Reaping the Harvest

~~~ Revelation 14:14-19 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Luke 21:5-11 ~~~

 

 The picture painted in today's reading from Revelation
closely resembles something you might see on a horror movie.
A sickle weilding gold crowned man sitting on a white cloud
floating in the sky.
In the background the voice of an angel can be heard...
"Use your sickle and reap the harvest,
for the time to reap has come,
because the earth's harvest is fully ripe."

Angels come out of the temple with sharp sickles.
Another angel came out who was in charge of the fire crying
out to the one who had the sharp sickle...
"Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth's vines,
for its grapes are ripe."

It seems to be a rather extreme measure to rid the earth of ripe grapes.
All that was harvested was thrown into the great wine press of God's fury.

The Lord will come to judge the earth including each of us.
Personally I think it will be more subtle when God
comes to reap the harvest.

The danger for us lies in having the ability to identify the one
actually sent from God.
Luke is warning us with the words of Jesus not to be deceived...

"See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'
Do not follow them!

 

 

Now I am reminded of the many who have been fooled into believing

a false prophet needlessly ending their lives.

 

When a false prophet entices others to buy in to their lies it is a sad time.

I pray for the wisdom to follow the one true God

no matter how attractive others might appear.

It is only by grace that we can remain faithful until our death.

 

When God is ready to end life on this planet as we know it

there will not be a stone left on top of another stone.

In the end life itself may just evaporate

leaving only the glory of God himself.

When this happens what we think of as an ending

may actually be the beginning.

In dying we become what God created us to be.

We return to him.