31 Time is near 14-13-20

The Harvest of Eternity: What Comes After This Life

Bible Passage: Revelation 14:13-20

How strongly do you hold onto life?

Is life more precious than obeying the word of God?

When discussing the idea of tithing the Bible teaches that a minimum of 10% of everything God gives us is to be given back to him.

When I explain this to people they say things like, “I can’t do that I have to feed my family.

Family is more important than God.

Or when contemplating someone to date they come to me for advice and I tell them find someone who is a Christian.

Usually they are already dating a non-Christian and want me to condone that.

When I don’t they say, “Well I can be a witness to him/her.”

Dating becomes more important than following God.

In Revelation 14:13-20, the Apostle John portrays a vivid vision of the final harvest—both of the faithful and the wicked.

This passage emphasizes the ultimate judgment and the reward that awaits believers.

And it contrasts the fate of those who reject God's calling.

Revelation 14:13–20 NASB95

13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” 14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

1. Blessed Beyond This Life

Revelation 14:13 NASB95

13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

Remember we have just talked about the forced worship of the antichrist by the false prophet who has had an image of the antichrist constructed for the purpose of worship.

Many believers will die for refusing to worship the beast.

Many others will suffer greatly due to not taking the mark of the beast

John is emphasizing the benefits of living a life surrendered to the Lord.

One of the greatest things I have found about Christianity of the joy of having no fear of death.

When I was a child in school during the cold war we regularly held those duck and cover drills as if that would help in a nuclear attack.

They talked so much about nuclear war that I feared for my life and certainly I feared death.

Until I met Jesus at age 11.

Fearing death is no longer a problem.

The voice said the dead are blessed.

I believe that.

All of us have loved ones who have passed.

Those we know were believers, we know they have no more discomfort in any way.

They truly are blessed.

Being a dead follower of Christ is better than a live follower of Satan

Now John is talking specifically to some very troubled individuals.

That is they have faced some terrible horrors and lived to tell about them.

They have witnessed their friends die horrific deaths.

They themselves struggle just to survive, having barely enough to eat or drink.

I think that all of us would agree that this group would be much better off dead and with God in heaven.

But what about ourselves?

Would we too be better off dead?

Scripture tells us we would.

Rev. 14:13 tells us we would be blessed.

Paul says, Phil 1:21

Philippians 1:21 NASB95

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Living is fine but to die is even better.

Jesus said it would be better to mutilate yourself than to go to hell following Satan.

Matthew 18:8–9 NASB95

8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

Seems following God is mighty important.

Jesus says, Mark 8:36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”

But I have to ask do we really believe what the Bible says about this issue?

Can we really love our enemies?

Is it possible to really turn the other cheek?

Is lust truly equal to adultery?

Many church members have great difficulty believing this is truly the way we must live.

But that is exactly the way we are to live.

The ways of this world has truly been burned into our brains.

To give up the way of the world is often something we cannot or will not do.

So this verse is not for you.

Blessed are those who die in the Lord.

He is not talking about those who trust the things of this world.

Trusting this world is idolatry.

Worshipping God is giving your life to Him for as long as He needs it.

We simply do not understand that it is better to die following God.

But it must be very important that we learn this lesson.

For Jesus followed this announcement with 2 warnings.

2. Bountiful Harvest For The Faithful

Revelation 14:14–16 NASB95

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

He is coming back on a cloud and no one will escape his judgement.

I believe these 2 judgements are a picture of what will happen at the end of man.

Jesus will return and reap His children from the earth.

Like separating the good grain from the tares.

Jesus will take His chosen out before the final wrath comes.

No doubt this is Jesus on the cloud.

He has come back with a golden crown and a sharp sickle.

He uses that sickle to reap the earth.

By so doing he judges those who remain on earth.

He sees who is following Satan and who is following Jesus.

He will not be deceived by clever masks or appearances.

Many do a good job of deceiving others.

You come to church thinking no one knows you smoke.

You come to church thinking no one knows what you do in secret.

You come to church thinking that no one knows how you cheated someone.

But there is one who does know.

Understand, the harvest is bountiful

3. Behold The Consequence Judgment

Revelation 14:17–20 NASB95

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

The reaping of the wicked vv. 17-20.

When the angel comes death and destruction will be complete.

It will be a horrible time as men and women endure the horrors of God’s wrath.

We will see more of what those horrors will be in the 15 and 16 chapters.

But the description here says blood will run up to the horses bridle for 200 miles.

Quite a river of blood.

Yet that is what awaits those who follow Satan.

You’ve reasoned it out and you think you are doing what God wants. But are you really?

Your head says it is better to die following God than to live following Satan.

But your actions, what do they prove?

Your actions indicate what is truly in your heart.

Satan is a deceiver and will lead you to believe you have everything worked out for eternity.

But the fact is your actions indicate there is something wrong at the heart of your relationship with God.

You simply do not trust him.

If there is one thing God’s word tells us to do it is to trust God.

Adam and Eve were placed in the garden given the whole garden except one tree.

He told them they would die if they ate of it.

They were to simply trust him.

When God came to Noah telling him to build an ark he was to simply trust God.

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Peter, Andrew, James, John

Simply trust God.

Trust him so much that you would rather die following him than to live following Satan.

Conclusion:

Quite a few of you here this morning are saying, “Clay, you’re talking to me.”

That means the Holy Spirit is convicting you of sin.

It is a sin not to trust God, Adam and Eve didn’t and they died.

So will you unless you decide today to trust him.

Today I want you to leave this place trusting God with your life.

For until the end there is still a choice

Sing this song with me.

#314 Whosover Will

"Whosoever heareth," shout, shout the sound! Spread the blessed tidings all the world around; Tell the joyful news wherever man is found, "Whosoever will may come." (Refrain)

Refrain: "Whosoever will, whosoever will!" Send the proclamation over vale and hill; 'Tis a loving Father calls the wand'rer home: "Whosoever will may come."

2.Whosoever cometh need not delay, Now the door is open, enter while you may; Jesus is the true, the only Living Way: "Whosoever will may come." (Refrain)   3."Whosoever will" the promise is secure; "Whosoever will," forever must endure; "Whosoever will!" 'tis life forevermore; "Whosoever will may come." (Refrain)

Refrain: "Whosoever will, whosoever will!" Send the proclamation over vale and hill; 'Tis a loving Father calls the wand'rer home: "Whosoever will may come."