Topical Bible: Harvest: And of Wheat Before Harvest Time

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In biblical times, the concept of harvest held significant spiritual and practical importance. The harvest was not only a time of gathering crops but also a period rich with symbolism and divine instruction. The Bible frequently uses the imagery of harvest to convey themes of provision, judgment, and spiritual growth.

Old Testament Context

The agricultural cycle in ancient Israel was central to the community's survival and religious life. The harvest was a time of joy and thanksgiving, as seen in the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), which celebrated the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22). The Israelites were commanded to bring the firstfruits of their harvest to the Lord as an offering, acknowledging His provision and sovereignty (Leviticus 23:10-11).

The Old Testament also uses the harvest metaphorically to describe God's judgment and blessing. In the prophetic literature, the harvest often symbolizes the gathering of nations for judgment. For example, in Joel 3:13 , it is written, "Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, because their wickedness is great."

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, Jesus frequently used the imagery of harvest in His teachings. In the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a field sown with good seed, where an enemy sows weeds among the wheat. The harvest represents the end of the age when the righteous and the wicked will be separated.

Jesus also speaks of the spiritual harvest in John 4:35 , saying, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months until the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest." Here, Jesus emphasizes the urgency of evangelism and the readiness of people to receive the Gospel.

Wheat Before Harvest Time

Wheat, a staple crop in biblical times, is often mentioned in the context of its growth and harvest. Before the harvest, wheat undergoes a period of maturation, which is crucial for a bountiful yield. The Bible uses this process to illustrate spiritual truths.

In Mark 4:26-29 , Jesus shares the Parable of the Growing Seed, highlighting the mysterious and gradual growth of the kingdom of God. The seed sprouts and grows, though the farmer does not know how. The earth produces a crop by itself—first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. This parable underscores the divine work in spiritual growth, which, like wheat before harvest, requires patience and faith.

The Apostle Paul also draws on agricultural imagery in Galatians 6:9 , encouraging believers not to grow weary in doing good, "for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This exhortation reflects the principle that spiritual maturity and reward come after a period of faithful perseverance, much like the wheat that must mature before it is harvested.

Conclusion

The biblical concept of harvest encompasses both physical and spiritual dimensions, serving as a powerful metaphor for God's provision, judgment, and the growth of His kingdom. The imagery of wheat before harvest time further enriches this theme, illustrating the necessity of patience and faith in the process of spiritual maturation.

Nave's Topical Index

Leviticus 26:5
And your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time: and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Harvest Joy
... the goats in the sheep, and the tares with the wheat; and that ... will never reap; they
will never have the joy of harvest. ... Do not expect to reap before God's time ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/harvest joy.htm

Ruth the Gleaner.
... were before them in the coming winter. But as time went on they did not need to
live in poverty, for Boaz married Ruth at the end of the wheat harvest; and ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/ruth the gleaner.htm

A visit to the Harvest Field
... He has some good wheat in the granary, and he takes ... could see them in their white
robes before the throne ... rejoicing, you would see how rich a harvest they have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/a visit to the harvest.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 19, Etc. , Where the Lord ...
... who in filling only press the Church by your evil lives; amend yourselves before
the harvest ... And so I will address the wheat also. ... the harvest will soon be here ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xxiii on the words.htm

The Teaching of Matthew 13 Proves that no Era of Millennial ...
... Instead of the tares being transformed into wheat before the Millennium is ushered
in, we are told that at the time of harvest the tares are bound into bunches ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/2 the teaching of matthew.htm

Letter Lxxvi. (AD 402. )
... 2. Your imagination that you are separating yourselves, before the time of the harvest,
from the tares which are mixed with the wheat, proves that you are only ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxvi a d 402.htm

Stories Told by the Lake.
... He taught them as no man had ever done before. ... but the master of the field said both
should grow together until the harvest, that the wheat might not be ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xx stories told by.htm

John Chapter xiii. 21-26.
... among the wheat in the Lord's field until harvest-time, because that when we are
compelled by urgent reasons to separate some of them even before the harvest ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate lxi john chapter xiii.htm

Daily Bread.
... Corns of wheat like our own have been found in the ... Let us rather humble ourselves
before God, and see that ... are truly thankful to God for this harvest: is your ...
/.../the life of duty a years plain sermons v 2/sermon lxii daily bread.htm

The Feast of Ingathering in the End of the Year
... may show that they were in existence before Moses, and ... The thought of the present
as the harvest from the ... ardent summer is in the yellow, bending wheat-ear or ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the feast of ingathering in.htm