The Ultimate Harvest

Before my father gave his life to Christ, each time one talks about the reality of Heaven and the Lake of Fire and how God has prepared the Lake of Fire for satan and those who never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he responds in Yakurr dialect, “Iyeni ekpomo opayi ekpomo, lozou kalodo” meaning that there is no trouble when the owner of a bottle breaks the bottle. What I deduce from his statement is God’s sovereign nature in that He is accountable to Himself and He has the final say. Therefore no one can question why He will not open the gate of Heaven for everyone to flow in at the end of the world system. In the beginning, it was all about God in terms of creation and He will decide what happens to the creation at the end. Why will God not allow the world to continue? Why has Jesus Christ emphasized the end of this world in His teachings? (See Matthew 13:39-40)

In one of His parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus used farming to illustrate how this world will end. Without mincing words, He said, “..the harvest is the end of the world.” (See Matthew 13:39b) He explained that He is the ‘Globalholder farmer’; the farm is the world; the good plants are the children of God; the tares (bad plants) are the children of the devil and the harvesters or reapers are the angels. Growing up in the village as a young farmer, I used to grow Okra and Cassava, and I understood the need to remove unwanted plants as soon as they grow to avoid competition for nutrients and ensure a healthy harvest as timely weed management is one of the good farming practices.

Unlike man’s farming practice, Jesus Christ allows the tares and good plants to grow together. The Oxford English Dictionary describes ‘tares’ as an injurious weed resembling corn when young. But why is God allowing tares the devil – the arch enemy, has sown in the farm (world) to grow with good plants. I believe that God wants to observe and ascertain His children that will be faithful till the end without being negatively influenced by the tares (See Matthew 24:13). On the other hand, the good plants are meant to positively influence the tares by leading them to Christ because it is God’s desire that no one should perish in the Lake of Fire: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV).

As a King in the Kingdom of Heaven, during the ultimate harvest – the end of the world, God will send forth His angels to gather all the tares (children of the devil) and cast them into a furnace of fire where they shall wail and gnash their teeth. Only God – the Supreme Judge, knows the nature of the Lake of Fire. I attempted to describe the Lake of Fire in the sixth chapter of one of my books “One Taken One Left”. I described it as a place (not a geographical place) of torment which burns forever. It is a state of existence where those who follow the devil must serve eternal punishment.

When the harvesters appear to begin the ultimate harvest, how will they find you? As one of the tares or good plants? Believe it or not, this world will surely end and we will all give account of our stewardship. Only those who have accepted Jesus Christ and remain faithful are qualified for the Kingdom of Heaven. You can accept Jesus Christ today by saying this prayer: Lord Jesus, I invite You into my heart. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Wash away my sins and accept me into Your family. I believe and confess that You died and rose to save me. I declare that I am now born again. Help me to be faithful till the end when You will come for Your children. Amen!

By Sunday Omori