Revelation 14:14-16 The Reaping Sharp Marks

Revelation 14:14-16

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling 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.

I was a fan of loud and fast rock music in my youth, heavy and hard rock. I had plenty of cassettes and CDs. As a child of God, I like to praise and worship music more, and when I listen to rock music, I stay away from songs with foul language or content. As a fan of rock bands, I try to learn about them and the meaning of their songs. Metallica is one of my favorite groups, and it is pretty amazing; they still produce albums and have an extensive fan base. Once, I listen to a radio station DJ interview Lars Ulrich, how he would walk out unto the parking lot of an arena to talk to Christians, who warn people that they would go to hell and listen to Metallica music. With a Bible he had, and with the band’s song lyrics, he would explain how many of the group’s songs came from his Bible studies. The song “Creeping Death” comes from Exodus chapter 11 when the plague of death pass over or went through Egypt, and firstborn sons would die of those who didn’t obey God. When I think of the Lord’s judgment day, I think of the Metallica song, “ Harvest of Sorrow.” The song’s meaning is kind of dark; it is about a father who is angry at the world but gets drunk and takes his anger out on his family. In rage drives him to insanity and murders his whole family. Every living man and woman, it doesn’t matter what race, what religion, or who or how you love, God made us all, and He is our Heavenly Father. Judgment day is about God rewarding those who love Him with everlasting life, and the rest get death. 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Scripture calls the seconding coming, the Son of Man judgment day, harvesting. Like a farmer who wants to collect his crops, they will take a sickle and gather a lot at once. The sickle the Son of Man using is very sharp, and farmers want a sharp sickle; he doesn’t want to repeat his job. The word of God is very sharp, the Bible says, like a sword, and the Son of Man will judge His creation by the Holy word. 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

In the book of Acts chapter 1, the followers of Jesus, His very close disciples, watch Jesus go up or ascend in heaven on a cloud. Some angel told them, spread the gospel; Jesus will return the same way He went up. 

Acts 1:10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, 11 and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

The Son of Man coming on cloud is written about many times in scripture, Daniel 7:13, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 26:64, Mark 13:26, Mark 14:62, Luke 21:27, and Revelation 1:7. So the event isn’t secret, and all will see Him, and with His voice, cause He is the word of God, He will judge. Those who lived by His word will receive their glory, and those who didn’t, well, die. With one swing of God’s sickle or sword, the Lord passes judgment at once, and no one will be able to hide from God’s word on that day. 

Jeremiah 51:48 Then heaven and earth and everything that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, Because the destroyers will come to her from the north,” Declares the Lord. 49 Indeed, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As the slain of all the earth have also fallen for Babylon. 50 You who have escaped the sword, Go! Do not stay! Remember the Lord from far away, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.

Brothers and sisters, are you living by the word of Christ? Are you ready for judgment? The beast’s mark isn’t anyone you wear or accept, and it is about who you and I worship and obey. If the book of Revelation is scary for you, then it is because of your question about living your life. Is it by God’s will or by the nature of the beast of sin? Are you indeed ready to see Jesus come down from heaven, standing on clouds of your judgment? God bless you all, the Son of Man loves you, and so do I. Samuel J Head. 

Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will ]give birth to the departed spirits. 20 Come, my people, enter your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course. 21 For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wrongdoing; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.