The wine press analogy pictures God's wrath being poured out on the world's gathered armies, with Christ alone treading the press.
In Revelation, clusters of the earth's grapes are gathered and cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Les Feldick teaches that the wine vat pictures the world's armies packed into the valleys of Israel, where Christ alone treads the press as the only One worthy to bring this judgment.
Revelation 14:19-20 — This is the direct winepress text in Revelation: the earth's grapes are cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God and trodden outside the city.
Revelation 19:15 — It shows Christ treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Isaiah 63:3-4 — It gives the Old Testament picture of the Messiah treading the winepress alone and calls it the day of vengeance.
The book of Revelation uses the winepress as a picture of divine judgment. In Revelation 14, an angel from the altar commands the one with the sharp sickle to gather the clusters of the vine of the earth because her grapes are fully ripe. The angel then thrusts in his sickle and casts the gathered vine into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Revelation 14:20 adds that the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the press even up to the horses' bridles for 1,600 furlongs. Revelation 19:15 places the same winepress on Christ Himself: He is the One who smites the nations and treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Isaiah 63:3-4 provides the corresponding Old Testament passage, where the One with red garments says, 'I have trodden the winepress alone ... for the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.'
Les Feldick takes the wine vat as a prophetic symbol. In the ancient world, grape harvests were thrown into a vat and trampled by people, so the juice would spurt and cover them. He sees the same imagery in Isaiah 63, where Christ appears with stained garments and says, 'I have trodden the winepress alone.' Les explains that the gathering of grapes into the wine vat corresponds to the gathering of the world's armies into the valley of Esdraelon, Megiddo, and the low-lying areas of Israel. By a sovereign act of God these multitudes will be packed in like sardines in a can, contrary to normal military strategy. The winepress itself is the wrath of God, and the very presence of God will crush them as grapes in a vat. He also points out that the grapes are overripe, past the normal harvest time, showing that judgment is long due. Revelation 14:20 pictures the winepress trodden outside the city, and Les pictures the final plague of hundred-pound hailstones crushing the helpless armies like grapes. Most of all, this is a God of wrath, not grace, and it is Christ alone who is worthy to bring this judgment, because no one else was worthy to take the scroll in Revelation 5.
Les explains that Megiddo sits on the edge of the flat plain of Esdraelon, a broad area where ancient armies repeatedly fought. He sees the nations of the world sending their armies to that region, and by a sovereign act of God they will be packed into that valley and the low-lying areas of Israel 'like sardines in a can.' That packing of military men into the valley is the gathering of grapes into the wine vat, setting the stage for the winepress of God's wrath.
Les points to Isaiah 63 where the One with red apparel answers, 'I have trodden the winepress alone.' He reminds his listeners that in Revelation 5, no one in heaven or earth was worthy to open the scroll except the Son of God. Les therefore concludes that the same Son is the only one worthy to bring on this particular judgment. This is the fruition of the scroll's authority, and it pictures a God of wrath bringing the day of vengeance.
Les notes that in Revelation 14:18, the grapes are 'fully ripe,' and the Greek word carries the sense of overripe, meaning the harvest is really past time. In the analogy, the world's condition is so fully ripe for judgment that God gives the command to thrust in the sickle and gather the vine of the earth into the great winepress of His wrath.
Revelation 14:20 says the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out even to the horse bridles for 1,600 furlongs. Les connects this to the gathering of the armies in Israel's low-lying areas. He pictures millions of troops under nothing more than tents, and the final plague of hundred-pound hailstones squashing them literally as grapes in the vat.
Les is emphatic that God's wrath is not being poured out tonight. The winepress of the wrath of God belongs to a future time when God gathers the world's armies into the Middle East and crushes them as grapes in the vat. Until that day, the present is still a time of grace.
Megiddo and the Prepared Battlefield
Les shows how Megiddo sits on the edge of the flat plain of Esdraelon, where ancient armies fought, and says the world's armies will be packed into that area by a sovereign act of God.
Christ Alone in the Winepress
Les applies Isaiah 63 to Revelation, showing Christ treading the winepress alone and staining His garments with the blood of His victims—a day of vengeance, not grace.
No One Else Was Worthy
Les links Christ's words in Isaiah 63, 'I have trodden the winepress alone,' to Revelation 5, where only the Son was worthy to take the scroll, making Him the only one worthy to bring this judgment.
The Scroll Fulfilled in Judgment
In this related clip Les again emphasizes that Christ alone could open the scroll, and this judgment is the fruition of that worthiness.
A God of Wrath at the Winepress
Les stresses that this is not the God of grace but the God of wrath, whose day of vengeance is in His heart as He tramples His victims in the wine vat.
The Wine Vat Is the Wrath of God
Les explains that gathering grapes into the vat pictures the armies packed into the valleys of Israel, and the winepress itself is the wrath of God—not something being poured out today.
Overripe Grapes Past Harvest
Les shows that the Greek word 'fully' means overripe, indicating the earth's harvest is past time, ready for the sickle and the wine vat.
Hailstones Crush the Grapes
Les describes how the final plague of hundred-pound hailstones will squash the millions of troops encamped in the Middle East just as grapes are crushed in the wine vat, outside the city.
Revelation 14:18: 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.
This verse shows the grapes of the earth as fully ripe, which Les highlights means overripe and ready for judgment.
Revelation 14:19-20: 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. 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.
This is the direct winepress passage: the gathered vine is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God, and the press is trodden outside the city.
Revelation 19:15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
It identifies Christ as the One who treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Isaiah 63:3-4: 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.
This Old Testament passage depicts the Messiah treading the winepress alone and calls it the day of vengeance.
Les identifies the great winepress of Revelation as the wrath of God rather than describing a literal vat. The gathering of the world's armies into the valleys of Israel is like putting grapes into the vat, and God's presence crushes them.
Christ alone. In Isaiah 63 He says, 'I have trodden the winepress alone.' Les ties this to Revelation 5, where only the Son of God was worthy to take the scroll; no one else is worthy to bring on this judgment.
Revelation 14:20 says the winepress was trodden without the city. Les sees this fulfilled when the world's armies are packed into the valleys of Israel, and the hundred-pound hailstones squash them like grapes.
Les explains that the Greek word behind 'fully' means overripe, indicating the harvest is actually past time. This shows that the world is fully ready for judgment when God gathers the vine of the earth into His winepress.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation