In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
In the beginning, when God created the earth, He planted grass, herbs, trees, and all plant life we see and recognize. And God saw that it was good. God developed the earth as he desires with all the Garden.
Yes, God created a garden. It was beautiful. Can you imagine all the new growing plants, herbs, and trees with all their splendid color?
God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
God made all the plants of the field which he planted to be food for all living creatures. The fields multiplied the crops in the likeness of its kind. Everything was good.
God caused the plants not to grow because he caused it not to rain, yet. Gen. 2:5 says, …there was not a man to till the ground. God needed mankind to till and cultivate the ground for these plants to grow and thrive. Verse 6 tells a mist rose up from the ground to water the fields. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
[T]he Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God placed a man in His garden to care for it. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden. God had planted His garden; it was called Eden.
God planted; man cultivated. [T]he Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
God planted His garden just as we plant our gardens and fields. It is about this time each year we have been planning what we will try to plant. We begin getting the garden and fields ready for the planting season. We are prepared to cultivate it as God instructed man to do for His garden. We know man must cultivate the garden to allow the highest possible yield to occur. We must remove any foreign plants from around the desired plants. Why?
God said unto Adam, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.
Someone came in the middle and sowed bad seed among the grasses, herbs, and trees in God’s garden. By the fault of man did this happen. Now man must cultivate the garden under hardships.
Let us take this story and interpose the garden as the kingdom of God sown in God’s fields and garden. The plants of the field which God planted are mankind. The thorns and thistles (weeds) are the plants Satan planted in God’s field. Now they are growing together. What shall God do to have a harvest?
Let us look at a parable using this analogy which Jesus taught. Turn with me to Matthew 13:24-30.
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like God’s gardens or fields. When man is born, an innocent child is planted in the field. Its soul is pure like the seed which was sown in the field. This plant–soul–is good. It was planted on good ground. God expects it to grow and create multiple folds of good plants–souls–for the kingdom. But, his enemy came and sowed tares among the [souls], and went his way. The damage to the plants–souls–has begun. The proper nourishment they need is being replenished by the growing thorns and tares–weeds.
Should the good souls try to remove the tares–weeds? All they can do is try to help the good seed to thrive in this difficult situation. The weeds must remain in the field until harvest. (vs. 30)
This parable is defined in verses 36-43. Let us read.
Matthew 13:36-43. 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus is the farmer who plants the good seed. It is his message of righteousness and proof he is the son of God who owns the garden/field. The world which God created in the beginning is the field where Jesus sows the seeds of righteousness. The good seeds are the children of the kingdom; but, the tares are the seeds sown of the wicked one, Satan, the devil.
It will be at the harvest that the good seed will be separated from the weeds. (vs. 39) It will be angels which will reap the harvest. (also vs. 39)
Let us turn to Revelation 6:1-4. Here we will see the angelic heavenly beings performing their tasks which God assigned for them to do among men. Certain of them have been given specific duties to perform for good and others for evil. Let us read.
6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
The rider on the white horse was given a task to conquer for righteousness. (vs. 2) He is trying to create a good place for the seeds of God’s kingdom–righteous souls–to thrive and become part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The rider on the red horse was given a task to conquer for unrighteousness. Notice God allows each plant to choose how it will thrive and to whom it will choose as master. The rider on the red horse is allowed to conquer for the Devil.
Each horse rider was given a sword to use to reap the fields.
What is to happen at the harvest? Peter says the harvest shall begin with the church of God. 1 Peter 4:17. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:
Let us read Revelation again. Revelation 14:14-16. 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
We see Jesus sitting on the cloud and God through His angel tells Jesus to ‘thrust in thy sickle, and reap’. ‘[T]he harvest of the earth is ripe. Judgment is happening. The harvest has begun.
Let us continue to read Rev. 14:17-20. Here we see another side of the harvest by angels.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Another angel with a sharp sickle harvests the fields of God; earth. Called to join him is an angel over fire. They harvest the clusters of the vine for the grapes are found to be fully ripe. These clusters are thrown into the winepress. (vs. 19)
I am uncertain of the meaning of this passage. Some think it depicts the final harvest of the remaining souls on earth to be separated as sheep from goats.
I will present my thoughts; but you study to make up your own mind to be approved by God. Here are my thoughts.
He mentions a ‘vine’. (vs. 18) The ‘vine is Jesus. John 15:1. 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. These clusters are placed in a winepress. A husbandman of a vineyard puts the slightly blemished clusters in a winepress to salvage the wine. The rest of the cluster is cast into the fire. The wrath of God shall cause to remove the iniquities of the grapes to salvage the wine. A great amount of good comes from this harvest. However, the phrase saying this was done without the city might mean this was all going into the fire or that is where this pressing of the clusters happens because of it was iniquities which God does not allow in the city, the new Jerusalem.
Jesus says in Matthew 13:43, Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. When all iniquity is removed, only the righteous shall remain wherever they shall go. Their righteousness shall shine because they will reflect the light of God, the Son of God, Jesus.
We live in perilous times as Apostle Paul told Timothy we would. The evil one sowed weeds in the field of God; the earth. Nothing shall be done to stop it until God calls for the harvest.
Even though we seem to be being choked from these evil authorities, God shall remain faithful and true to His own. He will protect us if we remain in His Faith and hold firmly to the Hope that is within us. We must remain where we are planted and do everything we can to sustain ourselves and not allow the weeds to remove our nourishment–faith in God.
Jesus’ teaching about The Judgment is true and comforting. Let us comfort one another with these teachings.
