It is posted here in its entirety, unaltered in any way.
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Is the following a certainty? Though it is presented as a certainty, this just simplifies the flow of the presentation. It is, in fact, merely the thoughts this meager servant has compiled in a study of the subject. Please read the following, and share your thoughts, concerns, or contemplations with me in return. I encourage your interaction. However, my e-mail time is somewhat limited, so please be patient in awaiting a return response.
May the Lord bless our continued understanding as we grow in Him,
Max Wells - inhisfootsteps@msn.com
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HARVESTS OF THE LORD
We know the various harvests are typological for spiritual occurrences where God deals with different groups of people. There are three major types of harvests mentioned in the Word: barley, wheat and grapes. For both the barley and wheat harvests there are two segments: firstfruits and ingathering. For the grape, there is but one - a totality type of harvest. The harvests are linked closely to the festivals of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Trumpets, and Day of Atonement (just prior to Feast of Tabernacles).
The firstfruits of the barley is offered on the morrow after the Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread Leviticus 23:11. Deuteronomy 16:9 says: "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." We know this to be corns of barley, and Leviticus 23:10 clarifies that this is the firstfruits of the barley harvest. Then in Ruth 1:22 we see that the time when Ruth would be going out into the fields in chapter two was during the BEGINNING of the "barley harvest" of ingathering. It is commonly understood that those of the Jewish faith read the book of Ruth during Feast of Weeks (Shavuot, Harvest Feast, or Pentecost) because that is when this story was occurring. Being 50 days after the waving of the firstfruits of the barley harvest during Feast of Unleavened Bread, it was time for the ingathering of the barley harvest. As Pastor Riley points out in his article called So Simple, Pentecost is "the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest." This is very important to understand: The ingathering of the barley harvest is SIMULTANEOUS WITH the firstfruits of the wheat harvest - at Feast of Weeks, Pentecost or Shavuot. "And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end." - Exodus 34:22 "Year's end" in this verse would be at the transition into the new secular year at Feast of Trumpets during the fall festivals, when the ingathering balance of the wheat crop is harvested. There is only one other notable Biblical harvest, that of the grape. I do not find a time table for this harvest in the Word, but other sources indicate that the totality (being harvested all at one time) of the grape harvest occurs late in the year near the fall festivals, and is usually completed BY Feast of Tabernacles. Since Day of Atonement is only five days prior to Feast of Tabernacles, and is known as being a day of judgment, we will use this as our probable time frame rather than Feast of Tabernacles for the grape harvest.
The preceding paragraph provides your references. The concept, however is simple:
Firstfruits of barley harvest = Feast of Unleavened Bread
Ingathering of barley harvest = Feast of Weeks (Shavuot, Harvest Feast, or Pentecost)
Firstfruits of wheat harvest = Feast of Weeks (Shavuot, Harvest Feast, or Pentecost)
Ingathering of wheat harvest = Feast of Trumpets
Totality of grape harvest = Day of Atonement (just prior to Feast of Tabernacles)
Yeshua was a "firstfruits" per I Corinthians 15:20 which says: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. Using converse reasoning, might not this imply there will also one day be a firstfruits of them that have not slept? Might the firstfruits of the dead represent the first of the two grain harvests - that of barley? Might not the second grain harvest of wheat then be the typology for the firstfruits of those that have not slept? Using this as a theory, let's see if the pieces fall into place.
Yeshua has been designated "an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" - Hebrews 6:20. It is the High Priest that waves the firstfruit offerings before God. Is Yeshua exempt from that? The Word has an answer: "For EVERY high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of NECESSITY that this man have somewhat also to offer." - Romans 8:3.
Yeshua was the firstfruits of those who SLEPT (barley). As High Priest, however, He would not be able to be His own offering. He needed some firstfruits from His earthly barley crop to wave before God. Maybe the Word helps us with this one too: When Yeshua was crucified, we read: "And behold, the veil was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints WHICH SLEPT arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Matthew 27:51-53. What happened to them then? The Word does not say. Is it possible that these saints who SLEPT, and were raised from their graves, were taken on into heaven with Yeshua for Him to wave as the High Priest's firstfruits barley offering during Feast of Unleavened Bread.?
The next thing on our harvest schedule would be the ingathering of the barley harvest, and the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. These two events happen simultaneously at the Feast of Weeks time frame. Notice in Leviticus 23:17 that there are TWO loaves which are baked with leaven. They are firstfruits unto the Lord. It is time for the firstfruits of the wheat harvest to be offered. Leaven is often typological for sin. (As it would relate to the human harvests, being baked with leaven might mean that the ones who compose this offering will have been prepared for it in a sin laden world, and may still be subject to slight impurities until they are harvested.) The offering of TWO loaves here is noteworthy also. There are two grain crops, ripening together, and Leviticus does not specify which grains should be used in these two loaves. Since the verse indicates that both loaves are to be "firstfruits" unto the Lord, one might conclude that both of these loaves would be from the firstfruits of the wheat. However, per the Hebrew Strongs #1061 definitions, this word "firstfruits" can also mean "hasty (acting in haste) fruit". It is time for the wheat firstfruits, but also time for the barley ingathering. Ruth 1:22 specifies that it is the BEGINNING of the barley harvest (of ingathering). What was God's intent here? Could it have been that one loaf be of first ripened wheat, and the other of the first of the ingathering barley harvest, hastily gathered and prepared before the harvesters started their work in earnest? Why two loaves, if only one harvest was being represented before God? Is it likely that He could have intended one from each of the two ripening grains? Traditions of men aside, it looks entirely plausible to me. Is there a Biblical passage that could address an ingathering barley harvest loaf here - a loaf to present yet another group (still future) from the barley crop planted by Yeshua which have slept? Could we perhaps even find something in the Word to represent each of these two loaves?
In Revelation we find two groups of 144,000. The first one is in the first eight verses of chapter 7, which is composed of 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Jacob. The second is found in the first five verses of chapter 14, which is a group which was "redeemed from the EARTH" (verse 3) and "redeemed from among MEN" (verse 4). The word "redeemed" is the Greek word "agorazo". Strongs #59 tells us it means "setting a slave free through purchase"; "acquiring". What is the penalty for being a slave to sin? "For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" - Romans 6:23. We know that this eternal life is our spiritual gift, but we are prepared to face physical death unless it is supernaturally preempted. Could these be ones who have also been spared (redeemed from) MAN'S curse of physical DEATH, and spared (redeemed from) burial in the heart of the EARTH after DEATH? They were redeemed (set free through purchase) from MAN (verse 3) and EARTH (verse 4). They are designated as "FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb" (verse 4). Maybe they are those who were caught up as firstfruits of the wheat harvest! If this is only those who have been marked as those first RIPENED among the wheat (i.e.first[ripened]fruits), it is because they have learned to submit entirely to the Holy Spirit, overcoming their own self wills and the carnality of the world around them. "These are they which FOLLOW the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." - Revelation 14:4. The Greek word for "follow" in this verse is "akoloutheo". The most profound Strongs #190 definition is "to be a disciple of a leader's teaching". This would be the ones who have proven their obedience to the teaching and leadership of the Holy Spirit. There may be another inference as well. If our early supposition is correct, those in the firstfruits barley harvest "FOLLOWED" Yeshua when he went to the heavenlies so He could wave them before the Father as the firstfruits of His barley harvest during Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then Yeshua returned to the earth for 40 days, returning to heaven just 10 days prior to Feast of Weeks. Is it possible that the firstfruits of the wheat harvest will be given a chance to "FOLLOW" him on the anniversary of His previous departure in order to be waved by Him a few days later before the Father's throne as the firstfruits of His wheat harvest in the season of Feast of Weeks?
The 144,000 in chapter 7 are not called "firstfruits" as are those in chapter 14. Those of chapter 7 are not said to be "redeemed", as are those in chapter 14. There are two loaves waved at Pentecost. There are two groups of 144,000 here. There are two types of harvesting occurring at Pentecost - barley and wheat. If barley indicates a resurrection harvest of those who sleep, might not the wheat represent the harvest of those who are spared a physical death through the redemptive power of Yeshua? If the 144,000 of chapter 14 represents the latter, and those in chapter 7 represents the former, what group might fit the criteria for this first group from the tribes of Jacob who have slept?
Presuming that Ezekiel has chronological merit, everyone waits with bated breath the coming of the Gog and Magog battle in chapters 38 and 39. However, there is something in chapter 37 which I do not believe has yet been fulfilled to pave the way for the two chapters that follow it. The dry bones must be resurrected. Some say this has been done because people who have left Israel are returning, and some are finding Yeshua who had never known Him. This is a figurative fulfillment, a shadow of the literal, but I believe this chapter must be LITERALLY fulfilled as well. The raising of the dead of the House of Israel would provide the barley loaf for Pentecost, as we see being framed in Revelation 7. This would be the INGATHERING barley harvest, and would be simultaneous with the FIRSTFRUITS wheat harvest, a loaf from each harvest being caught up together for our High Priest Yeshua to wave together before God the Father. Ezekiel 37 says the Lord will breathe upon those who are raised from their graves, and they will be given the Holy Spirit, and know that He is Lord. (They already knew the Father was Lord - this is referring to Yeshua my friends). Those who are selected to comprise the ingathering barley loaf would be gathered and taken to heaven to be waved with the firstfruits wheat loaf before the Father's throne by our High Priest, Yeshua.
The next thing on the harvest schedule would be the ingathering wheat harvest. Is this Biblically revealed? Revelation 14:1-5 is a picture of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest who have have been caught up and are being waved before God's throne (where they appear in verse 5). The context of verses 6-13 is an overview of the tribulation which occurs after their departure. Then the text of verses 14-16 speaks of a figure like the Son of Man holding a sickle, and being told to thrust it in and harvest the earth, for it is now ripe. This is when Yeshua comes for the rest of His wheat, the wheat which remained here after the firstfruits wheat had departed. It is now totally ripened through the persecutions and hardships of the tribulation, and the time for the ingathering is at hand. His sickle harvests the ingathering wheat, and catches them up to heaven, where they will stand before the Bema throne. I Corinthians 3:11-15 tells of being tried by FIRE at what we might presume to be this Bema. Leviticus 23:24 says: "... In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering MADE BY FIRE unto the Lord." This harvest is symbolized by Feast of Trumpets in the fall.
Notation: Chapter 14 appears to have been taken out of chronological context in order to display a broad spectrum of time which overlays the actual events of the surrounding chapters. The actual timing for the INGATHERING wheat harvest might just be in Revelation 16:15. The departure times for the body of Christ are often designated by the phrase "I come as a thief", and there it is. Furthermore, look at the surrounding text and see if you can figure out why on earth this phrase would just be inserted out of the clear blue sky as it was, unless it was meant to stand out as an intervening event during the ongoing drama at hand. Verse 14 speaks of the world gathering together for the battle of Armageddon, and verse 16 continues the same thought, as though the intervening text had not occurred at all. Simply amazing! Then in verse 17, we hear a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "IT IS DONE". What is done? I suspect, the Bema throne has just concluded.
If the departure of the ingathering wheat was foreshadowed by Feast of Trumpets, looking down the road a mere 10 days later is Day of Atonement. The grapes are usually totally harvested by that point in time. There is a reference to this as well. Going back to our overview in chapter 14, we paused for commentary after verse 16. Looking now at verses 17-20, we see yet one more sickle, this time being held by an angel. He is told to thrust in his sickle to gather the grapes, as they are fully ripe. This angel reaps the totality of the grape harvest with the sweep of his sickle. These grapes, however, are not taken to heaven. They are thrown into a winepress, and blood came out of the winepress unto the horses' bridles for 1600 furlongs. Who were these grapes? I presume they are those who have hated Israel, and have come against her in the battle of Armageddon. They will be tried at this time, and the retribution for their deeds will follow - the winepress will resolve the conflict! The Day of Atonement judgment has occurred, and the consequences have been administered.
Looking at the total overview of the Festivals, and what they represent, we should step back to include the Passover events which preceded the waving of the barley firstfruits. We remember that Yeshua fulfilled the Feast of Passover, by being crucified as our Passover Lamb on Passover day (Wednesday that year). His body (being our Unleavened Bread) was laid to rest in the sepulchre just hours to moments before sundown, which would begin the high holy day of Feast of Unleavened Bread. There His body would remain for three days AND three nights (Matthew 12:40), rising from the grave 72 hours later at sundown on the Sabbath day of rest. The empty tomb was found before dawn the next morning, which was Feast of Firstfruits (the morrow after the Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread). He was seen by Mary, and she was told not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father (John 20:17). Soon thereafter He would tell Thomas to touch Him (John 20:27), indicating that He had briefly ascended to His Father to fulfill His role as High priest in waving the barley firstfruits before Him. Soon thereafter, HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN TO THE BODY OF CHRIST TO INDWELL THEM THAT THEY MIGHT OVERCOME TO PROPERLY ALIGN WITH THE IMAGE OF YESHUA. This occurred at Feast of Weeks, a period of transition that joins the segments of the spring festivals (former fulfillments) to the fall festivals (latter fulfillments). The Holy Spirit was dispensed in the very early church, the former rain (typology of Joel 2:23) event which correlated to the former fulfillment of the spring festivities.
As time goes by and the church age ensues, we draw near to the DEPARTURE OF THOSE firstfruits wheat WHO HAVE OVERCOME TO PROPERLY ALIGN WITH THE IMAGE OF YESHUA. This latter rain (typology of Joel 2:23) Feast of Weeks event launches the fulfillment of the remaining latter fall festival end of the spectrum. The next fall festival would be Feast of Trumpets, when the the ingathering wheat harvest will occur. Ten days later is Day of Atonement and the grape harvest. Five days later is the Feast of Tabernacles, when Yeshua can relax from His duties, and dwell in peace with His people. It will begin His day of rest (the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom).
As it relates to the harvest festivals, we have seen how the barley, wheat, and grape harvests are in various stages (past to future) of completion (firstfruits, ingathering, and totality).
Coming back to our current time frame, we have seen the fulfillment of the spring festivals - Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits (firstfruits of the barley harvest), as well as the giving of the Holy Spirit (the former rain fulfillment of Feast of Weeks). It is now time for the departure of the Bride, (the latter rain fulfillment of Feast of Weeks), and the fall festivals fulfillment events which will follow.
In the meantime maybe it is time for us to pause for a moment to absorb all that has just been shown. Selah!
Keeping the Faith, Max Wells
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