Seeds and Harvest

Introduction

The end of this age is presented in the Scriptures as a harvest. There is no harvest unless seeds have been planted that have produced something to be harvested. What are the seeds that have been planted? What is the nature of the harvest? We probably have traditional answers to these questions, but are those answers consistent with the Scriptures?

Jesus as the Seed

The Scriptures refer to Jesus as the Seed. Jesus is the embodiment of the fullness of all aspects of the Seed that is planted in the earth. Not just as one type but in three different aspects.

1. In Genesis, God speaks of Jesus as the Seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent: “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15 NKJV

2. In Galatians, Jesus is called the Seed of Abraham: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “AND TO YOUR SEED,” who is Christ,” Galatians 3:16 NKJV

3. In Romans, Paul refers to Jesus as the Seed of David: “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,” Romans 1:3 NKJV

Each aspect of Jesus as The Seed has a different purpose in the plan of God. Each aspect of The Seed produces a different fruit at the harvest.

The Seed of the Woman

The purpose of Jesus coming as the seed of the woman was to crush the head of the serpent. The reason for this is as the Scriptures say, “. . . For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8 NKJV)

We should remember that the ‘works of the devil’ began before man was created. The devil and his angels had already rebelled against God before the time of the Garden of Eden. Destroying his works would involve things that are part of the spiritual dimension and the purposes of God. It is important in the plan of God that the One who would be the seed of the woman be in the likeness of man, who is made a little lower than the angels and yet would defeat the devil and destroy his works.

After learning that the Seed of the woman would crush his head, the Enemy immediately sought to corrupt the woman to prevent the coming of her Seed and failing that he sought to have the Seed killed right after He was born to Mary. He thought that he had finally killed the Seed at the cross but found that God raised Him from the dead like a seed sprouting from the earth. He doesn’t want to even admit that the Seed of the woman ever came, which is why John says, “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God…” (1 John 4:3 NKJV)

Now the Enemy’s goal is to try to prevent a viable harvest of the Seed. He cannot prevent the Seed’s coming because that has already happened so now he concentrates on preventing the spiritual seed from coming to harvest. At the close of the age the full harvest of the Seed of the woman results in the devil and all of his cohorts ending in the Lake of Fire.

The Seed of Abraham

So, the Seed of the woman is to deal with the devil and his works. The Seed of Abraham is to provide for the people of God. The promise of a son and an inheritance was given to Abraham.

(Galatians 3:14 NKJV) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus, as The Seed, was planted to produce those who would have the faith of Abraham so that the blessing of Abraham might come and that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. So the harvest that is coming from the Seed is a harvest of many sons of God filled with the Holy Spirit.

(Galatians 3:26 NKJV) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

(Galatians 3:29 NKJV) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

(Romans 9:6-8 NKJV) But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (7) nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED.” (8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

So, the close of the age will bring to full fruit the children of promise, the manifestation of the sons of God and the Father will have His many sons that He intended.

The Seed of David

Jesus, as the Seed of David, is planted as a King of the lineage of David and relates to the rule of His Kingdom. From our viewpoint, this Seed will produce a harvest of overcomers who will rule and reign with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.

(Revelation 2:26 NKJV) And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

(Revelation 3:21 NKJV) To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

All three aspects of Jesus as The Seed will produce a harvest: a harvest of destruction for the enemy and the wicked, a harvest of sons for the Father, and a harvest of rulers for the Kingdom. All elements of these three pictures of the Seed will find their full and complete consummation at the close of the age.

The Implanted Seed

The seed is planted in us by the Holy Spirit through the word of God. It is the growing of this seed that conforms us to the image of Christ.

(James 1:21 NKJV) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

(1 Peter 1:23 NKJV) having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

(1 John 3:9-10 NKJV) Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (10) In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

As we see from the Scripture above, the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil is revealed by the growing of the seed that is in us.

In the Parable of the Sower we have the details of what God is after. The seed sown is the word of the Kingdom of God.

(Matthew 13:18-23 NKJV) “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. (20) But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; (21) yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. (22) Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (23) But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

This parable should be called the parable of the grounds because the key element is the type of soil where the word of the Kingdom was planted. All four types of ground received the same word of the Kingdom but only one type of soil produced fruit.

After the Parable of the Sower where the word of the Kingdom is planted in us, the next parable is the Wheat and the Tares where we become the seed, the sons of the Kingdom, which are planted in the field. The Enemy also plants his sons in the field so that we have the sons of the Kingdom and the sons of the Devil growing together until the time of the harvest, that is, the close of the age.

The Kingdom in the Earth

When Jesus came, He came as THE SEED of the woman, THE SEED of Abraham, and THE SEED of David. He, Himself, was THE SEED of the Kingdom that was planted in the earth and was raised with resurrection life.

Christ Jesus finished all of the work of the Father that was given to Him. He made two “it is finished” statements. The first was in His high priestly prayer to the Father as shown in John.

(John 17:4 NKJV) I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

The statement by Jesus that is shown above was before the more famous one that was made while on the cross, which is shown below.

(John 19:30 NKJV) So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

We see from this that two aspects of the work of Jesus was completed during His earthly life. The cross completed the work of Jesus as the Seed of the woman, making atonement for man and being made victorious over the devil. The priestly prayer showed that Jesus completed His work as the Seed of Abraham—the way was now open for the sons to receive an inheritance to the glory of the Father. So, how was His work as the Seed of David completed? The simple answer is that it is not complete, that is, not in time.

In temporal reality, time, this work of Jesus is still unfolding, even though it is complete in the spiritual reality of the heavens from the viewpoint of the Father and His purpose. The completion process began when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Acts 2:36 NKJV “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.“

By His life and His death, Jesus became Christ. By His resurrection, He became Lord—sovereign Ruler of the Kingdom of God. His rule will continue until all rule that is opposed to Him is completely dealt with, that is, until all things are put under His feet.

(1 Corinthians 15:24-28 NKJV) (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.  (26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (27) For “HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. (28) Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Where we are now in the timeline of God that extends from Eternity past to Eternity future, is the time frame of the King being seated at the right hand of the Father to rule until all operations of illegitimate authority and power are brought to a halt. After that the Kingdom will be turned over to the Father.

Now we are in between. The next step in the completion of the work of the Seed of David is the physical return of our Lord and King to establish the physical 1000 year reign of Christ on earth. During the millennial reign, the last enemy, death, is put under His feet and destroyed at the close of the millennium. Then, the Kingdom is turned over to the Father, who now has a “unified” Kingdom that is no longer “fractured”. The Eternal Kingdom continues in the new heavens and the new earth throughout Eternity without end.

The Harvest

The return of Jesus, His parousia, is the time of harvest. As the Parable of the Wheat and Tares shows us, the sons of the Kingdom and the sons of the Devil grow together until the end.

Matthew 13:36-43 NKJV

(36) 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.”

(37) He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

(38) The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

(39) The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

(40) Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

(41) 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,

(42) and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

(43) Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Jesus’ interpretation makes this very clear:

1. Jesus is the sower that sows us as sons of the Kingdom into the field of the world;

2. The Devil, the wicked one, the enemy, sows tares as sons of the Devil into the field of the world;

3. The harvest is the close of the age;

4. The reapers, the harvesters, are the Angels, not us.

5. The Angels, the harvesters, will gather out of the Kingdom all who offend and all who practice lawlessness; that is, the sons of the wicked one.

6. The tares, the sons of the wicked one are then thrown into the furnace of fire.

7. The sons of the Kingdom are the ones left and they shine forth in the Kingdom like the sun.

Notice that Jesus leaves no room for doubt about the events of the harvest. The wicked are taken out and the righteous are left to shine like the sun. This is opposite to the things that we have been taught about the rapture. Jesus speaks of this again when He is talking about His coming

(Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV) But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (38) For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, (39) and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Jesus is saying that His coming will be just like the days of Noah—the world was carrying on business as usual without any expectation of judgment. But, the flood came and took them all away. Again, the wicked are taken out while the righteous remained. Then Jesus goes on to say:

(Matthew 24:40-42 NKJV) Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. (41) Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. (42) Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

We have been taught that this is a picture of the rapture and it is the righteous that are taken and the wicked left; however, in light of what Jesus had just said, that is backwards—the wicked are taken out and the righteous remains. This also fits completely with the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares.

The harvest removes the wicked and brings the sons of the Kingdom into the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth where they will shine as the sun.