THE FIRST FRUIT AND THE GREAT HARVEST

 

“Who are these people in white and where did they come from?” I answered him: «My lord, you know it». And he said to me, "They are the ones who come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they stand before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will no longer hunger and will no longer thirst, the sun will no longer strike them nor will any scorching heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and guide them to fountains of waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" - Revelation 7:13-17

In the list of tribes described in Revelation, besides Dan Ephraim is missing and we have seen that they are the great crowd: the Ephraimites from the nations - Genesis 48:19

We have also seen that they are saved first of all physically, as well as spiritually, and are clearly seen on earth otherwise it would not make sense to say that "they come from the great tribulation" and that is "they come out", "they are the survivors of the great tribulation" ( compare Matthew 24:13) just as it would make no sense to see them with palm branches in hand – compare Leviticus 23:40

They are not the "Christian martyrs who died over the centuries" and are not in heaven.

We were right about that... but only partially.

First let's think about something important.

The angel makes a list of the sealed and begins with the 12 tribes and 144,000 people… but the list does not stop at all; in the writing only particular emphasis is given to this particular group that "strangely" comes from every tribe, people and language.

Again our preconceptions, due to the aftermath of an old religious education, had led us to think that the great crowd was not sealed… but let's think about it.

How do we come to this conclusion?

If we read the scriptures for what they are, we clearly see that they speak of the sealed ones of every tribe of the children of Israel and if we understand that the great crowd is indeed Ephraim…well, weren't they also a tribe of Israel? - Genesis 48:5; Revelation 7: 3,4

We must conclude that the great crowd itself, then, is sealed exactly like the other tribes and in fact appears after the listing of the first twelve tribes, not in another context.

If they were two so distinct subjects, even as regards the seal, why list them with those who would have little or nothing to do with it?

If the juxtaposition of the two groups concerned exclusively salvation... haven't we perhaps learned that there will be other people, after these, who will be saved until they repopulate the promised land?

So is this great crowd somehow safer or differently safe than the last group, to be juxtaposed with the 144,000?

In any case we have seen that there is a certain objective difference between the first group and the second since the first speaks of the tribe of Joseph (which should include Ephraim - see Ezekiel 37:16) and later we will see only the 144,000 on the mount Zion together with the Lamb – Revelation 14:1

This observation led us to conclude that the great crowd, physically saved on earth, would remain on earth until the promised land was repopulated.

However, is there any scripture that makes us think that they will be the ones to repopulate the promised land?

Before we are scandalized by what we will read below, let us ask ourselves...

Who can wash his clothes in the blood of the Lamb?

Who were they who washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb but those who made the covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ as well as those who were baptized by his disciples? - see Luke 22:28, 29; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 3:6

It is evident that the great crowd, as well as the 144,000, endured to the end of the great tribulation and are “saved”…

But save in what sense?

Are they included in the New Covenant?

In the article dedicated to the 144,000 we had already seen that in chapter 20, well beyond the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the war of Armageddon, we speak of "those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and of those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” – Revelation 20:4

Since the general spiritual resurrection had occurred earlier, i.e. at the blast of the seventh trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 11:15-18) we concluded that if the members of the great crowd did not make it to the promised land and had they died during the final great tribulation, they would still have received the heavenly resurrection as a reward but there was a fundamental error in this interpretation.

This meant saying that God would make an exception because of their faithfulness, even though they were not originally destined for life in heaven, i.e., even though they were not under the New Covenant.

Although having a certain human logic, this eventuality has no confirmation in Scripture.

Only those who reentered the new covenant were guaranteed what they would inherit, and this was true of all first-century sealed ones without exception, i.e., those who would be bought from the earth – compare Ephesians 1:13, 14

 

Are the great crowds also sealed? What does it mean?

While the benefits of Christ's sacrifice will evidently be bestowed upon the inhabitants under the millennial kingdom through the heavenly priests, only they can actually wash their garments in the blood of the Lamb and in fact this expression will no longer appear after the seals.

Indeed, in the articles entitled "Revelations from the Song of Moses and the Lamb" and "The Immanence of the Law and the Superiority of the New Covenant" we well understood that the inhabitants under the Millennial Kingdom would find themselves under the Law covenant as never really "abolished" as many exponents of Christianity would say.

This alone should have made us understand that those who washed their clothes "in the blood of the Lamb" could never, ever find themselves under the Law, so it would have been impossible for them to live on earth at that time.

In fact, if the 144,000 would die and be resurrected in heaven at the sound of the seventh trumpet - and with them those who died in the first century - and this occurs before the appearance of the false prophet and the mark of the beast - it was strange to read of the later resurrected who would become also kings and priests as "they had not received the mark".

These events occur after the blast of the seventh trumpet , or during the last three and a half years.

It is said of them that they were beheaded "for the testimony of Jesus" and we know that, in addition to the 144,000, it is precisely the members of the great crowd who have received the testimony of Jesus.

And it is useless to remember that "those who keep the testimony of Jesus" are the very ones on whom Satan will vent his wrath in the last period - Revelation 12:17

So we see the 144,000 being changed at the sounding of the seventh trumpet as we clearly see them in Revelation chapter 14 along with the Lamb as the great crowd will be in heaven after but always during the seventh trumpet and certainly by the beginning of the millennial kingdom - compare Revelation 20:4-6

Could we speculate that this is a way for Satan to vent his wrath mostly on members of the great heavenly crowd by underestimating "the kings from the east"?

Or the latter will quickly become such a large number that it will simply not be able to eliminate them all.

Obviously we don't know all the background but in fact this other large crowd, or full of nations, or those who will have to repopulate the promised land, will amaze the dominant power led by Satan - Daniel 11:44

This is also in harmony with other scriptures which broaden our overview.

In Daniel 12:7 it reads "And as soon as the power of the holy people is finished asunder all these things will come to their end"… and the context is about the last half week – see Daniel 12:11

Yet, according to what we had understood so far, "the holy people" would be crushed at the latest within the first half of the final week, i.e. within the initial three and a half years until the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

Even if we want to broaden the meaning of "holy people" to all of God's people, or even the earthly ones... certainly those who reach the promised land will not be shattered!

On the contrary, they survive.

So who are they, saints, who are shattered during the last three and a half years if the 144,000 died and rose again at the sounding of the seventh trumpet which is a moment before the final three and a half years?

This also answers another question which, until now, we have not answered in a comprehensive manner.

Speaking of the time when “the Son of man would arrive in his glory, and all the angels with him” the Lord says: I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me etc etc...

Who are the “least brothers of Jesus” of Matthew 25:31-46?

Only the 144,000 or also the great crowd?

As long as we were talking about the 144,000, it was easy to imagine that the members of the great crowd had collaborated and helped their brothers both in the preaching work and in many other things…but what about the latest collection?

If Jesus' "least brethren" were only the 144,000 how could those gathered from the nations during the past three and a half years have visited them, clothed them, fed them, or done anything else?

This would not be possible, of course.

Instead, realizing that the great crowd are also sealed and destined for life in heaven, they too become brothers of the Lord who, unlike the 144,000, will still be alive during the sounding of the seventh trumpet and probably some will still be alive until a moment before the final exodus.

144,000 and large crowds are firstfruits, as clearly seen on the seals, and it is only normal to conclude that the firstfruits will receive the best and early reward.

It is therefore easy to conclude that before the final exodus of God's people begins there will be none left of those destined for heavenly life as they will have been "broken", exactly as Daniel says.

And now we also understand that the "success" that the beast will have will last up to the last three and a half years because in fact, after that, it will have to come to its end - read Daniel 12:12

Before this understanding we had concluded that the success of the beast was to refer to the killing of the 144,000 and therefore until mid-week, but only three and a half years later it would have reached its end.

In Daniel, however, no break is seen, on the contrary… he reaches his end immediately after or shortly after the crushing of the holy people.

We can make further reflections thanks to this understanding because it explains other apparently contradicting words of the Lord.

Speaking of the end-time on one occasion he said "Keep awake, therefore, making supplication at all times that ye may escape all these things which are bound to occur, and stand before the Son of man" - Luke 21:36

On another occasion He said “ whoever wants to save his soul will lose it ; but whoever loses his soul for my sake and for the good news will save it” – Mark 8:35

It is true that this last scripture is talking about the responsibility of being His disciples and not trying to save one's life at all costs, perhaps by compromising, because in that case one would lose one's life anyway but the point is…

If remaining faithful would save one's life in any case, even dying , why in the time of the end would it be necessary to plead at all times to escape, that is, survive, from the things that should have happened?

We note that the word "escape" does not have many meanings; it cannot mean "spiritually escape" to give it a different sense than what it is simply written.

Escaping simply means surviving, escaping damage or risk, death.

There can be no spiritual or symbolic meaning: Jesus is saying to beg for them to survive .

Now then, why would it have been essential to beg for survival if in any case they would have been saved by their faithfulness?

Now it is absolutely clear: since the book of Revelation shows the first and greatest tribulation at the beginning, i.e. at the seals, they will have to beg to escape - that is, survive - to meet the Lord alive and then have the evening meal with Him .

This means that only once this tribulation has been overcome will they be able to re-enter that covenant for a kingdom - compare Luke 22:28-30

In fact, Jesus told his apostles “you have stood with me in trials” and that was one of the reasons why he made that covenant with them – see Luke 22:28-30

Only by surviving to the end of the initial three and a half years will they be saved, just when Jesus returns and they will make a covenant with Him – Revelation 6:16, 17; 7:10

Only then will they be able to wash their clothes in the blood of the Lamb and thus be considered righteous.

This testimony and personal experience will give them much strength when Satan unleashes his full fury upon them.

Obviously individuals who were to die before three and a half years remaining faithful would still be "saved" as they would receive, in due course, the resurrection of the just... but it was not to these that the Lord was referring when he said "Whoever has persevered until the end he will be saved” – Matthew 24:13

Finally, as we have said, it would not have been very logical to see God's people judged again in the desert for obedience or disobedience to the Law.

In fact, the people destined for life on earth will not only have to go through another great tribulation but will also be judged in the desert and many will not reach the goal at all - Ezekiel 20:38

What would be the point of still judging (regardless of the outcome of the judgment) those who have already been saved for some time, so much so that they cried it out loud at the time of the sixth seal?

Would their salvation be partial salvation , and would Christ's blood have "partially" saved them, as some would say?

The only condition for their salvation to be sure and definitive is obviously that they remain faithful until death, like everyone else.

Although very difficult as they will have already passed the greatest tribulation ever on earth, it is at least possible that someone will deny this opportunity as they did in the first century – read Hebrews 6:4-6

After having had the privilege of making this pact, obviously, it will be appropriate to be careful not to try to save one's life at all costs, or by denying the free gift of eternal life, because in that case one will really lose it and eternally – Romans 8:17

So there are firstfruits, which are precisely 144,000 and a large crowd, but there is also the large harvest that will bring millions of people to the promised land: a multitude of nations, certainly much larger than the great heavenly crowd.

It will be the kings from the east who will have the privilege of doing this while all the others will receive the first resurrection for which they will be, more than the inhabitants of the millennial kingdom, "happy and holy" - Revelation 20:6

Do we hope to be among them?

Article written on 02/11/2021