In What Harvest Season Does the Rapture Occur?

Every Rapture mentioned or even alluded to in Scripture is connected to a Harvest. God is a farmer. Here's a list of Jesus's parables that reference farming and/or harvesting

The Seed and Sower  Matthew 13
The Wheat and the Tares  Matthew 13
The Growing Seed Mark 4
The Mustard Seed Matthew 13
The Pearl of Great Price  Matthew 13
The Wicked Tenants  Matthew 21
The Barren Fig Tree Luke 13

The word "FirstFruits" is mentioned 38 times in the Bible 
The word "Harvest" is mentioned 53 Times

Jesus, Himself, said:

 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Matthew 9:37

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. Matthew 13:39

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35

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. Revelation 14:15

Paull also connected the rapture with a harvest in 1 Corinthians 15

And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. verses 37-38

 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  verses 42-44

So, I think I've pretty much proven that the Bible connects the Rapture with a harvest of the Earth. 

Now we turn to Israel and the Harvest appointments and feasts. What I'm trying to prove to you is that the rapture(s) will occur during these harvest times. 

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: Deuteronomy 16:16

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the 7 day feast following Passover. Jesus rose from the dead on day 3. Along with Him, many dead saints also rose. This is the Barley Harvest.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:51-53

Jesus is the FirstFruit of the Barley Harvest. The firstfruit is barley that ripens first. The other saints who rose at the same time are either also firstfruits or they comprise the bulk of the Barley harvest

 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20

But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. v. 23

The Feast of Weeks is what we call Pentecost or Shavuot. It is the same day in history when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 commandments. If you read the text carefully, a covenant was made between God and the Jewish people that day. A marriage covenant. Which they later broke.

During this time the wheat is harvested. So because Jesus fulfilled the Firstfruit Barley harvest/rapture during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, AND as you'll see below the Fall Fruit harvest occurs at Tabernacles, we can assume that the Rapture of the Church will occur on the only feast/harvest day left of the three special feast days in which God's people were to assemble. And that's Pentecost. 

The Feast of Tabernacles occurs in the Fall. This is the harvest of the fruit. It occurs at the end of the Tribulation during the Feast of Tabernacles and is described in Revelation 14. Most of this harvest will be put in the great winepress of God's wrath, unfortunately. 

 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like 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 who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. v 14-16

These are the THREE Harvests/Raptures. 

Now, let's examine a few more Scriptures that point to a Spring/Summer Wedding. 

RUTH

The Entire Book of Ruth is a story of a Jewish Kingsman Redeemer marrying a Gentile woman (sound familiar?).  it's a beautiful story and I encourage you to read the entire short book. The part that pertains to the timing of the rapture and how it's linked to a spring/summer harvest is found in this Scripture:

So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:23

Then Ruth and Boaz got married. 

Micah

Woe is me!

For I am like those who gather summer fruits,

Like those who glean vintage grapes;

There is no cluster to eat

Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.

The faithful man has perished from the earth,

And there is no one upright among men.

They all lie in wait for blood;

Every man hunts his brother with a net. Micah 7:1-2

I've used this Scripture often in prior posts. The entire chapter is about those left behind in the Tribulation. It's very sobering and worth a read. The word for "Perished" above can also be translated vanished or escaped. Notice the reference to summer fruits. This gives us a hint on the timing of the Tribulation event. It happens during a time when summer fruit would be gathered and grapes would be sought. Hence, the rapture occurred before this time.

Song of Solomon

The entire book is a love story between a Jewish King and a Gentile woman. (are we seeing a pattern here?)

My beloved spoke, and said to me:
“Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!  Song of Solomon 2:10-13

Fig Trees put forth green figs in Spring

The rainy season in Israel ends in April

I went down into the garden of nuts,
To see the green plants of the valley,
To see whether the vine budded,
And the pomegranates were in flower.
Before I was aware, my soul set me
Among the chariots of my princely people. Song of Solomon 6:11-12

Pomegranates bloom in late Spring

Grape vines start to bud in Spring

So, I believe I've proven from Scripture

• The Rapture is connected to Harvest time
• There are 3 main Harvests where all of God's people were to assemble in Jerusalem. (Like we will assemble in the Heavenly Jerusalem)
• Jesus fulfilled the first Harvest Meeting time during the Feast of Unleavened Bread
• There are two more Harvest Meeting times: Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles
• The Feast of Tabernacles is the Final Fruit Harvest which consists mainly of the wicked'
• The Rapture of the Church, according to Scripture, should occur around Pentecost which occurs in the Spring just before Summer
• Scriptures from Ruth, Song of Solomon, and Micah confirm that a marriage/rapture takes place in Spring/Early Summer

If this is the year, and I believe it is, then we are so very close to going home. 

God willing, I hope to write a post next week about the significance of Pentecost. Until then, be encouraged and keep looking up!  If you don't know Jesus, click on How to be Saved. You do not want to be left behind and time is growing very short!