The Biblical threshing floor and winnowing: Pictures of Christ’s work

Ruth 3

07-11-2025 - Posted by Geert-Jan

Originally posted on November 26, 2006 – by Andre Piet
summary of a Bible study held on 26 November 2006 in Zoetermeer

What is threshing and winnowing?

Threshing is: beating the grain out of the ears.
Winnowing is: tossing the grain into the air so that the wind carries away the light chaff (the husk around the kernel). See this imagery also in: Ps. 1:4; Isa. 13:24; Dan. 2:35; Hos. 13:3.

what is Christ doing today?

The winnowing by Boaz in chapter 3 speaks, prophetically, of the work the Messiah will do among the believing remnant of Israel in the end time. More generally, it also applies to the work of Christ in the present interim period—that is, after His resurrection (“the beginning of the barley harvest” – ch. 1) and before Israel’s redemption (ch. 4). What is Christ doing today for us who believe? Through His Word, He lifts us upward—and it is the Spirit (ruach, pneuma = wind) that blows away the chaff.

let it blow away…

The Word calls us not to struggle against flesh and blood, but to look upward and expect all things from the living Lord — Eph. 6:12; Rom. 6:11; 2 Cor. 3:18. The chaff (sin, the works of the flesh) will then, quite naturally, be blown away from our lives. Where there is light, there is no place for darkness. Fighting the darkness is pointless — lighting the light (= the Word), that works wonders! Whoever is focused on what is above can speak calmly about the chaff in their life and say: let it blow away…

Gideon’s threshing floor

Perhaps the most famous threshing floor in the Bible is the one in the story of Gideon. Yet few are aware of its deeper meaning. It was on the threshing floor that God gave Gideon a double sign—that He would deliver Israel by Gideon’s hand. First, the woolen fleece on the threshing floor was wet and drenched with dew, while the surrounding ground was dry. The second sign reversed this: the ground was covered in dew, while the fleece remained dry.

The woolen fleece clearly speaks of “the Lamb that is led to the slaughter.” The dew represents life and fruitfulness. The first to receive this new life is the Lamb that was once slain—in contrast to the land (or the earth — the same Hebrew word). But in the future, the land (or the earth) too will share in this new life. And that will make unmistakably clear by whose hand Israel will be delivered…
—Judges 6

Nacon’s threshing floor

A lesser-known threshing floor is that of Nacon. It was at this threshing floor that the oxen pulling the ark of God stumbled, prompting Uzzah to reach out and touch the ark—an act for which he was struck down. The ark was on its way to Jerusalem, but the journey was interrupted there. That is why the place was afterward named Perez-Uzzah. Perez means breach or interruption. The ark is, par excellence, a type of “the Christ”. The coming of the Messiah had the purpose of establishing His throne in Jerusalem. However, the way to that destination is interrupted. Disobedience, stumbling, and transgression are the key elements here. The attentive reader can fill in the picture further… See Rom. 11:11, 15. 2 Samuel 6

the temple built on a threshing floor

The most significant threshing floor in Scripture is that of Araunah (Ornan) the Jebusite. It was on this threshing floor that David built an altar — 2 Sam. 24 — and where his son Solomon would later build the temple — 2 Chron. 3:1. It was also the very place where Abraham once offered his only son… Indeed — on the third day (Gen. 22).

The threshing floor is the place where the ears of grain are struck and where the grain is tossed upward. It is the place of sacrifice. It is the place that gives Zion its meaning: the temple. In short: the threshing floor points to Zion, where the Lord died and — what is more — where He was raised! Rev. 11:8

the nations as sheaves on the threshing floor

The threshing floor also points to Zion, because it is precisely there, in the end time, that the nations will be gathered “like sheaves on the threshing floor” — Micah 4:12. It is this very location where the true Boaz will one day gather all nations for judgment: “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will be cleansing His threshing floor entirely, and will be gathering His grain into the barn, yet the chaff shall He be burning…” —Matt. 3:12

Note that in the final verses of Micah 4 and the beginning of chapter 5, we read successively about redemption (4:10), the threshing floor (4:12), the daughter of Zion (4:13; cf. Ruth), and Bethlehem Ephrathah (5:2). Each of these elements ties in seamlessly with the themes of the book of Ruth.

the other redeemer

The potential redeemer who was nearer than Boaz (i.e., a relative even closer) prophetically represents the one who will first present himself as the Messiah, but who ultimately will not be able to fulfill the claim. His role is addressed further in the resolution of chapter 4. —Ruth 3:12

the covering removed

Ruth, well prepared and in full surrender, went to Boaz on the threshing floor. There, the encounter takes place. There, she receives his promises. There, the shawl is removed, and there, she receives an abundance of barley. In picture, all of this speaks of what will soon take place in Zion (= the threshing floor). There, the true Boaz will meet the daughter of Zion, and the covering (the shawl) will be removed. The covering will give way to an abundance of new life (barley). Paul writes:

“…the same covering is remaining on the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, for only in Christ is it being nullified.
Now whenever Moses may be read, a covering is lying on their heart,
yet if ever it should be turning back to the Lord, the covering is taken away.”
—2 Cor. 3:14–16

he will not rest until…

Chapter 3 ends with the account of Ruth returning home and telling Naomi what has happened. Naomi responds: “…Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded this matter today.”
—Ruth 3:18

Here we see a beautiful picture of the Man also sung about in Psalm 1—the Righteous One, who is “like a tree planted beside streams of water… whatever He does shall prosper.” There is (of course) only one Man to whom this applies 100%: the Lord Jesus Christ. He will not rest until He has brought all things to their glorious completion. He came for the salvation of the world—and He WILL succeed! “What God’s love wills to accomplish, His power will not deny Him.”