The Great Coming Harvest / October 2003

Agriculture, the business of sowing and harvesting, has probably been the favorite word picture used by the Lord to help us understand His business concerning us. The work of the ministry has been equated to shepherding sheep, working a vineyard, and harvesting grain. The Messiah even used the agricultural word picture to explain how people believe and become part of His kingdom.

Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

Matthew 13:18-23

I am sure this parable is not new to the readers of Yavoh. I am also sure that each of you can see in your mind’s eye the truths and meanings of Yeshua’s words. But there is another part of this word picture which will soon become a reality for us. It is not about sowing, but instead about harvesting. It is about the process of gathering in the product of the sower. This is better explained in the following parable given by the Messiah.

He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ And the slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."’"

Matthew 13:24-30

Clearly, this parable addresses something that happens at the end of the ages – something which will happen to the last generation! This is exactly how Yeshua explains His own parable to His disciples.

Then He left the multitudes, and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

Matthew 13:36-43

Before we go any further with Yeshua’s explanation, I would like to share a testimony from my own life experience. I think it will help you to understand why Yeshua’s words are so compelling.

As a young man at 16 years of age, I took a summer job working the wheat harvest. I grew up in Abilene, Kansas. Kansas is called the bread basket of the nation and the "wheat state" because of all the wheat fields. Even the Kansas license tags show a pair of wheat heads full of grain. Therefore, I, like many young men living in Kansas, had the opportunity to work the harvest as a summer job. In those days, a young man could earn a little more than a $100 working all summer doing odd jobs. I was able to hire on with a custom combine crew working the harvest for $1.25 a machine hour and earn hundreds of dollars.

Before I go any further, I need to make sure all of you understand what a combine really is and how a grain harvest really works. In ancient times, wheat was harvested by hand. A sickle would be thrust into the standing grain. This was called reaping. The grain and straw which was cut would be gathered into sheaves. These sheaves would be bound, bundled, and set up in the field. They were then called wheat shocks. These bundles would be carried from the field to a threshing area, usually a very flat open area where the wind was able to freely blow. These sheaves would then be "shocked" by knocking the heads of grain off the sheaves. The exploding heads of grain would produce both grain and chaff. The bundles of straw would be fodder for animals. The grain and chaff were then winnowed in the air. The grain was heavier and would fall first, but the chaff would be caught by the wind and blow away. The grain would be gathered into sacks and carried to the barn for storage or to a mill for flour.

As you can imagine, harvesting grain was a labor intensive activity. A number of tools were specifically developed to reduce the labor and increase the amount of grain harvested. Threshing tools were a major area of invention. The hand sickle became a reaper. Instead of smacking the bundles on the ground to loosen the heads of grain, sledges were developed to beat the grain off the sheaves. Winnowing forks improved the process of separating grain from chaff. Later, sieves were constructed to filter the grain.

With the advent of steam engines, farmers began to develop harvest crews called "wheat shockers" where the grain was reaped and shocked in the field with a threshing machine. A single large machine would accept the wheat shocks (sheaves) in one end, and separate out the grain, the chaff, and the straw.

Grain would go into wagons, the chaff would be scattered into the field, and piles of straw would be formed as the machine was located from place to place to accommodate the men bringing in the sheaves. You may have heard a popular old hymn sung in those days entitled, "Bringing in the Sheaves."

In modern times, inventors developed machines called "combines" where everything was done by one machine. The grain was first reaped, gathered by a reel and auger, injected into a threshing machine and violently shaken. The process resulted in grain being collected in the bottom by a series of sieves. While the chaff was forced out the back end with the straw, the grain was moved up to a collection bin by an auger. Because all of these processes were combined into one machine, they were called "combines." These combines became self-propelled and enabled a single man to enter the field and return with a bin full of wheat. The combine revolutionized the grain harvest. Without them, the world we know would have suffered starvation.

The combine I operated as a sixteen year old was a Massey-Ferguson Super 92. It was self-propelled, bigger than most tractors, had a cutting bar and reel of 14 feet, and a storage bin of 65 bushels. It had an open seat and wheel. As an operator, I sat and stood in the open all summer without a hat (it kept blowing off) or shirt. It was dirty work. The wind would sometimes blow all the chaff back on to you and you could not see anything. It was windy, hot, sweaty, and noisy. It was low on creature comforts and high on work. We did not wear shirts because of all the dirt and chaff which would go everywhere and make you itch. We would frequently have to drop our pants to get the chaff out of our waist bands and lower parts. I remember working in 113 degree heat in western Kansas that year. My sun tan lasted well past December. Working at full tilt, I could fill the grain bin in about 20-30 minutes. By myself, I could harvest almost 100 acres in a day. The crew I worked on had seven combines and seven trucks. Each truck could carry about 300 bushels in a single load.

The harvest I worked was typical of what happens every year. We began in late May in southern Oklahoma, just north of the Red River which separates Oklahoma and Texas. During May I operated a combine cutting and harvesting wheat in Oklahoma. By June, we were in Southern Kansas and in western Kansas by the 4th of July. The fields there extended to the horizon in every direction. It was like being in an ocean of wheat. You could see the wind forming waves in the wheat. By late July, we were on our way to South Dakota. By late August, I was at the border of North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada; however, because of school starting in September, I returned home by bus in the last days of August. The harvest continued up into Canada all through September. I did not get to harvest wheat that September in Canada, but I earned more than $660 during that summer.

This last September, 38 years later, I got to "finish the job." At the invitation of Messianic brethren in Sedley, just north of Regina, Saskatchewan, I was invited to join part of their harvest and operate a combine for the first week of September. Brother Alfred Bechard and his family operate Be-ver Farms there. The technology of harvesting wheat has significantly increased since my youth. This time, the combine was a Gleaner R72. It too was self-propelled with dual large drive wheels to carry a machine nearly twice the size of the one I had operated. The header (the cutting bar and reel for gathering the wheat) was 36 feet wide (nearly three times the size of what I used as a youth). Instead of an open operator station, it was enclosed in glass with filtered clean air. There was an adjustable pneumatic chair with fold down arm rests and an adjustable steering column so you could maintain proper posture or slouch to your comfort level. A control panel was filled with controls and indicators which enabled you to monitor and control all processes, speeds, and activities of the entire harvesting (threshing process). Alarm panels would even advise you both by lights and audibly of anything important, such as "the bin is full and you need to empty it now." There was a two-way radio to talk with anyone else working including the folks at the main farm houses. There was a cassette tape machine. (Apparently they listen to Lion and Lamb tapes for hours.) There was music and news from the local radio stations. It was AIR CONDITIONED!!! It also had a 325 bushel bin that could be filled in 20 minutes (nearly five times larger than I worked with). Most of the time, we off loaded while moving along side a grain cart as big as a small house pulled by a huge tractor bigger than most bull dozers. The grain cart hustled back and forth to fill the semi-trucks at the edge of the fields. The fields I worked in were half sections (one mile by one half mile). This one combine could harvest over 150 acres in a day and not be late to supper.

It was a boyhood destiny fulfilled. It was a joy and a pleasure hard to describe. I was in the midst of an ocean of grain and could see the golden fields reaching to the sunset again. It did not take me but a couple of days and I was back in the groove. I was at the top of my harvesting game. Even my hosts took note of my past experience as a wheat shocker. They commented on my particular skill of being seated and ready for supper faster than the other guys.
But I saw something more harvesting this time which I had not seen or understood from the days of my youth. It was a refresher course in the work of my ministry. The Lord showed me the reason for reminding you of His word picture about the sower and the harvest at the end of the age. It is about the threshing process and the work of the combine in the harvest. It is about how everyone and everything will be gathered to determine who is chaff and who is grain.

And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Matthew 3:12

So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:49-50

For those of you who just got home, noticed that your October Yavoh was waiting, and are now sitting to read it in a timely manner, consider the time of year we are in. Consider which Biblical holiday and season is upon us at this moment. It is the fall. It is October. The Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles) is scheduled October 10 - 18, 2003. The harvest of the year is completed. The grain is in the bin. Part of the observation of Tabernacles (Booths) concerns the agricultural season and the completion of harvest. It is also a prophetic picture right after the Day of the Lord and the start of the Messiah’s future kingdom.

Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.

Exodus

23:16

You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat;

Deuteronomy 16:13

Now consider this very profound observation. It concerns the place where God established His permanent altar, the temple, and the city of the King – Jerusalem. Let me remind you of how King David selected the temple site and the establishment of Jerusalem.

King David was at the height of his kingdom and decided to number (take a census of) the kingdom. Against counsel and the commandment of the Lord, David persisted in doing as he wished. The Lord judged David by sending a destroying angel to Israel. David repented and appealed to God’s mercy. God responded in kind.

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand." And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 1

CH 21:15

The Lord then commanded David to build an altar at the place where the destroying angel stopped.

Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

I Chronicles 21:18

Stop and think for a moment about the location and what was soon to happen. David was about to purchase the permanent location for the altar of God and His temple. It was a threshing floor for grain – specifically wheat.

Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat.

I Chronicles 21:20

At the moment David approached to negotiate his purchase and follow the commandment of the Lord, Ornan and his sons were also confronted with the angel’s presence. David purchased the ground and it became the location for the altar and future temple. Years later, when David’s son actually built the temple (Solomon’s temple), the Scripture still takes note and reminds us of the original purpose for the ground.

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

II Chronicles 3:1

Maybe you have never considered this before, but the eternal destiny (reward or punishment) of all men is determined by God at a threshing floor. This is where wheat is separated from the chaff. This is where the grain is gathered and the chaff is blown away or consumed in the fire. This is not only the very history of the establishment of the altar and temple, it is the very destiny of all men before God.

The prophets of Israel looked forward to the final judgment of God. They too used the same word picture to illustrate what the Lord will be doing. Most of us make a huge mistake about this word picture, about the threshing process of God’s final judgment. There are two parts in this threshing picture. It is just as Yeshua said. It is about tares first then the good grain. We tend to forget the second part. We focus on the first part sometimes to the exclusion of the latter part. Let me illustrate.

There is no question that the Day of Lord is a compelling subject. There is no question it is to happen before there is a Kingdom with the Messiah dwelling with us. However, one mistake here is how we (the good guys) fit into this scenario properly.

Many churchmen, particularly pretribulation believers, view themselves in this first priority position with God. Since God has said that the wrath of God is not stored up for us, they inappropriately add to the prophecy and build a scenario of being raptured out of the world prior to the judgments. They forget that the tares are right next to the wheat in the same field. They forget that the tares are gathered first before they are gathered. This is simply a misplaced focus.

Secondly, they forget there is a lot of chaff with the wheat and it too must be removed. The wheat must be shocked to remove the chaff. The great goal of God’s harvest is not about dealing with tares or finding the chaff, but about gathering the good grain. The Lord does not plan on losing any of the good grain. He fully intends to bring in the whole harvest. By dealing with the tares and the chaff first, the good grain is left.

Consider how the prophets have spoken of this great harvest at the end of the ages. Listen to the emphasis. Judgment is not the goal; judgment is a process. The goal is to gather us to the Lord.

Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of My people.

Hosea 6:11

Thou shalt multiply the nation, thou shalt increase their gladness; they will be glad in Thy presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Isaiah 9:3

And the threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.

Joel 2:24

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel 2:35

And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe."

Revelation 14:15

And it will come about in that day, that the Lord will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel.

Isaiah 27:12

Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges; You will thresh the mountains, and pulverize them, and will make the hills like chaff. You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the storm will scatter them; but you will rejoice in the Lord, you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:15-16

The great coming harvest is not so much about judgment falling upon the unbelieving world (the tares), or the unbelievers in our midst (the chaff), it is really about us, the good grain growing to maturity. It is about the seed that was planted in good ground and produces a harvest for the Lord. It is about the thirty, sixty, and the one hundred fold increase.

Now here is the stunning and profound part of this teaching. Just as in my youth, I harvested a great amount but it was far less that what the Lord is about to harvest now in our days. The Lord is about to harvest more grain into His kingdom than in any previous time in history. These are the days of the greatest harvest ever. Look at the process described by the Lord. It is the thirty, sixty, and one hundred increase.

The Messiah gathered the first sheaves of His harvest. It was a handful of men. He had to separate out chaff as well. Then other laborers entered the harvest and that handful of men became many turning the world upside down with the Gospel. But the weeds (tares) began to appear and at times appeared to be taking over. In our day, we see the greatest evidence both for and against the work of Messiah. These are the days of the final harvest. There are more weeds and more grain than in any previous time. Instead of a single man gathering an armful of shocks and beating out a few handfuls of grain, we are able to use others tools (combines if you will) and a single man can gather and collect much grain for the kingdom. The modern Messianic movement is evidence of this harvest. More Jews and sons of Israel are giving testimony of Yeshua now than in previous centuries combined.

Just as my experience in Canada this September showed me, I believe the tools of the harvest today have allowed me to gather many more brethren than I was able to gather in my youth. Today with the internet, Lion and Lamb Ministries is having a impact on a multitude of nations. My messages and teaching of the Torah reaches across the continent in all directions. Instead of a message to just a community or city, we have reached out to multiple states and nations. It is an even greater comparison than a 36 foot header compared to a 14 foot header. It is more than a bin of 65 bushels compared to a bin of 325 bushels.

I think the Messiah knew that the great harvest would be at the end. I think He understood that while He would be the "first fruits" there would many fruits to follow. This is certainly His tone and message given in Matthew 13 after teaching and explaining the parable of the sower and the harvest of the kingdom at the end of the ages. If you follow Yeshua’s parables of the sower, the tares and the kingdom, He turned to His disciples and asked if they had understood His teaching.

"Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes." And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old."

Matthew 13:51-52

When the disciples responded with "Yes," Yeshua said something even more profound. He was referring to a part of the great coming harvest. The word "therefore" is an automatic pun. It is a clue to us that a significant thought is being expressed. What is the word "therefore" there for? The answer is in the following statement.

"… every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old."

What does that mean? What does that have to do with the parable of the sower, tares, and the kingdom?

Most people think that John 3:16 is the most stunning and profound verse in the New Testament. Personally, I think this statement of Yeshua’s is the most profound.

A scribe is a person who copies the Torah. It can also be attributed to a Torah teacher who has replicated the teaching in the heart of his students. Becoming a disciple of the kingdom is being part of the good grain of the harvest. The disciples of Yeshua will be with Yeshua in the kingdom. To be like the head of a household is a position of responsibility and authority. One does not elevate himself in God’s kingdom; it comes from proving yourself to be faithful in little things before being granted authority over the riches of the kingdom and being anointed by the Spirit of God. Bringing forth out of his treasures things new and old is the moment when the first grain enters the bin after the harvest. All the labors are realized in the success of fruitfulness and increase. A farmer does not plant seed to grow wonderful plants; he plants seed to increase his seed at the harvest – to multiply it for a return on his investment. We call it God’s BLESSING. Every farmer knows that it is God who gives the increase.

Torah teachers who understand the sod level of the Torah (the mysterious level) know that the expression of "the head of the house who brings forth treasures" is the teaching to the letter level for the word "baruch" blessing. Torah teachers are to bring forth the treasures of God’s house out of the Torah. It is called the Blessing.

In this generation and in these last twenty years, the teaching of Torah has exploded in the world. The messianic movement has introduced a whole new understanding (actually it’s the old truthful one) and teaching of Moses that properly presents the Messiah. Moses is the greatest prophet of the Messiah and now we have a multitude of teachers and materials presenting the Messiah from the truths of Torah. Not only are the Jewish people responding to the Messiah more than in the previous 1900 years, but churchmen are re-evaluating their stance toward the Messiah and Moses.

For years, Christian leaders have repeated the words of Yeshua for more workers of the harvest.

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

Matthew 9:37-38

Many have responded. There are many workers in the field. They have built churches everywhere. We have more organizations and denominations than we have ever had before, but I submit to you that we do not need more hands to cut the grain. We do not need more hands and arms to carry sheaves. I think we need more COMBINES!

Now wait! I know what you are thinking! No, I did not frostbite my brain with the air conditioning in the combine up in Canada. Hear me out. I think we need believers who know the Lord of the harvest and know the teaching of Torah. I think we need people who know the Lord and how He led our ancestors out of Egypt. We need laborers in the harvest who believe in the Lord’s deliverance, the power of His judgments, and seek His strength all the way to the promised land. I think we need harvesters who will reach out farther than a single community or country. I think we need laborers who are not afraid of being "shockers" to their friends and family. I think we need laborers harvesting all the way to the horizon of God’s kingdom.

When the Lord dealt with the first world and Noah – eight people made it out alive. When God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, four almost made it – we ended up with three. When the generation left Egypt and made the journey to the promised land, only two made it, and they were not Moses and Aaron. I do not know if you have detected the trend yet, but it does not look good for us at the end of the ages. However, something incredible is prophesied to occur.

Simply said, the number of those who are to be delivered and enter the kingdom can not be numbered by a man because of the incredible multitude of them.

After these things I looked, and behold,, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?" And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:9-17

… a great multitude, which no one could count is a lot of people. It is the people harvested out of the greatest threshing process in the history of the world. It means God is going to save more people than ever before. The palm branches in their hands and the Lord spreading His tabernacle over them indicates the great feast of ingathering (Tabernacles) which is scheduled to be the first event of the kingdom.

This is the great coming harvest we are looking toward. It will involve a lot of weeds (tares). It will include a lot of chaff and frustrations along the way. It will sometimes be very uncomfortable, but the rewards will be far more than the temporary inconvenience of the field. Some will be shocked in the process. The chaff will be blown away, but the grain will be brought in, and it will be more than anyone expected. In fact, the increase of His harvest will not stop. It will continue right into the kingdom. The prophet says it will be like this.

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will be dissolved.

Amos 9:13

What the prophet means is that the new will overtake the old. All things will be new.

I hope and trust that the Lord of the Harvest will bless and encourage you this season. If you are not satisfied with the harvest of your life at this point, consider letting God’s word, His seed, be sown again in your heart. The Torah teaching cycle for the year begins again this October. It is the Torah that will teach you about the promised Seed. The Torah will also explain how the seed must die and fall to the ground. Then you will learn about the living waters of salvation to bring a newness of life by nurturing that seed. Before long, you will see God bring forth the increase in your life. You will then look around and find many brethren just like you and begin to understand that you are part of the great coming harvest.

YAVOH, He is Coming is a monthly newsletter published as an outreach ministry of Lion and Lamb Ministries
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Editor - Monte Judah
Electronic Editor - Ephraim Judah

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