Much of the wealth during the first century AD lay in the hands of landowners. They worked their land for profit, whether in cattle, produce or mining, and more often than not they employed laborers to work their lands for them or with them, depending upon how rich they were. The very rich didn’t need to work at all. They simply enjoyed the fruits their lands produced, and which were worked by folks they employed. That said, it is odd, that James speaks kindly of the husbandman or farmer in James 5:7, who is quite rich, while he judges the wickedness of the rich in James 5:1-6. If he had been speaking of the literal rich, the physically rich in verses 1 through 6, calling them wicked, how is it that he makes the rich husbandman (farmer) in verse-7 to be a metaphor for the Lord?
The whole tone of the chapter changes in verse-7, and suddenly the rich man is a good man, referring to the Lord. Had James been speaking of the literally rich land owners in the previous verses, why would he expect his readers to understand his point in verse-7, when he speaks of the Lord as a rich land owner, and that without any additional explanation? On the other hand, if James was speaking of the spiritually rich in spirit, arrogant men who had defrauded the righteous of their joy, then it isn’t a great leap in understanding that the landowner in verse-7 is a spiritual metaphor for the Lord. An author cannot speak of literal things and suddenly jump to spiritual things without some kind of introduction or explanation of what he means, if he expects his readers to understand his point.
Notice that James turns from speaking to the rich in the previous six verses and speaks to the brethren in James 5:7, telling them to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Jesus promised to vindicate his disciples at his return in Matthew 16:24-28. There he told his disciples that anyone who followed him must deny himself any stake in this life (Matthew 16:24). The word translated cross in that verse is wrong. The time of Jesus’ speaking these words was about the time of Tabernacles, when folks put up temporary stakes in the ground and celebrated coming out of Egypt by following the Lord or the pillar of fire in the text. Whenever the pillar of fire moved Israel pulled up their stakes (their tents) and followed wherever the Lord led them. Jesus was telling his disciples that those who wished to follow him couldn’t have a stake in this world. He or she must be ready to leave the world behind with all its goods.
Those who would seek to save their lives by clinging to the world, would suffer loss, but those who had no regard for their lives in this world would end up saving their lives (Matthew 16:25). For in the context of the Jewish state being judged and destroyed by the Lord, what possible profit could there be in clinging to that life in the first century AD (Matthew 16:26)? For, Jesus promised he would come in the glory of his Father with his angels and reward everyone according to his works (Matthew 16:27), and there were some standing in his presence who would live to see that day (Matthew 16:28)! In other words, when James told his readers that the Judge was standing at the door (James 5:9), he meant just that. Jesus’ return was not far off. The brethren, to whom he wrote, knew all of these things and were able to understand James’ point.
Be patient, James told the brethren (James 5:7), for the Lord waits for his precious fruit to receive the latter rain for their growth and maturity. They would be vindicated, just as the early prophets were patient and were vindicated (James 5:10). They, too, were slandered and rejected in disbelief, but they were vindicated through the judgment that followed their testimony, and were highly esteemed among the then future generations of the Lord’s people.
Once more, James tells the brethren to be patient and again refers to the coming of the Lord, saying that the time of their vindication draws near (James 5:8). Nevertheless, the brethren who were wronged must not complain about what was done to them, because complaining amounts to judging the wrongdoer (James 5:9; cp. Matthew 7:1-2), for the Judge stands at the door, indicating the closeness of the Lord’s coming in the first century AD.
Smoodock's Blog 