The term "ripens" in the context of the Bible often refers to the process of maturation or reaching a state of readiness, particularly in agricultural metaphors. This concept is frequently used to illustrate spiritual truths, moral development, and the unfolding of God's plans.

Agricultural Imagery

The Bible frequently employs agricultural imagery to convey spiritual lessons, and the process of ripening is a key element in these metaphors. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, the ripening of crops was a critical phase that determined the success of the harvest. This natural process is used to symbolize spiritual growth and the readiness of individuals or nations for God's purposes.

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the imagery of ripening in the Parable of the Weeds, where He explains the coexistence of good and evil until the time of harvest: "Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters, 'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn'" (Matthew 13:30). Here, the ripening of the wheat represents the maturation of the righteous, ready to be gathered into God's kingdom.

Spiritual Maturity

The concept of ripening is also applied to the spiritual maturity of believers. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often speaks of the need for Christians to grow and mature in their faith. In Ephesians 4:13, he writes about attaining "the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" . This maturation process is akin to the ripening of fruit, where believers are expected to develop the fruits of the Spirit as evidence of their growth in Christ.

Divine Timing

The ripening process is also indicative of God's perfect timing. Just as fruit ripens in its season, so do God's plans unfold according to His divine schedule. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven" . This verse underscores the importance of patience and trust in God's timing, as He orchestrates events to reach their full potential and purpose.

Judgment and Readiness

In prophetic literature, the ripening of fruit is sometimes used as a metaphor for judgment. The prophet Joel speaks of the ripeness of the nations for judgment: "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" (Joel 3:13). Here, the ripeness signifies the readiness of the nations to face divine judgment due to their accumulated sins.

Conclusion

The concept of ripening in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual growth, divine timing, and the readiness for judgment or blessing. It calls believers to maturity in their faith, patience in awaiting God's perfect timing, and awareness of the moral and spiritual state of readiness before God.

Seventeenth Day. Humility.
... beautifully said, "You lie nearest the River of Life when you bend to it; you can
not drink, but as you stoop." The corn of the field, as it ripens, bows its ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/the mind of jesus/seventeenth day humility.htm

Jesus Defends Disciples who Pluck Grain on the Sabbath.
... Barley ripens in the Jordan valley about the 1st of April, but on the uplands
it is reaped as late as May. Wheat ripens from one ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxviii jesus defends disciples who.htm

Barren Fig-Tree. Temple Cleansed.
... The bicura or boccore, an early fig with large green leaves and with fruit which
ripens in May or June, and sometimes earlier near Jerusalem. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cvi barren fig-tree temple cleansed.htm

The vineyards
... and the glorious sun shines forth with yet greater might, and the fruit
ripens, and the sweetness fills it. "O children, the Sun ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxviii the vineyards.htm

The Resurrection
... wills. But we"we in whose limbs the breath of life still boils"we who
can still work, let us never forget all grain ripens not. ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xvii the resurrection.htm

section 4
... Such brittleness comes as the seed ripens that it is almost impossible to pick
some of the stems without cracking them in two or three places. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/trotter/parables of the christ-life/section 4.htm

Obedience
... Cheerfulness shows that there is love in the duty; and love is to our services what
the sun is to fruit; it mellows and ripens them, and makes them come off ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/1 1 obedience.htm

Homer's Obligations to the Sacred Writers.
... "Tall thriving trees confess'd the fruitful mould; The reddening apple ripens
here to gold. Here the blue fig with luscious juice o'erflows,. ...
/.../chapter xxviii homers obligations to the.htm

The Physical Theory Continued Further Reasons Advanced against the ...
... On this account, men have accounted as gods"the sun, because it imparts from itself
the light of day, ripens the fruit with its warmth, and measures the year ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter v the physical theory continued.htm

Work
... it is much easier and pleasanter for the savage to scratch the seed into the ground
with some rude wooden tool, and sit idle till the grain ripens: much easier ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xii work.htm

Ripens (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Ripens (2 Occurrences). Song of Songs 2:13 The
fig tree ripens her green figs. The vines are in blossom. ...
/r/ripens.htm - 6k

Fig (45 Occurrences)
... 2:13; Gr. olynthos, Revelation 6:13, "the untimely fig"), or "winter fig," which
ripens in sheltered spots in spring. Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/f/fig.htm - 33k

Vines (39 Occurrences)
... BBE NAS). Song of Songs 2:13 The fig tree ripens her green figs. The vines
are in blossom. They give forth their fragrance. Arise ...
/v/vines.htm - 18k

Oil (281 Occurrences)
... The olives to yield the greatest amount of oil are allowed to ripen, although some
oil is expressed from the green fruit. As the olive ripens it turns black. ...
/o/oil.htm - 60k

Figs (27 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Song of Songs 2:13 The fig tree ripens
her green figs. The vines are in blossom. They give forth their fragrance. ...
/f/figs.htm - 15k

Riphath (2 Occurrences)

/r/riphath.htm - 7k

Ripening (1 Occurrence)

/r/ripening.htm - 6k

Blossom (23 Occurrences)
... RSV NIV). Song of Songs 2:13 The fig tree ripens her green figs. The vines
are in blossom. They give forth their fragrance. Arise ...
/b/blossom.htm - 14k

Almond (7 Occurrences)
... whole blossom. The fruit is a drupe with a dry fibrous or woody husk which
splits into two halves as the fruit ripens. The common ...
/a/almond.htm - 14k

Fragrance (63 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV). Song of Songs 2:13 The fig tree ripens her green
figs. The vines are in blossom. They give forth their fragrance. ...
/f/fragrance.htm - 27k

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