Revelation 14:14–16
The Harvest of the Earth
John sees a white cloud. Seated on it is someone like a son of man, wearing a golden crown and holding a sharp sickle.
Another angel comes out of the temple and calls loudly to the one seated on the cloud: the time to harvest has come, because the earth's harvest is ripe.
The one seated on the cloud swings his sickle over the earth, and the earth is harvested.
What is a harvest?
A harvest is the gathering of a crop when it is ready. A sickle is a curved cutting tool used for harvesting.
Christians differ on whether this harvest depicts gathering God's people, judgment, or another aspect of God's final work.
Pause and notice
What does the figure on the cloud wear and hold? Why does the angel say it is time to harvest?
Look back at the passage
He wears a golden crown and holds a sharp sickle. The angel says the harvest of the earth is ripe.
Explore the Scripture and artwork
Christians commonly understand the figure like a son of man as Jesus Christ. These verses describe him without directly naming him.
The white cloud, golden crown, sharp sickle, and angel coming from the temple follow John's description. The faces, clothing, architecture, and arrangement are artistic choices.
The painting shows wheat to illustrate a harvest. These verses do not name the crop. The next scene specifically describes gathering grapes.
Read Revelation 14:14–16 ↗Scripture opens in a new tab.
Continue · Revelation 14:17–20
← Previous scene: The Third Angel’s Warning