’s Septuagint Translation)

In Zech., the bridles are re-dedicated: HOLINESS TO THE LORD — the same dedication worn on the high priest’s crown. It is also helpful to note that the Zech. context is following the trouble on Israel which is the same as that mentioned in Ezek. 38 and 39. How wonderful that Babylon’s days of twisting doctrine are very numbered.

Verse 20 concludes with a distance of 1600 furlongs. The Sinaitic MS reads 1200 furlongs. Both numbers seem to have significance.

If 1200 furlongs be correct, the symbolism is likely the distance from Bozrah to Jezreel. Bozrah is where the winepress was trodden in Isaiah 63; Jezreel is where Jezebel (picturing the harlot church) was slain (2 Kings 9).

If 1600 furlongs be correct, the symbolism might be something like this: 40 is a number representing complete testing. When a number is squared (like the Jubilee), the symbolism seems to be the finality of finalities. So, 40 squared (1600) would represent the most complete and final testing possible. Since furlong comes from the Greek STADION (a race course), we can say by all measurements of the Christian race course (40 squared), Babylon has been judged and found deficient.

In summary, the six angels of this chapter might well be given the following names (remembering that some of them are inanimate, others representing groups):

ANGEL # 1: THE HARVESTING MESSAGE.
ANGEL # 2: THE JUDGMENT PROCLAIMER.
ANGEL # 3: THE PLAGUING ANGEL or THE WARNING ANGEL or the I-TOLD-YOU-SO ANGEL

ANGEL # 4: CHRONOLOGY.
ANGEL # 5: THE GREAT MULTITUDE (in the flesh)
ANGEL # 6 THE CHURCH GLORIFIED

In our next post we will take one more look at Verse 20 from another perspective.