I have trodden the winepress alone
This is an answer to the question before put, and confirms what
was observed, that his garments were like one that treadeth in
the winepress; this was very true, he had trodden it, and trodden
it alone, and that was the reason his garments were of such a
hue; what others did by their servants, he did by himself, alone
and without them. The winepress is a symbol of the wrath of God;
not of what Christ bore himself as the sinner's surety, for then
he was trodden as a vine, or the clusters of it, himself; but of
what he executed on others. Wicked men are compared to clusters
of the vine; the winepress into which they are cast is the wrath
of God, and Christ is the treader of it; particularly he will be
in the latter day, when antichrist and his followers will be
destroyed by him; see ( Revelation
14:18-20 ) ( 19:15 ) .
And of the people there was none with me;
either fighting with him, that could oppose him, any more than
the clusters of grapes can resist the treaders of them; or to
assist him in taking vengeance on his enemies: for though the
armies of heaven follow him in white, these are little more than
attendants and spectators, at most but instruments; all the power
to conquer and destroy is from himself, and owing to the twoedged
sword proceeding out of his mouth, ( Revelation
19:14 Revelation
19:15 ) even as when he stood in the legal place and stead of
his people there were none of them with him; he alone was the
author of salvation, none could bear the wrath of God but
himself, or engage with spiritual enemies, or work out salvation
for them. But of this the texts speaks not, only of the
destruction of the enemies of Christ and his church: for I
will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my
fury;
with great eagerness, with all his might and strength; and this
is the reason why his garments were so stained, even with the
blood of his enemies, trodden and trampled under foot by him in
this furious manner; as a person in a winepress alone, and
treading it with all his might, has his garments more sparkled
and stained with the juice of the grape, than when there are
many, and these tread lightly. The words being in the future
tense show that they respect time to come; and the manner of
speaking ascertains the accomplishment of them, and which is
further confirmed by what follows: and their blood shall be
sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain
all my raiment;
just as the garments of those that tread in the winepress are
sprinkled and stained with the juice of the grape; this will have
its accomplishment when he shall appear in a vesture dipped in
blood, or shall be as bloody, with the blood of his enemies, as
if it was dipped in it, ( Revelation
19:13 ) .