The symbolism of harvest in biblical contexts is deeply tied to the agricultural imagery used to describe God's work. The Feast of Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Harvest, marks the culmination of a grain harvest that begins with the Feast of Firstfruits, symbolizing the early harvest of God's children. This early harvest is often associated with the firstfruits, paralleling Israel's spring grain harvest as opposed to the later fall harvest of fruits and vegetables. The process of reaping grain in ancient times offers a metaphor for this spiritual harvest. Grain was cut when it was white, in the transition stage between immature green and fully ripe golden brown, ensuring it was mature enough to be harvested but not so ripe as to fall from the husk. Harvesters used sharp sickles to cut the standing grain, then gathered it into sheaves, which were tied and stood upright in shocks to dry and mature, protected from ground moisture. These shocks, scattered across the field, allowed the grain to age until ready for threshing, where it was separated from the husks, followed by winnowing to remove any remaining chaff, leaving only clean grain. This agricultural process mirrors the spiritual harvest led by Christ, as depicted with Him holding a sharp sickle, ready to reap the earth when the harvest is ripe. The cutting of grain may symbolize the initial separation of God's children from their worldly nourishment, with sheaves and shocks representing small groups of believers who support each other while maturing spiritually. The journey to the threshing floor, where grain is protected and prepared, could signify a place of safety for the church, where trials refine and unify the harvest. Finally, winnowing parallels the resurrection, purifying the firstfruits as they are lifted and cleansed of all impurities, completing the harvest process.

Like a farmer laboring through the harvest season, we are engaged in a significant harvest, one symbolized by the Feast of Pentecost. This harvest demands persistent effort under challenging conditions, much like the long, arduous hours endured in the fields. We anticipate looking back on our accomplishments with warmth and satisfaction, forgetting the pain, drudgery, setbacks, and filth once the harvest is complete. The harvest we long for is near, promising a time of transformation and joy, when we shall experience true accomplishment and satisfaction in the culmination of our labor.

The image of harvest carries significant symbolism in the Scriptures, with varied applications. In one sense, harvest refers to the gathering of people, a concept tied to the immediate context of Christ's ministry in Galilee as described in Matthew 9. Here, Christ speaks of a harvest that is not prophetic or future-oriented but pertains to the current situation of the people around Him. He portrays the disoriented and distressed multitudes as a crop ready to be gathered, indicating that conditions are ripe for a successful work among them. Christ emphasizes the abundance of this harvest, using a Greek term meaning large, much, or many, yet He laments the scarcity of laborers to reap it, noting only Himself and His disciples are available for the task. Consequently, in Matthew 9:38, He urges His disciples to pray that God, the Lord of the harvest, will send more laborers to assist in gathering this plentiful harvest. Another instance reinforcing this immediate application of harvest is found in John 4, where Christ, after speaking with the Samaritan woman, tells His disciples that the field is already at the point of harvest, explicitly stating that they are the reapers sent to gather it.