Note 454 — Footnotes.
Reading edition
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great 454wine-press of the wrath of God.
19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth. That is, into that part of the earth which might be represented by a vineyard; or the earth considered as having been the abode of wicked men. ¶ And cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. See Is. lxiii. 1‒6. That is, the wine-press where the grapes are crushed, and where the juice, resembling blood, flows out, may be used as a symbol to denote the destruction of the wicked in the last day; and as the numbers will be immensely great, it is called the “great wine-press of divine wrath.” The symbol appears to be used here alike with reference to the colour of the wine resembling blood, and the pressure necessary to force it out; and thus employed it is one of the most striking emblems conceivable to denote the final destruction of the wicked.