Harvest time
Throughout millennia, communities the world over have celebrated harvests. For the ancient Israelites, these festivities held both agricultural and theological meaning—honoring not only the ingathering of crops but also God for His faithful and abundant provision.
Harvest is a recurring image in the New Testament. John the Baptist describes the Messiah’s purpose to separate wheat from chaff; Christ Jesus offers a parable about tares and wheat; and John of Patmos identifies the Son of man as a reaper (see Matthew 3:11, 12; 13:24–30, 36–43; and Revelation 14:14–16).
When sending out seventy disciples, Jesus uses the metaphor to call for more laborers to spread the gospel (see Luke 10:1, 2). And he describes fields “white already to harvest” (John 4:35), showing his expectation that people’s hearts will be ready for the good news.
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