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The Grape Vine

8th October 2007, hej

 

5) Of Wine, War and Judgement

When we think of the fruit of a vine we also think of the product most associated with it: wine. This is another story. Wine is made by the cutting off of the grapes, which are then crushed. The 'fruit' is crushed, poured out, and then fermented to make something with a long shelf life that makes the drinker happy (in moderation). Small quantities of red wine are supposed to be healthy in releasing health giving anti-oxidants. As with any biblical analogy the use of that of wine in its various contexts seems appropriate.

The dregs of a cup of wine is often associated with wrath and war (Psalm 75:8 Jeremiah 25:15, 51:7, Isaiah 51:17-22, Zechariah 12:2, Rev 14:8-10, 16:19, 18:3). War is likened to the madness that is induced in drunkenness and certainly the war over Jerusalem predicted by Zechariah will be one of madness.

But closer to the image of Israel as a 'vine', is that of Yahweh as working a 'winepress' in an image of judgement. This is the picture of Revelation 14:

And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 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. (Rev 14:18-19 KJV).

A most interesting thing is that there are two harvests of Revelation chapter 14. The first is that of a crop. That of Armageddon, the heap of sheaves. The second is that of the vineyard.

In Revelation 14 the analogy has two facets. The harvesting of grain crops and the harvest of a vineyard. These were two features of a productive landscape. They are also instructive. Fruit is merely picked and eaten. The grain crop is cut down, winnowed, crushed with millstone, sifted then cooked in an oven. But the waste is burnt. The fruit of the vine is cut off, crushed and stepped on till the juice is poured out. It is then fermented. In both cases the final product is gained with much effort and involves crushing. In both cases there is waste that is destroyed. It seems bread and wine are associated.

The Bread and Wine

These two symbols have always been part of the Israeli service to Yahweh. They were on the shewbread table before Him and Israel in the tabernacle and temple, they are part of the Passover.

Yeshua chose them for a memorial of himself. He said the bread was his body given. The flesh being like 'bread' something that had been trialled or 'sifted' and enduring the heat of the work or 'oven'. But it was to be killed or 'broken off'. The blood was like 'wine' to signify a type of death where life departed as blood was 'poured out'. But this is not the end of the association of blood with wine.

The patriarch Israel spoke of a descendant of Judah who would be associated with 'the blood' of grapes.

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.... he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine. (Gen 49:10-12)

Revelation speaks of the outpouring of blood in judgement as being like someone treading on a grape harvest in the winepress.

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. (Rev 14:20)

Isaiah says the person treading the winepress is the one that speaks in righteousness and is mighty to save which links this person with the lawgiver who is the descendant of Judah.

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. (Isa 63:1-4)

This is no accidental reference by Isaiah, as the the border of Judah is Edom (Joshua 15:1), indicating that the lawgiver of Judah will come to his own people first from Edom. And Edom is also called Seir (Genesis 36:8). Deborah and Barak speak of a time when Yahweh will “go out of Sier, out of the field of Edom” And at that time the mountain of Sinai would melt (Judges 5:3-5).

The prophet Balaam the son of Beor (not of Israel) also said:

I shall see him, but not now .. there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remains of the city. (Num 24:15-19)

Moses said:

The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. (Deu 33:2-3 )

So the one walking in the 'winepress' in judgement is the king out of Jacob and out of Judah. If Israel linked themselves to a vine, it is appropriate their deliverance is spoken of as that coming from one walking the winepress. After all Yahweh identified himself as the Husbandman of that vineyard that was Israel. But the end product of the winepress is not just the wine as blood poured out but the wine resulting from this process. And wine, it says, makes glad the heart of man.

And wine that makes glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthens man's heart. (Psa 104:15)

The judgement of mankind is to be horrible, like the cutting down in harvest of a crop, where the destruction and burning of the waste is complete, but the result is bread that 'strengthens the heart'. The judgement will be one of great blood-shed, but the result will be a remnant having endured and matured like wine that 'makes glad the heart'.

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