Harvesting means saving to the uttermost those who come to God by Christ Jesus (Hebrews 7:25), but the opposite must also be true in the judgment of the wicked. “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Revelation 14:15 KJV). No more the rejection of Christ and His truth can be tolerated. This is what the adversary has always feared would happen. “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him” (Proverbs 10:24). The utter irrationality of sin must be paid for to the uttermost. Christ has the diadem and sickle (Revelation 14:14) to fulfill His role as the Harvester of the Earth. No more will evil seemingly triumph unopposed and unchallenged. “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (14:19).
“And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs [Greek, stadion]” (Revelation 14:20).
If a stadium is a Greek measurement equivalent to 606 feet 9 inches, then 1,600 furlongs would be 183.86 miles (Easton’s Bible Dictionary, 1897).
What is the manner of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming?
First, Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem, as promised by the angel at Christ’s Ascension (Acts 1:11-12), which was prophesied by Zechariah. “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:3-4).
Second, Christ will pursue His enemies slaying them with blood “unto the horse bridles” Revelation 14:20) down to Bozrah, which is approximately 58 miles southeast of the Mount of Olives. “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness” (Isaiah 34:6-7).
Third, Christ will then continue His pursuit and slaying of His enemies from Bozrah to Megiddo, which is the ancient city close by the final conflict at Armageddon — approximately another 128 miles. “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like Him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth” (Isaiah 63:1-6).
Fourth, Combining the distances from the Mount of Olives to Bozrah of 58 miles with the distance from Bozrah to Megiddo of 128 miles, is a distance of 186 miles, which is approximately 1,600 furlongs (Revelation 14:20).
LORD, our calculations and approximations lack the precision of Your Word. If You say the distance is 1,600 furlongs, then You would know best. If You say the blood will be “unto the horse bridles,” then we can only say, Amen. Even as You have faithfully saved to the uttermost, may You be justified in judging altogether as You have prophesied. Magnify Yourself in holiness and judgment. Let not one jot or tittle of Your Word fall to the ground unfulfilled unto 1,600 furlongs. Return quickly, deliver Your people, and judge the impenitent. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.