Ps.126:5,6 – He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
This Psalm is describing supernatural joy and at the same time is connecting this joy to the harvest. The preparing of the ground on a farm, taking care of the plants, dealing with the weeds and pests is the work of a farmer. The harvest time is associated with great joy, the reward of the farmer’s labor. Is it possible that the joy poured out at Pentecost and the supernatural giving in Acts was prophetic, looking to the harvest the church would experience in that first century? They were filled with joy and many sold properties and brought their offering to the feet of the apostles. This was an incredible time of sowing followed by a huge harvest around the world. Here is how Augustine describes this.
“Who labored? Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Read their labors! In all their labors [there was] prophecy of Christ; and thus [they were] the sowers. Moses and the rest of the patriarchs and all the prophets, how much did they endure in that cold when they were sowing! Therefore in Judea the harvest was now ready. Rightly there the crop was, so to speak, ripe, when so many thousands of people were bringing the price of their possessions and laying it at the feet of the apostles; their shoulders freed of worldly baggage, they were following Christ, the Lord. Truly a ripe harvest. What came of it? From that harvest a few grains were cast out, and they sowed the world, and there arises another harvest that is to be reaped at the end of the world. About this harvest it is said, “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” To this harvest, therefore, not apostles but angels will be sent; he says, “The reapers are the angels.”
If the harvest is the end of the age, the outpouring of joy and giving we have experienced may be a prelude of what is to come. I think we may all be underestimating what the Lord will do in the years to come. Many have labored in our city over the last 45 years, many seeds are in the ground, Pentecostal joy has been poured out, the harvest is certain. There is always great resistance when the Lord does great things, all of us have seen our share of that. I think some great, unprecedented seasons are on the horizon.
