Matthew 13:16-17 [The Scriptures - TS]
16 “And blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear,
17 for truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous ones longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
[the words of Yeshua in purple]
Yeshua of Nazareth is the teacher who has been replicated, copied, and published more than anyone else in human history. The parables of Yeshua not only have a moral lesson behind them, but in the case of some, they are prophetic. These prophecies embedded in Yeshua’s parables have already proved partially true, as history has established. Thus, those parts yet to be fulfilled can be approached with a high degree of confidence or conviction.
Perhaps of all the parables of the Messiah, those found in Matthew chapter 13 are among the most revealing. They reveal not only truths and moral principles, but also prophetic details that may well affect our lives today.
In this article, we attempt to discuss several parables that have a common thread – the Kingdom of the Messiah. These illustrations help us to understand how the King will judge his own Kingdom. They reveal what our own ultimate destiny will turn out to be.
A JUDGEMENT OF YESHUA’S FIELD
Matthew 13:36-43 [TS]
36 Then, having sent the crowds away, יהושע (Yehoshua) went into the house. And His taught ones came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field.”
37 And He answering, said to them, “He who is sowing the good seed is the Son of Adam,
38 and the field is the world. And the good seed, these are the sons of the reign, but the darnel are the sons of the wicked one,
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil (Ha Satan). And the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the messengers.
40 “As the darnel, then, is gathered and burned in the fire, so it shall be at the end of this age.
41 “The Son of Adam shall send out His messengers, and they shall gather out of His reign all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing lawlessness,
42 and shall throw them into the furnace of fire – there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 “Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the reign of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear (shama)!
So, anyone who reads Yeshua’s parable’s explanation should listen with comprehension as well as a willingness to respond to the moral within the teaching and obey.
When asking for an interpretation to this Kingdom parable, it is the disciples who call it the parable of the Tares (darnel) of the field’. We see also the critical point they wondered about – should the wheat and weeds grow together?
THE FIELD IS THE WORLD
THE GOOD SEED ARE THE CHILDREN OF YAHWEH
In that field the <good seed are the sons of the kingdom>. Yeshua used this phrase earlier in Matthew 8:12; 2 Timothy 2:19. These are children of Yisrael, the children of Yahweh.
It is likely that Daniel 7:14 refers to this international mixture of ‘sons of the Kingdom’ who became subjects in Messiah’s kingdom (also known aa Yahweh’s Kingdom) – Daniel 7:13; Ephesians 1:19-21.
Daniel describes these subjects as coming from ‘peoples, ethnic groups and languages’. This is the same language that describes that reign of kings and priests at Revelation 5:9, 10; 7:9.
<Darnel> is another ‘seed’ sown in this field. These are ‘the sons of the Adversary [«Ha-Satan»]’. This distinction made by Yeshua is also in the writings of the book of John 8:44;
1 John 3:10. According to the author of the book of John what primarily identifies the children of the Adversary is hatred and lack of love manifest in charity. On this matter compare Matthew 25:31-46.
THE ENEMY SOWING THE EVIL SEED IS HA SATAN HIS CHILDREN ARE CHARACTERISED BY HATRED AND LACK OF LOVE
The enemy sowing the seed of evil is the Adversary (Ha-Satan). Shaul describes this when he writes to the – 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 14-15
Virtually every inspired epistle warns of these works of evil and lawlessness – which is apostasy – within the followers of Messiah – 2 Thessalonians chapter 2; 1 Timothy 4:1-3;
2 Timothy chapter 3; 4:1-3; 2 Peter chapter 2; 1 John chapters 2-4; Jude.
Yeshua foretold such lawlessness early in the ‘group of followers’ during the first few decades. He predicted that love would grow cold:
Matthew 24:12 [TS]
12 And because of the increase in lawlessness, the love of many shall become cold.
But this growing together of the wheat and the weeds was not to last forever. The harvest time would come. Yeshua calls it ‘the end of the age’. This term is nearly identical to Matthew 24:3 and Hebrews 9:26.
MESSIAH’S ASSEMBLY
All the following parables have one single thing as their focus – the Kingdom.
MESSIAH’S ASSEMBLY WILL BE FILLED WITH WEEDS –
MESSIAH’S ASSEMBLY BEGINS SMALL AND BECOMES LARGE – Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18, 19
MESSIAH’S ASSEMBLY BECOMES CORRUPTED
Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20, 21
Leaven is used of three sects and their doctrines or ideas: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians – Matthew 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8;15; Luke 12:1. Shaul uses leaven as a metaphor for wickedness and evil – 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9.
Yeshua’s parable is a prediction about the fermentation of the Assembly. It began in the purity of Yeshua’s teachings and example and within three centuries was bastardized and mongrelized until it was virtually unrecognizable from the original. This apostasy or falling away is mentioned in Acts 20:29-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-3 etc…
Though Shaul notes certain doctrines running amiss as does John, it is likely the average Believer did not observe what was happening. For example, the process that finally created the Trinity was likely only elevating Christ beyond what the Scriptures require, until the Father and the Son became obscured. The whole of the Assembly of Believers (Christianity in general) is to become leavened. After two thousand years of fermentation Christianity has undergone a metamorphoses. This is likely to continue until ‘that day’.
Yeshua once asked: when the Son of Adam comes, shall He find the belief on the earth? (Luke 18:8) The explanation of the parable of the Sower reveals the answer – there will be wheat!
So after over two thousands of years when Messiah returns his end-time Saints will be found within this fermented mixture. But how will these wheat and weeds, these Christians mixed up within ‘the whole’ be judged?
MESSIAH’S ASSEMBLY WILL BE JUDGED
Matthew 13:47-50
Again the Realm of Heaven may be compared to a dragnet thrown into the sea and gathering together every kind of (fish). When the net is filled it is hauled onto the beach. Then the (fishermen) sit down and collect the good fish into vessels; but, the rotten (fish) they throw away. Just so it will be in the consummation of the Period: the angels will go forth to separate the wicked from among the righteous. The angels will hurl the wicked into the furnace of fire. There will be lamentation and the grinding of teeth.
THE LAWLESS
THE LAWLESS WILL BE GATHERED AND THROWN INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE
There is another ‘seed’ sown in this field. These are the ‘sons of the Evil One’. That is, children of the Devil. This distinction made by Yeshua is also in the writings of John. (John 8:44; 1 John 3:10) According to the apostle John what primarily identifies the children of the Devil is hatred and lack of love manifest in charity. Compare Matthew 25:31-46.
Those believers who are judged to be lawless and scandalous will be exterminated in fire. Compare Matthew 25:46 where the same befalls the ‘goats’. This is the end of the Age or period prior to the Return of Messiah when the harvest begins.
THE DISCIPLES
EACH DISCIPLE MUST BE FIRST A STUDENT THEN A TEACHER WHO CONTINUES TO BE A STUDENT
Shaul is critical of some Hebrew Christians who failed to do this:
Hebrews 5:11-14 [Nazarene Commentary 2000]
Regarding (Yeshua) we have the word to speak and hard to interpret since you have become sluggish in your hearing. For there are those who ought to be teachers by now, but you have a need to be taught by someone all over again from the beginning the elementary principles the sacred words of The God (Elohim). You have become those needing milk and not solid nourishment. For every person partaking of milk is really unfamiliar with the word of righteousness because they remain babies. However, solid nourishment belongs to mature persons, those who through the use of their sensory organs have been trained like an athlete to be able to distinguish between what is good or bad.
If after a reasonable period of time as a Christian the disciple is still just a student there may be something that needs to be done. What is it? Actually the answer lies in two Kingdom parables in Matthew chapter 13. They both involve possessions:
Matthew 13:44-46 [Nazarene Commentary 2000]
The Realm of Heaven may be compared to a treasure hidden in a field. When a person found that hidden treasure out of sheer joy he went and sold everything he possessed and bought the field. Again the Realm of Heaven may be compared to a traveling merchant seeking excellent pearls. Upon discovering a very valuable pearl he leaves to sell everything he possesses and bought the pearl.
The essential principle is to find a balance in a practical and simple lifestyle that leaves more time to bring out things old and new from that spiritual treasure-chest. In this way the serious Believer as a ‘genuine disciple’ of the Nazarene Master is willing to sacrifice all to ‘buy’ the ‘valuable pearl’ of Kingdom blessings and privileges.
Given the above in JYeshua’s teachings of the Kingdom parables, we do well to listen to his closing words: <Let the person with ears to hear, listen.>
Source:
Mark Herber Miller