The Lord Judges the Nations
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Joel 3:13
Put ye in... In Joel 3:13-16 we have a reference to the battle of Armageddon and the destruction of the many armies of the nations of the Antichrist, by the Lord, in fulfillment of Isa. 63:1-5; Eze. 38-39; Zec. 14:1-21; Rev. 19:11-21. These verses (Joel 3:12-13) plainly indicate that the judgment mentioned in this chapter will actually take the form of divine warfare against Israel’s enemies. So the event described here is to be equated with Armageddon (cf. Rev. 14:14-20; 16:16; 19:11-21), rather than the judgment of the nations prophesied in Mat. 25:31-46.
the sickle, for... The sickle in His hand suggests judgment. And this is supported by the messages of the three angels (Rev. 14:15-20). The sickle in His hand suggests judgment. And this is supported by the messages of the three angels (Rev. 14:15-20).
An angel called out to Christ to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe. The ripeness is in the sense of withered or overripe (exēranthē). What follows is judgment as the sickle is swung… over the earth.; Rev. 19:15.
for the press... Christ is also described as the One who treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty (cf. Rev. 14:19-20; and cf. Almighty in Rev. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 16:14; 19:6; 21:22). This scene is a dramatic indication of the awfulness of the impending judgment. Mat. 24:30 indicates that those on earth will be witnesses of this impressive scene.
The first command (Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe) probably compares judgment to harvesting grain (cf. Isa. 17:5; Rev. 14:15). The second (Come, trample the grapes) compares the annihilation of the enemies to treading grapes in a winepress (cf. Isa. 63:1-6; Rev. 14:18-20). The underlying reason for the nations’ demise is that their wickedness is great.
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