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From: Revelation 14:14-19

The Harvest and the Vintage

[14] Then I looked, and lo, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one
like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle
in his hand. [15] And another angel came out of the temple, calling
with a loud voice to him who sat upon the cloud, "Put in your sickle,
and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth
is fully ripe." [16] So he who sat upon the cloud swung his sickle on
the earth, and the earth was reaped.

[17] And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had
a sharp sickle. [18] Then another angel came out from the altar, the
angel who has power over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him
who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle, and gather the clusters
of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe." [19] So the angel
swung his sickle on the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth,
and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.

Commentary:

14-20. This preliminary description of the Last Judgment is given in
two scenes--the harvest (cf. 14:14-16) and the vintage (cf. 14:17-20)
--no doubt following the prophecy of Joel about how God will judge
nations hostile to Israel: "Let the nations bestir themselves, and come
up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I shall sit to judge all the
nations round about. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in,
tread, for the wine press is full" (Joel 3:12-13).

In the first scene Christ himself appears, described as "son of man"
(cf. Dan 7:13); it is he who will deliver the judgment (symbolized by
the harvest), as in the parable of the wheat and the weeds (cf. Mt 13:
24-30). In the second it is an angel sent by God who gathers the grapes
and puts them in the press to be trodden on either by God (in keeping
with the prophecy of Isaiah 63:3, which says, "I have trodden the wine
press alone") or by Christ (as we are told later in Revelation 19:15).
In either case we are being told that Jesus Christ, true God and true
man, has been empowered to perform the General Judgment which,
according to Jewish tradition, will take place at the gates of
Jerusalem (cf., e.g. Zech 14:4) and which involves a huge bloodbath
(cf. Rev 14:20).

In both scenes, an angel has the prominent role of giving the order
(cf. vv. 15, 18). The fact that he comes out from the temple and the
altar shows that the outcome is linked to the prayers of the saints
and martyrs, which stir Christ to take action (cf. Rev 8:3-4). So it
is that the moment Christ is made present on the altar through the
consecration of the bread and wine the Church calls for him to come
again--calls for his second coming, the Parousia, which will make his
victory complete: "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we
proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory" ("Roman
Missal", eucharistic acclamation).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Luke 21:5-11

Discourse on the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World

[5] And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble
stones and offerings, He (Jesus) said, [6] "As for these things which
you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone
upon another that will not be thrown down." [7] And they asked Him,
"Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is
about to take place?" [8] And He said, "Take heed that you are not
led astray; for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He!' and,
'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. [9] And when you hear of
wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place,
but the end will not be at once."

[10] Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom; [11] there will be great earthquakes, and in various
places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great
signs from heaven."

Commentary:

5-36. The disciples are in awe of the magnificence of the temple, and
Jesus uses the occasion to give a long discourse, known as the
"eschatological discourse" because it has to do with the last days of
the world. The account given here is very similar to those in the
other Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37). The discourse
deals with three inter-connected subjects--the destruction of Jerusalem
(which took place some forty years later), the end of the world, and
the second coming of Christ in glory and majesty. Jesus, who also
predicts here the persecution of the Church will experience, exhorts
His disciples to be patient, to pray and be watchful.

Our Lord speaks here in the style and language of prophecy, using
images taken from the Old Testament; also, in this discourse prophecies
which are going to be fulfilled very soon are mixed in with others
which have to do with the end of the world. It is not our Lord's
intention to satisfy people's curiosity about future events, but to
protect them from being discouraged and scandalized about what is going
to happen in the days immediately ahead. This explains why He exhorts
them: "Take heed that you are not led astray" (v. 8); "do not be
tempted" (v. 9); "watch at all times" (v. 34).

8. On hearing that Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, the disciples
ask what sign will be given as a warning of these events (vv. 5-7).
Jesus answers by telling them "not to be led astray," that is to say,
not to expect any warning; not to be misled by false prophets; to stay
faithful to Him. These false prophets will come along claiming to be
the Messiah ("I am He!"). Our Lord's reply in fact refers to two
events which in the Jewish mind were interrelated--the destruction of
the Holy City and the end of the world. This is why He goes on to
speak of both events and implies that there will be a long gap between
the two; the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem are a kind of
sign or symbol of the catastrophes which will mark the end of the
world.

9-11. Our Lord does not want His disciples to confuse just any
catastrophe--famine, earthquake, war--or even persecution with the
signals of the end of the world. He exhorts them quite clearly: "Do
not be tempted," because although all these has to happen, "the end
will not be at once;" in spite of the difficulties of all kinds the
Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth. Difficulties should not
paralyze the preaching of the faith.