Tag: harvest of earth
“The Harvest of Earth is fully ripe!”
Scripture reading for December 21st: Revelation 14
Key Scriptures: Revelation 14:12-16 “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a Son of man, with a golden crown on his Head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him Who sat on the cloud, “Put in Your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So He Who sat on the cloud swung His sickle across the earth and the earth was reaped.”
John heard a voice from heaven commanding him to write down a Revelation “beatitude’ that would call the saints to patient endurance. It was a “Blessed indeed” Word from the throne echoed by the Holy Spirit concerning those who would die in faith during the final days of the tribulation. These would rest from their labors and their deeds of faith would follow them. The final call to patient endurance for the saints came with another vision John beheld. There was a white cloud, and seated on this cloud was Jesus Christ, crowned as King of Kings, and holding a sharp sickle in His hand. An angel appeared and passed the command from the throne–“Put in Your sickle, and reap. . .” for the hour had come when the harvest of earth was fully ripe! God would avenge His people whose blood had been shed on the earth!
Revelation 14:17-18 “Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, I hear Your call to me for patient endurance even in the time I live on the earth. Evil is multiplying and Your people are despised. Help me to endure and thrive as I trust in You and give me boldness to share Your promise of blessing for all who trust in Jesus. I believe the harvest of earth is ripening fast and fields of souls are white for harvest!
Revelation 14:19-20 “So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1600 stadia.”
Blessed to become a blessing!
Scripture reading for June 17th: Psalms 67-72
The Aaronic blessing begins Psalm 67 as a prayer. God’s face is shining or beaming with a smile of love and joy as He beholds His own people. This smile means abundant provisions of food and water. It means health to our bodies and protection from enemies. It means love and fruitfulness in our relationships and homes and a sense of knowing God and walking in His will. The Hebrew word “selah” follows this first verse and is a term meaning to pause and ponder the thought that has been presented.
Why does God love to bless His people? Surely it is because he loves and delights in His people. But this psalm states another reason for the blessing. God wants to use a blessed people to share the knowledge of His ways among all peoples. (Psalm 67:2) God desires the worship of all who are made in His image! He is their guide, ruler and judge! We are blessed to be a blessing! Nothing really belongs to us. We must keep His blessing moving and not hoard it to ourselves and our own use!
The result of being a blessing is that the earth will yield its harvest. The harvest ultimately is souls that will come to know and worship the Lord through the witness of God’s people. God wants all the ends of the earth to fear Him! (Psalm 67:6-7) We set up a cycle of blessing when we give to the Lord of our tithes and offerings so that others may hear and learn! As we give, we become like God who is the ultimate giver of everything. As we give, God is worshiped and He moves upon the lost and draws them to salvation. As we give, we are blessed by God again with more abundance so that we can give even more to Him. The cycle goes on and multiplies!
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2nd Corinthians 9:10-11