1. It seems to us that the best source of information on this subject is Reprint pages R5950 and 5951. Although we shall quote liberally from that article, we will also attempt to bring about some up-to-date interpretations of those quotations.
2. "Some of us were quite strongly convinced that the harvest would be ended by now, but our expectations must not be allowed to weigh anything against the facts. The fact is that the harvest work is going grandly on; it is not ended by any means. As far as our present judgment goes, it would appear that there is considerable harvest work yet to be done. This is not discouraging but encouraging to us." "We are glad to know that others are daily coming into blessed relationship with the Lord under the Covenant of Sacrifice, and are giving evidence of having been begotten of the holy Spirit." "Our mistake was along the very line that we pointed out. Time and again, we reminded our readers that the parallelism between the Jewish age and the Gospel age could not include anything belonging to the new dispensation." "The parallels affected merely the nominal Jewish house there and the nominal Christian house here. Both were rejected because of failure to be in the right condition of heart for the truths that were due to them-- both rejected for destruction. The Jewish system was a Church-state affair paralleled by the great Church-state systems of Europe, whose destruction began in 1914." (C148-162; R4842; BF) "No parallels as between the pentecostal Church and the true church now are to be looked for." "We should not have looked for parallelisms between the starting of the Gospel Church and its experiences, and the starting in the harvest time of the heavenly church and its experiences. These are no part of the parallel. The parallel belongs to the nominal Jewish system, (C150:1, C153:2) which went to destruction, and to the nominal Gospel Church which is now going to destruction. We imagined that the harvest work of gathering the Church would be accomplished before the end of the Gentile Times, but nothing in the Bible so said. Our thought was purely an inference, and now we see that it was an unjustified one. This harvest work belongs to the new dispensation and cannot be identified with the old." "We may expect that quite a good many will yet be gathered to the heavenly garner and we know of no time limit here." "We can be fully content that the great Captain, who by Divine appointment has the entire matter in charge, is too wise to err."
3. Let us enumerate the "facts" taught in the above quotations: a. He had been previously convinced that the harvest work would be ended by September, 1916. b. We must not allow our expectations to weigh against the facts. c. The fact was that the harvest work had not ended, but was going grandly on; that there was a considerable harvest work yet to be done. d. These facts were encouraging to Bro. Russell. e. He was gladdened to know that there were brethren daily making a Covenant of sacrifice and giving evidence of being spirit-begotten. f. The pastor admits making a mistake concerning the harvest, due to his inadvertently applying the parallels to the true church as well as the nominal church. g. He had time and again reminded the brethren that the parallels could not include anything belonging to the Millennial age; the harvest is Millennial age work and cannot be identified with the Gospel age. h. The parallels affected only the nominal Jewish house in the end of the Jewish age and the nominal Christian house in the end of the Gospel age. i. Both houses were rejected to destruction because of a wrong heart condition concerning the truth due in the end of each age, respectively. j. The Jewish system was a Church-state affair paralleled by the great Church-state systems of Europe (still in existence in September, 1916). k. The destruction of these European Church- state systems began in 1914, which date parallels 69 A.D. l. There are no parallels between the harvest of the true church in the end of the Jewish age and the harvest of the true church in the end of the Gospel age. m. The parallel belongs to the Jewish nominal Church-state system which went to destruction in 73 A.D. and the nominal Gospel Church-state system that was not yet completely destroyed in September, 1916. n. He had previously thought that the harvest work of gathering the church into the heavenly garner would be completed before the end of Gentile Times, but the Bible does not so state. o. That thought was purely an inference and an unjustified one. p. The harvest work (although accomplished in the end of the Gospel Age) is not Gospel age work but Millennial age work. q. He expected that many more would be gathered to the "Heavenly Garner" and he knew of no time limit for the end of the harvest work. r. We can be fully content not to know how long it will be till the last one is gathered into the heavenly Garner, thereby completing the harvest work.
4. In a way the above is quite revealing but there again, most of this information had already been taught in C148-162 and in previous "Tower" articles. We concur in every statement above listed and find no problem in so doing.
5. We feel that a few of the stated facts need explaining or interpreting. We also feel that the correct thought on the harvest and the correct understanding of the parallels are the keys that will unlock the "why" and the "wherefore" of the last 69 years. Our belief is that those keys are now being used; that the Lord has now unveiled the mystery that has enshrouded that period.
6. The title of the article, "The Harvest is not Ended,"can be stated in another way, namely, "Brethren, the door is not yet closed; some are still falling out and being replaced; this will continue until all are fully tried and tested and proved and have been gathered into the heavenly "Garner"; we can be happy not to know how long this harvest work of such gathering will last."
7. There are two phases of the harvest of the bride class, the reaping phase and the sifting, (replacement) phase. The reaping phase began in 1874 and ended in 1914 when all the true wheat had been gathered out of the nominal systems. Let us never forget that the wheat class are the true children of the Kingdom, the truly consecrated, the heirs. The wheat have existed during the entire Gospel age. During the Jewish harvest, they were separated from the chaff, Matt.3:12; Luke 3:17. For most of the period between the harvests, they "grew" together with the tares." In the harvest at the end of the Gospel age, they are separated from the tares, then sifted, tested, tried, proved, and finally they or their replacements replacements of replacements are all gathered into the heavenly Garner.
8. This sifting or replacement phase began in 1881 at the end of the general call and laps over the reaping phase for a period of 33 years from 1881 to 1914. The sifting and replacement process does not stop there but continues on until the last members of the wheat or bride class are gathered together with their Lord in heavenly glory. It is noted that the period 36 to 69 A.D. parallels in time the period 1881 to 1914. An interesting observation is that in the period 36 to 69 there were no siftings and replacements to parallel the siftings and replacements that took place in the period 1881 to 1914. This is just another proof that there were no parallels in the two ages concerning the harvest of the true church. (Matt. 13:29,30; C136:2; C146:2; C219:2) For a more comprehensive treatment of the parallels, Please see Articles 016 through 029.
9. "When all the faithful 'wise virgins' have been proved so, and have entered into the joys of the Lord, the 'door of opportunity' to become of that class will close; and no more can enter it. when all the wise have entered in, the number predestined will be complete; and then the Master will rise up and shut the door", C221:1. Luke 13:24,25; Matt.25:10. We believe this quoted statement on the "closing of the door" is self-explanatory and needs no further comment.