True Sayings Series
The Time of Harvest, Part 3

By C. Eldon McNabb

The Gathering of the Tares The gathering of the children of that wicked one is portrayed in the story of Samson in Judges Chapter fifteen as "the shocks and standing corn of the Philistines." Let us look at some aspects of that story.

In some instances Samson can be taken to directly represent Jesus, as he does in Judges 14:20. His "wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend," by her father. That is easily understood as the Father of Roman Catholicism espousing the Church to pagan principles and practices, and thus to Lucifer who was at one time the companion of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Heavens.

"But ... a little while after, in the time of Wheat Harvest," Samson said, "I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. Even so, the professedly Christian ecumenical union, led by the Pope (Father), will not open the door for Jesus to take his bride unto Himself.

"And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails." "And burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn" of the Philistines.

The enemies of the People of God were in the process of reaping their harvest. It is easy to make the connection with Jesus' parable, "Gather the tares into bundles to be burned."

There is another prophetic story which is directly related to this one. It is the story of Gideon and his three hundred. Not only are these stories related by the number of participants, but also by the dream of the Midianite warrior. Gideon's army is portrayed by a "cake of Barley bread." You must harvest some Barley before you can bake a cake with it. "All the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the East were gathered together." "But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him." Judges 6:33,34.

The precept is different in the story about Gideon, but we already know that "precept upon precept" is the method by which the Holy Ghost teaches. See Isa. 28:9,10 and 1 Cor. 2:12,13.

The prophetic truth is clear: there will be a uniting of the ungodly elements of modern Christianity. And further that the Man of God in the end of the world will take three hundred apostles and prophets of God, with the fire of the Word of God, and expose the errors and wickedness of this supposed "Christian" union.

Much has already been accomplished toward that union, and the work goes steadily on. On the other hand, there has not yet been a noticeable gathering together of honorable and sincere believers into "the unity of the faith." Therefore, I must speak of the coming harvest of the Children of the Kingdom in prophetic terms only.

The Appointed Barley

In Isa. 28:25, God used the expression "the principal wheat", and the rye is referred to as "in their place," but He said the Barley was "Appointed." Also in Jer. 5:24, He refers to Barley Harvest as "the appointed weeks of harvest."

The term Wheat in the "parable of the tares" is used in a precept which includes all of the believers (except those doing the reaping). Whereas, in another precept, believers are symbolized by an assortment of grains. So we must weigh each precept, and rightly divide the Word of God.

God told us that Ruth arrived in Bethlehem "in the beginning of Barley Harvest." She then gleaned "unto the end of Barley Harvest and of Wheat Harvest." Therefore, the time of harvest set forth in the precept of grain is divided into two major parts; the latter of which is Wheat Harvest. That Barley Harvest is first is clearly shown in one of the plagues of Egypt. "The barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, ... But the wheat (was) not smitten: for (it was) not grown up." Exodus 9:31,32.

God said to us in Jeremiah, "He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest." The work of reaching souls for Jesus has continued from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Harvest, on the other hand, is reserved for a time yet future and has something to do with seven.

In Deut. 16:9, He went even farther. "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn." Then in verse ten, He called it The Feast of Weeks. It is one of the three feasts which God told the Children of Israel to keep every year.

Let's consider what God said about this in Lev. 23:15-17. "Ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves ... they are the firstfruits unto the Lord."

The waving of the wave sheaf is the second indicator of the of Barley Harvest. The waving of the wave sheaf, together with the putting of the sickle to the corn quickly reveals to us when they gathered in the grain for the wave loaf which was the elect in Peter's day.

Concluded next month...

 

(Note: This sermon is from the True Sayings Series. These sermons are available in booklet form, in their entirety, upon request. Please refer to the contact information.)