December 23- The Grapes of Wrath

December 23, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Revelation 14:1-20;
Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 30:21-23

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. 

~The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Zechariah 4:1-5:11

We continue in today's reading with Zechariah's visions.  Now we see his seventh, eighth, and ninth visions out of the ten.

Vision of the Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

We have seen a number of visions from Zechariah.  They include 1) the riders under the myrtle trees 2) the four horns   3) the four blacksmiths/carpenters 4) the man with the measuring line 5) The High Priest- Jeshua and Satan and
6) the Branch and the Stone.  Now, we come to the vision of the lampstand.  The nation of Israel, even to this day, is associated with this symbol of the menorah.  Israel was always intended by God to be a light to the world about the Creator of heaven and earth.  In the last vision we studied, the high priest Jeshua was cleansed by Christ and saved from his sins.  He represented the nation of Israel being saved in the end times (this does not mean every Israelite is saved, just as the Church also has members who are not saved) and acting as priests to the world during the millennial reign of Christ.  Now, the nation is represented by the lamp stand. This lamp is lit by oil, which is a picture of the nation of Israel being filled with God's Holy Spirit, making them able to spread light and truth to earth.  Note that the oil (Holy Spirit) flows from a bowl that continually feeds into the lamp bowls attached to the stand. The nation of Israel, who have believed in Christ and made it through the Great Tribulation, are pictured here as the light that spreads the Good News of Christ to those who are born during the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth by being filled with the Holy Spirit. 

In addition to this future application of this vision, Zerubbabel is the civil leader of the remnant of Israel who are back in Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity.  God tells Zerubabel that it is not by might nor by strength, but by His Spirit that Zerubbabel will accomplish rebuilding Jerusalem.  This promise can be projected into the future for the nation of Israel, who will accomplish coming out of the commerce and religious oppression of the Antichrist's world system (Babylon) only through the power of the Holy Spirit in them.  This is what the lampstand represents.  The Holy Spirit will fill the nation of Israel and give them the light of the Truth and the power to overcome darkness. 

Next, Zechariah sees two olive trees that are next to the large bowl that fills the lamp stand. The angel explains to Zechariah that they are the two witnesses, who assist the Lord throughout the earth.  While Zerubbabel and Jeshua (the High Priest) were witnesses at this time on earth during the aftermath of the Babylonian captivity, this is also a picture of the two witnesses described in Revelation chapter 11, who witness in the dark times of the Great Tribulation that come upon the earth.  Please note that these two witnesses come forth from the nation of Israel.  This is what Zechariah is being promised.  The Holy Spirit is causing the nation of Israel to be a light and a witness to the world in the end.

Vision - The Flying Scroll

Now, Zechariah sees a very large flying scroll.  It would have been the size of a king size bed sheet.  The scroll represents the Word of God and particularly the Ten Commandments, which have influenced civil governments throughout the world as a result of the Israelites being dispersed throughout the globe. We have seen the image of the scroll in Ezekiel.  We see that the scroll (the Word of God and the Law) represents a curse upon the nation of Israel and mankind, in general, because Israel has broken the Law and so has all of  mankind. The two divisions presented on the scroll are stealing from the land (man's relationship to man) and swearing falsely by God's name (man's relationship to God).  These two categories represent the whole Law. There is a curse is upon the earth because man has broken God's Law.  Banishment from the presence of God is the result. We will see this concept confirmed in our reading in Revelation today.

Vision- A Woman in a Measuring Basket

Now, we see how the breaking of these commandments has manifested itself.  Breaking God's Law is seen in the materialistic culture and one world commerce system represented by the basket that measures grain. This basket is filled with the sins of everyone throughout the earth.  The greed and love of money that the Israelites fell into after the Babylonian captivity is seen again in the Great Tribulation. The woman in this vision is the nation of Israel.  They are happily in the midst of this basket of sin.  We see a sinful group, who represent the portion of the nation of Israel who do not follow God during the Great Tribulation. We will also see this woman in Revelation 17 riding on the Beast. These people are happily in the basket of the Antichrist's one world system.  Two angels are seen taking the basket to the land of Babylon (which always represents rebellion against God) and putting it on a pedestal in the temple.  This vision corresponds with the Antichrist controlling commerce in the one world system set up during the Great Tribulation. It also corresponds with money being worshipped.  Zechariah's vision shows us the nation of Israel's position in the story.  Some of them will be the lampstand, who are a light to the world during these dark times.  Some of them will be the wicked woman in the basket, who embraces the false religion of the Antichrist and will be judged by God. This will be true of all the people groups on the earth at this time. They will fit into one of these two categories.

The grapes of God's wrath are ripe for His trampling in this vision.

Are you a lampstand or a person in the basket?

Revelation 14:1-20

Now we have an interlude of encouragement once more for those saints who are enduring persecution on earth during the Tribulation. In this vision, John sees the Lamb (Jesus) standing on Mt. Zion in the land with the 144,000 witnesses from the 12 tribes of Israel, who have his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.  The Lamb is in contrast to the beasts that we saw in John's previous vision.  The 144,000 nation of Israel witnesses don't have the mark of the beast on their forehead. They have the name of Christ and his Father on their foreheads. Heaven roars forth in this vision with the four living beings and the elders in front of the throne of God singing a new song.  Only the 144,000 can learn the words of the song that is being sung. This group of witnesses has been redeemed by Christ from the earth during the Great Tribulation that comes upon the earth. This is a special song and a special vision with a message of encouragement to them alone.

They have made it through the terrible deception of Satan without getting soiled spiritually or physically by the adultery of forsaking God. No falsehood or lying can be charged against these evangelists, who convert the people God calls to Himself during the Great Tribulation on earth. These witnesses have been fundamental to God's plan on earth during the time of the Antichrist.  They have a privileged position in heaven.

We are on the brink of Christ judging the earth in this interlude vision, but first, an angel flies throughout the earth with the Good News of Christ, in order to seek those who might repent before the end. God is a God of last chances.

Another angel follows to announce that Babylon has fallen.  The system that seduced the whole world to drink the wine of her immorality is finished.

A third angel announces that anyone who followed the beast or his statue and received the mark of the beast in rebellion against God must now drink a new kind of wine. This is the undiluted wine of God's wrath! Drink up, rebellious people!  It is going to be poured out upon the earth. And now we see God finally bringing the judgment upon the wicked that His grace held back since the creation of the world.  The evil people, who destroyed all goodness during the Great Tribulation, will be met with fire and burning sulfur that will torment them. The smoke from their destruction will rise forever and ever as a memorial to the destruction of evil. This is to be an encouragement to God's holy people, who endure persecution patiently and remained firm in their faith by obeying His commandments and trusting in Jesus during the Great Tribulation period.

John is commanded to write, "Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from all their toils and trials, for their good deeds follow them!"  This is certainly good news for the saints, who will endure the most Satanic force of evil ever felt on earth during the times of the Great Tribulation.  These words are for those dear people.

There should not be confusion that this is the Church.  There is no reason to think that the Church is part of the punishment that comes upon the earth during the Tribulation.  This is unique to the 144,000, who are sent to evangelize the earth in the absence of the Church and to their converts to Christ from every nation on the earth at that time.  There is an apostate church on earth at this time also, who we will soon meet in our reading.

The next thing that John sees is Christ coming on a cloud with a gold crown on his head and a sickle in his hand.  This is not an image of  Christ of the cross.  This is the reigning King Jesus, who will judge the wicked on earth.  When Jesus drew with his finger in the sand and challenged the group who wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery that only the one who had never sinned should cast the first stone, he was fulfilling his role on earth as the grace-filled Savior looking for those who would repent of their sins and receive his forgiveness.  He was teaching people that only he can judge evil. Those days are past.  Now, we have the Jesus who told the disciples that one day he would return with the angels and would separate the sheep from the goats and the wheat from the tares.  Now is that day of harvest.  The wicked are cut down.  The grapes of wrath (wicked people) are loaded into God's winepress of judgment, where they are trampled down by God's righteous anger.  There is much blood from the deaths of the evil on earth.

This vision is once again for the Tribulation saints, who were persecuted by these people (grapes of wrath) on earth.  The just punishment of the wicked is promised by God.

I am thankful for God's grace to me.  I am grateful that He has saved me from being one of the grapes of wrath that are trampled.

Psalm 142:1-7

God is our refuge.  This psalm means so much more in the light of what we are reading.

Proverbs 30:21-23

These four things are unnatural.  Particularly troublesome to me is the fool who prospers.

What did you notice today as you read?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton