Big Idea: At the end of the age, unbelievers will suffer God’s wrathful judgment.

Understanding the Text

The harvest of the earth is composed of two visions that continue the judgment theme from 14:6–13: the grain harvest (14:14–16) and the grape harvest (14:17–20). Both units (14:6–13 and 14:14–20) are linked not only by the theme of judgment but also by the mention of seven angels or groups of angels (14:6, 8, 9, 10, 15, 17, 18). The central interpretive question, much debated by commentators, is whether the first vision depicts the gathering of the righteous at the return of Christ (e.g., Bauckham, Osborne, Smalley) or whether both visions portray God’s judgment of the wicked (e.g., Mounce, Beale, Keener, Aune, Witherington). Both theological truths are affirmed elsewhere in Revelatio…