Rev 14:14-20 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.In this harvest, the evil ones are left behind for judgment. This is not the same as the separation of the wheat and the tares where the evil ones are taken.
Ruth 2:23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.Perhaps there are two harvests and the wheat harvest comes second.
Well, the imagery is highly symbolic in this passage, but in any event it still seems as if it is the "evil ones" that are the ones being harvested (the grape clusters symbolizing the same group of people as the tares) and they have God's wrath poured out upon them, same as the parable in Matthew 13.
Perhaps there are two harvests and the wheat harvest comes second.
And perhaps there is only one and we are seeing it from two slightly different vantage points.
Why invent unnecessary items if they are not required by the text? I think the simpler explanation is generally more preferable.
RE: Rev 14:14-20.
Let me add that the grape clusters may not represent people at all, but are simply part of the winepress wrath imagery, and that this “harvest” is not a harvest of people at all.
That seems to be more likely as I think about it.