For the Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalm from Babylon starting in 538 BC, coming back to the land of promise was like a dream come true (Ps 126:1). Words of the prophets were being fulfilled. The repetition of "the Lord has done great things for them/us" in verses 2-3 suggests that the psalmist may have had in mind in particular Joel's prophecy, since a similar phrase also appears twice in Joel 2:20-21. (Walter C. Kaiser points this out in his book The Journey Isn't Over.)
But other things in the prophecies were not happening yet---e.g., the bountiful harvests described in Joel 2:22 and 3:18 had not occurred, as we see in Haggai 1:6. And so the people prayed for further restoration--Ps 126:4.
In answer to their prayers, God sent prophets Haggai and Zechariah, who affirmed that God would bring blessing when the people stepped out on faith and put God first. Psalm 126:5-6 uses the imagery of a harvest to communicate this lesson.
"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!" (v 5)
Sowing may involve tears, since one has to give up grain that could provide food right now in order to plant a crop of grain. Before anything can sprout, the seed must die (see John 12:24). But the sacrifice is worth it. The harvest reaped will far exceed the seed sown. The psalm concludes, "He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shourts of joy, bringing the sheaves with him."
It is still the case that there is much fulfillment of biblical prophecies yet to occur. We should continue to sow seed, because the greatest harvest still lies ahead.
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