Day 103: Signs of the Harvest (SoS 2:11)

 For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. (Song of Songs 2:11‭)

We said in the previous lesson that the seven reasons the Bride is asked to go away with the Beloved are signs of spring. They point to the church: her birth and present age. 

Today, we'll look at the first two reasons the Beloved gave the Bride. We'll interpret them with events in keeping with our Christian faith and the climate and calendar of Israel where this song originates. We'll then end with a brief explanation of it's significance to us as Brides of Christ and laborers in the harvest.

1. The winter is past:

Winter is the season of the year with the least outdoor activities. The word translated winter means to hide or dark. This correlates with the fact that the winter months (December to February) are the coldest months of the year in Israel when there are fewer outdoor activities because of the heavy downpour of rain. This correlates with the Bride remaining at rest, hidden away for a season till the Beloved called.

Winter according to Charles Spurgeon and some Bible scholars, represents the 400-year gap between Malachi and Matthew. It was a period in Israel when the Lord's voice was not heard. No prophet of the Lord arose at this time. Israel was in a dark, silent season. They had no new light from God, so they settled into religious routines and their religious leaders taught God's laws to suit themselves.

That season however ended with God's voice calling through John the Baptist. He came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. It was to prepare their hearts for the Messiah. In Matthew 11:12, Jesus said:

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

The word translated as violent also means to crowd oneself into. It's the idea of a multitude of people pushing into a place. The word translated force does not just mean to seize, it means to eagerly claim for oneself. I believe the Plain English Version puts it simply:

You know, John started to teach some time ago, and from that time until now, God’s family has been getting bigger. There are people that really want to be friends with God, and they have been trying hard to get into his family.

So, John the Baptist made the kingdom known again and men began to truly seek God. Mere religious activities became irrelevant and kingdom activities that led men to God began.

2. The rain is over and gone:

Rain in the scripture is often used prophetically to refer to the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Peter explained it by quoting the words of the prophet Joel who prophesied in chapter 2 of his book that the outpouring of the Spirit will come after the rains and at the end of bountiful harvest.

Rain marked the beginning and end of the Jewish grain harvest. Fall/autumn was the time of the early/former rain, and spring was the time of the latter rain.

Cheshvan, the second month of the Jewish civil calendar and the eighth month of the religious calendar marks Autumn (October to November). It was in this month that the first rains (former/early rain) began. Between the former/early and latter rains is winter (December to February). Then comes spring (March to June) which begins with the latter rains which last from March to April.

(To avoid confusion, let me emphasize again that winter is not a dry season. This interpretation is only relevant to visible outdoor activities that spiritually imply visible kingdom activities of men laboring in and coming into the kingdom.)

The seventh month of the Jewish calendar and the first of the religious year is the month of Nisan. It is the first month of spring and marked the beginning of the grain harvests in Israel. Most importantly, it is the month the Passover is celebrated. The Bible lets us know in all of the four gospels that Jesus died at the time of the Passover.

Fifty days after the Passover was the end of the grain harvest which is celebrated on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost was the day the Holy Spirit came down.

We can then conclude from all we've said that the old testament signifies the early rain and the New Testament the latter rain beginning from John the Baptist to Jesus. The Holy Spirit as prophesied by Joel came on Pentecost: the day of celebration of harvest. The rain of John - Jesus produced and is still producing a harvest of souls thronging into the kingdom of heaven. The church age is the season of harvest of Jesus' labor on the cross. 

(The latter rain however, has not ended. It is the beginning of another season of rains that will end with the end-time harvest. We'll learn more about this after we look at the other signs of the harvest.)

For the individual Christian, the early rain is when we accept Jesus. It's when we are recruited into the harvest. The winter seasons are the times we spend with the Lord in the secret place and the seasons of rest when the Lord prepares and trains us for our specific tasks. Men do not see those activities. Spring begins when His voice begins to call us to take our assigned place in the worldwide harvest.

PRAY WITH ME:

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of an invitation to labor in Your vineyard. Open my eyes to see, know and understand better my assigned place in the harvest. Reveal to me the gifts and grace You have given to me to accomplish my task. Amen.

REFLECT & ACT:

• If you do not know your assigned place in the harvest, ask the Lord to show you.
• If you do, how are you preparing for, training for, and executing your tasks?