Apocalypse Revealed # 645
645. Crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the hour has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth has dried." This symbolizes a supplication by angels in heaven to the Lord to bring things to an end and execute judgment, because the church had now reached its last state.
To cry with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud symbolizes a supplication by angels in heaven to the Lord, because they lacked anything corresponding to them on earth. For the church on earth is to the angelic heaven like the foundation on which a house rests, or like the feet on which a person stands and which he uses to walk. When the church on earth has been destroyed, therefore, the angels lament and supplicate the Lord. Their supplication is that He may bring the church to an end and raise up a new one. The angel's crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud accordingly symbolizes a supplication by angels in heaven to the Lord.
That He who sat on the cloud symbolizes the Lord in relation to the Word may be seen just above in no. 642. That to thrust in a sickle and reap means, symbolically, to put an end to something and execute judgment - this, too, may be seen in nos. 642, 643 above. For the hour has come to reap means symbolically that the church is at an end. For the harvest has dried means symbolically that the church has reached its last state. A harvest symbolizes the state of the church with respect to Divine truth. The reason is that a harvest yields the grain used to make bread, and grain and bread symbolize the church's goodness, which is achieved through truths.
[2] That this is the symbolic meaning of these words can be more clearly seen from passages in the Word where a harvest, reaping, or sickle are mentioned, as in the following:
...I will sit to judge all the... nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe... For their wickedness is great. (Joel 3:12-13)
Cut off the sower..., and him who handles the sickle at harvest time. (Jeremiah 50:16)
The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor...; a little while yet till the time of her harvest comes. (Jeremiah 51:33)
It shall be when the standing grain of the harvest is gathered, and his arm reaps the ears... ...in the morning your seed flourishes..., the harvest a heap in the day of your possession and desperate sorrow. (Isaiah 17:5-6, 11)
Be ashamed, you farmers..., because the harvest of the field has perished. (Joel 1:11)
(Jesus said to His disciples:) "There are still four months until the harvest comes. ...lift up your eyes and behold the fields, that they are already white for harvest! ...I sent you to reap...." (John 4:35-38)
(Jesus) said to His disciples, "The harvest... is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray... the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:2)
In these places, and also in Isaiah 16:9, Jeremiah 5:17; 8:20, the harvest symbolizes the church with respect to Divine truth.
[3] Everything contained in these verses in the present chapter, however, and also in the following two chapters, was foretold by the Lord in the parable of a sower and his gathering in of the harvest, and because it shows and illustrates what the symbolism is, we will quote it here:
(Jesus said:) "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but... his enemy came and sowed tares... ...when the plants sprouted..., ...the tares also appeared....
"The servants said..., 'Do you want us to... 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, 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...." ' "
And His disciples came to (Jesus), saying, "Explain to us the parable...."
(Jesus) said...: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man (or the Lord). The field is the world (the church), the... seeds are the sons of the kingdom (the church's truths), the tares are the sons of the evil one (falsities from hell), the enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the culmination of the age (the end of the church), the reapers are the angels (Divine truths). Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the culmination of this age (at then end of the church)." (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
Matthew 10
1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10
Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11
And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12
And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13
And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17
But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20
For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21
And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
23
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24
The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26
Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27
What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41
He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
