Harvest Time

Agricultural cycles symbolize periods of time. Human projects begin with a time of sowing and planting; then a time of watering and caring and weeding and growth; and finally a time of harvest. 

A couple marries, they have children who grow to adulthood, in the end they reap a harvest of old age, grandchildren, enjoy the fruits of their labor. A pastor works hard to plant a church, nurtures, waters and weeds it through many years, finally sees it grow to maturity, ready for harvest. An entrepreneur plants his business, waters and cares for it, hoping to reap the reward of profit, growth, and service to his customers.

Every day is a small-scale replica of this process: We begin the day planting new projects, watering some, nurturing them to maturity; at the end of the day, we’re ready to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Every week is a small agricultural year, as we move to the weekly harvest of the day of the Lord. We plant, we water, God gives the increase and determines the time of multiplication and harvest.

What is gathered at harvest time depends on what we sow, and how we care for our plots. If we sow to the flesh, we’ll reap the corruption of the flesh. If we sow worship of beasts and images of the beast, we’ll reap fire and brimstone and smoke. If, however, we sow to the Spirit, we shall reap eternal life. If we fear God, glorify Him, and worship the Creator, we will gain rest.

Here is the perseverance of the saints (Revelation 14:12). Here is their steadfastness. Saints persevere in trials and under persecution in confidence that God will harvest at the right time, at the right time will gather us into His kingdom. When the harvest is ripe, we will be blessed if we die in the Lord, and rest from our toils and trials. We are steadfast because we will reap if we faint not, reap eternal life in the presence of God. And these light, momentary trials do not compare to the eternal weight of glory that we shall bear.

Revelation 14 uses the imagery of harvest to describe the rescue of the martyrs, but I think we can generalize and turn that around. The son of man waits until the time of harvest, until the grain is dry and the grapes are ripe. That’s not only true for martyrs, but for everyone. And those who die in the Lord die at the time when the son of man determines that they are ripe. Did you lose a child? It was harvest time; Jesus took her home, and He took her home at just the right time. We pray for miracles for the terminally ill, but if the Lord chooses to take him – to take him young, before he seems to reach his prime – we trust that the Lord has taken him at his ripest. 

Abide in Jesus, so that you die in the Lord. And dying in the Lord you will receive a blessing, the blessing of a well-timed, a perfectly timed, death.

What we reap at harvest time depends on what we sow, and how we care for our plots. If we sow to the flesh, we’ll reap the corruption of the flesh. If we sow worship of beasts and images of the beast, we’ll reap fire and brimstone and smoke. If, however, we sow to the Spirit, we shall reap eternal life. If we fear God, glorify Him, and worship the Creator, we receive the gift of rest.