Doesn't scripture seem to suggest that the harvest will be plentiful? I mean, if it's not a good catch, or a very good yield on a harvest, it's not much of a harvest yes?
It depends on what you are harvesting.
Now it’s true our Lord did say in
Matt 9:37 that “
The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few”, but here we believe the suggestion was not that there were
a great many to be harvested, but rather that the harvest itself is truly great, a great work in comparison to the few who are ready and willing to do the work.
It will be recalled that out of the Jewish harvest there was only a “
remnant” that was selected; the
majority consisted of “
chaff”.
“Keep in mind they were a
typical people and what was true then, is true now. Not all the Jews were gathered, millions weren’t, but the Lord spoke of those who were gathered as plenteous, all of good characters, and he was satisfied. He will be satisfied with what he gets out of the Gentiles likewise. But the point of the argument seems to be that the laborers are few, more work than the laborers could do. There is plenty for all, and work for more. So he said, pray ye the Lord of the harvest that he will send more laborers. Such should expect that the Lord would send them. Apply the same thing now -- do not expect that the harvest work here will include millions, but a considerable number.”
Only a
remnant in the Harvest of each dispensation (both Jewish and Gospel) are prepared to receive the truths due and to enter into the special privileges of the dawning dispensation.
The harvesters (reapers) should expect just what they find,
only here a little and there a little wheat in the midst of a great mass of tares with which the whole field is overrun, and that comparatively small number must be sought out with great care; for it is of great value.
This, the harvest of the wheat is the harvest referred to in
Rev 14:14-16:
“
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man (our Lord, the “
Lord of the Harvest”),
having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle (the sickle of truth, the device for harvesting).
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 [wheat] 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.”
The Harvest Message is sent forth throughout Christendom, but the majority (being “
tares” and preferring those with “
itching ears” who tell them just what they want to hear), will not hear.
And so there yet remains another far larger harvest to come, the harvest of “
the vine of the earth”. The Lord not only sends
the sickle of truth to gather the wheat, but he also sends
the strong delusions to gather the tares.
“
Then 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, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “
Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters (i.e. the “
bundles”,
Matt 13:30, the various religious denominations)
of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.”
So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God (the great time of trouble).”
Rev 14:17-19
When our Lord said he was the
TRUE vine, he thus prophesied that there would be a
FALSE vine likewise, an apostate Christ or church,
Babylon the Great, here it is at its maturity, fully ripe.
It sounds a bit like your group thinks the harvest will arise largely out of the established church rather than out of the world. Is that correct? Your next paragraph seems to suggest it as well.
The majority of the Lord’s true people (this side of the vail) are located presently in two areas, the more mature (or ripened); “
the wise virgins” are mostly in the wilderness condition located outside of orthodoxy. Those not fully ripened, consisting of both “
babes in Christ”, and the “
foolish virgins” are for the most part still in Babylon, some still members of one or another of the various nominal branches, and some although not practicing members of such organizations are still clinging to some of the errors taught by such.
Ok, this is a spiritualized interpretation of the verse. I don't have problems with spiritualized applications, but do you also believe this will be literally fulfilled in the land of Israel as well? Just curious.
We believe that many things written with respects to events to come carry both symbolic and literal meaning, but one must be careful not to step over the line, as many have.
As for the suggestion that those who are pregnant or nursing children when the great time of trouble breaks out will suffer, most definitely, and not simply those in Israel alone, but everywhere. When the time of trouble breaks forth and reaches its climax, that is “
when every man’s hand is turned against his neighbor” do you imagine that there will be many who will take pity on children or that there will be to many operating hospitals for those who are in labor?
How much time do you (plural) believe is left then?
What’s the (plural) about?
The time is short, even at the doors for the great time of trouble to break out into full swing, for those who are awake there are many signs, one of the most significant is the gathering of
the Lord’s great army (the restless “
sea class” of mankind, discontents, trouble makers, anarchist and etc.) they show their faces more and more all the time at every little event. It is but a matter of time before one of these events becomes the catalyst which causes the whole thing to erupt, and like a domino spread throughout the world.
However according to prophecy there is still yet another great war to be fought in the Middle East between Israel and the Arabs prior to the invasion of Gog from the land of Magog.
