John used agricultural images to tell us that the time was ripe for judgment.
Firstfruits (1–5). God takes the best for Himself before the harvest begins. We met the 144,000 in chapter 7, God’s sealed servants who come through the Tribulation and sing the praises of the Lamb. The description in verse 4 should be taken in a spiritual sense: they did not commit fornication by worshiping the Beast or his image (Exod. 34:15; James 4:4).
Wine (6–13). The “cup of wrath” is an image borrowed from Jeremiah 25:15ff. God pours out His wrath on those who follow the Beast and reject God’s truth. Although verse 13 may be applied to all believers who die, it will have a special meaning to the martyrs of that evil day.
Reaping (14–20). God is allowing the seeds of sin to grow and produce a harvest (vv. 14–16). One day, the world will reap what it has sown. John also uses the grape harvest to illustrate the coming judgment (vv. 17–20). The “vine of the earth” is ripening, and one day God will apply the sickle. Meanwhile, the branches in the True Vine (John 15:1–8) should be bearing more and more fruit.
