APPROACHING HARVEST TIME
by W. G. Guy
Jesus explains to his disciples the parable of the tares and wheat that signify the final harvest of souls at the end of the age as Jesus returns. As harvest time approaches there are significant things that have to occur in order to make the harvest possible. The fruit to be harvested must become fully ripe to be the finished desired product. Obvious the harvest we are looking forward to is the completion of this age, and the return of Jesus Christ with the establishment of His kingdom on earth.
Jesus gave us an illustration of this harvest in the tares and the wheat.
Matthew 13:36-43 – Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels, (as shown in Revelation 14). As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels (Revelation 14), and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
What we need to be concerned about as we approach harvest time is how do we prepare for the harvest, and what needs to be done to ripen the fruit? Since Jesus used natural illustrations to describe events, let us use the grape harvest since it is referred to at the end in the Book of Revelation.
What is needed prior to harvesting the fruit of the vine (grape) is what is referred to as “the latter rain”. Grapes are composed primarily of liquid, which comes from the supply of water to the vines. Thus the latter rain is needed to plump the grapes to ready them for harvest.
This event of the pouring down the latter rain is also an illustration of what is needed for preparing for the harvest of the true church. The latter rain is an expression of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the believers as Peter identified on the Day of Pentacost.
Acts 2:16-18 – But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
(Note: the last days referred to here are the last two millennial days which consist of the two thousand years since the time of Christ’s resurrection. Remember, to God a thousand years to us is as a day: and a day to Him is a thousand years to us.)
More references to the need for rain, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:
Hosea 6:3 – Then shall we know, if we follow on to now the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Joel 2:23 – Br glad then, ye children of Zion; and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain at the first month.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in a form of the “latter rain”, is to equip the believers to be Christ’s witnesses, and to testify of Him; not only by their words, but by their changed lives which represent Him. The early church had such a testimony; and it turned the world upside down as they demonstrated the love of God, and the life of Jesus, to the world around them. Believers in Christ were even called “Christians” because of how they lived and served one another.
Acts 11:26 – ……And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Just what is it that the Holy Spirit supplies to believers that is so needed at this time to bring about the end-time harvest? It’s the very fruit that God is looking for in Christ’s followers: the Fruit of the Spirit, which is the character and nature of God. That same character and nature that was fully manifesting in Jesus Christ as walked on earth and ministered to others. This Fruit is listed by the apostle Paul and also alluded to by the apostle Peter.
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Peter even tells us that these fruits are an essence of God’s divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4-8 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (Now comes a similar listing of this fruit): And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught us about the importance of this fruit; it is the evidence of being His disciples and followers.
John 15:1-8 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
(Note: the fruit spoken of here is not man’s works because this fruit requires the life of the vine [Jesus] flowing through them to produce it.)
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
True believers in Jesus Christ shine like lights in this world of darkness because of the life of Christ in them and His fruit, the character and nature of God, being seen in them0.
Ephesians 5:6-10 – Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
There are actually two harvests that will occur; and both appear to happen in succession. One harvest is for the righteous; the true believers and followers of Jesus Christ who get to join with Christ.
Revelation 14:14-16 – And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto 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 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. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
The second harvest is for the wicked, the non-believers, the deceivers and false Christians. Their harvest is to gather them to be burned, (in hell).
Revelation 14:17-20 – And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Jesus called for laborers to work in His harvest so that those wicked, unbelievers, false Christians and deceivers can be called out of darkness and avoid this part of the final harvest.
The next move of God is not going to be a revival as many ministers have been declaring, but more of an awakening as the latter rain is poured out to thoroughly equip the saints to be like the church as it was at the beginning. I have taught for over fifty years that the church is going to go “full circle”. The true church will like it was when it began, Believers will resemble Jesus Christ because of the power of the Holy Spirit being upon them.
1 John 3:2-3 – Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The next move of God will not only promote repentance, it will also restore the Fruit of the Spirit, His character and nature. Believers will actually resemble God’s children and be like Jesus. God, the Father, is patiently waiting for believers to wake up and seek first His kingdom, and the equipping of the Holy Spirit, to conform us into His image, and so that the long awaited harvest can begin.
James 5:7 – Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Remember what was lost in the Garden due to sin. It was the glory (dignity) of God – His image and likeness, which is the character and nature of God. God’s image and likeness was placed in Adam but was lost due to disobedience. It is the Spirit of Christ that we receive in us when we accept what He did for us on the cross. Then we can receive His character and nature (the Fruit of the Spirit) by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our formerly corrupt flesh, transforming back into His image and likeness.
Consider that the very first fruit listed is LOVE.
Romans 5:5 – ……because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Get ready to receive this latter rain of the Holy Spirit as the harvest time approaches. Don’t be among those that reject the Holy Spirit as some will!
APPROACHING HARVEST TIME
by W. G. Guy
Jesus explains to his disciples the parable of the tares and wheat that signify the final harvest of souls at the end of the age as Jesus returns. As harvest time approaches there are significant things that have to occur in order to make the harvest possible. The fruit to be harvested must become fully ripe to be the finished desired product. Obvious the harvest we are looking forward to is the completion of this age, and the return of Jesus Christ with the establishment of His kingdom on earth.
Jesus gave us an illustration of this harvest in the tares and the wheat.
Matthew 13:36-43 – Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels, (as shown in Revelation 14). As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels (Revelation 14), and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
What we need to be concerned about as we approach harvest time is how do we prepare for the harvest, and what needs to be done to ripen the fruit? Since Jesus used natural illustrations to describe events, let us use the grape harvest since it is referred to at the end in the Book of Revelation.
What is needed prior to harvesting the fruit of the vine (grape) is what is referred to as “the latter rain”. Grapes are composed primarily of liquid, which comes from the supply of water to the vines. Thus the latter rain is needed to plump the grapes to ready them for harvest.
This event of the pouring down the latter rain is also an illustration of what is needed for preparing for the harvest of the true church. The latter rain is an expression of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the believers as Peter identified on the Day of Pentacost.
Acts 2:16-18 – But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
(Note: the last days referred to here are the last two millennial days which consist of the two thousand years since the time of Christ’s resurrection. Remember, to God a thousand years to us is as a day: and a day to Him is a thousand years to us.)
More references to the need for rain, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:
Hosea 6:3 – Then shall we know, if we follow on to now the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Joel 2:23 – Br glad then, ye children of Zion; and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain at the first month.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in a form of the “latter rain”, is to equip the believers to be Christ’s witnesses, and to testify of Him; not only by their words, but by their changed lives which represent Him. The early church had such a testimony; and it turned the world upside down as they demonstrated the love of God, and the life of Jesus, to the world around them. Believers in Christ were even called “Christians” because of how they lived and served one another.
Acts 11:26 – ……And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Just what is it that the Holy Spirit supplies to believers that is so needed at this time to bring about the end-time harvest? It’s the very fruit that God is looking for in Christ’s followers: the Fruit of the Spirit, which is the character and nature of God. That same character and nature that was fully manifesting in Jesus Christ as walked on earth and ministered to others. This Fruit is listed by the apostle Paul and also alluded to by the apostle Peter.
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Peter even tells us that these fruits are an essence of God’s divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4-8 – whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (Now comes a similar listing of this fruit): And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught us about the importance of this fruit; it is the evidence of being His disciples and followers.
John 15:1-8 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
(Note: the fruit spoken of here is not man’s works because this fruit requires the life of the vine [Jesus] flowing through them to produce it.)
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
True believers in Jesus Christ shine like lights in this world of darkness because of the life of Christ in them and His fruit, the character and nature of God, being seen in them0.
Ephesians 5:6-10 – Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
There are actually two harvests that will occur; and both appear to happen in succession. One harvest is for the righteous; the true believers and followers of Jesus Christ who get to join with Christ.
Revelation 14:14-16 – And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto 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 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. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
The second harvest is for the wicked, the non-believers, the deceivers and false Christians. Their harvest is to gather them to be burned, (in hell).
Revelation 14:17-20 – And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Jesus called for laborers to work in His harvest so that those wicked, unbelievers, false Christians and deceivers can be called out of darkness and avoid this part of the final harvest.
The next move of God is not going to be a revival as many ministers have been declaring, but more of an awakening as the latter rain is poured out to thoroughly equip the saints to be like the church as it was at the beginning. I have taught for over fifty years that the church is going to go “full circle”. The true church will like it was when it began, Believers will resemble Jesus Christ because of the power of the Holy Spirit being upon them.
1 John 3:2-3 – Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The next move of God will not only promote repentance, it will also restore the Fruit of the Spirit, His character and nature. Believers will actually resemble God’s children and be like Jesus. God, the Father, is patiently waiting for believers to wake up and seek first His kingdom, and the equipping of the Holy Spirit, to conform us into His image, and so that the long awaited harvest can begin.
James 5:7 – Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Remember what was lost in the Garden due to sin. It was the glory (dignity) of God – His image and likeness, which is the character and nature of God. God’s image and likeness was placed in Adam but was lost due to disobedience. It is the Spirit of Christ that we receive in us when we accept what He did for us on the cross. Then we can receive His character and nature (the Fruit of the Spirit) by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our formerly corrupt flesh, transforming back into His image and likeness.
Consider that the very first fruit listed is LOVE.
Romans 5:5 – ……because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Get ready to receive this latter rain of the Holy Spirit as the harvest time approaches. Don’t be among those that reject the Holy Spirit as some will!