The Harvest

In my last post I pointed out that Bible prophecy focuses on the making up of Christ's kingdom, which takes place before Jesus comes back to earth. The making up of His kingdom was also the focus of Jesus' parables. He sought to turn His hearers' thoughts "from the hope of a worldly kingdom to the work of God's grace in the soul." COL 62. "For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21. His kingdom is made up as His people experience the work of the gospel in their lives. That work will culminate in a final harvest — Christ's character fully reproduced in His people. This is the establishment of His kingdom to which all prophecy points.

"Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church." COL 69.

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations." Isaiah 61:11.

"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:26-28.

"The divine Husbandman looks for a harvest as the reward of His labor and sacrifice. Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men…. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing — the reproduction of Christ's character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others." COL 67.

"But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Mark 4:29.

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man [compare Daniel 7:13, 14], having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." Revelation 14:14, 15. This harvest marks the close of human probation.

"The harvest is the end of probationary time." COL 72. "When the work of the gospel is completed, there immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the destiny of each class is forever fixed." COL 123.