Thematic Bible: The day of the lord’s harvest


Thematic Bible




the ax is already laid to the root of the trees: every tree then which does not produce good fruit, will be hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water to lead you to repentance; but he that cometh after me, is my superiour, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the effusion of the holy Ghost, in the appearance of fire: and with the fan in his hand, he will throughly cleanse his floor, and gather the wheat into his grainery, but the chaff will he burn with unquenchable fire."

Another parable he propos'd to them in these words. the state of the gospel in this world may be compar'd to a man who sowed good grain in his field: but while the people slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. but when the blade was sprung up, and bore grain, the tares appeared too. read more.
so the servants of the yeoman came and said, Sir, did not you sow your field with good grain: how comes it then to have tares? 'tis some enemy, said he, has done this. the servants replied, shall we go then and pull them up? no, said he, lest in pulling up the tares, you should root up the wheat with them. let both grow together till the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will thus direct the reapers, first of all gather the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: then lodge the wheat in my barn. He propos'd another parable to them, which was this; the gospel-state is like a grain of mustard-seed which a man took to sow in his field. 'tis one indeed of the smallest grains: but when it is grown, it is the largest of the pulse kind, and becomes a tree: so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches. Another of his parables was this; the gospel-state is like unto leaven, which a woman took and mixt with three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spake Jesus to the multitude in parables, and did not discourse to them without some parable. so that this saying of the prophet was fulfilled, "I will talk in parables, I will utter what has been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Then Jesus leaving the multitude, went into the house: and his disciples coming to him, said, explain to us the parable of the tares of the field. he answered them, he that soweth the good seed, is the son of man: the field is the world: the good seed are the children of the kingdom: but the tares are the children of the wicked one: the enemy that sowed them is the devil: the harvest is the conclusion of the age: and the reapers are the angels. as then the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire; so shall it be at the conclusion of the age. the son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all that make others offend, and those who do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. then shall the just shine out like the sun, in the kingdom of their father. he that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

As the people were in suspence, every man imagining in his own mind that John might be the Messiah; he address'd himself to them all, saying, I indeed baptize you with water; but there is one coming, who is superiour to me, whose shoes I am unworthy to untie: he shall baptize you with the holy spirit, under the appearance of fire. and with the fan in his hand he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will lay up the wheat in his grainery: but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire.

and a sharp sickle in his hand. 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 reaping time is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." so he that sat on the cloud, stretch'd out his sickle to the earth; and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, read more.
he also having a sharp sickle. and another angel came out from the altar, who presided over the fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, "stretch out thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are full ripe." so the angel stretch'd out his sickle to the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the divine vengeance. and the grapes were press'd without the City, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the horse-bridles: for the space of sixteen hundred furlongs.