THE FINAL HARVEST

 

Chapter 23 of Leviticus contains a series of holy days that the Lord commanded all Israel to observe. Three of the most important are: 1. The Feast of Trumpets; 2. The Day of the Atonement and; 3. The Feast of the Tabernacles.

The Feast of Trumpets in particular signifies: 1. The beginning of Israel’s final harvest; 2. The day God had set to remember His ancient promises to gather Israel; 3. A time for new revelation that would lead to a new covenant with Israel and; 4. A time to prepare for the Millenium.

This is the significance of the Feast of Trumpets as it relates to us and this last dispensation. The final harvest of Israel began on 22 September 1827, the very day Israel celebrated the Feast of Trumpets. This is the day that Moroni gave the golden plates to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The timing of its deliverance was not coincidental. This was a carefully orchestrated and rehearsed event for four years prior. Picture Joseph receiving the golden plates from Moroni whilst trumpets blew in Israel. (see The Golden Plates and the Feast of Trumpets by Lenet Hadley Read, Ensign 2000)

We know that many truths have been lost and taken away from the Bible, but none more significant that the prophecies of the restoration of the gospel in the latter days missing from Isaiah 29 and which Nephi quoted in its completion in 2 Nephi 27 as were contained on the brass plates:

1.      Letter-day context of the prophecy (2 Nephi 27:1)

2.      A ‘book’ that Isiah prophesied would come forth in the last days (verse 6)

3.      The book would be ‘sealed’ (verses 7-8)

4.      Roles of Moroni and Joseph Smith in bringing forth the Book of Mormon (verses 9-10)

5.      ‘Three witnesses’ who would behold the ‘book’ and testify ‘to the truth of the things therein’ (verses 12-13)

I stand in awe of God who orchestrates His work with such perfect precision to fulfil His purposes which cannot fail. The adversary might be working hard to ‘pervert the right ways of the Lord that he might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men’ (1 Nephi 13:27) but he cannot win. God’s plan for our salvation runs like clock-work with every step put into place long before its’ reality.

So ordered are the events that will transpire upon this earth that they cannot possibly fail, because ‘God created all things spiritually before they were naturally upon the face of the earth’ (Moses 3:5). Everything was designed, proven and tested before it came into being.

The Final Harvest is under way and in our hands we hold the book that is gathering Israel…..

 

We Israel, His chosen seed

will come to Zion

With songs of everlasting joy

To worship our Lord and our King

And to Him forever our praises we will sing. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Reaping the Harvest by Nathan Greene)

HURRAH HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

 

There is one phrase that is firmly etched in my mind from all the years I have studied the scriptures and that is, “my people Israel”. I searched this phrase in the Gospel Library this morning and pages and pages of scriptures came up. I could not possibly get through them all. I realized Israel is central to the Saviour’s Gospel.

The Saviour was sent exclusively to the House of Israel (Matthew 15:24). The Gospel was not taken to the Gentiles until after His death. The restoration of His Church is predicated on the gathering of Israel hence the importance of the Book of Mormon. The early members of the Church grasped this importance from the beginning and made many sacrifices to this end.

In 1839 Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball set off as missionaries to the British Isles. They were both ill and their families were left sick and destitute, “nevertheless, the two climbed into a wagon, and while still in sight of their loved ones, Heber said, “Let’s rise up and give them a cheer.” The two struggled to their feet and shouted, “Hurrah, hurrah for Israel!” (Ronald A. Rasband, “Right Before Our Eyes”, GC April 2025)

I quoted scriptures in my post yesterday of the Saviour’s abiding love for the House of Israel and how  we are referred to as ‘the apple of His eye’ (Det 32:9,10; Zechariah 2:8; Psalm 17:8). There is something else that has remained etched in my mind from studying the Old Testament.

When Moses’ brother Aaron was appointed the head priest, the Saviour gave instructions that among his priestly garments, he should wear a breastplate with four rows of stones set in it. The first row was set with sardius, a topaz and a carbuncle (smaragdus); the second with emerald, a sapphire and a diamond; the third with ligure, an agate and an amethyst; and the fourth with a beryl, an onyx and a jasper. These stones were gems and jewels and they had an inscription on them representing each tribe of the 12 tribes of Israel (Exodus 28:15-21).

This is the worth and value that the Saviour places on ‘His people Israel’. And the most significant thing? The breastplate with the gems had to be worn ‘upon Aaron’s heart before the Lord continually’ (Exodus 28:29,30). Can you see the significance of this?

How much are you worth to Christ as a member of ‘His people Israel’?

·        “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels” (Malachi 3:17)

·        “For I the Lord, rule in the heavens above….and in the day when I shall make up my jewels, all men shall know what it is that bespeaketh the power of God” (D&C 60:4)

·        “Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels (D&C 101:3)

We are not gathering Israel…..we are collecting jewels……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jesus of Nazareth by Greg Olsen)