Treading the Wine Press Alone

by Scott Rossy
“I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath. And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments. And I stained all My raiment.” – Isaiah 63:2

I still remember the first time I heard these verses as a new Christian and I can still remember the strong impression it had on me. This vivid, awesome image of the Lord Jesus Christ is something I’ve never forgotten. When most people think of Jesus, this probably isn’t the way the picture or think of Him. Here the Lord Jesus Christ, who is “The King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16) is pictured at His second coming as marching to Jerusalem, in anger having trampled in judgment His enemies under His feet. He’s portrayed as a Majestic warrior King, with wrath and vengeance in His heart.

Isaiah 63:1-6

"Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength?

"It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."

Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?

“I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come.”I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; so My own arm brought salvation to Me, and My wrath upheld Me. "I trod down the peoples in My anger and made them drunk in My wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

This is an awesome picture of Christ coming in judgment to carry out God’s vengeance on the nations. The winepress imagery that’s portrayed here refers to the process of winemaking in Isaiah’s day. The grapes are the essential element. To make the wine, they needed to get the juice out of the grapes. The grapes would be put in a large winepress. The workers would then step into the winepress and begin trampling the grapes to squeeze the juice out of the grapes. As the juice squeezed out of the grapes some of the juice would inevitably splash up and stain the workers garments. But when Christ returns in judgment, instead of grapes, it’s people that are portrayed as being thrown into the winepress and trampled. He then tramples them in His wrath and instead of grape juice, it’s their blood that squirts out and stains His garments. He’s asked in v. 2: "Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? He answers: “I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment.” His garments are red because He has just trampled His enemies in the winepress of judgment and it’s their blood that has stained His garments. The wine press imagery for God’s judgment on the nations is not unique to Isaiah. Other scripture passages also use this imagery. Habakkuk says: “In indignation You marched through the earth; In anger You trampled the nations.” – Habakkuk 3:12. This picture of treading the winepress is also described in the book of Revelation. Here, as in Isaiah’s vision, the Apostle John’s vision of the Lord Jesus Christ also sees Christ pictured as coming in glory, riding on a white horse, marching in the greatness of His strength. Here, as in Isaiah His garments are pictured as bloody, “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” –Revelation 19:13. The trampling is described further, “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” –Revelation 19:15.

The Angels Reap People for the Winepress

Both the prophet Joel and the book of Revelation describe people as the grapes to be thrown in the winepress and the angels as the ones who harvest these people. Joel says:

“Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great”. – Joel 3:13

“So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.” – Revelation 14:19-20

This is an awesome picture of judgment. As I said, this is not the way the world thinks of Christ. The idea of God’s judgment is lost to the world. It’s a thought that never enters their mind. The world prefers to view Christ as weak, non judgmental, tolerant and accepting of sin. A “loving” Jesus that changes with the times. Sadly, even many Christians reject the idea of God’s wrath and judgment. They prefer to be “positive”, speaking only of God’s love. They will never speak of God’s wrath and judgment. They will mention that Jesus said He didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. Yes, Christ did say that, but that was true of His first coming. Then, He came to atone for His peoples sins’. But at His second coming, He will be coming in judgment. His first coming He came as “the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) but at His second coming, He comes as “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5).  In fact, all judgment has been given to Him:

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.”...“He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” – John 5:22, Acts 17:31

All of humanity will bow and appear before Him for judgment “at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:10-11

Redeemer or Judge

Christ is the Redeemer/Judge. To every single person who has ever lived, He will be either one or the other. He’s either your Redeemer or He’s your Judge. There is no other option. He alone is worthy to judge. He, being fully God and fully man was the only One to live a perfect life, without sin, always obeying the Law of God in all points. He as the sacrificial “Lamb of God” has alone provided salvation. Coming in judgment, He states in verses 1 and 5 “"It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save...I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; so My own arm brought salvation to Me.” The One who has provided salvation is also the Judge of all. The One who came to reconcile man to God is the same One who will trample under His feet those who remain unreconciled. Those who are abiding in Christ, who have been born of His Spirit, who have come to Him in faith and repentance, trusting in Him and Him alone for their salvation and forgiveness have already passed from judgment to life. They are not amongst the ones trampled in God’s wrath. But this is what the world has ahead it. This is what those who have never been reconciled to the Father through the Son are destined to. Those who are still abiding in their own self righteousness and are trusting in their own goodness.

Who is Jesus to you? Your Redeemer or your Judge? Will you be amongst those who He will trample in His wrath? Have you called on Him?

“WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” – Romans 10:13