Is the Summer Harvest over? Why there is still hope!

 

NOTE: The Address has changed for last week's post entitled "What in the World is Going on? Is God Real?  I intended for this post to be used by you all to send to your family and friends, but now the link won't work. Here is the new one. The devil is always busy, but we have the victory! 

 

Most of you who follow me are familiar with the Harvest Seasons of Ancient Israel. There were three main harvest times, the Barley, the Wheat, and the Fruit, with minor harvesting in between. Each of these there main harvest times is connected with one of the seven Feast days or Appointments with God. 

 

The Barley harvest happens at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Feast of First Fruits. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the feast day right after Passover and was the time Jesus was in the tomb representing the unleavened or unsinful bread of life sacrificed for us. The Feast of First Fruits was two days later when Jesus rose from the dead and was the first fruits of the resurrection of the redeemed! On that day, the Jews brought the first fruits of their Barley and waved them before the Lord in thanks for the crop.

 

It is this author's opinion that the Barley Harvest as it relates to Jesus and the church has already been fulfilled. We are told in Scripture that when Jesus rose from the dead, the Old Testament Saints also rose and walked around the Holy City. I believe that Holy city to be the New Jerusalem in Heaven, not the one on earth, otherwise wouldn't there have been more written about it?  So, the Barley harvest of saints is complete.

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Matthew 27:52-53

The wheat harvest was next and began around the time of Pentecost. Two loafs of freshly baked bread were waved before the Lord as a firstfruits offering of the wheat harvest. It was on Pentecost that the church was born as the Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 disciples in the upper room, thus creating the first fruits of God's Children. 

Jesus often spoke of the Kingdom of God in terms of harvests and His Children specifically of wheat. (too many parables to list here) I believe we are the wheat harvest and that harvest is not yet complete.  And since the Barley Harvest happened during the Feast of First Fruits, and the wheat harvest began during Pentecost, it's important for us to look at the timing of the wheat harvest in Israel to get a general idea of when we might be harvested (a.k.a. raptured!) 

The wheat harvest begins in spring but is harvested all summer, the final harvest coming in late summer/early fall.

 

Something I found very interesting is that in Israel there are typically only two seasons marked, Summer and Winter by the changing of the clock. In ancient Israel, there were really only two seasons mentioned in the Scriptures. In essence then, summer doesn't end in Israel until October 31st this year! 

 

There are three more feasts to be fulfilled by Jesus. We just passed one this month, the Feast of Trumpets. (Calendars are off a month. The real FOT happened on October 7-8) Many assume this day to be the day of the final harvest at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus comes to harvest the earth of the remaining saints. Many also think it will be the day of the rapture. Obviously that did not happen this year.

Then we have the Day of Atonement on the 10th of the month, which I won't go into right now, and the Feast of Tabernacles, the final feast on the 15th day of the month. Many believe this is the day Jesus returns to rule and reign over earth after the Tribulation. It is also the only Feast day that will be celebrated during the millennial reign. 

There are only three feast days that the Jewish people were expected to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate. These were the harvest feast days.

Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Deut 16:16

 

Tabernacles was also a feast day in which both wheat and fruit was to be harvested and brought before the Lord. This rings true because in Revelation 14 both Jesus and an angel harvest the earth. Jesus harvests what we assume is the remaining wheat and the angel harvests the fruit and tosses it into the winepress of God's wrath. It's important to note here that the fruit harvest at the end of the age is not a harvest of the righteous but the wicked. You want to be in the wheat harvest!  

So, what's my point? My point is that we are still in the wheat harvest season, which will end at the end of this month. I believe that the summer is an important time in God's calendar and He has given us hints about it in Scripture. 

This is an interesting verse from Jeremiah 8 which talks all about God's judgement on Israel for her idolatry

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. Jeremiah 8:20 

Here is yet another scripture referencing judgement occurring at the end of summer.  Notice the connection of the figs with Israel? 

 
Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more. Amos 8:1-2

How about this one?

 

Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. Micah 7:1-2

 

See the word "perished" above? It is the Hebrew word 'āḇaḏ  which is also translated vanished. In fact, I know someone who knows Hebrew and he said that is the real translation. (Hmm. a pre-tribulation reference in the OT!)  I encourage you to read Micah 7 in its entirety. It is all about the Tribulation. 

Then, of course we have Jesus, Himself, referencing summer. 

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Matthew 24:32-34

Nothing Jesus said was by accident. He never said anything that God the Father didn't tell him to say. The fig tree, summer, these words were deliberate and spoken for those with eyes to see. Put that together with all the other Scriptures and with the wheat harvest time in Israel, and we are still in the window. 

God is never late. I know some of you are really struggling with what is going on in the world. Me too. Hang in there. God has not forgotten us! He knows every detail of your life and everything that concerns you. You are His precious child!!  So, keep looking up for our redemption draws nigh!