The Harvest Of Rev. 14

In Revelation 14 it talks about reaping, but it appears to be two separate things. Verses 14 through 16 seem to be Jesus harvesting. Verses 17 through 20 are God’s wrath poured out.

Q. In Revelation 14 it talks about reaping, but it appears to be two separate things. Verses 14 through 16 seem to be Jesus harvesting. Verses 17 through 20 are God’s wrath poured out. Is this first part (14-20) the rapture maybe, since the second part speaks of God’s wrath and I know we are not appointed unto wrath. What is your understanding of these scriptures and the difference of the man (Jesus?)on the cloud reaping the harvest versus the angel gather grapes to be crushed under the wrath of God? Thank you for your help.

A. Since I believe that the Rapture is described in Rev. 4 and since the first mention of the onset of God’s wrath is in Rev. 6:16-17, I think something different is going on here. I see this as one of the indications that many tribulation believers will be martyred for their faith. (Remember, the Great Tribulation began in Rev. 13).

Verses 14-16 may refer to the martyrs. Although their destiny isn’t specified, the fact that the destiny of those harvested in verses 17-20 is specified hints that they might be two different groups.

Also the first group is apparently not being punished, but the second one is being gathered for God’s wrath to be fully unleashed against them in chapter 16.

The second group is also called Earth’s vine as opposed to the Lord’s, so there’s a good circumstantial case for two different groups being harvested, and for two different reasons.