Summary
John uses two familiar images of harvest to describe the two-fold nature of the final judgment.
Analysis
Because the authors of the Bible lived their lives in an agrarian society, images from agricultural life are quite common throughout the Bible. The harvest, coming as it did at the end of a long cycle of work, came to stand as an image of both evangelism (e.g., John 4:35) and the last judgment, when God would gather in all people. The harvest figures prominently in the parables of the Synoptic GospelsThe Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They are called Synoptics because they view the gospel story from a similar point of view; they also share large blocks of narrative material in common. More (MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. More, Mark, and LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. More), for example the ParableA parable is a brief story with a setting, an action, and a result. A prominent aspect of Jesus' teaching was telling parables to illustrate something about the kingdom, or reign, of God. More of the Weeds among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30) and the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29). In the Synoptic Gospels, the separation of the good and the wicked is further represented by threshing, that is the process of separating grain from chaff. Thus John the BaptistJohn the Baptizer was the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah, preaching a gospel of repentance and preparing the way of the Lord. More describes JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More as coming with a winnowing fork in his hand (Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17). Revelation adds a new twist to this familiar imagery by describing the harvest of two separate crops.In Revelation, John begins with the familiar imagery of the grain harvest. The grain is harvested personally by the Son of Man (14:14-16) and represents the gathering of the saints. Instead of describing the godless as chaff (cf. PsalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. More 1:4), John turns to the grape harvest for his imagery of judgment (14:17-20). Here, he picks up imagery from IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More 63, in which the prophet describes God as someone with “garments like theirs who tread the wine press” (Isaiah 63:2). In Isaiah and in John, the treading of the grapes comes to stand for God’s wrath against the unrighteous.
