The Harvest and the Battle

This flow traces the contrasting harvest images Shorey places around Christ’s return and the defeat of the gathered armies.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Ripe Harvest

The Ripe Harvest A figure on the cloud A crowned figure like the Son of Man holds a sharp sickle, and an angel announces that the earth’s harvest is ripe. The figure reaps the earth in a brief, decisive image. Shorey’s placement He places this passage before the heavenly multitude in white robes. That positioning makes the harvest part of his account of the rapture and gathering.

The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath A second harvest Another angel gathers the vine of the earth and casts it into the winepress of the wrath of God. The image shifts from reaping to crushing, describing a severe judgment on the earth. A violent outcome Blood flows from the winepress to the height of horses’ bridles across a vast distance. Shorey connects this image with the battle that follows Christ’s return.

The Armies Assemble

The Armies Assemble A gathering at Armageddon Unclean spirits go out to the kings of the earth and gather them for the great day of God Almighty. The sixth bowl’s drying of the Euphrates prepares the way for the kings from the east. Conflict becomes unavoidable The gathering places the hostile rulers in direct opposition to the returning Christ. Shorey reads the preparation as the final movement toward open battle.

Christ Rides to War

Christ Rides to War The heavenly warrior Heaven opens and Jesus Christ rides a white horse, called Faithful and True. The armies of heaven follow, while the rider’s authority is shown through judgment and the sword from his mouth. The climax approaches The image turns the preceding gathering into a confrontation with a clear center of authority. The conflict is no longer an earthly contest between rival powers but a final encounter with Christ.

The Beast’s Defeat

The Beast’s Defeat Rulers captured The Beast and False Prophet are taken, while the remaining armies are slain. The two leaders are cast alive into the Lake of Fire. A conflict closed The Beast’s political and religious authority collapses with its armies. Shorey places this decisive defeat before Satan’s binding and the millennial reign.

After Babylon’s fall in Shorey’s sequence

At the approach of Armageddon

At the sixth bowl

After the seventh bowl

At the conclusion of Armageddon