THE BARLEY, WHEAT, ASCENSION DAY AND THE MATURE SON

Greetings and grace to John and all Five Doves……from Arlene   April 26, 2005 

I should like to put together some thoughts that have been popping around in this popcorn brain.   One thread is about the barley and the wheat, and the other thread is the beginning of the ministry of our Lord from the wedding in Cana (John 3) to the infirm man at the Pool of Siloam (John 5), and the intervening events. 

Starting with a thought about the “wheat”.  In the maturation of wheat, the summer heat, typical in Israel without rain, after the spring rains, acts to mature the wheat.  The stalk of wheat “dies” from the roots up, which swells the head of the wheat, and when mature (I think this is lovely), bows its heavy head, as if in prayer.  It is ready to be harvested at this mature stage.   Wheat must be “threshed” on the threshing floor, in order to separate the grain from the chaff; this is a violent action, (tribulation years) whereas barley must be merely “winnowed”, (thrown up in the air, so that the chaff just blows away from the grain).   Barley also is a hardier plant, not as subject to the elements as is wheat, and is fully mature just before the wheat.   I think the first rapture is that of the full barley harvest, following the firstfruits offering, seen in Christ our Lord.  We know the wheat field will be full of “tares”, at the end of the age, and “angels” are sent to separate out the tares from amongst the wheat; this process Christ called “the end of the age”; i.e., the tribulation (first 3 ½ years).   Once this separation has been accomplished, the wheat is “stored in the barn”. (mid-tribulation rapture of the un-numberable company)    Angels do not come to us at the barley harvest,,,,,Jesus “Himself” comes to the clouds above and calls to us. 

          Now the next place we see this “wheat” is in the book of Revelation,  after the huge earthquake / earth disturbance, which causes all to run to bunkers and caves, immediately afterward, seeing a huge un-numbered crowd in heaven.  This company of raptured believers have “come out of great tribulation”, so we know it is the mid-trib rapture of those Christians who just did not care about or watch for the first rapture, and many of the churches Jesus addresses in Revelation are warned that they may miss His coming unless they “repent”, typed by Jonah, who preached to the gentiles “for yet forty days,” and judgement would come.  (Take note it was “during” this forty day period, that they did repent and were thus saved…….remember before I forget, we are looking for the rapture during the forty days “after” Passover, but “before” Pentecost…….and this is addressed in this study)    It is notable that this company seen in heaven has been subject to “hunger and thirst, and the sun lighting upon them”.   This shows that this wheat has indeed “matured” through the summer drought months, and “have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb”,,,,,,and, as I noted above are ready now for harvest, and have their “heads bowed”, ready for their white robes, the foolish virgins and the Laodecian church who both had to “buy” through the tribulation, their readiness for His Kingdom.    

          The above I have put as an introduction to a time-line of typed events starting in John Chapter 3, and going on to John chapter 5.  This is the start of the ministry of our Lord, so we can “type” it as the sequence of events for the church, and thereafter. 

          He starts out at the wedding in Cana, turning the water into wine.  This was accomplished later at the Last Supper of our Lord, at the espousal dinner, and the promise to again drink this wine with us in the Kingdom, later, so keep in mind that this “wedding” in Cana must have been around the time of Passover, in Cana of Galilee, for later it is said that these people “who were at that feast”, (Passover) had heard of His works.    

          He then leaves to go back to “Judea” (the Jews), but “needs go through Samaria first”.   This shows that before returning to the Jews at the end of the age, He will spend “two days” with the Samaritans, and we know that this is the two days, or 2000 years of the church age.

John 4:40

So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

          He meets the Samaritan woman “at the well”, telling her about the living waters; and, indeed, that is the church’s message to all “come, drink of the waters”.   To her utter amazement, this woman (church), finds that He knows every little thing about her, including her assorted and sordid affairs / marriages / co-habitations, etc., and rather than shrink from that, she runs into town to tell about this intimate confrontation with the Lord, and brings the whole city back with her.   That is exactly what the church does.  It is our earnest desire in prayer, that the Lord Jesus Christ “know” us, and that we may know Him.  A picture of the intimacy of the bride and groom.  The foolish virgins are told “I KNOW you not…..”.    Our sordid past is known to Him.   We add daily to the list in confession and appealing to our High Priest in Heaven. We also go out to tell others about this intimacy that is possible for us to have with the Lord.    He tells her “salvation is of the Jews”.  We know that very well; we read the words of the prophets and apostles, and build our foundation upon the works of these people, with much gratitude to them. 

          Then, we have these incredible words of our Lord:

John 4:35

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

I previously wrote about this astounding statement.  He is saying that there is a “harvest”, NOW, four months before the fall harvests, (and we know this was said “after” Passover, but “before” Pentecost, seen just a little later with the infirmed man at the Pool of Siloam)  and I believe that this represents the BARLEY harvest, and that this meeting with the type of bride of Christ, is right at the time of the main barley harvest, and therefore gives us notice that the RAPTURE of the barley harvest comes after these “two days”, and at that time in the spring, when the barley is ready to be harvested.     Why?  I think the following events will show that.   In fact the next event in His trip, I believe, sees the rapture / resurrection of the “mature” “son” of the nobleman. Incidentally, the city of Samaria “believed” because they “had HEARD Him themselves”…that is a picture of the church who believes upon Him by His word, and the good seed that falls into good ground, and “HEARS, AND UNDERSTANDS THE WORD”.   

          Next, He goes to Galilee, after stopping these two days (2000 years) with the gentile bride of Christ.   Why did He go back to Galilee?  Well, we all know from Acts 1, that he departed from the Mount of Olives, and that “the men of Galilee”, stood watching when the two angels told them, “This same Jesus will COME AGAIN, EXACTLY LIKE HE HAS DEPARTED”.    So, now He goes from Samaria to Galilee, so our attention should be now what He did here, and something interesting happens there.   First of all, take note of a little item:

John 4:45

Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

This is important, for we see that He had been in Jerusalem, “at the feast” somewhat earlier.   That feast must have been Passover, as it was before “another feast” coming up soon where the man at the Pool of Siloam was healed.  SO WE ARE BETWEEN TWO SPRING FEASTS at the time He left Samaria (after two days – 2000 years)  and “returned” to GALILEE.   Remember, “ye men of Galilee, He will come again, just in the same manner as He left”.

He has showed us the type of the wedding feast to come, then the 2000 years of the church age with the gentiles spreading His Word, and now, “after” those two days, He returns to Galilee (His second coming), and it is also “before” the Feast of Pentecost.   Just like Jonah’s preaching “yet forty days and judgment cometh”, during the 40 days from Passover (Jonah’s resurrection from the fish’s belly) yet “before” the heat of summer, seen when Jonah needed to be sheltered from the heat of the sun (on into the tribulation years), and Jonah’s depression also typical of the tribulation years.   But, note, the gentiles were “saved” because they repented.   See the seven churches of Revelation….does not our Lord, like Jonah, tell each church (except raptured Philadelphia) to “repent” “repent”, and “repent”?   This call to the church for repentance occurs during the FORTY DAYS BETWEEN PASSOVER / FIRSTFRUITS AND PENTECOST !!!!!  (Note:  the people of Nineveh were not “saved” on Pentecost, but during the forty days of Jonah’s call to repentance.   This is important. 

          So, should we look for something here (between the two feasts of Passover and Pentecost), that may represent the rapture?   If so, it would involve a gentile,  most assuredly, to represent the church,  and we see that is exactly what He set His next MIRACLE upon.  

          He runs into a  “certain” nobleman, whose son was sick.  When we see the word “certain”, we know that there is a type that we should look for.   The nobleman was a gentile who had  a very sick child, “sick almost to death”.  Let us look at that very carefully.   The nobleman referred to his child, his son as a little boy, or (“paidia”), which is a child between the ages of 4 and 12.   BUT Jesus in answering the nobleman, referred to this son as a “son” or (“huios”, or MATURE son. Was there a misunderstand here?  I think not….. Jesus here is picturing the “manchild” that will be “caught up” per Revelation 12.  By the way this “manchild” is caught up “before” the tribulation, because the dragon then sets out to persecute the “remnant”, those left behind….which happens during the tribulation years.   ALSO NOTE CAREFULLY ! THAT:

John 4:47	When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48	Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49	The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

Twice, the nobleman says “COME DOWN”.   And that is exactly what we, the church, the bride, are looking for----for Him who is our life and grace  TO COME DOWN.   It is interesting, that this is inserted here by the Holy Spirit, for this nobleman was from Caperneum and had left his sick son there to seek out Jesus for the healing; therefore, directionally, Jesus would have had to “come down” to heal the son.   After testing the man’s sincerity (and we are tested by our belief, without actually seeing Him), Jesus said, “Thy son liveth”, again using the word for MATURE son.  (I THINK THIS VERY MOMENT IS WHEN THE “MANCHILD” IS CAUGHT UP)  WHY ?  Because this manchild in Revelation 12 was “at the point of death” right at the time of deliverery, for the “Dragon sought to “devour” the manchild as soon as he was born”….., so the manchild, just prior to delivery, is near death.    Jesus in this parable/type, is seeing way ahead, after the two thousand years, and seeing the mature son, the manchild,  ready to heal / give His fullness of life to, but also ready to be devoured by the dragon.    The nobleman, when he heard Jesus use this word for mature son, knew that Jesus was telling him…….”go on now, I see you son as being fully grown, so go your way……” Similar to Abraham, who knew that Isaac would have to be resurrected if God were to keep His promise about his seed being a blessing to the whole earth, so therefore, Abraham believed that the sacrifice of Isaac would result in a miracle of resurrection, for he said “God will provide….” a substitute.    Remember what I said above, about the “mature” barley (after firstfruits, but before Pentecost).    And then let us go over to the book of Revelation, and read about a certain church that may not know the HOUR of His coming:

Here is a church that is “ready to die”, just like the son of the nobleman.

And, also, this church has “overcomers”, who repent and ready themselves for the coming Bridegroom.  “They shall walk with me in white”----the rapture is here referenced. 

Revelation 3:1-6

1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Like the nobleman’s son, this church is ready to die, but note that it is being addressed just before the “hour” of the rapture, and that unless they repent, they would not walk in white, nor would they know the hour of His coming like a thief, and therefore, would not be in the first rapture / resurrection.      Is there an hour mentioned with the nobleman?   Why, yes there is:

John 4:51	And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52	Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

Will He come at 1:00 p.m. Jerusalem time on May 5, 2005?  (they are six hours ahead of me, so that would be something like 7:00 a.m. my time…….I think I will get up early that morning, although the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak…….).   

So, here is the “resurrection” of the “mature son” ready to die, at the “seventh hour” (1:00 p.m.).   Jesus said, “go thy way, thy son liveth….”. 

We, hopefully matured sons (barley), hope also for that life that only He can give.   I think this pictures the rapture of the matured sons, barley, after “two days” with the church, and between two “feasts”---Passover and Pentecost.    WHAT DAY DO WE KNOW OF THAT IS BETWEEN THESE TWO FEASTS, WHEN FIELDS OF BARLEY ARE RIPE, (about ten days before Pentecost)  WHEN JESUS IS BEING SOUGHT TO “COME DOWN”, TO HEAL US, WHEN JONAH IS PREACHING TO “REPENT” TO THE CHURCHES DURING A FORTY-DAY PERIOD, BUT BEFORE PENTECOST, A DAY THAT WOULD BRING US TO HIS GLORIOUS LIFE?    DUH…I THINK IT IS ASCENSION DAY MAY 5, 2005….THE DAY HE WILL RETURN IN LIKE MANNER AS HE LEFT……. 

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE:

If this is so, then the following events would place this healing/resurrection (rapture)  of the “mature” son in a time-line that would lead to the Lord’s dealings with Israel.  Where did He go next?

JERUSALEM !   YEAH THAT’S IT……..

John 5:1

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

And, what did He do there?   He healed the man with the infirmity of 38 years by the Pool of Siloam.   NOTE CAREFULLY:  AFTER THIS THERE WAS A FEAST OF THE JEWS ! 

Now, just what feast could this be?  Well, it has to be Pentecost, because people were laying around the five porches of the pool (summer), and because just previously He had pointed out the maturity of the barley fields (not the wheat fields) because there could not be exactly four months until the fall harvests, but as I pointed out in a previous study, had to be barley, and furthermore the rapture (healing of the mature son) took place BETWEEN TWO FEASTS, AS NINEVEH WAS SAVED BY JONAH’S PREACHING DURING THESE FORTY DAYS – NOT AFTER AT  PENTECOST.     From previous studies on Christ’s dealings with Israel, we learned that indeed Israel on June 6, 1967, took over the Temple Mount, but through fear and unbelief, did not take it from its occupants and return it unto themselves, so like their unbelief when the spies returned from the promised land, had to wander for another 38 years.   And 38 years from that date of winning but not taking the Temple Mount would occur this coming June by the Jews’ reckoning, or by our Christian Pentecost, May 15.   The man (Israel) at the Pool of Siloam, didn’t even know who Jesus was, and furthermore stated that “there is no man to help me….”.   Why did the man say that?   First of all, Israel believes in the power of man,,,,,but there is something else that has happened recently, according to this type / story.  There is no man to help Israel….hhhmmmmmmm….could that be because the true church, the raptured people, the mature “man” who would help Israel, has gone, left the earth, in the rapture, and in fact then, Israel would be without a “man (mature) to help her”. ?????

The next thing that happens is the healing of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, and some have gone into the fact that here also is Israel, with a blood issue (intifada / terrorist attacks), every since 1993, the Oslo Accord, which should have stopped the blood but did not…..Christ will deal with this issue of blood also….

          Glory be to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ…..

“Even so, come Lord Jesus”   (come DOWN heal us…..)

Below are the Biblical references in John 4 & 5 

YSIC    Arlene 

John 4:3	He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4	And he must needs go through Samaria.
5	Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6	Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7	There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8	(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9	Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10	Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11	The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12	Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13	Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14	But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15	The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16	Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17	The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18	For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19	The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20	Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21	Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22	Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23	But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24	God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25	The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26	Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27	And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28	The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29	Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30	Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31	In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32	But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33	Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34	Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35	Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36	And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37	And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38	I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39	And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40	So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41	And many more believed because of his own word;
42	And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
43	Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
44	For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.
45	Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46	So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47	When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48	Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49	The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50	Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
51	And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52	Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53	So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54	This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

John 5:1	After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2	Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3	In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4	For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5	And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6	When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7	The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8	Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9	And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.