"What is the harvest? The vast majority of Bible commentators say that it is God’s wrath and judgment upon the nations. Generally they refer to the “blood flowing even unto the horses’ bridles” as the portrayal of horrid war and great massacre. I have no hesitation whatever in telling you that the harvest is not a work of judgment! That is proved by its being the same in kind as the firstfruits which have preceded it! Such as the firstfruits are, such is the harvest. Let me explain."
"The picture in the first part of chapter fourteen of the Revelation is that of the Lamb upon mount Zion and the one hundred and forty-four thousand with Him. As John beholds the scene, he is told that the 144,000 upon mount Zion are those who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, who have the Father’s name written on their foreheads, and they are redeemed from among men, being the FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb. The term “firstfruits” is drawn from the well-known offering of “firstfruits” under the Old Testament law of Israel, in which the first portion of any harvest was gathered prior to the full harvest and dedicated to God, in token that the whole belonged to Him, and was recognized as His. These firstfruits were chosen because they were the very first of the grain in the field to ripen. Hence it always implies that something of the same kind will follow it. If there was a field of wheat, the firstfruits, the very first of the ripened grain, would be offered up to God, following which the entire field of wheat would eventually come to the same condition of maturity, though not offered up to God in the same special way for His unique purpose. Thus, the 144,000 are the firstfruits of God’s redemption, the very first of all the Lord’s people to enter into full and complete redemption in spirit, soul, and body, and into the full likeness, image, and stature of Jesus Christ as sons of the Father! Many have supposed that the manifest sons of God are to be eternally unique, different from all the rest of God’s people. But such cannot be! The firstfruits are not firstfruits because they are different, nor because they are better; they are firstfruits simply because they are FIRST!"
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"They are firstfruits — meaning that following this the full harvest will be brought before God, gathered into His barn (kingdom), for the harvest must come as well as the firstfruits. It is significant to note here that just before the ministry of the three angels we are shown a wonderful picture of the firstfruits with the Lamb upon mount Zion. So what follows the messages of the three angels? Ah, immediately we see the dramatic picture of the gathering in of the full harvest! “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 has come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth (realm) was reaped” (Rev. 14:15-16). The reaping of the “earth-realm” can mean nothing else but that the Lord’s people who have dwelt for ages in the carnal church systems of men have at last shaken off the shackles of religious Babylon, have been dealt with mightily by God, and been purged, cleansed, purified, refined, tested, tried, and transformed into the image of Christ! What a harvest that will be! In our text only the fact of this great moving of God is revealed; in chapter sixteen, however, under the outpouring of the “seven last plagues,” we are shown in great detail the precise processes of God by which this wonderful work is accomplished! It is indeed wonderful!"
"Between the firstfruits and the harvest we have the three angels’ messages. The Holy Spirit bears witness within my spirit to the truth that the great purpose of the three angels’ messages is to PREPARE THE HARVEST FOR REAPING! This is the positive side of God’s dealing with His people. It is a three-fold word sent to the Lord’s church unto all the ends of the earth, breaking up the fallow ground, and preparing the hearts of all to experience the fullness of redemption already revealed within the firstfruits! On the other hand, the “seven last plagues” signify the working of God’s left hand, His hand of correction and purging, with consuming fire, by which all the roots, stones, and weeds of the false teachings of man and the ways of the flesh and the world are rooted out of men’s lives so that there can be indeed a bountiful harvest!"