We should expect, then, the general harvest of the gospel age to end in 1918.
[412]The natural harvest was used by the Lord to illustrate his harvest of Christians.

In the Jewish natural harvest it was customary to glean the field after the regular harvest was over.

We should therefore expect to find a harvest period from 1878 to 1918, and thereafter for a time a gleaning work going on, in which a few Christians would be gathered in, as well as another part of the harvest work to be done, which we will indicate.

The question now is, Do we find a period of harvest in the gospel age after 1874 which serves as a fulfillment of the prophecy of the Lord?
[413]In addition to his words cited in Matthew 13:24-30, and in answer to the specific question with reference to his presence, Jesus said: "And he [the Lord] shall send his angels [messengers] with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other".

(Matthew 24:31) The following facts bear unmistakable testimony of the great harvest period of the gospel age in fulfillment of prophetic utterances, which fulfillment is one of the strongest proofs of the Lord's presence.
[414]In this text the words "sound of a" are not contained in the oldest manuscripts and should be omitted.