What does the angel gathering the vine mean in Revelation 14:19?
The angel gathering the vine means the assembling of the world's armies into the Middle East, especially Israel's valleys—Esdraelon, the Jordan Valley, and low-lying areas—where they are packed in so God's wrath will crush them like grapes in a winepress.
Les explains that the gathering of the grapes into the wine vat represents the gathering of military people into the valley of Esdraelon, down the Jordan Valley, and into the low-lying areas of Israel. They will be packed in like sardines in a can, forced by a sovereign God, contrary to good military operation. The wine vat is that massing of troops; putting grapes in the vat pictures placing these armies there. Then the very presence of God comes to crush them as grapes in the vat. In verse 19, the angel thrusts his sickle into the earth and gathers the vine—meaning all the armies are brought to the Middle East and cast into the great wine press of the wrath of God. Les stresses that God's wrath is not being poured out tonight; floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes are nothing compared to what it will be when God's wrath is finally released.
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.