And still another angel [the sixth] emerged from the altar and he had authority over the fire. And he called out with a loud voice to the one that had the sharp sickle, saying: ‘Put your sharp sickle in and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, because its grapes have become ripe.’” (Revelation 14:17, 18)

26. What is “the vine of the earth”?

²⁶ But what is “the vine of the earth”? In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish nation was spoken of as Jehovah’s vine. (Isaiah 5:7; Jeremiah 2:21) Similarly, Jesus Christ and those who will serve with him in God’s Kingdom are spoken of as a vine. (John 15:1-8) In this setting, the significant characteristic of a vine is that it produces fruit, and the true Christian vine has produced abundant fruit to Jehovah’s praise. (Matthew 21:43) “The vine of the earth,” therefore, must be, not this genuine vine, but Satan’s imitation of it, his corrupt visible system of government over mankind, with its various “clusters” of demonic fruitage produced over the centuries. Babylon the Great, in which apostate Christianity is so prominent, has exercised great influence over this poisonous vine.​—Compare Deuteronomy 32:32-35.

27. (a) What takes place when the angel with the sickle gathers the vine of the earth? (b) What prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures indicate the extent of the harvest?

²⁷ Judgment must be executed! “And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and he hurled it into the great winepress of the anger of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress as high up as the bridles of the horses, for a distance of a thousand six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:19, 20) Jehovah’s indignation against this vine has long since been announced. (Zephaniah 3:8) A prophecy in the book of Isaiah leaves no doubt that whole nations will be destroyed when the winepress is trampled. (Isaiah 63:3-6) Joel too prophesied that huge “crowds,” whole nations, would be trampled to destruction in “the winepress,” in “the low plain of the decision.” (Joel 3:12-14) Truly, a stupendous harvest the like of which will never again occur! According to John’s vision, not only are the grapes harvested but the whole symbolic vine is cut down and thrown into the winepress to be trampled. So the vine of the earth will be stamped out and will never be able to grow again.

28. Who do the treading of the vine of the earth, and what does it mean that the winepress is “trodden outside the city”?

²⁸ The visionary treading is done by horses, for the blood trodden out from the vine reaches “the bridles of the horses.” Since the term “horses” usually refers to war operations, this must be a time of war. The armies of the heavens that follow Jesus into the final war against Satan’s system of things are said to tread “the winepress of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 19:11-16) These are clearly the ones that do the treading of the vine of the earth. The winepress is “trodden outside the city,” that is, outside heavenly Zion. Indeed, it is fitting that the vine of the earth should be trodden on earth. But it will also be “trodden outside the city” in that no harm will come to the remaining ones of the woman’s seed, who represent the heavenly Zion on earth. These together with the great crowd will be safely hidden within Jehovah’s earthly organizational arrangement.​—Isaiah 26:20, 21.

29. How deep is the blood from the winepress, how far does it extend, and what does all of this indicate?

²⁹ This vivid vision has a parallel in the crushing of the kingdoms of the earth by the Kingdom stone described at Daniel 2:34, 44. There will be an extermination. The river of blood from the winepress is very deep, up to the bridles of the horses, and it extends for a distance of 1,600 furlongs.a This huge figure, produced by multiplying the square of four by the square of ten (4 x 4 x 10 x 10), emphatically conveys the message that evidence of the destruction will involve all the earth. (Isaiah 66:15, 16) The destruction will be complete and irreversible. Never, no never again, will Satan’s vine of the earth take root!​—Psalm 83:17, 18.

30. What are the fruits of Satan’s vine, and what should be our determination?

³⁰ Living as we do deep in the time of the end, the vision of these two harvests is very meaningful. We have only to look around us to see the fruits of Satan’s vine. Abortions and other forms of murder; homosexuality, adultery, and other forms of immorality; dishonesty and lack of natural affection​—all such things make this world vile in Jehovah’s eyes. Satan’s vine bears “the fruit of a poisonous plant and wormwood.” Its ruinous, idolatrous course dishonors mankind’s Grand Creator. (Deuteronomy 29:18; 32:5; Isaiah 42:5, 8) What a privilege it is to be actively associated with the John class in the harvest of wholesome fruitage that Jesus is bringing forth to Jehovah’s praise! (Luke 10:2) May all of us be determined that we will never be tainted by the vine of this world, and may we thus avoid being trampled with the vine of the earth when Jehovah’s adverse judgment is executed.