The 400 years of bondage in Egypt had come and gone, and now iniquity (the unfairness towards God and people) of the Amorites was complete. The Canaanites had denied their Creator. They sacrificed their children to idols. They had sold their daughters into prostitution.
Moses sent 12 Israelites, one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel into Canaan to observe the fruit of the land and their strongholds. “The time was the season of the first ripe grapes.” [2]
The Lord speaks quite often about grapes in the Bible.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: they shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; as a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches.” [3] “They” refers to the armies of Babylon that God sent against the remnant of Israel to carry them away into exile. The Babylonians gleaned the city of Jerusalem of its inhabitants. That would be in the future!
Going back in time to the days of Moses and Joshua, the people of God were about to clear the fields of Canaan of evil people. They would conquer 31 kings and their armies. [4]
But wait! There was another pruning that had to happen prior to their entrance into Canaan. The pruning of unbelief. The twelve spies of Moses returned to him with a cluster of grapes so large that it took two men to carry them on a pole between them. But ten of the spies also brought back doubt, saying, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” This unbelief spread like an epidemic and suddenly the people of Israel decided to select a new leader to take them back to Egypt. [5]
“Then the Lord said to Moses: ‘How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.’” [6]
Moses advocated for the testimony of God, saying, “If You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’” Moses asked the Lord to continue to be longsuffering and abundant in mercy towards Israel and to forgive their sins. [7]
The Lord forgave their unbelief but issued a consequence for not yielding the “grapes” of faith in Him. The consequence was 40 years of wandering in the wilderness for each day that the spies spied out the land of Canaan, and the Lord allowed the ten spies who spread the disease of unbelief to die suddenly. [8]
There are relatable scenes in the Revelation to the one in Numbers.
The Apostle John testifies, “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with Him an 144,000…” “…These are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” [9]
Next, John sees, three angels, each with a different message for the people of the earth.
Perhaps, these are the angelic messages that the 144,000 Jewish evangelists preached to the world. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists are from the 12 the tribes of Israel. After they are introduced in Revelation 7:4-8, John sees a multitude of people from all nations praising God and the Lamb in Revelation 7:9-17.
The three messages that are preached before the grape harvest in Revelation 14:14-20 are:
The everlasting Gospel because the hour of His judgment is come.
Babylon’s demise due to the wrath of God on her sin.
Warning of torment to those who receive the mark of the beast. [10]
Next comes two harvests of grapes…
The first harvest by the Son of Man.
The second by an angel. [11]
I believe the first grape harvest is the rapture, and the second grape harvest is the second coming of Christ. The second grape harvest ends with the grapes being cast into the great winepress of God’s wrath, and with blood as deep as the height of a horse’s bridles and for a space of 184 miles.
In light of these Biblical testimonies and truths, the Lord has been leading me to pray for Adam’s race including me, that we would render to the Lord the harvest of grapes that He is due, namely, the fruit of faith in Him.
Remember what He did when He came to Jerusalem and did not find fruit on the fig tree? He cursed it, and it dried up from the roots. Unbelief disappoints the Lord. He cannot bless it. [12]
The Bible says that we all fall short of God’s glory. There is none righteous no not one. We have all failed to trust in the Lord at times. That’s why the atoning sacrifice of Christ is so important. That’s why taking communion on a regular basis is so important. We need to be reminded that only through faith in the shed blood of Jesus for our sins is their remission of our sins! We need to confess our sins of unbelief to the Lord and ask Him to help us trust in Him at all times. [13]
As water is to a plant so is the Word of God to our faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. “Blessed is the man” whose “delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season.” [14]
After hearing the Word of God, we need to apply it.
David wrote, “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” [15]
“Kiss the Son” means to worship Him. Seek Him! He is the Savior. He is Lord! He is our Leader. We follow Him. Jesus Christ is the New Testament’s Joshua who leads us into a better Promised Land than Old Testament Joshua. Both names Joshua and Jesus mean that the Lord saves. Jesus Christ saves those who call upon Him. He leads His followers into the Heavenly Promised Land.
[1] Genesis 15:13-14, 16
[2] Numbers 13:3-20
[3] Jeremiah 6:9
[4] Joshua 24:12
[5] Numbers 13:23, 31; Numbers 14:4
[6] Numbers 14:11-12
[7] Numbers 14:15-19
[8] Numbers 14:20-38
[9] Revelation 14:1, 4-5
[10] Revelation 14:6-11
[11] Revelation 14:14-20
[12] Luke 18:8; Mark 11:12-21
[13] Romans 3:10, 3:23; Matthew 26:28; 1 John 1:8-9; John 3:16
[14] Psalm 1:1-3; Romans 10:17
[15] Psalm 2:11-12
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