Ingathering of Sukkot

Ingathering of Sukkot

 

Introduction

Next in a series of Harvests & Celebrations studies is Ingathering of Sukkot. The details of Ingathering of Sukkot will provide understanding of its significance historically and prophetically.

Signs of the Time

Yom Teruah, on 1 Tishrei, ushered in a new year. Yom Kippur followed 9 days later. In between these two holy days, the threshing floors would be full of wheat while gleaning grapes and gleaning olives would be maturing. Before 15 Tishrei, all the agricultural increase for the year is brought into the storehouse; with the exception of the select grapes and olives that would undergo treading or pressing. Treading and pressing would continue well into December and even January after the former rains have started.

Historical Names & References

There are many names associated with the celebration of the agricultural ingathering; most of them are covered in the succeeding study: Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles. The following specifically correspond to the Feast of Ingathering:

• “Feast of Ingathering” (Exo 23:16, 34:22-KJV)

• “Chag HaAsif” (lit "Festival of the Ingathering")

• “The Ingathering” (Culturally Applied)   

• “Z'man Simchateinu” ("Season/Time of our Rejoicing")   

Most notably, the Hebrew name for this holy day is Yom Kippur. In English it is most notably known as Day of Atonement. Judgment Day, is also commonly used, as it is the Day in which Judgment is made; for good and evil.

Ancient Ordinance

God commanded his people to observe the feast of ingathering.

Exodus 23:14-16 KJV - "14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field."

Exodus 34:22 KJV - "And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end."

Leviticus 23: 39, 41 KJV – “39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. ... 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month."

Deuteronomy 16:13 KJV - "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:"

Prophecy in Review

Barley

Jesus was the firstfruits of the Barley harvest; that is all those who died before him in faith. After God received the firstfruits of the harvest, the rest of the crop was ready to be received.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 KJV - "22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

​Isaiah 26:19 KJV - "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."

Matthew 27:52-53 KJV - "52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

Wheat

The wheat harvest yields faithful believers who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They are the children of the kingdom and will be gathered at the end of the harvest.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 KJV - "22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

Romans 8:23 KJV - "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

James 1:18 KJV - "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

1 Corinthians 15:37 KJV - "And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:"

Luke 22:31 KJV - "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"

John 12:24 KJV - "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

Matthew 13:24-25, 30, 38-39 KJV - "24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. ... 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ... 38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39  The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."

Revelation 14:15-16 KJV - "15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."

Matthew 3:12 KJV - "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (also Luke 3:17)

Grapes

The gleaning grapes of remnant Israel will be preserved during harvest and they will be gathered at the end of the harvest. 

Isaiah 5:7 KJV - “For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry."

Jeremiah 2:14, 21 KJV - "14 Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? ... 21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?"

Hosea 10:1 KJV - "Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images."

Jeremiah 6:9 KJV - "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets."

Jeremiah 49:9 KJV - "If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough."

Isaiah 24:13 KJV - "When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done."

Revelation 14:18-19  KJV - "18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."

Olives

The gleaning olives of remnant Judah will be preserved during harvest and they will be gathered at the end of the harvest.

Jeremiah 11:2, 16 KJV - "2 Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; ... 16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken."

Isaiah 5:7 KJV - "For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry."

Hosea 6:11 KJV – “Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people."

Isaiah 24:13 KJV - "When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done."

Isaiah 17:6 KJV - "Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel."

Zechariah 12:7 KJV - "The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah."

Revelation 14:4 KJV - "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."

Overlapping Harvests

In a bountiful year, wheat, grape, and olive harvesting overlap. All the increase is gathered together into the storehouse.

Leviticus 26:5 KJV - "And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely."

Prophecy of Ingathering

The LORD will gather Israel, Judah, and all the children of God together.

Jeremiah 3:16-18 KJV - "16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. 17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers."

 Isaiah 11:12 KJV - "And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."

John 11:52 KJV - "And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."

Matthew 25:26 KJV - " His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:"

The LORD will gather all of his saints (From the four species of crops) unto himself.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV - "16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

Matthew 24:30-31 KJV - "30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Mark 13:26-27 KJV - "26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."

Ephesians 1:10 KJV - "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:"

Psalm 50:4-5 KJV - "4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. 5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

Matthew 13:47-50 KJV - "47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

2 Thessalonians 2:1 KJV - "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,"

John 14:3 KJV - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Once the LORD gathers his increase unto himself, there will be rejoicing and feasting.

Zephaniah 3:20 KJV - "At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD."

Ezekiel 34:13 KJV - "And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country."

Matthew 8:11 KJV - "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven."

Luke 13:29 KJV - "And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

God will establish his Kingdom and gather nations unto it.

Micah 4:1-3, 6-7 KJV - "1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ... 6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever."