God’s Harvest Time

In this chapter, John speaks of a harvest. He really speaks about two harvests: the first, the harvest of the corn of the field of the earth, and the second, the harvest of the vine of the earth.

In reading this, we must consider the difference as follows: the corn that will be gathered when the heavenly harvest time has arrived is the Church of God. They are the people who will be gathered by the Lord Himself and brought into the eternal dwelling. The other harvest, the harvest of the vine of the earth, is the harvest of the ungodly who will be brought to the place of eternal wrath. The harvest of the earth will be gathered by Christ, and the harvest of the vine of the earth will be gathered by His angel.

For each of us one or the other of these two is true. We either belong to that harvest which Christ will gather or to that harvest which will be gathered by the angel who has power over fire. There is no way between the two. To which one do I belong? It is a question which must concern both me and you.

When both you and me, according to the Word of God, have to examine ourselves, then we must also have a measuring stick. There are many who think they belong to that harvest which will be gathered by Christ but for whom it will be an eternal disappointment when He will thrust His sickle into the harvest of the earth when it is ripe. They thought they belonged to Him, but they erred. They had wrong conceptions of it. They did not have that true, biblical foundation on which to build, and God’s Word tells us earnestly and truthfully what is necessary.

In God’s Word we have examples of persons who thought that they belonged to the kingdom of God. Remember the man who came to Jesus by night. He was a teacher in Israel, a very famous expositor of the law, a very famous Jew, one of the leaders of the Jewish nation. Christ said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

He cannot see that kingdom. How necessary it is to stress that truth, “except a man be born again.” The new birth is the work of the Spirit of God. The new birth and the work which is connected to it have their true characteristics; it can be known. It is not a questionable work as to its basics and characteristics.

Where can it be found? There was a man in the temple who said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” There was a woman who came to the feet of the Lord Jesus, saying, “Truth, Lord: I am a dog, an unworthy one, not worthy of the blessings which Thou hast granted to Thy people, because I do not belong to that people. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:27). There was another man who said, “Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof, and I did not consider myself worthy to come unto Thee. Only speak one word, the word of grace”(Luke 7:6&7).

Everyone in whose heart that grace is revealed knows of a time when he really lost all his self-righteousness in his prayers, in his works, in his religion, and in his doings. He knew he was a lost sinner before God. Then he sought his place before Him, giving up all pretenses to save himself by his own power and accepting the righteousness of His just punishment, saying, “Lord, I deserve all the wrath of which Thou hast spoken in Thy Word.”

Those who will be delivered by God’s grace have known of a time in their life when they acknowledged the righteousness of God if He would punish them forever. Have you ever experienced such a time?

Lost sinners in our midst, do you remember when matters really became impossible for you, when you fully believed that nothing more could or would happen? Do you remember when you really became the chief of sinners before God? Then God opened the door, allowing you to see the preciousness of the Saviour who took upon Himself our unworthiness, who assumed our flesh and blood to come into the world to accept the righteousness of the punishment which we deserved.

How you then marveled about such inexpressible love and such exceedingly great and wonderful mercy revealed to sinners. Did you ever see that preciousness in Him, and did your soul become most desirous of being found in Him? Then you can no longer forget Him. In the bottom of your heart there are times when there is the desire to be found in Him, in spite of darkness and times of going astray.

At times there are places where you say, “O Lord, the desire of my soul is to be found in Thee. The world cannot satisfy, and I have given a bill of divorcement to the world and all that it offers. Oh, could I be found in Christ because my soul’s salvation and my eternal deliverance can only be found in Him. Oh God, may I be engrafted in Thee?”

This is the inclination of the soul of those people. It is often of the greatest value to them. Then they have something of heaven in their heart, and they know what they shall do in heaven forever. They will bow before His holy name and give Him honor eternally. When this heavenly peace is abiding in their soul, and this heavenly rejoicing is granted unto them, then they have something of heaven upon earth in their soul. They have God in their heart, and when they have God in their heart, they have all. They do not just have something, but they have everything.

These people, however, nevertheless have a heritage while they live here on earth; “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” Although there are times and moments of peace, there is, nevertheless, much tribulation. They cannot rely and hope upon anything of their own hands in respect to all the sorrows, distresses, and trials which they must experience. The spiritual life in their souls is dependent upon the work of the Spirit.

Oh, people who are in darkness, with conflicts and all kinds of sorrows, be encouraged that the harvest is ripening. In general, God is gathering His people. Although the world and the church might look very dark, the harvest is ripening. Those who will inherit this life, their time shall come. There are still a few who must be brought to Zion, and God is ripening His people in all their sorrows and darkness. Soon this harvest will be ripe, and then He who redeemed you and who delivered you will come. In His eyes you are always precious because He has loved you with an everlasting love, and He will deliver you forever. He will gather you with all of His beloved ones, and He will bring them all to His heavenly garner.

The harvest of the earth is almost ripe. Almost. Therefore, unconverted ones, there is still place in Zion, there are still a few places. There are still a few who must be brought to the happiness of God’s people. Make haste, therefore, and seek for God and call upon His name. His harvest is nearly ripe. Almost all have already been brought into His Zion.

The world is also almost ripe, the ripening of the harvest of the vine of the earth, and the grapes of the clusters of the vine. They soon will be fully ripe. Behold you are ripening. Unconverted sinner, if you continue to harden your heart in the midst of the congregation, while listening to the unfeigned offer of God’s grace, hardening your heart against His Word, then you, as the cluster of the vine, will become fully ripe. Then the angel who has power over fire will receive this commandment, “Thrust in your sickle in the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. Cast them in the winepress of God’s wrath which will be trodden without the city.”

For the sake of your soul’s welfare, hear this admonition;

While He proffers peace and pardon

Let us hear His voice today,

Lest if we our hearts should harden,

We should perish in the way;

Lest to us so unbelieving

He in judgment shall declare:

Ye, so long My Spirit grieving,

Never in My rest can share.

—Psalter 255:4

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