gut check

Revelation 14:14-19; Ps 96 The Lord comes to judge the Earth; Luke 21:5-11

Normally when we think of heaven, we perhaps have the not so uncommon image of little angels sitting on clouds floating in bliss; they might even be wielding a harp from which they play a merry little tune.

In fact, heaven is often depicted as these rolling clouds not to be confused with the rolling hills of Texas, rolling clouds with angels or even saints with giant  halos perched upon with this euphoric look of peace and contentment.

Yep that is what heaven is like, fat little cherubs with perpetual grins strumming harps as they roll on by in their nimbus like chariots.

Yet in today's reading with a get a different glimpse and rather stark encounter of one riding a cloud,

"there was a white cloud and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand."

The last time i checked there was nothing musical about a sharp sickle.

So much for the rolling clouds of sweet contentment.

Then a loud voice is heard, "use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to reap has come, because the earth's harvest is fully ripe."

Then another angel wielding a sickle is sent forth to "cut the clusters from the earth's vines, for its grapes are ripe."

Then what happens.  That which has been reaped, cut, sickled is thrown into the "the great wine press of God's fury."

The vintage of God is brought to the front; This vintage has a hint of vengeance though it belongs complete and entire to Divine Justice, where there is vindication without vindictiveness.

God is patient with humanity.  But God cannot ignore evil.  He will not condone oppression.  There is a place for his "wrath", his radical incompatibility with evil.

The angels are not Grim Reapers. This is not about death as much as it is about life with God or life without him.  There are worst things then death, as is often noted.

IT all depends where we fall in that line of choice for Christ or without Christ.
God's justice triumphs over all injustices committed by his creatures and God's love is stronger than death...CCC1040

This image of the last judgment, this reaping, is meant to inspire in us a holy fear of God and commit us to justice that belongs to His kingdom.  Even in judgment we see the "blessed hope" of his return.

The book of revelation gives us a "gut"check, a call to continues conversion.  We should not get too comfortable.  May we heed it well.

How's that for a depiction of judgment; how's that for a real glimpse into the rolling clouds of heaven.