harvest

The Cords that Bind

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Jesus said that when the Lord comes, everybody in the world will be bound into bundles. “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, [Another version says, “at the time of the harvest.” A more accurate translation would be, “during the time of the harvest”] and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ” Matthew 13:24–30.

Notice, it says the tares are gathered together and they are bound. To bind anything, you need to have some kind of a cord or rope or something with which to bind them. Jesus explained what these cords were: “Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said to them: ‘He who sows the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ ” Verses 36–43.

We read here that Jesus will send forth His angels to bind the tares in bundles and cast them into the fire before the wheat is gathered for the heavenly garner. This is surely not a physical binding but a mental or spiritual binding. But what are the cords that bind?

Binding the Tares

“Satan is busily at work in our crowded cities. His work is to be seen in the confusion, the strife and discord between labor and capital, and the hypocrisy that has come into the churches. That men may not take time to meditate, Satan leads them into a round of gayety and pleasure-seeking, of eating and drinking. He fills them with ambition to make an exhibition that will exalt self. Step by step, the world is reaching the conditions that existed in the days of Noah. Every conceivable crime is committed. The lust of the flesh, the pride of the eyes, the display of selfishness, the misuse of power, the cruelty, and the force used to cause men to unite with confederacies and unions—binding themselves up in bundles for the burning of the great fires of the last days—all these are the working of Satanic agencies. This round of crime and folly, men call life.” Evangelism, 26.

Notice the two things mentioned that bind them: confederacies and unions. Men are bound up in bundles by joining certain organizations. How does this happen? “In all our great cities there will be a binding up in bundles by the confederacies and unions formed. Men will rule other men and demand much of them. The lives of those who refuse to unite with these unions, will be in peril.

“The work of the people of God is to prepare for the events of the future, which will soon come upon them with blinding force. In the world gigantic monopolies will be formed. Men will bind themselves together in unions that will wrap them in the folds of the enemy. A few men will combine to grasp all the means to be obtained in certain lines of business. Trades unions will be formed, and those who refuse to join these unions will be marked men. …

“These unions are one of the signs of the last days. Men are binding up in bundles ready to be burned. They may be church members, but while they belong to these unions, they cannot possibly keep the commandments of God; for to belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue.” Maranatha, 182.

If you are a member of an organization that is breaking the law of God, you are a part of it, and when you give your time, money and influence to it, you will be acknowledged as guilty of the same sins if you stay in it. You will be bound in a bundle.

Very often somebody says, “I’m not doing it.” But you are a member of an organization that is doing it, and supporting what they are doing with your influence, time, and your money. And so, it says, “They cannot possibly keep the commandments of God, for to belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue.”

In Notebook Leaflets, 48, Ellen White has this to say about the subject: “I am instructed to say that in the future great watchfulness will be needed. There is to be among God’s people no spiritual stupidity. Evil spirits are actively engaged in seeking to control the minds of human beings.”

Notice the way evil spirits try to control the minds of human beings. She says, “Men are binding up in bundles, ready to be consumed by the fires of the last days. Those who discard Christ and His righteousness will accept the sophistry that is flooding the world. Christians are to be sober and vigilant, steadfastly resisting their adversary the devil, who is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles.” Ibid.

We don’t understand how rapidly this work of binding people in bundles is going on. Once people are bound, it appears to them that they can never get loose. They say that they will lose their job and won’t have a way to make a living. Of course, they could decide that they are going to lose anything to gain eternal life and the Lord could provide for them. But you can see how it takes a tremendous amount of faith to get loose from this bundle once you have been bound.

“Can we not see how earnestly Satan is at work binding the tares in bundles, uniting the elements of his kingdom, that he may gain control of the world? This work of binding up the tares is going forward far more rapidly than we imagine. Satan is opposing every obstacle to the advancement of the truth. He is seeking to create diversity of opinion and to encourage worldliness and avarice. He works with the subtlety of the serpent and, when he sees it will do, with the ferocity of the lion. The ruin of souls is his only delight, their destruction his only employment; and shall we act as though we were paralyzed? Will those who profess to believe the truth listen to the temptations of the wily foe and allow themselves to become selfish and narrow, and their worldly interests to interfere with efforts for the salvation of souls?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 384.

Notice what Satan is introducing to bind people in bundles. Three things are mentioned. He is seeking to create diversity of opinion, to encourage worldliness—the love of the world, and avarice—a desire and craving to gain possessions. The devil tries to break down people’s barriers so their soul is weak, that without moral force, they can be overcome and then become polluted and debased and easily bound together in bundles.

“The matter is placed before us in the correct light. The question is asked, ‘And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God … Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing’ (II Corinthians 6:16, 17). What does this mean—the suggestions, the evil workings in the children of disobedience. You are not in any case to become contaminated with the spirit or influence of unbelievers. Be afraid of uniting or binding up in bundles with them. Be afraid of communicating the works connected with the Lord’s cause to those who have no part with God, or sympathy with those who love the truth of God.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 271, 272.

The devil seeks to get us bound up by being contaminated with the spirit or the influence of unbelievers. Of course, this Scripture (II Corinthians 6:14–16) is usually used to teach that as Christians we should not marry those that are not Christians, those that do not have the same faith. That is a true application of this Scripture, but it does not refer simply to a marriage covenant. When you are in close business relationships with a non-Adventist, disagreements can arise on whether or not to keep the establishment open on Saturday, when to close it on Friday or how to distribute the means that are made. An Adventist will want to pay tithe on his increase while a non-Adventist will generally not want to pay tithe on anything. When you are bound up with an unbeliever you are headed for trouble, and the Bible says not to do it.

In the book This Day With God, 163, it says, “The inhabitants of the world, under Satan’s leadership, are binding up in bundles ready to be burned. We have no time, not a moment, to lose. The judgments of God are in the land, and those who stand obstinate, unconvinced by the warnings God sends, will be bound up in bundles ready to be burned.”

We are not to bind ourselves with them. In Special Testimonies for Ministers and Gospel Workers, 10, Ellen White said, “Let not God’s people in any of our institutions sign a truce with the enemy of God and man.” She then quotes from II Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers.”

In our institutions there is a continual temptation to try to become more successful by uniting with the world. Ellen White wrote, “Christian consistency marked the course of Daniel and Joseph in all the actions of their lives. There are men binding in bundles by vows that will end in sacrificing conscience for professional success.” Pamphlet, 167.

Elder Burden was the principle leader that helped the Seventh-day Adventist church establish today what is called Loma Linda University. Ellen White wrote to him and Mrs. Burden: “How long will the Lord suffer oppression of the poor that rich men may hoard wealth? These men are heaping together treasures for the last days. Their money is placed where it does no one any good. To add to their millions, they rob the poor and the cries of the starving are no more to them than the barking of a dog. But the Lord marks every act of oppression. No cry of suffering is unheard by Him. Those who today are scheming to obtain more and more money, putting in operation plans that mean to the poor starvation, will in the last great day stand face to face with their deeds of oppression and injustice. Those who claim to be the children of God are in no case to bind up with the labor unions that are formed or that shall be formed. This the Lord forbids. Cannot those who study the prophecies see and understand what is before us. The transgressors of the law of God have taken sides with their leader, the general of rebellion. He understands how to devise his satanic schemes and through whom to work for the carrying out of them. He is striving to lead every soul to take sides with him, and under the influence of his temptations, thousands are binding themselves up in bundles, ready to be consumed by the fires of the last day. Those who yield to his temptation become in their turn tempters, standing among the ablest of his helpers.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 78.

Most do not understand how the labor movement began. A few decades ago a Seventh-day Adventist minister who was a leader of the religious liberty department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, came to talk to ministers about this problem and the problems that they were facing, at that time, in the State of California where people were saying, in certain big cities, that if you want to get a job and earn a living here, you have to belong to a labor union. Sharing the problems they were dealing with, he told us how the modern labor movement got started. It was very interesting to hear the dates that he gave, compared with the statements that Ellen White wrote around the turn of the twentieth century. He told us that at the end of the nineteenth century a pope was elected in 1878 who continued in his office until 1903. In 1891, he wrote an encyclical that initiated the modern labor movement. Most people are unaware of the very close connections that the labor movement has had from its very inception with the Roman Catholic Church. Ellen White goes on to say to Elder Burden, “In the time of the harvest the Lord will say to His reapers, ‘Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn’ (Matthew 13:30). God has a people on the earth who will see the evil of every phase of oppression, and will refuse to unite with the enemy in carrying out his plans.” Ibid., 79.

Are we going to become sanctified through the truth or are we going to become the subjects of Satan’s temptations? “Let all walk and work circumspectly, under the molding influence of the Holy Spirit. There is little wisdom in binding about the work in any line. God has not given His sanction to any branch of His work’s being bound about. But unbelief has strengthened, and those who have not been sanctified through the truth will be subjects of Satan’s temptations. They will be his most successful allies. … There are now those who will show just what they will do under temptation and in an emergency.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 383. When you are under temptation and in an emergency, what will you do?

Concerning these people, “They cannot be depended upon. The Lord has given them great light, but they choose Barabbas rather than Christ. This is being enacted in our very midst. They crucify afresh the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. But the unsetting Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth, and those who have worked to counterwork what God has appointed will be gathered in bundles with the tares.” Ibid., 383.

There is always somebody to object, criticize and counterwork any time God is doing a work in the world. Those people guilty of this will be bound together in bundles. We all need to be very careful when we are analyzing and listening to somebody criticize something. If you are found criticizing something that God is in, then you are counterworking something that God is doing and are in a very dangerous situation.

Ellen White wrote a letter while she was in Australia, around 1892, to a gentleman that was a member of a secret society. There are many, many lodges, fraternities and secret societies of all kinds in the world today. These secret societies are another means by which people are bound in bundles. This man was a member of a Masonic Lodge. This is what she wrote to him: “I am anxious that you shall be a free man from the slavery of all bondage. You have been binding yourself in bundles with those who are an offense to God. Your brethren, or many of them, do not know that which you yourself and the Lord know—the inward workings of the association with which you are connected. You do not yourself know its character.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 281.

Often times these organizations look very bland and mild on the outside, disguising the inner secret workings that go on within. Ellen White went on to say, “You are like a man intoxicated; every advancement perverts your senses.” Ibid.

That man finally freed himself from his association with the secret society. There are other people today who are members of these secret associations who will cut loose when the loud cry goes out. During the time of the latter rain, the people who want to be saved are going to cut loose from everything that keeps them from obeying the truth.

Today there are many obstacles that prevent people from obeying the truth. Some people refuse to obey because of their spouses; others hold back because of family connections. There are people who don’t obey the truth because of their business or connections with secret societies and labor unions. This connection makes them responsible to a degree for what is done by those associations in breaking the law of God.

As mentioned previously, when we come to the end of time, everybody is going to be bound. There is a big difference in the outcome, which depends upon the bundle in which you are bound. The parable says that the tares will be bound first, but later on, the wheat also will be bound.

Let us consider the cords and what it is that binds the wheat and holds it together. Some people believe that it is the church organization to which you belong.

In the book Early Writings, 88, 89, Ellen White wrote, “I saw the rapidity with which this delusion was spreading. [She was referring to spiritualism.] A train of cars was shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed that the whole world was on board, that there could not be one left. Said the angel, ‘They are binding in bundles ready to burn.’ Then he showed me the conductor, who appeared like a stately, fair person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced. I was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it was. He said, ‘It is Satan. He is the conductor in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the world captive. They are given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie, that they may be damned. This agent, the next highest in order to him, is the engineer, and other of his agents are employed in different offices as he may need them, and they are all going with lightning speed to perdition.’

“I asked the angel if there were none left. He bade me look in an opposite direction, and I saw a little company traveling a narrow pathway. All seemed to be firmly united, bound together by the truth, in bundles, or companies. Said the angel, ‘The third angel is binding, or sealing, them in bundles for the heavenly garner.’ This little company looked careworn, as if they had passed through severe trials and conflicts. And it appeared as if the sun had just risen from behind a cloud and shone upon their countenances, causing them to look triumphant, as if their victories were nearly won.”

The result of the Three Angels’ Messages ends in Revelation 14:12, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” It is the third angel that binds the wheat into a separate bundle from the rest of the world.

“However much man may pervert the words of God, His purposes will be accomplished. Men may reject the truth, but it is the truth still. To us is committed the most solemn warning ever given to man; for us who are now upon the stage of action are reserved the most important scenes in this world’s history. Many who gave the first and second messages (Revelation 14:6–8) greatly desired to see this day which we see, and saw it not. And not all who now believe will remain to the coming of the Lord; some will sleep for a moment. The Master is binding the precious grain in bundles for the heavenly garner, while the wicked are gathering together as fagots for the fires of the last day. The church and the world are preparing for the last great contest, in which all must act a part. The kingdoms of the whole world are gathering their forces to the battle of the great day, when the wrath of God will be manifested against the nations that have made void His law.” The Review and Herald, January 27, 1885.

“The third angel’s message must go over the land, and awaken the people, and call their attention to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Another angel unites his voice with the third angel, and the earth is lighted with its glory. The light increases, and it shines out to all the nations of the earth. It is to go forth as a light that burneth. It will be attended with great power, until its golden beams have fallen upon every tongue, every people, and every nation upon the face of the whole earth. Let me ask you, What you are doing to prepare for this work? Are you building for eternity? You must remember that this angel represents the people that have this message to give to the world. Are you among that people? Do you really believe that this work in which we are engaged is truly the third angel’s message? If so, then you understand that we have a mighty work to do, and that we ought to be about it. We must sanctify ourselves by a strict obedience to the truth, placing ourselves in right relation to God and His work. As the truth goes forth, Satan intensifies his zeal to defeat its progress by presenting pleasing delusions. As we urge the truth, he urges his errors. He will stir up his agents, in view of the coming of the Lord, to go out and cry, ‘Lo! here is Christ, and lo! there is Christ.’ And here arises this superstition, and there arises that heresy. And tell me, what are we to do about it? I will tell you: we can become familiar with the Bible, and read what saith the Lord. Not only the ministers but all who love and fear God are to do the Master’s work; and that is to let the light that He has given you shine before all. Here are two companies; one of them is being bound in bundles to burn, the other is being bound by the cords of truth and love. Satan is binding his followers with the work of iniquity. Christ is binding together His people in love and faith in the keeping of His commandments. And this work will increase more and more, and Satan will work to divide and separate God’s people one from the other.” The Review and Herald, August 18, 1885.

The devil is trying to separate and divide God’s people. “Satan will work to divide and separate God’s people one from the other. And while he is doing this kind of work, be careful that none of you are found helping him. We want to put away our cold-heartedness, and let love, tender compassion, true courtesy, and the spirit of tenderness come into our midst. Here we are in the waiting time, in the day of God’s preparation. Here in this world we are to fit up for these great trials that are soon coming upon us. And yet some of us act as though we had a whole millennium before us in which to accomplish the work. But, says the text, ‘Watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is’ (Mark 13:33). And what Christ said to His disciples, I say unto you, ‘Take ye heed, watch and pray,’ that when the Master comes to reckon with His servants, you may receive from Him the crown of life laid up for the overcomer, and rejoice with Him in His kingdom.” Ibid.

In Ellen White’s day, the following was a prophecy of what was going to happen in the future, in our day. It is happening all around us. She says, “I see perplexities on every side. As character develops man and woman will take their position, for varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts them to action. Every one will reveal the character of the bundle with which he is binding himself.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 995, 996.

Every bundle has its own character. We will reveal the character of the bundle with which we are being bound. If I intend to be in the kingdom of heaven but belong to an organization that is in open sin, I will have to cut loose from it before Jesus comes. The multitude of God’s people is still in Babylon, but before Jesus comes, the cry of Revelation 18:4 is going to go out, “Come out of her My people.” Babylon is in open sin and God’s people have to come out.

Two groups, both bound—one group ready to be burned. Jesus is coming for the heavenly garner that is bound about with the cord of truth. Make sure you choose the right bundle!

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Harvest Time

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Often Seventh-day Adventist Christians wonder why the coming of Christ has been delayed. Those in Heaven as well as on earth are disappointed because of how long it is taking for the harvest to get ripe. Mark 4:29 says, “But when the grain ripens, immediately He puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Two harvests are mentioned in Revelation 14:15, 18, 19, a harvest of the wheat and the harvest of the grapes of wrath. It says, “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ ”

The apparent delay is because it has taken longer than the pioneers imagined to get the harvest ready.

Jeremiah 8:20, one of the saddest texts in the Bible, reveals that the harvest time is going to be a time of bitter disappointment to multitudes of people. It says, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” These people could have been saved but they are not, and never will be, because it is too late.

How to Be Ready for the Harvest

All who have claimed to be a Christian have a page in the Book of Life. This records every detail of your life history; every thought, every word spoken, every feeling you have experienced and every action. Things are written on that page that many wish were not there. It is impossible to erase that history personally. It can only be blotted out by the Lord and He has clearly taught how this can happen.

Confession

We read in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As well as forgiveness, we also need cleansing.

To confess sins means to go to the Lord or someone else that I have wronged or injured and acknowledge what I have done and take responsibility for it. To labor on the reason for my sin is not confession but self-justification. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they justified what they had done by blaming others even to the point where God was blamed, “The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12).

In similar manner, Adam’s descendants have excused themselves ever since that time. Although they have confessed, confession alone is not enough to have your sins forgiven. You need also to take responsibility for them without blaming your husband, wife, children, parents or even the devil himself.

The New Testament gospel is a system that can give you victory over both inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil. Confession is being able to say, “Lord here I am. I take full responsibility for my sin and I am not blaming anybody—I did it—I am sorry and I want to be cleansed and not live that way anymore. I want your Holy Spirit to come into my heart to change me so that I can live a different kind of life.” This will take humility, something that prevents many people from confessing their sins while continuing to blame others for their own actions.

The Lord will hear that prayer. The Bible says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

This is the first step toward getting ready for the judgment, to make sure of a clean slate.

This is another description of “putting on the wedding garment.” Ellen White says that there will be many who come to the wedding supper without a wedding garment. Sadly they will be told: “From lips that never make a mistake come the words, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment’ (Matthew 22:12)? Those thus addressed are speechless. They know that words would be useless. The truth, with its sanctifying power, has not been brought into the soul, and the tongue that once spoke so readily of the truth is now silent. The words are then spoken, ‘Take them out of My presence. They are not worthy to taste of My supper’ (cf. Luke 14:24).

“As they are separated from the loyal ones, Christ looks upon them with deep sorrow. They occupied high positions of trust in God’s work, but they have not the life insurance policy that would have entitled them to eternal life. From the quivering lips of Christ come the mournful words of regret, ‘I loved them; I gave My life for them; but they persisted in rejecting My pleadings, and continued in sin.’ ” The Upward Look, 301.

Something remained on their record that needed to be removed before the harvest time, but it never came off. Now it is too late.

“Today Christ is looking with sadness upon those whose characters He must at last refuse to acknowledge. Inflated with self-sufficiency, they hope that it will be well with their souls. But at the last great day, the mirror of detection reveals to them the evil that their hearts have practiced, and shows them at the same time the impossibility of reform. Every effort was made to bring them to repentance. But they refused to humble their hearts.” Ibid.

What was their problem? They were not humble enough to set things right. A major temptation of the devil is to tempt people to not confess their sins. He suggests that the Lord loves you so much that He will just turn a blind eye to your faults—but it is a lie of the devil! God will fulfill His word.

Now is the hour of probation. Now is the day of salvation. Now is God’s time. If He is speaking to you right now, just say, Lord, by Your grace I am going to make things right.

When this understanding came to me with force when I was 19 years old, I had to confess some things to people. I was unsure of how in the world I could do this, but I knew I had to do it. I had once gotten out of a ticket by telling a lie. I called the authorities involved and told them what happened and that I was willing to pay any fine.

If the Holy Spirit prompts you, don’t delay. Write down a list or whatever you need to do and tell the Lord that by His grace you are going to make these things right, either by telephone, letter, or some other means.

Salvation was provided at a cost that we cannot comprehend. It is of infinite value, for those who are saved will have everlasting life. They will live as long as God lives. This gift is worth any correction that you may have to make. If you have said or done something that has injured or wronged somebody else, you need to confess to them as well as to the Lord.

Many people will neglect the necessary preparation and are getting ready to have a bitter harvest.

“Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold, therefore you will plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings; in the day you will make your plant to grow, and in the morning you will make your seed to flourish [things will seem to be going great]; but the harvest will be a heap of ruins in the day of grief and desperate sorrow” (Isaiah 17:10, 11).

By falling for the devil’s lie that someday the Lord will still save you in spite of unconfessed sins, you will be very disappointed.

Jesus said there will be a harvest at the end of the world. However, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ ” (Matthew 7:21–23)!

Many of these people hold high positions both in the church and in the world. Remember, the higher the position one holds, the harder it is to be humble and make things right.

“Christ tells us how in the last great day ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians, teachers, will confront Him with their claims. They will plead how they have led the singers in their songs of praise, how they have waved the palm branches, how they have spoken of Him before thousands. ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name,’ they say, ‘and in Thy name done many wonderful works?’

“But Christ says, ‘Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. O that you had known, even in the day of your visitation, when like sweetest music, mercy’s voice fell upon your ears, the things that belonged unto your peace. But you were not ready. If you had been faithful to the warnings of the word; if you had dismissed Satan, instead of linking your arm in his; if you had preserved untarnished the principles of right; if you had obeyed My commandments, broken with ungodly advisers, scorned their impious bribes, which tempted you to worldly honor; if you had lifted the cross, and followed Jesus in self-denial, I could have welcomed you into My presence. But you have not cared for My society, and now you have no power to go from the snare.

“ ‘I offered you My saving grace but you refused it, and chose the side of the enemy, even as the priests and rulers did. You refused to be touched by My dying agony on the cross, and mocked at My humiliation. So will I refuse to acknowledge you. I weep for your future, but you have not cared to weep for yourselves. I was pledged to bear you and care for you, even as a father beareth and loveth his own son that serveth him. But you would not harmonize with Me.’ ” Pamphlet 58, 3.

Have you ever met anybody who believes themselves to be so intelligent that they insist that things have to be done their way? It is interesting to read the different categories of people that lack humility because they are wise, intelligent and powerful in this world. Ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians and teachers are just some of those who will self-righteously claim to have taught thousands of people.

What do you do when you hear a “thus saith the Lord” that conflicts with one of your strong-held beliefs? Do you correct your thinking and change direction or do you dismiss the conviction and continue in your familiar path?

“The precious invitation was often given, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me, and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). But you would none of My counsel. You have caused many to follow your sinful ways, and now your punishment has come. You will receive as your works have been. You must lose everlasting life. You have chosen your own ways, and with such ways, such sentiments, such characters, you could not enter the gates of the Holy city.

“What a scene is this! I pass over the ground again and again, bowed down in an agony that no tongue can express, as I see the end of the many, many who have refused to receive their Saviour. Justice will take the throne, and the arm strong to save will show itself strong to smite and destroy the enemies of the kingdom of God. Christ will lay bare the motives and deeds of every one. Every hidden action will stand out as clearly before the doer as if proclaimed before the universe.” Ibid., 4.

Not just what we do but why we did it is taken into consideration in the final account. The unseen watcher sees and records all in the books of record.

The children of Israel were given a special religious service associated with the harvest. Before the Israelites could harvest their grain they had to present the first fruits, which were the pledge of a coming harvest. In 1 Corinthians 15:20 it says: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

The fact that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead is absolute proof that if you die in Christ, you will rise from the dead when He comes again. The resurrection of Christ is one of the most indisputable facts of history. There are very few things that have ever happened in our world that we have as strong a historical record of as the resurrection of Christ. The fact that Christ was raised from the dead is proof that if I die before He comes again, if I am in Christ, I will rise again. The harvest time is going to be a wonderful time if you are saved.

The Latter Rain

What is the latter rain? In Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 506, we are told: “The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man.”

I am sure all would agree that the church is not ready for Jesus to come right now. In Joel 2:23, we are told: “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down to you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”

This refers to the first month of the Jewish year when the winter wheat was planted. Passover was the 14th day of the first month. The 15th day of the first month was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the 16th day of the first month was the day when the wave sheaf was presented, which was the beginning of harvest. The first month was harvest time. Notice, there are people who are approaching the harvest that need more than the latter rain. No one is ready for the latter rain until they have received sufficient of the former rain.

“The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 506.

James 5:7 says, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”

A crop must have both the early and latter rain for an abundant harvest.

The Former Rain

“The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving His light and knowledge, must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement, and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing, and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning Him. It is God who began the work, and He will finish His work, making man complete in Jesus Christ. But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have, will receive greater light. …” The Review and Herald, March 2, 1897.

Are you living up to all the light that you know? The important thing is not how much light you understand, but are you living up to what you understand. If you are living up to the light you understand, the Lord will give you more light. But if you are not living up to the light you have now, why should the Lord give you more?

“Only those who are living up to the light they have, will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.” Ibid.

The question for each to inquire of themselves is, “Am I living up to the light that I have?” Ask the Lord to help you to live up to the light that you understand. The heathen who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ are better in God’s sight than Christians who do not live up to the light that they have.

At the time of the harvest every plant reaches full maturity and goes to seed and at that time the wheat and the tares are separated. There is a huge misunderstanding by many Adventists world-wide about the separation of the wheat and the tares.

Many people think that the separation of the tares happens when Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven. The harvest is not a one day event but happens over a period of time at the end of the growing season. It is during that period of time that the wheat and the tares are separated.

Ellen White wrote in The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 995, 996, “I see perplexities on every side. As character develops man and woman will take their position, for varied circumstances brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal the spirit which prompts them to action. Every one will reveal the character of the bundle with which he is binding himself. The wheat is being bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now bound up for the heavenly garner. The true people of God are now pulling apart, and the tares are being bound in bundles ready to burn. Decided positions will be taken. Satan will move upon minds that have been indulged, upon men who have always had their own way, and anything presented to them in counsel or reproof to change their objectionable traits of character is considered faultfinding, binding them, restraining them, that they cannot have liberty to act themselves. The Lord in great mercy has sent messages of warning to them, but they would not listen to reproof. Like the enemy who rebelled in heaven, they do not like to hear, do not correct the wrong they have done but become accusers, declaring themselves misused and unappreciated. …

“Now is the time of trial, of test, of proving.”

“God has been pleased to show me that men who ought to know the voice of the True Shepherd will be more ready to accept the voice of the stranger and follow in unsafe, forbidden paths because of the stubbornness of their human nature.

“Dark hours of trial are before the church because they have not obeyed the warnings and reproofs and counsel of God. What a bewitching power comes upon human minds to do contrary to the oft repeated will of God.

“Before the great trouble shall come upon the world such as has never been since there was a nation, those who have faltered and who would ignorantly lead in unsafe paths will reveal this before the real vital test, the last proving, comes, so that whatsoever they may say will not be regarded as voicing the True Shepherd. …” Ibid., 1002.

That is one of the most amazing statements in the Spirit of Prophecy. The people who would ignorantly lead God’s people in wrong paths before the great and final test comes are going to reveal their true character. So, if you are a true child of God you will know not to listen to whatever these false shepherds have to say. Remember, those people may be ministers, evangelists, physicians, elders or teachers.

She continues: “The time of our educating will soon be over. We have no time to lose in walking through clouds of doubt and uncertainty because of uncertain voices.” Ibid.

Will you make a covenant with the Lord to receive the former rain? The reception of the former rain occurs as the Holy Spirit impresses upon your mind what you need to do based upon the word of God and you respond by doing it.

Remember, the harvest time is coming soon and it is going to come whether we are ready or not. That is why the Lord has given us this instruction to help us to get ready and be prepared to receive the latter rain. We all need to follow instructions if we are to receive the gift of salvation. Not one who takes the Bible and accepts it just as it reads will be lost. Jesus wants to save you, but He cannot unless a full surrender is made to Him.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.