Revelation 14:15
What does Revelation 14:15 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 14:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 14:15 means
An angel emerges from the temple, God’s dwelling, and urges the one on the cloud to swing His sickle, for the hour to reap has arrived; the earth’s harvest is ripe. The command coming from the temple shows that the timing is God’s, not man’s. Ripeness means the period of waiting is over—what was sown has matured to its appointed end. This is not arbitrary; heaven’s calendar governs earth’s destiny. The interplay between the angel’s cry and the Son of Man’s action underscores unity of purpose within God’s rule. For the faithful, this signals relief: the delays of suffering are temporary; for the impenitent, it warns that mercy’s window will close.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And another angel came out from the house of God, crying with a loud voice to him who was seated on the cloud, Put in your blade, and let the grain be cut: because the hour for cutting it is come; for the grain of the earth is over-ready.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and another messenger did come forth out of the sanctuary crying in a great voice to him who is sitting upon the cloud, `Send forth thy sickle and reap, because come to thee hath the hour of reaping, because ripe hath been the harvest of the earth;'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat upon the cloud: Thrust in thy sickle and reap, because the hour is come to reap. For the harvest of the earth is ripe.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send thy sickle and reap; for the hour of reaping is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried.
Context
Verse 15 follows the enthroned Harvester in verse 14 by providing the divine cue to act. The messenger from the temple links the reaping to God’s presence and will. The language of ripeness ties back to the “firstfruits” description in verse 4 and anticipates the contrast with the grape harvest of wrath in verses 17–20. Immediately in verse 16, the Son of Man responds and reaps. Then the scene will introduce another angel with a sharp sickle (verse 17), preparing for a second harvest that is explicitly cast into the great winepress of God’s wrath (verses 18–20).
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 13:12
And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed.
- Matthew 13:39
and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels.
- Mark 4:29
But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.
- Isaiah 62:1
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth.
- Revelation 14:14
And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloudI sawone sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:16
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
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