Approaching the Harvest

"The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not saved!"
Jeremiah 8:20 NKJV

There is a saying among believers who study prophecy and the history of the nation of Israel, and it goes something like this; “the past is prologue”.  What this means is that quite often we find that events in the Old Testament are somehow a sign of things to come because they often repeat themselves, especially when it comes to Israel.  This lament from the book of Jeremiah is one which I believe may hold a clue as to the timing of the rapture of the Church, an event I believe most of us are very interested in.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.      1 Thessalonians 5:1-2  NKJV

When speaking of the rapture, many scholars believe we are told that if we watch as we are commanded to do, we will recognize the “season” of the rapture of the Church.  With that in mind, I can’t help but wonder if the many references to the “harvest” when talking about the rapture, is something we need to take note of.  So I would like to take a moment today and share some of my thoughts about the harvest season in Israel, and how it might relate to our time of deliverance.

"For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; "a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;
Deuteronomy 8:7-8 NKJV

In Old Testament times, the harvest season ran roughly from April to November beginning with the Barley harvest, and ending with the olive harvest. The three main harvests were considered to be the grain, grape, and olive harvests, with a celebration of the first two at the Feast of Tabernacles.

"You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.
Deuteronomy 16:13 NKJV

Considering the season of summer, and the fact that the Bible refers to it, I was curious to find out when summer ends in Israel.  In the western world, the seasons are calculated by the solstices, but in Israel it is a different matter. In ancient Israel, the seasons were determined by the harvests, so when I looked into the subject of summer in Israel, I found that traditionally summer ends at the end of the grape harvest. However if you think about growing crops, and waiting for them to ripen, it seemed likely to me that if we consider the question of if it is possible to know exactly when the harvest would occur, we would have to come to the conclusion that  "no man knows". That conclusion, of course, opens the door for us to speculate about the possibility that there just might be a connection between the timing of the harvest and the rapture of the Church.

When talking with His disciples about the end of this age, and in referring to the rapture, Jesus said this;

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Matthew 24:36 NKJV

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, many believers get excited as it has traditionally been thought to be a strong possibility for a day for the rapture of the Church. Since the calendar in Israel is lunar rather than solar, the beginning of the month is determined by the sighting of the new moon which may or may not occur on the day you determine to be the first of the month. That is why Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days rather than just one since there is a possibility the moon won't be sighted when you would expect it. Like many, I have always thought it no coincidence that this holiday is described as one where "no man knows"

The fact that it is unlikely you can know exactly when the harvest will be ready, and also have a Feast of Israel referred to in the same terms with both occurring at approximately the same time on the calendar, it just makes me wonder if we are being given a clue as to the “season” of the rapture.  Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, will be celebrated in Israel this coming September 9.  It is followed closely by Yom Kippur, and then the Feast of Tabernacles.  With all that has been going on in that part of the world lately, it certainly seems as if our attention is being directed to watch closely the events, and the timing, of this season in Israel.

I began this post with a verse from Jeremiah where the cry in Israel is a lament over the fact that summer is over and they are not saved. The question that came to mind is if the summer is over, it should be a time of rejoicing and celebration for the harvest. If indeed God is trying to tell us that the rapture may come at the end of summer, is the cry of Israel a response to that event? We know the tribulation is the time where God turns Israel back to Him by means of judgment so is it possible we find here another clue as to when that might occur? Summer ends with the completion of the grape harvest, and no one knows exactly when that will be. It is supposed to be a time of rejoicing, but the Bible tells us there will be a future time where it won't be.

Of course, of greater importance is the question we all must ask of ourselves, and that is am I prepared for the return of Jesus for His bride, the Church?  If you have never made the decision to ask Jesus to come into your life and accept the gift of salvation He has offered you I urge you to do it right now. Simply pray to Him and confess that you are a sinner in need of salvation, and then ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Tell Him you believe that He died on the cross to take your place and because of that you want to turn your life over to Him. If you do that you have His promise that you are saved.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 1:12 NKJV

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God's Patience, Our Impatience

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; “and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.     Deuteronomy 7:9-10  NKJV

Do you recall ever hearing your parents tell you; “patience is a virtue”?  If you were like me, you probably heard that because you were as impatient as I was in waiting for something you felt was due.  Fortunately, I learned over time, and with the help of extremely patient parents, that patience is indeed a virtue and somehow I have ended up being a patient person.  To a point.  You see, as I have watched the appearance of events predicted in the Bible concerning the end of this age, and observed the apostasy of His Church unfold before our very eyes, I simply cannot help but echo the lament of many of the Old Testament saints; “How long O Lord?”. 

My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD--how long? Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!    Psalm 6:3-4 NKJV

I got together with a friend this week, and invariably, the conversation turned to this world and the direction it seems to be going.  After much discussion, the only logical result was the two of us asking; “what in the world is God waiting for?” As I have considered all that we have seen occur lately, I couldn’t help but remember Jesus describing the last days as resembling the “Days of Noah” in Matthew 24. One question that has always puzzled me about the inhabitants of the days of Noah is the fact that it would appear they either had absolutely no clue that their actions were an offense to the God of the universe, or if they did, they somehow believed God would allow their offenses to go unpunished.  Not to mention the fact that God had the patience to wait until Noah and his family were the last believers on earth!

It follows then that this past week my thoughts concerning our country and its leaders, as well as the events unfolding around the world, somehow began to remind me of this same question. Does the majority of this nation, and the world as a whole, actually believe their decisions do not offend God, or do they simply believe God will do nothing to show His displeasure? On the other hand, the more I read, the more it appears that many believers are of the opinion that God has indeed already begun to remind us that He alone is omnipotent and is perfectly willing to judge those who offend Him. Yet, like David, it's hard not to ask God...”how long”?

Something I have been passionate about over the years is my personal study of the Old Testament.  It probably has something to do with my interest in history, which was my major in college, but I have always enjoyed studying events from our past.  There are many reasons to study the Old Testament, but one I regard as my primary motivation is that it is the best way I know to learn about, and begin to understand, the nature of God.  The books of the Old Testament are full of passages where God tells us what He is like, and also reveals His nature to us.  I believe the better we begin to know God, the more reassured we can be about what we see as we watch where the world is going today.  Paul seemed to understand this when he wrote the following passage in the book of Romans.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.                        Romans 15:4  NKJV

You might ask, hope in what?  Obviously we are concerned with our own deliverance, but we can also rest assured that God will, in His own time, judge the world for its actions. Our God is a just God, and He will never let sin go unpunished. He has judged in the past, and He will judge again in the future. We can ask “how long” with the knowledge that although we are waiting, and most likely impatient, God promises to do His will.  God has a plan, and a timetable for administering it.  It is up to us to persevere, and trust in God’s faithfulness.

Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end [intended by] the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.    James 5:11 NKJV

Personally, what helps me the most is the knowledge of “the end intended by the Lord”. David may have prayed to the Lord expressing his sorrows and frustrations, but he always ended by acknowledging the fact that he knew that not only God was faithful, He also had a plan and it would unfold just as He ordained. I have often shared that I enjoy studying the life of David because while God described him as a “man after my own heart”, it is also obvious that David suffered from the same emotions we often do and was perfectly willing to share them with God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [Having] sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?    Psalm 13:1-2 NKJV

I don’t believe we as believers should be shy about sharing our sorrow and frustrations with God because after all, doesn't He already know what we are feeling?  He understands our emotions and what we are feeling and if we share that with Him, He will hear our cry.  It is also important to note that not only does He hear, He will respond to our crying out to Him.

Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry; And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.   Psalm 106:44-45 NKJV

One of the most reassuring things about God is the fact that He is always faithful to answer our cries and to demonstrate His mercy towards His people. I have always enjoyed having my daughters ask me for help, and even now that they are grown and living elsewhere it still is nice to get a call and be asked to do something that is helpful in some way. Do you really believe God is so busy that He doesn't want to hear from us when we need some help? Ask and see just how faithful our God is.

Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, My precious [life] from the lions. I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.    Psalm 35:17-18 NKJV

Of course David well knew that when God provided, He alone was due the glory and the thanks. What better witness could we have but to give God the glory when He delivers us as well?

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom [be] glory forever and ever. Amen.                                   Galatians 1:3-5 NKJV

What better to help us endure than the knowledge that God promises to deliver us from this “present evil age”.  While it may be difficult to sit by and watch where this world is going, we can rest assured that we have His promise that we will be saved from that terrible judgment which is to come upon the whole earth.

O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? [Take it] out of Your bosom and destroy [them].                            Psalm 74:10-11 NKJV

Just as David knew God had the power to judge and destroy His enemies, so we too have the knowledge that while it looks as if we are losing the battle, God will avenge Himself upon those who turn their backs on Him.

The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."                     1 Samuel 2:10 NKJV

Is it wrong to be impatient while waiting for God's return? While we know that God will do His work in His own time, David certainly had no problem expressing the difficulty he felt while waiting.

Return, O LORD! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!                  Psalm 90:13-14 NKJV

While we look at what is going on all around us and wonder why God is waiting, we should never forget that He loves those who sin against Him and is compassionate towards them with a patience we cannot begin to comprehend.  Our God is not willing for any to perish and we need to keep that in mind whenever we are tempted to ask “how long”?

The LORD [is] gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD [is] good to all, And His tender mercies [are] over all His works.      Psalm 145:8-9 NKJV

What does God expect from us during this time of waiting? I think it revealing that in this passage from Luke we find that Jesus asks a very unusual question.

"And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"    Luke 18:7-8 NKJV

Has the thought ever occurred to you that we should just give up? We are losing the fight so why bother anymore? David never gave up although at times it looks like he believed the entire world was against him. Yet David knew God was faithful to fulfill His promises because he never asked "if" God was going to act, only "how long" until He would act, and we should know that as well. Although it may appear that we are fighting a losing battle, the battle is not over until the Son of Man comes to take us away. Will He find faith? Why would He ask that question unless some would be tempted to give up?  If He promises to be faithful to us, is it too much to ask for us to be faithful to Him?

Keep watching.

Peace and Safety

For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.  1 Thessalonians 5:3  NKJV

I am away this weekend but as I watched the events unfolding in Israel the past few days, I could not get my mind off of this verse from Thessalonians.  All of the talks about a truce providing peace and safety between Hamas and Israel resulted in not peace but escalation.  This will be even truer going forward and eventually the time will arrive when God will choose to once again get personally involved in the affairs of this world.  The following article by Jack Kelley explains what is about to occur, and should be required reading for all believers today.

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https://gracethrufaith.com/popular-posts-from-the-past/pray-for-the-peace-of-jerusalem/

Calling Home

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  Colossians 3:21  NKJV

What is the best hope for someone trying to go to the gym and get in shape when they begin to tire of the routine and slowly lose their motivation? The easy answer is they need the services of a personal trainer who is willing to hold them accountable, adjust their workout routine, and encourage them to continue what they have started. However, the simple reason so many lose heart and slowly give up is that they simply don't take the step to ask for help from a trainer. In the life of the believer, who is it who plays the role of the personal trainer for us, the person we call on when we need help or advice, or encouragement? That's easy of course; it's God. Yet just like the individual on a workout routine, we need to ask in order to receive the help and motivation God can provide, and that is accomplished only one way; by prayer.

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, Luke 18:1 NKJV

The word for "losing heart" in the Greek is ekkakeō, which translates; to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted. So turning this verse around, Jesus is saying that if we pray, we will not grow weary, get exhausted, and lose our spirit for serving Him. Prayer is our lifeline with God, and as such, we need to know everything we can about prayer in order to receive all that God intends for us. It is also interesting that the word for "always" (pantote) in this verse means "at all times" and not just occasionally when we want something. So I think the next step in our journey towards spiritual fitness is exploring the idea of prayer so we can find some principles or guidelines that will help us to pray effectively.

Now this may seem odd to you, but when I began to think about Jesus praying, my first thought was why did Jesus pray? Now that may sound funny, but look at it this way; if Jesus was God incarnate, with all the power of God within, why did He have to pray? Now I may be wrong, but it seems to me that it was the human half of Jesus who was in need and He knew that prayer was the only means to receive that which He needed. So let me share with you three things that came to mind when I looked at all the times that Jesus prayed.

Who do children run to? Their parents, of course. Who hasn't seen children for one reason or another running as fast as they can to one or both of their parents for one thing or another? As children of God, it should be natural for us to go to our heavenly father for any reason; to share a thought, an observation, to thank Him, and to ask for something we need. As a parent, would you be hurt if your child went to someone else, or never came to you for help or advice? I have shared before that I have three daughters, all of which have left home to pursue life on their own. Yet they all still call and talk to me, sharing what is going on in their lives, and even occasionally asking my advice on something just like they used to when they were young.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1 John 3:1 NKJV

God is our father, and as children of God, it should be natural for us to go to Him before going or listening to anyone else. Do you?

Why do children run to their parents? They have needs. It could be a need for help, a need for support, or simply a need to share, but the important thing here is children know instinctively to go to their parents for what they need. I remember going to my parents knowing they were there for me and would help me in any way they could. I remember my daughters coming to me and the feeling I got knowing not only that they had come to me, but the feeling I got after I was able to give them what they needed. I think this is the essence of not only a parental relationship, but any other as well. It's the feeling you get knowing someone wants to come to you, and the satisfaction of being able to give them what they need. How many of us realize God is just waiting for us to come to Him and ask for help?

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2 NKJV

God is there to answer our prayers. He waits and wants to give us what we need. Is He the one you run to first when you have needs, or is He the last?

When do children talk to their parents? Maybe a better question is when do they stop? One of the first lessons I learned as a parent was to listen patiently to everything my children had to say. Children want to share absolutely everything to anyone who will listen. Unfortunately though, I'm sure we all know or have experienced how children do eventually begin to get quieter as they grow older, and the need to talk seems to fade away. Is it possible your communication with God suffers that way? Prayer is how we communicate with our Father, and like any father, God wants and waits to hear from us. How anxious do you think I am to hear from my daughters? Do you think I wish they would call more often? Do I wish we could talk longer like we used to? How often do you think God feels that way about His children?

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV

Is this Gods' answer to that question? God never tires from hearing from us, and obviously wants us to call. How often do you?

As believers, we have a father who not only loves us, but is always there for us. He wants nothing more than to listen and talk to us as well as help us with whatever we need. He wants us to talk to Him constantly, about absolutely anything, and not just occasionally when we want or need something. Prayer, constant communication with our Father, is where we get the motivation to keep working out our lives for Him. His promise to us is that we will not tire, will not faint, and will not lose heart if we pray without ceasing.

When we talk to our Heavenly Father, we should never hang up the phone.

Keep watching.