The color is red. It's a symbol of royalty. A symbol of a harvest and wine-pressing celebration. Red symbolizes joy, delight, favor, drink for the coming year.
At the same time, we see a double, even triple meaning. God's enemies, those not chosen, are signified as "Edom," the brother of Israel, whose name also means "red." And in this passage we see God's winepress as the place where he tramples his enemies, bringing their destruction.
Whose blood is on whom? Does God bring simultaneous mourning and delight? How has our Lord ans Savior penalized sin and unbelief? His is the blood of the nations, crushed by the wrath of God. His is the suffering which brings delight. His is the hand which will finally call all men to account, either being covered with his shed blood or with their own shed blood, as he brings all nations to their end.
Life is in the blood of Christ, shed for the sins of all the world. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has entered the winepress of God's wrath himself. He has given himself over to death on our behalf. From his life poured out we receive the wine of joy. We receive the royal delight. We receive lifegiving drink which will last for eternity. Let us then receive with joy the blood of Christ, poured out from God's winepress, our hope of salvation.
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