1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

Revelation 14:16.And He that sat on the cloud.— The LordJesus, during His Parousia, overruling andwithholding the Time of Trouble.Thrust in His sickle on the earth; and theearth was reaped.— Reading verses 13-16connectedly, we note that the resurrection of thesleeping saints is recorded, and is immediatelyfollowed by the Harvest. This suggests that theHarvest proper began in 1878; and that the threeand a half years prior to the spring of 1878 wasdevoted to preliminary work, but not to Harvestwork in the full sense. It was not proper to say"Come out of her, My people," until Babylonwas cast off, in the Spring of 1878.— Rev. 3:14;Matt. 13:30; 24:31. 14:17.And another angel— Pastor Russell himself,after the harvesting of the saints was finished.(Volumes IV, V VI are not shown inn thisstrictly Harvest chapter, as they are more usedfor the upbuilding of the saints than as Harvestinstruments. They are, however, shown in Rev.10:4; 15:8; 16:1-18.)Came out of the Temple which is inHeaven.— The Church in glory, on the otherside of the veil.He also having a sharp sickle.— The privilegeof guiding the work of bringing forth out of theDivine Storehouse all the Master's store ofprovisions, as needed, and of directing theexecution upon the nominal church of thechastisements promised in the Holy Word."Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when Hecometh shall findFM227so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that He willmake him ruler over all that He hath."— Luke12:44; Psa. 149:5-9; Isa. 21:1-10.14:18. And another angel.— The corporatebody which Pastor Russell organized to finishhis work. See Rev. 8:3-5, which describes thesame matter as here narrated.