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HARVEST
The gathering in of a crop, especially for food. There was no single harvesttime in ancient Israel. Olives were harvested in September–November, flax in March– April, barley in April–May, and wheat in May–June. Fruits such as figs and grapes were harvested at the end of the summer, in August or September. The Israelites’ calendar revolved around the harvest periods (cf. Jgs 15:1; Ru 1:22).
In the OT, Pentecost (a harvest festival) was one of the three major festivals that the Israelites were required by the Lord to keep annually (Ex 23:16). In doing so they would remember that the rich land into which they had been brought from Egypt (Dt 8:7-10) was the gift of God. In offering the firstfruits of the harvest (Lv 23:10-11), the Israelites showed gratitude and acknowledged their dependence on the Lord. Moreover, as the harvest was a gift, they were not to be selfish in enjoying it but to leave some for the underprivileged (19:9-10; 23:22).
NT references to harvest are largely figurative. In one parable (Mt 13:24-30) harvest represents the final judgment and the reapers are angels, gathering in the righteous and excluding the wicked from the kingdom (vv 36-43). In another, the harvest refers to those who have not yet heard the gospel, and the “laborers” are those who bring it to them (Mt 9:37-38).
See also Agriculture; Feasts and Festivals of Israel; Vines, Vineyard.