Likewise, Israel is to be judged:
Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18Still another
angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had
the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine,
because its grapes are ripe.” 19The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and
threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20They were trampled in the winepress
outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a
distance of 1,600 stadia. – Revelation 14:17-20
Destruction of Jewish Unbelievers
―Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,
for the winepress is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”
14 Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision. – Joel 3:13-14
The judgment of Jewish people alive at the time of this future battle was also foretold by
Zechariah. Of that time, he said that one-third of Israel would believe, but two thirds would still
be unbelievers. He used a different metaphor to describe the same judgment.
“Two Thirds” and “One Third” of All Israel
―In the whole land,” declares the LORD,
“two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
yet one-third will be left in it.
9
This third I will bring into the fire;
I will refine them like silver
and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’ ” – Zechariah 13:8-9
The conversion of one-third of the Jews in Israel (if it happened today) would mean well
over a million and a half converts to the true and living God. Zechariah says the new converts
will be called on to undergo a terrible trial of their faith during the final days of the great military
campaign of Armageddon involving as many as 200 million soldiers from the armies of the
nations. While the believing remnant in Edom “passes under the rod” of God’s merciful,
evaluating judgment, the eleventh-hour converts in Israel must “pass through the fire.”
Though our own nation, the United States, contains a professing Christian population that
appears to number many tens of millions of believers, it is more realistic to say that the
“believing remnant” in America today is perhaps only 5 to 10% of those professing faith in Jesus
Christ.
Thus the future large-scale conversion of Jews to belief in Jesus at the close of the age
will represent a very great and marvelous work of grace by the God of Israel. The end result of
Jesus’ work in Israel at the end of the age will be a completely righteous nation of believers
chosen to be the head of all the nations.
The Return of the Remnant from Edom
What happens to the believing remnant that had fled to Petra earlier? One vivid Old
Testament picture is that of Messiah coming from Bozrah (near Petra) with the remnant. Isaiah
foretells this event (Isaiah 63). The imagery is that of Jesus as the greater Moses nurturing the
flock of Israel at Petra and bringing them back into the land for the last time (Micah 2:12-13).
