A GORY PARAGRAPH (Rev. 14:14-20)

INTRODUCTION:

1. One of the songs I heard early in life was “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”.

2. Though I had no real interest in religion, I was struck by the words of this song.

3. This song seemed to picture a scene that was both interesting and frightening.

4. In a few moments I will read two of the stanzas from this song.

5. Before this is done, I must say that the …

I. SONG IN OUR SONGBOOKS IS KNOWN BY A TITLE OTHER THAN “GLORY, GLORY, HALLELUJAH”. THIS HYMN IS ALSO KNOWN AS “THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC”. AS THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC, A FOURTH STANZA IS IN THE SONG. YOU SEE …

A. The hymn sometimes sung in worship was originally written because of war.

B. The north and the south were fighting against each other.

1) If you have been a soldier, or have seen soldiers portrayed in some way, you probably saw some

singing.

2) Soldiers, in the right situation, sing.

C. The soldiers who went off to the Civil War sang about John Brown’s body.

D. Mr. Brown was a man who wanted to abolish slavery; he was hung.

1) Though Mr. Brown was deceased, he was not forgotten.

2) Soldiers had made up a song about him.

3) The words, from what I understand, were crude.

E. A preacher got tired of hearing soldiers sing about John Brown.

F. He suggested that Julie Howe use the same tune but write different words.

G. Mrs. Howe accepted the preacher’s suggestion.

1) In the 1860’s this woman wrote the words we still have.

2) She was paid $5.00 for the new words to an old tune.

H. Soon the whole nation was singing “Mine eyes have seen the glory” instead of those indelicate

phrases about John Brown’s body.

I. It is said that a patriotic rally was attended by President Lincoln. This song was sung at the rally.

J. Lincoln, with tears in his eyes, said, “Sing it again.”

K. This song soon became one of our finest national hymns.

L. This song found its way into almost every American hymnal.

M. The original purpose of this song was a battle song for the North.

N. Now that we know the entire story, listen to two stanzas of the song on Page 649 of our books.

READ.

O. If we look at this song word by word, there are some things that attract our attention. For instance:

1) The “Lord” occupies a prominent place in this song.

2) In this song the Lord’s glory is stressed.

3) The wrath of the Lord is clearly mentioned.

a) The picture is that of war.

b) This song pictures hostility.

c) With the background information the words make sense.

4) In this hymn we also have references to:

a) “Grapes of wrath.”

b) There is a “terrible sword.”

c) There is also the theme of judgment.

P. This hymn is a powerful song.

Q. It was powerful enough to encourage men to fight for a cause.

R. The words and ideas in this song encouraged people to give up their lives if necessary.

S. People could march off to war, perhaps happily, by singing this song.

II. THE WORDS AND THEMES IN THIS SONG HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. THEY ARE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD. EVEN IN OUR DAY THESE WORDS AND THEMES CAN STIR THE EMOTIONS IN MEN AND WOMEN.

A. Now that we know some things about this song, let’s look at our text.

B. Our study is going to be drawn from Rev. 14:14-20.

C. If you normally follow along in your Bible, you may wish to also have a songbook open to Page 649.

D. I hope to show you something of great interest.

E. It is time to read the text – READ Rev. 14:14-20.

F. The words in “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” are essentially in Rev. 14:14-20.

G. The song begins “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming …”

H. How does this compare to what John describes?

1) Verse 14 – John wrote about a “white cloud”.

2) The “white” indicates purity; holiness – God.

3) In the OT clouds also represented judgment.

4) As a rain/thunder cloud may express a storm, so John was about to describe a storm.

5) This would not end the world; it would end Rome.

6) A cloud of judgment was coming upon Rome.

I. Our hymn speaks of God “trampling out the vintage”.

J. Compare this to Verse 19-20 of Rev. 14 – READ.

K. In our hymn we read about a terrible sword.

L. Compare this to Verse 14B – READ.

M. The Lord has a “sharp sickle”.

1) God’s sword is mighty and it is sharp.

2) In Rev. 14 we read about a harvest – good and bad.

3) The saved and the lost; righteous and unrighteous.

4) Again, this is not a reference to the end of time judgment.

5) A nation was going to be brought down.

6) God knew who had the mark of the beast; and He knew who the saved (144,000) were.

7) There was going to be a division.

N. The second stanza refers to sifting the hearts of men.

O. In Rev. 14 a separation is indicated.

P. Verse 16 says that the “earth was reaped.”

Q. Since not everyone was unrighteous, there would be good and bad.

R. John showed that the hearts and lives of men would indeed be sifted.

1) If God can do this in time; what about eternity?

2) God can certainly sift through the lives of all people.

3) Just as men can go through a field and reap a crop, so God can go through the lives of men and

women.

4) At the final judgment this will be done.

S. Tonight we are going to look at the judgment on Rome.

T. If we can get an idea of how serious this was, we will have a better understanding of what the end of

time judgment will be like.

U. In this chapter the unrighteous are compared to grapes.

V. These grapes are “fully ripe” – 18C.

W. Rome had done so much evil that there was no question about her guilt.

X. Mercy was out of the question.

Y. There could be no basis for an appeal.

Z. There were no grounds for a second chance or for a reprieve.

A. Thus, an instruction and an action are recorded. READ 18-19.

1) Winemaking time was usually a period of great joy.

2) The people would cut off the grapes and carry them to press.

3) The OT gives some indication of the songs that were sung during this time.

B. We even know how ancient winemaking was done.

1) Normally two areas of solid rock were chiseled out (basin).

2) Ideally one of the two would be higher than the other.

3) A pipe or channel connected the two areas.

4) People used their feet to smash grapes in the upper cavity and then the juice flowed into the

lower cavity.

5) We know that men trampled the grapes.

6) We also know that to keep their balance men held on to ropes which hung over.

7) Several men could be trampling the grapes at once.

C. Imagine being put into a container along with a dozen other people.

D. You can move a bit in the container but you cannot get out.

E. All of a sudden some rather large men step into the container.

F. They stomp on your hand. That hurts.

G. Then they start stomping all over your body.

H. With their feet they do their best to crush your body.

1) Their job is to smash your bones.

2) They cannot stop until you are pulverized.

I. Thus, blow after blow is administered to you.

J. Your bones are beaten until they snap, crack, pop and your skin bleeds.

K. It’s not a pretty picture.

L. John describes a winepress but it is not one made by man. John describes grapes but these grapes

are not fruit.

1) This “winepress” is made by God and not man.

2) The operator of this winepress is God.

3) The grapes going into this press are people.

4) To be more specific, evil people – those who opposed God and His people.

M. Notice how 19B describes God’s winepress. It is:

1) “the winepress” (Definite article in the original text.)

2) This press is “the great winepress”.

3) The press is associated with God’s “wrath”.

N. These people would have preferred to be treated like my illustration.

1) Having bones pop and break would have been a good alternative.

2) Those of Rome were going to pay a high price for their sin.

O. As we look at this price please remember the description given of how these ancient presses worked.

P. The juice drained from the upper container to a lower container.

Q. John bases his point upon this knowledge.

1) 20A – READ.

2) This winepress did not produce juice.

3) Blood flowed from the press.

4) John showed that this judgment would be severe and complete.

R. How much “juice” (in this case blood) came from the judgment?

S. 20B – READ.

T. The figure at the end of Verse 20 may not be clear.

U. A round figure for the length that is described is 200 miles.

V. John pictures a stream of blood that was about 200 miles long.

W. How deep would this river of blood be?

X. John said that it would be “even unto the bridles of horses.”

Y. We know where a bridle hits a horse. John says that this river of blood would be that deep.

Z. Horses would be swimming in this blood.

1) Some have tried to make this, as well as other parts of Revelation, literal.

2) A 200 mile path of blood several feet deep is too incredible.

3) This would be a stretch even if this were describing the end.

A. Once again I am proposing that this is figurative language.

B. While Rome was on the earth, it would be judged.

C. It was. Rome paid a heavy price for what she did to God’s people.

D. Yet this payment was on earth.

E. The payment in eternity would not be faced until death.

F. On earth, judgment is likened to people who are put into a winepress and this may be one of

the most graphic descriptions of judgment in the Bible.

G. This description tells us that we do not want to miss heaven.

H. If men may be crushed on earth, what will eternity away from God be like?