Sowing and Reaping

A Bumper Crop
By David L. Cooper

Among the Biblical writers are some whose names have not been preserved for us. Some of these have had their identity almost positively established through the internal evidence of their writings and the external evidence of history, archeology, and allied fields of knowledge. Others have left no clue as to their identity. A few bits of information about their lives may be gathered, such as the time that they lived and the place, but no more. Yet these unidentified authors wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as much as those whose names have been preserved. Among these anonymous, but inspired, writers is the one through whom God delivered the message recorded in Psalm126. Many persons who recognize this psalm as the source of the hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves” have failed to grasp the full import of its message of salvation. It behooves every born-again believer to study this psalm carefully.

I. SOWING THE SEED IN ISRAEL

The writer of Psalm 126 lived after the people of Israel had been delivered from Babylonian captivity, as the first of the two sections, into which the psalm naturally divides, clearly indicates. The writer speaks as one of those brought back to the land of Israel after the seventy years of exile.

“1 When Jehovah brought back those that returned to Zion, we were like unto them that dream.
“2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: Then said they among the nations, Jehovah hath done great things for them.
“3 Jehovah hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”

To effect this restoration of Israel, God used Cyrus, King of the Medo-Persian Empire, first giving him complete victory and absolute power over nation after nation—including Babylon—delivering into his hands great wealth, then bringing to his attention the prophecies concerning him that are recorded in the Book of Isaiah, and lastly moving him to effect the liberation foretold. Rationalistic critics have endeavored to discredit the prophecies concerning Cyrus by maintaining that the Book of Isaiah is not the work of a single individual. They have created a deuteron—and also a trito—Isaiah in addition to certain redactors, in support of their theory of multiple authorship. But they have been unable to furnish positive proof of such multiplicity. Even the Isaiah manuscript found among the Dead Sea scrolls and written approximately one thousand years before the Masoretic text, the standard text from which our Old Testament is translated, strongly indicates by the absence of colophons (data concerning author, time, place, etc. especially in ancient documents) and other external evidence that the Book of Isaiah is the work of one person—the prophet Isaiah who lived in the latter half of the eighth century before the Christian Era and approximately two hundred years before Cyrus. The claims of the critics that a later writer included in the Book of Isaiah the passages under consideration (especially 44:24-45:13) obviously pertaining to Cyrus are purely subjective and wholly arbitrary, there being no supporting historical evidence. Without hesitancy therefore I accept the proposition that Isaiah is the author of the book which bears his name. With this conviction I cite various passages of this book as instances of God’s using mean, means, events, and the Scriptures to direct the course of history.

In Psalm 126:1 the restored captives are depicted as being “like unto them that dream.” What had occurred seemed too good to be true. I recall well a similar experience that I had in 1949. I received several letters from friends in the State of Israel urging me to get on an American airliner and fly to Israel. These friends thought that, by contacting certain outstanding leaders of Israel and talking with them about the things of God, I might be used in bringing the truth to Israel more effectively. By these letters there was kindled anew a passionate desire to answer this Macedonian call. Then, while I was on my annual conference tour, I received a letter from Trans-World Airlines. Enclosed with the letter was a round-trip airplane ticket to Israel and a sizeable check to help defray other expenses. At first I simply could not believe my eyes. I was astounded. Only after I had read the letter could I realize fully that the ticket and check were genuine.

This realization caused me to rejoice and praise God for enabling me to return to Israel and thereby to be further prepared to continue the ministry to which He had called me years before. Likewise the restored Israelites were elated, though to a far greater degree, for they had been released from seventy years of cruel bondage and captivity. Their mouths were “filled with laughter.” They praised and gave thanks to God in song. Their tongues were filled “with singing.” Even the heathen nations marveled at the restoration that God had wrought fort His people. They said, “Jehovah hath done great things for them,” to which the restored captives gratefully replied,

“3 Jehovah hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”

The second, and final restoration of Israel foretold in the remainder of Psalm 126 will cause for greater joy than the first, because it will follow centuries of dispersion and affliction. It will also reach far beyond that nation, bringing a blessing to all peoples. The prophecy of this final return (Isaiah 11:11-12 shows that there are but two restorations of Israel) appears in Psalm 126, in the prayer that the psalmist envisions the dispersed nation of Israel as making:

“4 Turn again our captivity, O Jehovah, as the streams in the South.
“5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
“6 He that goes forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

The prayer, “Turn again our captivity, O Jehovah, as the streams in the South,” is quite significant. The expression, “As the streams in the South,” is to be taken at its face value, since nothing in the context indicates a departure from the literal meaning. Obviously, there loomed before the prophet’s vision streams in the South that were being turned and the waters diverted into other channels by workmen in charge of the project at which the writer was looking. In other words, there appeared before the prophet’s mind an irrigation system “in the South.” The diverting of the water from one place and channeling it to another furnished the basis for a comparison in this prayer. As the workmen channeled the water accordingly as they willed, thus the prophet pleads with Jehovah to turn again Israel’s captivity from Babylonian servitude and had brought the exiles back to the land of their fathers, under the leadership of Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the High Priest. Looking toward the future, the prophet sees Israel again in captivity—scattered among the nations of the world during the present era (compare Isaiah 11:11-12)—and prays for Jehovah to intervene and to restore them to their own land and to fellowship with Himself.

In verses 4, 5, and 6 the prophet therefore sees the Negev (southern Palestine from Beersheba to the Gulf of Aqaba) as a thriving, agricultural district which is watered by a vast irrigation system. Moreover he sees the planting, cultivating, and reaping of literal harvests. The word translated “South” in the original is Negev, denoting a barren desert. Very appropriately and significantly this portion of the land is still call Negev. Although evidence of ancient irrigation in the Negev has been unearthed, none has yet been found of irrigation there prior to the time of the Roman occupation, which began in 63 B.C.

Archeologists have also unearthed evidence that civilization in the Negev flourished until as late as the time of the Crusades—in the twelfth and the thirteenth centuries of the present dispensation. But during the time that, according to this evidence, irrigation was employed in this region, there was no return of the Jews to their land. The psalmist, therefore, was not referring to a past event. He probably was one of the returned Babylonian captives. Until, therefore, positive proof is discovered of irrigation in the Negev dating back at least to the restoration of Israel from Babylonian captivity, we may logically assume that the psalmist was carried forward in a prophetic vision to the end time and saw the development of the Negev—which has even now begun—into a modern agricultural community.

Beyond question the psalmist in his vision of the Negev saw bumper crops—produced by the enriched soil and bountiful supply of water—being grown and harvested. Then he exclaimed:

“5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
“6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5-6).

There are doubtless echoed in these words the suffering, trials, and heartaches of those who labor in the transformation of the barren country of the Negev into a modern Utopia.

Though the psalmist sees in vision this thriving, modern agricultural community in the State of Israel and thinks of it in glowing terms, it is quite evident that he is not simply thinking of material prosperity of the community. His mind is illuminated by the Spirit of God and he sees a vast crop, a bumper harvest—not of literal grain and produce—a crop of souls, being harvested for the Master. Proof that this interpretation is correct is seen in the fact that the prayer “Turn again our captivity, O Jehovah” is a petition by then nation to be restored to favor and fellowship with God. As stated above, the Lord had turned their captivity from Babylon and had brought those who longed for Him (Ps. 42) back to the land of the fathers, where they could enjoy fellowship with the Lord. The petition of this psalm is for deliverance from their present captivity into the liberty of favor with the Almighty. This explanation is the only logical interpretation that can be put upon this petition. These facts show that the psalmist blends his divine preview of literal crops with his vision of a spiritual harvest.

Those who sow the seed for this spiritual crop do so with tears and with heartaches, but they are assured that they shall reap in joy. As we shall further see, this mighty awakening in Israel will be used of God in bringing about the world-wide revival of which the prophets and John, the seer, on Patmos spoke in such glowing terms (Revelation, chapter 7).

After the prophetic prayer in verse 4, the psalmist declares:

“5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
“6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”

A careful study of these verses shows that they are to be interpreted symbolically, and not simply literally, as referring to the sowing and reaping of actual grain. The seed in this case is the Word of the living God. In this passage the psalmist sees the nation of Israel returning to their own land for the second and the last time—a vision that began to be realized when the new State of Israel was established and the Jewish people began in earnest to return to the Promised Land. He sees this time as a season of sowing and foretells a joyous harvest. The sowers go forth sad, but not discouraged. They know that only a few in the nation of Israel will accept the Word now and that many people—Jew and Gentile alike—will never accept it. They know, also, that many will suffer the terrible judgments of the Tribulation before they desire the Word. Yet the sowers are not disheartened. God bids them—and us also—to sow, for all are to have the opportunity of accepting Christ personally and of receiving salvation through Him. The sowers also have assurance in the Scriptures of a glorious harvest—the harvest of the world-wide revival conducted by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists during the Tribulation. Read Revelation, chapter 7.

But the 144,000 Jewish servants of God must be called forth by the preaching of the gospel and be prepared by Biblical teaching for their evangelistic labors. The seed, therefore, must be sowed in Israel now. Every farmer knows that, if he expects to reap a crop of wheat, he must sow wheat; if he wishes to harvest rye, he must sow rye; if there is to be a reaping of a harvest of souls, there must be the sowing of the spiritual seed, the Word of the living God. It is, therefore, necessary that we, who have the Word of God and the gospel message of redemption through the victorious glorified Christ, sow the seed in this wonderful message in all Israel now—before the Tribulation begins.

The nation of Israel is like a dry field with a moist spot here and there. The seed falling on the dry ground remain dormant, awaiting the rain; but the seed falling in the moist spots immediately germinate and grow. Ina manner analogous to this situation is the field of Israel. It consists of hearts largely indifferent to spiritual matters and to the call of the gospel, but the rains are coming on this dry field in the form of the judgments of the first part of the Tribulation. When they come, there will spring forth from the seed sowed thereon before the Tribulation—and still lying dormant—an army of 144,000 Jewish servants who will see the truth, accept Christ, and then march into every part of the world, proclaiming the gospel—in a word, conducting the mightiest revival of all ages. (For a full exposition of this gospel message of Psalm 126, see my booklet, They That Sow in Tears…)

II. GOD’S EXECUTING JUDGMENTON THE WHOLE EARTH

A. A Decree of Destruction

In the opening chapter of the Book of Woes (Isaiah, chapters 28-35 which deals with the Assyrian period of Jewish history), the inspired prophet has included a decree that applies to the end of this age, when the judgments of the Tribulation will be falling upon the earth. To the scoffers of Zion—both of Isaiah’s day and of the end of the age—as seen by the facts of the context, the prophet delivered the following oracle: “For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. 21 For Jehovah will rise up as in mount Perazim, he will be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon; that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. 22 Now therefore be ye not scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth” (Isa. 28:20-22).

Verse 20 of this quotation reveals the fact that there will be no peace, no rest, no comfort for the scoffers in Israel of the end time. Isaiah spoke of the situation in which the scoffers will find themselves in terms of an adult who tries to find rest and comfort in a baby’s crib. This comparison becomes very graphic and realistic to me when I recall a dream which I had recently. In my dream I found myself trying to sleep in my infant granddaughter’s crib instead of in my own bed. I could not, of course, find a comfortable position, nor could I cover myself with the little baby blanket. I was indeed cold and cramped and could get no rest. In this manner the prophet revealed the uncomfortableness and precarious position of these scoffers of the end time. In order forcefully to make them understand, he spoke plainly in verses 21 and 22. In this future major crisis in Israel’s history, God will step forth into the arena of human affairs and will act miraculously as He did in the days of Joshua (Josh. 10:10-12 ff.) only on an infinitely greater scale. In both of these instances He miraculously fought against the enemies of Israel in behalf of His own people.

Then the prophet declared that God will burst forth through the natural order “that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act” (vs. 21). The use of the adjective strange modifying the noun work and its being repeated with the word act arrest our attention. We may conclude that this language, in the setting in which it appears, connotes some phenomenal activity of God.

In verse 22 Isaiah sharply warned the scoffers lest their bonds shall be made strong, saying, “…for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.” Thus he explained the threatened strange work and strange act. Are we to understand by the decree of destruction, of which he spoke, that it is to be the partial or the total wrecking of the civilization which man has built up, or is he simply thinking of some major catastrophe which will come upon the physical earth?

As we shall see later, there will be a partial destruction of human civilization and at least a mighty calamity which also strikes the physical earth. Why? At this point one wonders why God will cause such widespread destruction. In answering this question as to why the Lord, whose offspring all people are (Acts 17:29), will wreck the earth in fulfillment of this prediction, the prophet thus spoke: “Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 24 Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? Doth he continually open and harrow his ground? 25 When he hath leveled the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cumin, and put in the wheat in rows, and the barely in the appointed place, and the spelt in the border thereof? 26 For his God doth instruct him aright, and doth teach him. 27 For the fitches are not threshed with a sharp threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cumin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cumin with a rod. 28 Bread grain is ground; for he will not be always threshing it: and though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he doth not grind it. 29 This also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom” (Isa. 28:23-29). In terms of the illustration drawn from farming, the wrecking of the earth is God’s plowing and harrowing the world in preparation for sowing seed.

Everyone acquainted with the raising of crops knows that the farmer first plows the ground, then harrows and levels it. No one worthy of the name of an agriculturist ever sows the grain on the hard fallow ground. He knows that the soil must be prepared for the seed to be sowed or planted. After the preparation of the soil, the farmer sows or plants his seed. At the time of the harvest he gathers or reaps his crop.

Having spoken of the divine decree of destruction upon the whole earth, Isaiah exhorted his audience saying, “Give ye ear, and hear my voice: hearken, and hear my speech.” These exhortations following immediately the pronouncement of the decree of destruction are in substance equivalent to the exhortations: “Listen to me! Here is what I mean. I will use an illustration drawn from tilling the soil, in order to show you what I mean by the decree of destruction and God’s use of it.” In other words, God’s wrecking the earth is analogous in the illustration to the farmer’s breaking up the fallow ground, harrowing, and leveling it. Having thus prepared the soil, the farmer plants his seed, from which at the harvest he reaps his crop.

Thus God’s wrecking the earth is His plowing and harrowing the world, preparatory to a world-wide see-sowing. God is a great agriculturist from whom all tillers of the soil learn the principles of farming. He wants to harvest a bumper crop of souls. He knows how to proceed. Like a good, sensible, intelligent farmer, He is going to break up the fallow ground of the indifferent hearts of a pleasure-loving and sin-laden generation, which is money and pleasure mad, and which has little concern for spiritual things. Only after God has plowed and harrowed the field of the world will He send forth His chosen, called, and equipped servants to sow the seed, the Word of God, broadcast in this prepared soil.

In this connection the thoughtful reader will ask himself the question: “If it is necessary to plow and harrow the ground in preparation for sowing the seed, as Isaiah clearly teaches, in order to reap a bumper crop of souls, why has not God long ago plowed and harrowed the field of the world with a mighty catastrophic judgment?” The answer is found in the fact that God’s government of the world is both moral and spiritual. Man is a free moral agent. He, therefore, exercises hi own power of choice without divine coercion. Under such a regime in dealing with man, God has to bide His time and wait for the world situation to develop which will justify His resorting to such extreme measures as contemplated in Isaiah’s prediction. As a Biblical illustration of this principle, let us note what God said to Abraham with reference to His biding the time when Israel should inherit the Promised Land: “But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full” (Gen. 15:15-16). According to this passage God would not allow Israel to enter the Promised Land and to destroy the Canaanites because the cup of their iniquity was not full until the end of the four hundred year period mentioned in the promise.

Since God has not sent His blasting judgments upon the nations to the present time, it is quite certain that they have not yet filled up their cup of iniquity to overflowing. Theoretically the gospel has been proclaimed for the last nineteen hundred years—though in reality the testimony has been very intermittent and, in many cases, ineffective. Nevertheless, the present Christian Dispensation is the period during which God is taking out from among the Gentiles a people for His name: “Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14).

But in the light of many passages of Scripture, the nations of the world are now fast filling up their cup, which will, as all signs indicate, soon be to the overflowing stage. When that time is reached, God will certainly, by mighty catastrophic judgments, plow, harrow, and level the field of the earth preparatory to the sowing of the seed broadcast throughout the world.

That there is to be a world-wide seed-sowing during the Tribulation is clear from Matthew 14:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.” What is meant by “the gospel of the kingdom”? There is a divergence of views now among God’s faithful servants regarding the significance of this term “the gospel of the kingdom”. I shall present for consideration the conclusion to which I have been driven by a thorough investigation of this subject: there is but one gospel. If any man preach a different gospel, the curse of God falls upon him (Gal. 1:8-9). Paul speaks of this message as “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts. 20:24). In Revelation 14:6 John speaks of it as “eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth. . . .”

In Samaria Philip preaches “good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. . .” (Acts 28:31) In the light of these quotations it is clear that the one gospel which Paul preached included the message in regard to the kingdom of God and the person of Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world. The Lord Jesus (Matt. 24:14) said that this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all nations during the Tribulation. Since there is but one gospel, we may be sure that it is the message which Jesus called the gospel of the kingdom.

The Apostle Paul in I Timothy 2:1-7 has such a world-wide seed-sowing in mind: “I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men; 2 for kings and all that are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 who could have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times; 7 whereunto I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth, I lie not), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

Paul, with such a vision before his mind, urged that prayers and intercessions be made for all men. He also insisted that petitions be made for Christians in order that they might live exemplary lives. Such prayers, according to verse 3, are acceptable in the sight of God, “who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.” The reason for his making such a statement is that “there is one God, one mediator between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times.” Since in this passage the Apostle has a world outlook and wishes that prayers be made for all men; since God wishes that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth; and since there is only one mediator between God and man—Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all—God is going to have the testimony borne to the entire world in its own times. The flow of thought of this passage shows that the apostle in this Scripture envisages a world-wide proclamation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus in its own times—without doubt when the soil of the world has been prepared for the seed, as Isaiah 28:23-29 shows. As to the time of this world-wide proclamation of the gospel, Bible students are divided. Some earnest students believe that, if the people of God will meet the conditions of revival it will come now, before the Tribulation. I have never been able to see my way clear to accept this position. If we are living in the times immediately preceding the Tribulation, regardless of how earnestly people pray and preach the gospel there will be no world-wide revival, because the Lord Jesus foretold that the same conditions would exist in the world at the time of His coming for His saints as obtained in the days of Noah before the flood (Matt. 24:32-44). Jesus knew what conditions would obtain at this time, and nothing can change them and make times different from what He foretold.

Other good brethren declare that the proclamation of the gospel to all nations must be completed before the Lord will come. As authority for this position, attention is called to Mark 13:10, which declares, “And the gospel must first be preached unto all nations,” but when this passage is studied in light of the entire context and related passages, it is seen that Jesus was talking about the proclamation of the gospel to all nations at the beginning of the dispensation. This interpretation is corroborated by the statement in Colossians 1:23 that the gospel had at that time (A.D. 63) been preached in all creation under heaven. There is not a single utterance in the Scriptures supporting the proposition that the gospel must be preached in the conclusion of this age before the Lord returns for His saints.

But as we have already seen, the gospel will be proclaimed to all nations, which will result in the world-wide revival in the first part of the Tribulation. At the end of the Tribulation Jesus will return in glory and power and set up His reign of righteousness.

B. The Execution of the Decree of Destruction

God watches over His Word to perform it (Jer. 1:11-12). As we have already seen from Isaiah 28:20-29), God has decreed to perform His act, His strange act, and to carry out His work, His strange work. Since He has not thus far carried out this program, it is certain that He will yet execute this threat and fulfill His promise to the very letter. The time that He will perform this act is a matter of first importance to those of God’s people who wish to co-operate with Him in the unfolding of His plan of the ages. The information which we desire on this point is found in Revelation 6:12-7:17.

This famous passage must be viewed from the correct perspective if its full significance is to be properly appraised. In order to locate the position from which to view this passage, a person must recognize the general outline of the Book of Revelation. According to Revelation 1:19 this book falls into the following divisions: (1) “the things which thou sawest (chapter 1); (2) “the things which are” (chapters 2 and 3); (3) “the things which shall come to pass hereafter” (chapters 4-22). The overshadowing message of chapter 1 is a vision of the glorified Son of Man as He appeared to John at the time that He gave the revelation. Chapters 2 and 3 consist of seven short letters written to the seven churches of the little province of Asia. The messages not only met the situations existing in these churches at that time, but also, as may be seen by a careful study of and comparison with Matthew, chapter 13, foreshadowed the course of church history through the entire Christian Dispensation to its close. Chapters 4 and 5 give us a vision of heaven: God’s throne and Christ the Lamb of God as He is ready to touch off the judgments of the Tribulation. Chapters 6-19 present a full and detailed account of the Tribulation. The chronological order of events as they will occur in the seven years of God’s wrath is found in chapters 6, 8, 9 and 16. In these chapters we read of the seal, the trumpet, and the bowl judgments. The seal and the trumpet judgments cover the first half of the Tribulation; the bowl judgments, the second half. The other chapters of this section of the Book give us, as it were, the stage setting of this period of wrath.

The break of each of the first four seals, there appears upon the earth a rider upon a certain colored horse. These horsemen are symbols of movements and events of that period: the movement which brings the Antichrist into power; World War I of the Tribulation; universal shortage of food supplies; and a war which affects one-fourth of the earth’s surface. At the breaking of the fifth seal occurs a martyrdom of tribulation saints. All of the things which occur under the first five seals are brought about and engineered by men, who instigate and carry forward these events as indicated in Revelation 6:1-11.

But in Revelation 6:12-17, at the breaking of the sixth seal, God begins to do “his work, his strange work” and to bring to pass “his act, his strange act” (Isaiah 28:21)—apart from all human effort and activity. “And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; 13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. 14 And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kinds of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains, and to the rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17). That this language is to be interpreted as a general upheaval throughout the world, and possibly the entire material universe, is evident from the statements which are made in verses 12-14. People of every class will recognize that all of these phenomena are the work of God whose wrath, blended with His eternal love, is stirred to its depths. They will seek to hide themselves in the caves and the rocks of the mountains. At that time God certainly will begin performing His strange work and strange act in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prediction (Isa. 28:20-29), which we have already examined.

Since the upheaval described in Revelation 6:12-17 is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prediction, it is the event which the prophet designated as God’s plowing, harrowing, and leveling the earth, preparing the soil for the sowing of the seed. Then we are logical in thinking that the sowing of the seed naturally follows the preparation of the ground. Is there a universal seed-sowing following the preparation of the soil? This question is answered in the affirmative by the message of Revelation 7:1-17. In verses 1-8 we have a glimpse of the 144,000 Jewish servants of God who are sealed by the power of the Lord so that they are immune to all the judgments that fall upon the earth. Since they are servants of God, without doubt they are engaged in His service. Unequivocally the record declares that the 144,000 are from the twelve tribes of Israel. We are, therefore, logical in taking the statements at face value, there being nothing to indicate a departure from the literal meaning.

Since God in His revelation to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob promised to bless all nations in and through their literal descendants, and since these 144,000 Jewish servants are used, as we shall in a moment see, in God’s blessing all nations, we are positively correct in concluding that these 144,000 Jewish servants are part of the number contemplated by the original promise to Abraham.

After giving us a vision of these servants of God, the Holy Spirit reveals the fruits of their labors. “After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 and they cry with a great voice, saying, salvation unto our God who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels were standing round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God” (Rev. 7:9-11). In this vision we see an innumerable host of people from every nation, tribe, tongue, and language brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This mighty throng of saved people is the fruits of the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists mentioned above. Upon the basis of two statements in the Book of Isaiah, we have the logical reason for believing that the greater portion of the human family will be led to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at that time. In speaking of the great Tribulation, the Prophet Isaiah declared: “In that day (the Tribulation) shall men look unto their Maker, and their eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 17:7). The expression men in this connection means undoubtedly the greater portion of humanity.”*

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*In the King James Version this verse reads: “at that day shall a man look to his maker…” In the original text, the word rendered man in the King James Version and men in the American Standard Version has a singular connotation, as well as a plural significance. The facts of a given context, as a rule, unerringly point to the meaning intended.