Amos 9:13a (NKJV): “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed…”
We are living in exciting and accelerated times. Just imagine how technology has advanced within the past 30 or 40 years! Just 30 to 40 years ago, there wasn’t any remote control for television, and there wasn’t anyone carrying cell phones around! Many today, even the most ‘savvy’ of users, are finding themselves trying to play ‘catch up’ with the latest models of gadgets. Even before one is done with all the features of his/her gadgets, new models/versions would have been launched in the market! This is how things are accelerating! And it seems quicker and quicker!
Read Amos 9:11-15. This prophecy is one of the most literal and clearest of prophecies about Israel in the end-time. In the year 1948, on May the 14th, Israel became a nation again, and this marked the beginning of the accelerated times. Everything seemed to have advanced rather quickly (& still is) since then - in scientific discoveries, technological advancements, medical breakthroughs, or space technology. And of course the first rocket to the moon was also launched during this period of time! The prophecies in Amos 9:11-15 have indeed come to pass in our time.
God has always looked at Israel as a spiritual nation, and when you look at this nation, you’ll also see God’s spiritual ‘time-table’ at work. In short, you’ll know the sign of the times by looking at this nation, specifically Jerusalem. In Luke 21:24, the Bible says ‘Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled’. The second part of this prophecy became a reality in the year 1948.
Amos 9:13 describes the ‘accelerated times’ this way: ‘the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the sower shall overtake the treader of grapes’! It means even before the seeds are planted (or while the seeds are still being planted), there’s already a harvest of the fruits! Such is our time today! To put it simply, this is harvest time! Picture it this way: Even before you finish preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (or sharing a testimony of God’s glory) to someone, that person would have accepted the Lord as his/her personal Savior and Lord! And there’ll be more and more such testimonies all over the world! Hallelujah!
Let’s now cross-refer to Matthew 20:1-16, where Jesus shared a parable of the workers in the vineyard. This parable is also called ‘the parable of the 11th hour’. Here’s how it goes: The landowner went out to hire laborers to work in his vineyard, and when he had agreed with the laborers to pay them a denarius a day (i.e. a day’s wage), he would then send them into his vineyard to work. So, he did this about the 3rd hour (i.e. 9 am), he did the same about the 6th hour (i.e. 12pm), and then about the 9th hour (i.e. 3pm). Finally, he did likewise about the 11th hour (i.e. 5pm).
By the way, the Jewish working time ends at the 12th hour (i.e. 6pm). This means the 11th hour laborers would only have worked for one hour. At evening, when the time came for the landowner’s steward to give all the laborers their wages (beginning with the last to the first), the 11th hour laborers received a denarius each. And when the 3rd hour laborers (i.e. the first group) came, they supposed that they would receive much more. After all, they have slogged for 9 hours (i.e. 9am -6pm) in the vineyard, and they thought they deserved better! But, to their surprise, they also received a denarius each. So, they complained against the landowner, saying, “These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.” But the landowner answered one of them, saying, “I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?”
The above parable actually speaks of God’s grace for the 11th hour generation. You may ask, "So, who are those in the 11th hour generation?" You and I are! This is the end-time generation, i.e. the 11th hour generation! And mind you, this is also a greatly blessed generation, like those 11th hour laborers in the parable. Now, this parable is never meant to be a ‘religious’ parable. Instead, it’s meant to ‘shake’ those ‘religious’ people who thought they could earn God’s favor with their own strength or sacrifice. This parable is also not rewarding the so-called ‘heroes’ (who sacrificed the whole day), but instead rewards those who ‘have nothing to boast about themselves’. This parable speaks of the Father’s heart of grace for you. Grace is undeserved and unearned. It's about depending on Him and trusting in Him, instead of your own ability to 'make it happen'.
It's not about who work the hardest, but to those who trusts in the Lord, these are the ones whom God gives the most! God looks at the heart.
It's not about who work the hardest, but to those who trusts in the Lord, these are the ones whom God gives the most! God looks at the heart.
Jesus also said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:16). Indeed, you have been chosen for this '11th hour generation', and it's a great blessing! Cherish it! Indeed, you are now reaping the benefits of all the hard work (and years of toil) of your forefathers! Your forefathers were those from, say, ‘the 3rd hour, the 6th hour, or the 9th hour’ period of human history. For example, it took so much out of Thomas Edison to ‘light’ a bulb, but today, and with just a 'token', you can easily enjoy a good bulb by just purchasing it from a hardware store near home!
Spiritually, this is also harvest time! Souls everywhere are ready for the reaping into His kingdom, even in the hardest of grounds. God is working through you, the believers today, and you are born (and raised) for such a time as this, when ‘the gospel of God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations’ (see Matthew 24:14). The stage is set! The time is now! And it's time for you to arise and shine! Read Isaiah 60:1-18. This prophecy also speaks of our time, the end-time! God has promised His providence. God has promised a transfer of wealth. There'll be protection at your 'walls'. His name is Salvation ('Yeshuwah' in Hebrew). There'll also be Praises of the Lord at your 'gates'! So, let your 'gates' be continually opened (Isaiah 60:11), because His glory has risen upon you and His grace for you is super-strong. Amen!
