Parables Of The Kingdom – The Second – The Wheat And The Tares – Part 2 Of 2 Series

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – THE SECOND – THE WHEAT AND THE TARES – Part 2 of 2

In this Part 2 of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, we will concentrate on the prophetic side of the Parable and take a look at the church at Smyrna. Let us revise the scripture again –

FROM MATTHEW – {{Matthew 13:24-30 He presented another parable to them saying, “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN may be compared with A MAN who sowed good seed in his field but WHILE MEN WERE SLEEPING, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED TARES also among the wheat and went away, but when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ and he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ and the slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’

OUR MAIN PART FOR TODAY:- {{Matthew 13:29-30 {{He said, ‘No, lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. ‘Allow both to GROW TOGETHER UNTIL THE HARVEST and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “FIRST GATHER UP THE TARES and bind them in bundles to burn them up but gather the wheat into my barn.”}}

At face value this Parable is saying –

*** Wheat and tares grow together

*** They are sorted at the time of harvest

*** The tares are gathered first and bound up to burn

*** The wheat is gathered into the barn

There is much more to this Parable and the disciples desired to know more. Here is that account –

[A]. THIS IS THE START OF THE EXPLANATION – {{Matthew 13:36 “Then He left the multitudes and went into the house and His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”}}

It is good when God’s people want clarity and they asked for an explanation. Later on in the house the Lord told them the meaning.

[B]. ALL THE KEY FIGURES REVEALED – {{Matthew 13:37 He answered and said, “THE ONE WHO SOWS THE GOOD SEED IS THE SON OF MAN,

Matthew 13:38 and THE FIELD IS THE WORLD and as for THE GOOD SEED, THESE ARE THE SONS OF THE KINGDOM, and THE TARES ARE THE SONS OF THE EVIL ONE,

Matthew 13:39 and THE ENEMY WHO SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL, and THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE AGE, and THE REAPERS ARE ANGELS.”}}

What could be clearer? All the “players” and terms are explained. One thing I will say, and I know some would want to disagree, but wait until the end before you do that – “the sons of the Kingdom” are the Jewish saints of the Tribulation. Matthew is a specific gospel with the Jews as the focus.

Of course in a general sense the sown word went to all the world and believers come from the Gentile nations also. We know that from the first Parable, but Matthew is confining his message to the Jews here. We are talking about the Kindgom to be set up in Jerusalem at the Second Coming. When the Lord returns (Matthew 24) all the redeemed of the Gentile nations will also enter that Kingdom. More on that later.

In Verse 39, the time of the harvest is given and this is the end of the age. More on that shortly. It is a critical verse.

[C]. THE FATE OF THE TARES, THE UNRIGHTEOUS ONES OF THE WORLD – {{Matthew 13:40 “Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, SO SHALL IT BE AT THE END OF THE AGE.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels and THEY WILL GATHER OUT OF HIS KINGDOM ALL STUMBLING BLOCKS AND THOSE WHO COMMIT LAWLESSNESS,

Matthew 13:42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. In that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”}}

In the harvest at the Second Coming, the unrighteous tares are removed first, gathered by the angels, and thrown into hell. This is hell, not the lake of fire of Revelation 20, because that does not come into play until the great white throne. {{Revelation 20:14 “and death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”}}

[D]. THE BLESSING OF THE RIGHTEOUS – {{Matthew 13:43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”}}

At the Second Coming the LORD’S kingdom is set up on earth, the Millennial Kingdom, and Christ the Messiah shall reign over the whole earth (Zechariah 14:4, Zechariah 14:9). The Jewish saints are in the Kingdom but the righteous nations live on earth under the Lord’s rule. (Zechariah 14:16-17)