13:1-53. TEACHING.
1,2. Place. Departure. "Out of the house".
3-9. ONE Parable. (The Sower).
10-23. Question of Disciples. Answer not understood.
24-33. THREE Parables. "Another", "Another", "Again".
34,35. Multitudes.
36-. Place. Departure. "Into the house".
-36-43. Disciples.
44-50. THREE Parables. "Again", "Again", "Again".
51. Question to Disciples. Answer understood.
52. ONE Parable. (The Scribe).
53. Place. Departure. "From there".
Matthew 13:1 The same day
(The day refereed to in 12:56-50)
went Jesus out of the house,
(Or His house, at Caperneum, 9:28. The teaching from vv.3-35 were public; and from 36-52 was within the house, in private.)
and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
The Parables themselves, apart from their respective contexts, may be thus exhibited :--
Matt. 13:3-52. house.
3-9. The Sower. The seed sown broadcast in public To the multi- 24-30. The Tares. Good and bad together. Separated at the end of the age. tude "out 31, 32. The Mustard Seed. One tree. of the 33. The Leaven. Hid in the meal. house". 44. The Treasure. Hid in a field. To the Disci- 45, 46. The Goodly Pearls. One Pearl. ples within 47-50. The Drag-net. Good and bad together. Separated at the end of the age. the 52. The Scribe. The treasures shown to those in the house of private. house.
The above Structures exhibits the eight Parables as a whole. But without disturbing these correspondences, the four spoken outside the house and the four spoken "within the house" have their own separate Structures (Introversions, like the Structure of the whole), corresponding with the other :--
The first four, outside the house. (Apparent failure.)
The Sower. Three kinds of bad ground. The Tares. Grow till harvest. in the The Mustard Seed. When it is grown earth. The Leaven. Three leavened measures.
The last four, within the house. (Hidden purpose.)
The Treasure in the field. The Goodly Pearls. in the The Good and Bad Fish. sea. The Treasure in the house.
The Four Parables outside the house, spoken to the multitudes, seem therefore to call for an exoteric interpretation; while the four spoken within the house call for an esoteric interpretation.
In this case, the first four would find their interpretation in the three proclamations of John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus, and "them that heard Him"; the Leaven and the Tares showing the secret cause of the failure which led to the postponement of the Kingdom, while the Mustard Tree would exhibit the external consequences.
The latter four would find their interpretation in "the secrets of the kingdom of heavens", showing that notwithstanding the apparent (outward) failure, God, all the while, has His hidden purpose concerning the Remnant, His peculiar treasure hidden : the earthly calling, in the field (which is the world), and "the heavenly calling", "in the house"; and the end of the age would exhibit the one "pearl of great price" : the Remnant, according to the Election of Grace, on the one hand, and the "good and bad" receiving their awards, on the other.
This, the first parable, covers the whole ground.
The "seed "was" the word of (or concerning) the Kingdom". When repeated later (Luke 8:5-15), the sphere is extended and widened, and is less local and exclusive. This is by way of application.
The First Sowing was "by" the wayside. This must have been the proclamation by John the Baptist (Matt. 3. Mark 1:1-8. Luke 3:1-18. John 1:6-36). This was "by the wayside", and the opposition of the evil one is shown in the birds of evil omen (as in the case of the mustard tree, vv. 31, 32). Hence the seed was "devoured" and the word was "not understood" (vv. 4, 19).
The Second Sowing was by Christ Himself (Matt. 4:17), and Twelve (Matt. 10:7), and the Seventy (Luke 10:1-20). This sowing was on the stony ground, and was received "with joy" (Matt. 13:20; see Mark 6:20, and 12:37. Luke 4:22). This was unfruitful (Mark 4:16, 17).
The Third Sowing was by Peter and the Twelve, and "by them that heard Him" (the Son, Heb. 2:3) during the Dispensation of the Acts. It was "among the thorns". Peter proclaimed the Kingdom (Acts 3:18-26), and repeated the call to national repentance, which was the one abiding condition of national blessing. But the seed was choked. The "thousand of jews" who at first "received the word", continued "all zealous of the law" (Acts 21:20. Gal. 3:1-5, 10-13; 4:9; 5:1-4). This sowing came to a crisis in Acts 28, when the Kingdom was rejected, and has since been in abeyance.
The Fourth Sowing is in the future. It will be the final proclamation of "the Gospel of the Kingdom", immediately preceding and during the Tribulation (Matt. 24:14). Blindness has "happened to Israel", but it is only "in part" (Rom. 11:25). The "how long" of Isa. 6:11 will ere long be seen. This sowing will be of short duration only, as were the other three, and numbered by "days" (Dan. 12:13. Matt. 24:22. Luke 17:26). There will be a special manifestation of the presence and power of the Lord (Matt. 28:20), at the end (sunteleia) of this age; and when this sowing is over, the end (telos) will come (Matt. 24:13, 14), concerning which the disciples had inquired in v. 3.
3 And He spake many things unto them in parables,
(Here, 8 [not 7 as sometimes alleged] are selected for the special purpose of the Holy Spirit in this Gospel.)
saying, "Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
(As these 8 parables relate to "the Kingdom of the Heavens", the sowing relates to the proclamation of it [v.19]: [1] by John, "the wayside", 3:2,5,6; [2] by Christ, the 12, and the 70, "the stony ground", 4:12-26:35; [3] by the 12 in the land, and Paul in the synagogue of the Dispersion [the Acts); [4] still future [Matt.24:14] and on "good", because prepared ground)
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
(The "way side" is a pathway that runs through the field, and on the path the earth is very hard from the compacting of walking on it. Seed just will not take root on that hard soil. The seed that lay on the path is open for the birds to come and eat it. Now that is not to hard to understand is it? The paths of these days which are hard, are the paths of commerce.)
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
(A plant must have it's roots in the deep soil where the moisture is present, where it can live and be fed. When the hot sun of the day draws the moisture from the surface, if the roots are not deep, the plant will dry up and die.
Let's apply the spiritual application here, the seed that is sown here is the "Word of God".)
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
(This is as it is in the analogy, in having the Word planted among the wicked and they will not allow God's Word to penetrate their minds and take root.)
8 But other fell into good ground,
(Good, because prepared)
and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
(Jesus uses this terminology when there is an deep in-depth meaning concerning the final generation. So it is with this parable with the sower. You will understand it or you will not understand the other parables of Christ. This first parable is all tied together with other parables of the sower, this is only the first part. This is only the foundation of the analogy that is being set up to get to the truth that is being taught.
The wise will even go back into that world age that was. Some people simply cannot understand that level, for their roots in God's Word are not deep enough to give them understanding.)
10-23. QUESTION OF DISCIPLES.
10-17. Colloquy.
18-23. Interpretation of Parable.
10-17. COLLOQUY.
10. Question of Disciples put.
11,12. Answer. Reason. "Because".
13-. Question of Disciples. Answered.
-13-17. Answer. Reason. "Because".
10 And the disciples came, and said unto Him, "Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?"
(I.e riddles)
11 He answered and said unto them, "Because it is given
(I.e. permanently given)
unto you to know the mysteries
(The secrets; or the things hitherto kept secret)
of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
(What is a mystery? It is something that is unknown. The answer may be in plain sight, only if you cannot put all the details together, and take all the clues and give an understanding to them, you do not know. There are things dealing with the kingdom of heaven that seem foolish to mankind, and will always remain hidden, unless the Spirit of the Living God reveals them to you.
Today, because those things are mysteries, mankind is going to great lengths to understand the past, when all the time it is written in His Word. However, those truths cannot be understood because it is God that has blinded them for their own protection. Why would this be? Because if they had the understanding, and were tried by the Antichrist Satan, and his system, (which is coming shortly), they would not have the ability to stand against Satan. They lack faith and willpower to turn themselves over completely to the Holy Spirit. They just don't care, and they continue to live in a state of hopelessness.)
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
(If you do not sow the Word of God in another persons mind, then God will take the understanding that He has given you, and and He will allow you to become deceived in the ways of the world, just as if you never received the Word in the first place. If you have a truth, share it with someone else, or you will lose it.)
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables:
-13-17. ANSWER. REASON.
-13. Condition of the People.
14,15. Prophet. Isaiah. Foreseen.
16. Condition of the Disciples. Happy.
17. Prophets. Desired to see and hear.
because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith,
(Quoted from Isa. 6:9,10. Cp. the other 2: John 12:39. Acts 28:25-27)
'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
(Our Heavenly Father has sent us His Son, and He performed many great miracles in their sight, and yet these blind and dumb scribes and Pharisees, after seeing and hearing Christ with His many wonderful acts yelled out, "show us a sign". Though they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears, they understood nothing that was going on around them. Their minds were closed, and they perceived nothing. Jesus is saying it here, Paul said it later, and the prophet Isaiah said it five hundred years prior to Jesus Christ's birth; "these people" are in a stupor. We will find out later who "these people" are with the "fat hearts", or thick minds.)
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' (God didn't close their eyes, they closed them themselves, then God sent the stupor. They made the choice, and then God acted on their choice. This is also what will happen again very shortly. Those who choose to study and know the truth will be sealed in their minds with the understanding of God and His prophecies of the end times, And those who choose to believe Satan's lies, God will send them into a stupor, and they will be deceived.
Revelation 9:4; "And it was commanded them [Satan's locust army of fallen angels] that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."
The reason for God allowing this stupor to come over even Christians, is for their own protection, so that they would not commit the unpardonable sin, the refusal of the Holy Spirit to speak through them. This is what is discussed in Hebrews 5:11, 12; that they become dull of hearing, until the time of teaching. That time is the Millennium Age, for if they understood now, and committed the unpardonable sin, that time would be closed to them.
The unpardonable sin will be a thing of the past in the Millennium age.)
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
(Fig. put for the persons themselves)
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
(Christ is the subject here, He is the one that did the great works of healing and teaching, and it is He that all those prophets of old have desired to see and hear in person. The prophets heard the words of God in parables, and in most cases they wrote, and did understand what they were writing, because it was prophecy, to be understood at the right time.
When Jesus walked, healed and taught, He did things in a simple way, by using parables. When He healed, there was a lesson in the healing. When men watch and here these things, and do not understand, it is not intended for them to understand. However some of you have a destiny and purpose, and have known that things were not right since you were a child. When the Word is explained it then comes to life in your mind. That is how it was for Christ's disciples, because they have eyes to see.
In Mark 4:13 it is written; "And He said unto them, "Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?" If you don't understand this parable of the sower, then how will you understand any of His parables? The answer is you won't.
All the parables dealing with the sower are all tied together, and in the end, Christ will reveal the answer to the mystery.)
18-23. INTERPRETATION OF THE SOWER.
18,19-. Interpretation.
-19. Wayside.
20-. Stony ground.
-20,21. Interpretation.
22-. Thorns.
-22. Interpretation.
23-. Good ground.
-23. Interpretation.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom,
(I.e. the proclamation of its having drawn near, as in 3:2; 4:17. Acts 2:28; 3:19-26. Word = Gr. logos. See Mark 932)
and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
(Cp. Acts 2:41. 1 Thess. 2:13. Not the same word in the Greek, but the same truth.
Any kingdom is made up of the king and His domain, or dominion. So this is talking about the King of kings, Jesus Christ and His dominion. The seed again is the Word of God, and the way side is the path where people walk and where it is to hard for the seed to sprout. When we plant the seed, it is better that we work the soil, before planting the seed, then, when the seed comes up, it will bear more fruit.
The "wicked one" are the ways of this world which will catch one away from God's Word. We take small things and blow them out of proportion. The world relates it's success with with it's worries, and stresses that it copes with. The job world expects you to carry the full load. Wherein God offers you peace of mind, and the right to place your burdens on Him, and He allows you to share your load with Him.)
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
("Anon" in the Greek means "straight away", or immediately. When this person hears the Word, he thinks immediately that it is the greatest thing that he has heard.)
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
(For a plant to be healthy it must have a well worked soil, with proper preparation, so when the root shoots downward it can go down far enough to get the moisture for the plant. The problem spiritually with the person spoken of in this verse, is that they don't have the root system to reach the depth necessary to live. They hear the Word and sprout immediately upward, yet their spiritual life is short lived.
When the tribulation, and hard times comes because of their profession in the faith and belief of Jesus Christ, these people dry up, and run. Why? Because they have no grounding in the Word, they don't know the promises or the prophecies concerning themselves. This "by and by" in the Greek text means "immediately". So this would say, "immediately he stumbles". He falls.
At first he thought the the Word was so beautiful, and took the peace that was offered in the Word; however let a little trouble come along, and the boy is out the door. He just can't take the heat that comes over the Word of God.)
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
(This is another type of person, that also heard and received the Word of God among the thorns, or in times of trouble. He took the Word into his mind, only there was many problems that surrounded him from the cares and problems created by this world age. You know, the job, the family problems, taxes, bills, and on and on. These are the cares of this world. They robbed this new Christian of his growth in the Scripture, and shortly, puff, the guy is gone.
Many times the deceitfulness of riches can also choke the Word from reaching a persons mind. You know, the keeping up with the Jones, getting the car, house, and everything else, just because they are there. Their activity and constant striving to get ahead keeps them from getting to the Word of God, so they rely on that "one verse preacher" on TV to get their spiritual food for the week. One verse a week isn't bad, is thought at first, until finally they say, I don't need that. The result being that they become spiritually dead.
If you become unfruitful God will not bless you, and without God's blessings, you will not find peace and happiness. Not in this earth age, or any age. You must produce fruit to receive the blessings of God. Our responsibility is to plant the seed, when we do that, then we have done our part. It is the Holy Spirit that will take that Word, and make it grow in their mind.)
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
(So here we see the good seed is planted in the good soil, that has been prepared to receive the truths of God's Word, and that person takes the Word and gives it out to others. He tells others how the Lord has saved him, and the peace of mind that he has received. When that seed that you have planted, multiplies with many souls saved to Christ, you have a reward in all that your seed has produced.)
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:
(The kingdom of God was good, but some of them [angels] went bad in the 1st earth age.)
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat,
(Satan's seed, Kenites, sons of Cain. Gr. zizania, known as zewan today in Palestine. While growing it looks like wheat, but when full grown the ears a long and the grain almost black. Each grain of zewan must be removed before grinding wheat, or the bread is bitter and poisonous. Wheat is golden; ; but tares show their true color as they ripen.)
and went his way.
(He had no doubt as to the result. Nor should those have doubt who sow "the good seed" of the Word of God". They should have as much confidence in their sowing as the "enemy" had in his; and go their way, and sow more)
26 But when the blade was sprung up,
(This is you!)
and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
(Can't tell the difference.)
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?'
(Where did the evil stuff come from?)
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?'
(The enemy is Satan. In the garden of Eden, Satan is called a "serpent", and "the tree of good and evil." As the enemy Satan has played many roles throughout the entire Bible. He is called the dragon, the Antichrist, the deceiver, and death, as well as others. Satan is God's enemy, and Satan the enemy planted his seed "Sperma, or sperm", and from it, a crop of children came up in the field.
The elect of God, and all those that call themselves Christians, are the servants of God, and in this parable Jesus is telling you what you should do about them. "Should we go and gather them up?" No!)
29 But he said, 'Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
(You're suppose to leave them alone, you will do no good. They are used for correction.)
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.' ' "
(It is God's plan that the Kenites would grow, just as the tares in the parable grew, and come to maturity. So here we have the completion of the parable of the sower, and now Jesus is going to explain the entire parable of the sower, in all parts, to His disciples.)
31 Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown,
(This growth is contrary to nature: to show that is symbolizes an unnatural result, with its consequences)
it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air
(= the heaven)
come and lodge in the branches thereof."
(The wicked tares will come and perch in the branches of the beautiful tree. You can liken this to the Kenites who lodge in the church. The King of heaven allows that. They're not going to bother you, just the ones who are Biblically illiterate.)
33 Another parable spake He unto them; "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,
(= sour dough. Always used in a bad sense, as meal is a good sense: therefore the common interpretation as to the Gospel's improving the world is the exact contrary of the leaven corrupting the whole of the meal. The same is true of the symbol of the "woman". The Lord mentions 3 kinds of leaven, all of which were evil in their working: the leaven [1] of the Pharisees = hypocrisy or formulation [Luke 12:1]; [2] of the Pharisees and Sadducees = evil doctrine or teaching [Matt. 16:11,12]; [3] of Herod = political religion, or worldliness [Mark 8:15]. Cp. also Gen. 19:3. 1 Cor. 5:6-8. Matt. 23:14,16,23-28)
which a woman took,
(Woman is a common symbol of evil in the moral or religious spheres. See Zech. 5:7,8. Rev. 2:20; 17:1-6)
and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
(The same when take the good Word of the Lord to a family. It will sooner or later permeate the entire family. True of all families.)
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them:
(Remember in the tenth verse where the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables? So far He has not explained these parables to the multitudes, even though we have discussed it in our study. Jesus explained that it is given for the disciples, and you that are a disciple if you are saved and study his Word, however to the unsaved, and Kenite, it is not given.
What we have explained here is still not for the unsaved, in fact it is foolishness to them. If you plan on producing fruit for God's kingdom, you have to do it His way. Though the multitude watch and were healed, they still considered the whole thing a side show. and that is why Jesus had no intension of explaining these truths to them.)
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, (quoted from Ps. 78:2)
"I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Prophecy, God's plan. Mystery of God. Has been kept secret since the overthrow of Satan. Kept from the multitudes of people, whereby only only those with eyes to see and ears to hear will come to that knowledge of the mystery of God. Whereby they could do as God would choose them to do for His service.)
The Noun, themelios, occurs in Luke 6:48, 49; 14:29. Acts 16:26. Rom. 15:20. 1Cor. 3:10, 11, 12. Eph. 2:20. 1Tim. 6:19. 2Tim. 2:19. Heb. 6:1; 11:10. Rev. 21:14, 19. It is never used of the world (kosmos) or the earth (ge). The corresponding Verb (themeliou) occurs in Matt. 7:25. Luke 6:48. Eph. 3:17. Col. 1:23. Heb. 1:10 and 1Pet. 5:10. The verb is only once used of the earth (ge). Heb. 1:10.
A comparison of all these passages will show that these are proper and regular terms for the English words "to found", and "foundation".
The Noun, katabole, occurs in Matt. 13:35; 25:34. Luke 11:50. John 17:24. Eph. 1:4. Heb. 4:3; 9:26; 11:11. 1Pet. 1:20. Rev. 13:8; 17:8; and the corresponding Verb (kataballo) occurs in 2Cor. 4:9. Heb. 6:1; and Rev. 12:10.
A comparison of all these passages (especially 2Cor. 4:9, and Rev. 12:10) will show that kataballo and katabole are not the proper terms for founding and foundation, but the correct meaning is casting down, or overthrow.
Consistency, therefore, calls for the same translation in Heb. 6:1, where, instead of "not laying again", the rendering should be "not casting down". That is to say, the foundation already laid, of repentance, &c., was not to be cast down or overthrown, but was to be left -- and progress made unto the perfection.
Accordingly, the Noun katabole, derived from, and cognate with the Verb, ought to be translated "disruption", or "ruin".
The remarkable thing is that in all occurrences (except Heb. 11:11) the word is connected with "the world" (Gr. kosmos. Ap. 129. 1), and therefore the expression should be rendered "the disruption (or ruin) of the world", clearly referring to the condition indicated in Gen. 1:2, and described in 2Pet. 3:5, 6. For the earth was not created tohu (Isa. 45:18), but became so, as stated in the Hebrew of Gen 1:2 and confirmed by 2Pet. 3:6, where "the world that then was by the word of God" (Gen. 1:1), perished, and "the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word "were created (Gen. 2:4), and are "kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment" (2Pet. 3:7) which shall usher in the "new heavens and the new earth" of 2Pet. 3:13.
"The disruption of the world" is an event forming a great dividing line in the dispensations of the ages. In Gen. 1:1 we have the founding of the world (Heb. 1:10 = themeliou), but in Gen. 1:2 we have its overthrow.
This is confirmed by a further remarkable fact, that the phrase, which occurs ten times, is associated with the Preposition apo = from (Ap. 104. iv) seven times, and with pros = before (Ap. 104. xiv) three times. The former refers to the kingdom and is connected with the "counsels" of God; the latter refers to the Mystery (or Secret. See Ap. 192) and is connected with the "purpose" of God (See John 17:24. Eph. 1:4. 1Pet. 1:20).
Ample New Testament testimony is thus given to the profoundly significant fact recorded in Gen. 1:2, that "the earth became tohu and bohu (i.e. waste and desolate); and darkness was on the face of the deep", before the creation of "the heavens and the earth which are now" (2Pet. 3:7).
36-43. DISCIPLES.
36-. Disciples come.
-36. Explanation requested.
37-. The Lord's answer.
-37-43. Explanation given (vv.-37-39). Application made (vv. 40-43).
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away,
(Those that weren't suppose to hear.)
and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him, saying, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field."
(Serious students here. At this point no longer a parable.)
37 He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
(That is to say the Word of God was with God when the Spirit moved and created the various races on the earth. The good.)
38 The field is the world; the good seed are
(I.e. represent)
the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
(seed = sperma. Tares = zizanion, darnel or false grain. Tares are Satan's seed planted in the Garden, sons of Cain, Kenites. See Gen. 3:15.)
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
(The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the serpent, that old dragon, and you can find all of his names listed in Revelation, chapter 20 in one clause or string.)
the harvest is the end of the world;
(= dispensation. Closing time, denoting the joining of 2 age-times: i.e. the closing time of one leading on to another.)
and the reapers are the angels.
(See Mark 13)
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire;
(Lake of fire. 2 Pet. 10. End of the millennium.)
so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth His angels,
(Christ has returned at this time.)
and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend,
(Or stumbling)
and them which do iniquity;
(See Gen.. 3:1-7,15,16; 4:1-16.
Notice when the gathering takes place, the tares will be in His kingdom, and taken "out of His kingdom". They will be in their incorruptible bodies, however their souls will still be mortal [liable to die], and if these tares have not repented, and changed, and followed Christ, they will be gathered, at the end of the Millennium kingdom, and "cast into the lake of fire".)
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire:
(The lake of fire, They will believe Satan until the very end.)
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
(The wailing and gnashing of teeth will start a thousand years before the casting of the tares into the fire. This is because many will worship the Antichrist, Satan, thinking He is the true Christ. Then at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, they will see the shame that they have brought upon themselves.)
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
(Now the full God-head present.)
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(See Joel 2:23-32)
44 Again,
(This word links together the last 3 parables)
the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
(The field in the parable of the sower was the world, and the man is the "Son of man", Jesus Christ. Christ found a treasure, and He sold all that He had to purchase the entire field, so that He could save His treasure out of that world.
Jesus bought the field with His blood, and upon His coming, the entire field will be His; tares included. At the end of the Millennium kingdom age, Christ's angels will separate His elect for those bound over for the fire, and the Elect, all those that are of Christ will go into the eternal dispensation. Many will be saved, by their works, out of the Millennium age.
If you have given your life to Christ, then you are that treasure in the field, and some day in the near future, He is coming back to claim you. The important thing is that Jesus Christ thinks you are worth every drop of blood that He shed for you. Can you reject Him? I hope not.)
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man,
(Cp. v.28 an "enemy")
seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
(That merchant man is also the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Christ's truths, and those in the entire Word of God, is a pearl, that we are not to cast pearls before swine. Swine are that which allow the evil spirits to enter into them, and attempt to explain away the precious truths of God's Holy Word.
Jesus Christ gave His life to make the pearl complete, and precious. Without Christ going to the cross, that world would not be complete, and the Holy Scriptures would be just another book. That pearl is the greatest wealth and richness that one can obtain, and He offers it to anyone with the eyes to see its value, and who can hear the Spirit of God calling to them. Christ is the Word, come alive in the flesh. read John 1:1-5.)
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
(You know what the sea is; it is the waters, or the peoples and nations of the earth. Revelation 17:15 tells us that. So this parable is not fishing for fish, but fishing for men. The men gathered are from every nation, every kind and every creed. After Christ died on the cross, then salvation became open to all mankind. When the net is cast, and the catch is brought forth, there are men and women from all peoples taken in that net.)
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
(I.e. cat-fish, an unclean fish to eat, plentiful in the Sea of Galilee.
This separation is at the end of the Millennium Age. At that time is the great white throne judgment, the separation, and the fire.)
49 So shall it be at the end of the world:
(I.e. the 2nd world age.)
the angels shall come forth,
(The Lord was speaking on earth.)
and sever the wicked from among the just,
(The end of this world is not the end of this dispensation, called the flesh age, for it will be at the end of the Millennium age. In other words, it will be one thousand years following the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the changing of all flesh to their incorruptible bodies. The Millennium age is also part of this world age.)
50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
51 Jesus saith unto them, "Have ye understood all these things?" They say unto Him, "Yea, Lord."
(These parables should be reviewed to where you fully understand. When the times get a little tough, can you keep going? If you are you ready to start planting seeds of truth, get the soil ready to where it can be accepted, and then make sure that it gets nourishment once it gets started.)
52 Then said He unto them, "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new
(In character, not in time)
and old."
(Once you repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior you become one of these scribes of the kingdom of heaven. "Instructed", means "disciplined" it means that you have become a disciple of Christ, heart mind and soul. The "treasure things" are both in character and in time; they are the treasures of promises and prophecies of the entire Word of God, which are in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ must have really loved us to give His life on the cross, so that He could claim you as one of His treasures.
Jesus Christ is telling you that when you have learned His Word from the ancient times, even to the eternity, and can view the entire world as His overall plan, He expects you to be a scribe in His kingdom. He is one that not only studies, and records, but teaches. If you understand these parables, then you can share the seed of the Word in His way.
His way is allowing the Holy Spirit to show you the right time and the right place, and having you give the words that His Spirit lays on your heart. Not dumping on someone, but the seed of thought that is necessary to bear fruit.)
53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables,
(Thus marking the end of this special collocation of parables, showing them to be one whole)
He departed thence.
54-58. RESULTS. OPPOSITION OF HIS OWN KINDRED.
54-. "His own country."
-54-. His words.
-54-. Effect of His teaching. "Astonished".
-54. Question. "From where", &c.
55-. Father. (Males.)
-55-. Mother. (Females.)
-55. Brethren. (Males.)
56-. Sisters. (Females.)
-56. Question. "From where", &c.
57-. Effect of His teaching. "Offended".
-57. "His own country".
58. "His works".
54 And when He was come into his own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, "Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
(Pl. of dunamis. Cp. John 2:18. Heb. 2:4, &c.)
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not His mother called Mary?
(Emphasizing each one individually)
and His brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
The Lord is called mary's "firstborn" (Matt. 1:25 and Luke 2:7), and the natural inference is that Mary had other children. The word prototokos is used only in these two passages and in Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6; 11:28; 12:23 (pl.); Rev. 1:5, so that the meaning is easily ascertained. Had He been her only son, the word would have been monogenes, which occurs in Luke 7:12; 8:42; 9:38, of human parentage; and of the Lord, as the only begotten of the Father, in John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1John 4;9. In Heb. 11:17 it is used of Isaac, Abraham's only son according to the promise.
In Psalm 69, a Psalm with many predictive allusions to the Lord's earthly life (see Note on Title), verse 8 reads, "I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children". The Gospel history records His brethren in association with His mother. After the miracle at Cana, which they probably witnessed, we are told that "He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brethren, and His disciples" (John 2:12). Later on they exhibit a spirit of opposition or jealousy, for while He is speaking to the people, His brethren, accompanied by His mother, sought Him, apparently to hinder His work (Matt. 12:46, 47; Mark 3:31, 32; Luke 8:19, 20). In Mark 3:21 we read, "When His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him; for they said, He is beside Himself". The expression "His friends" (margin "kinsmen") is hoi par autou, "those beside Him ", and it denotes a relationship so close as to identify them with the "brethren" of v. 31. Again (John 7:3-10), they showed lack of sympathy with His work, and the reason is given in v. 5, "For neither did His brethren believe in Him". They are not seen again till, after His resurrection, they are gathered in the upper room with the apostles, and with His mother and theirs (Acts 1:14). Their unbelief had gone. James had become a servant to the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1), through the appearance to him of the risen Savior (1Cor. 15:7), and, shortly, is a "pillar" of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12). The other brethren seem to have joined in the witness by itinerating; see 1 Cor. 9:5.
The natural meaning of the term "His brethren", in the Scripture record, would never have been challenged, but for the desire, when corruption crept into the churches (Acts 20:29, 30), of raising Mary from the position of "handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38) to the exalted one of Theotokos, mother of God, whence it was an easy step to investing her with divine honors, as being herself a goddess. And thus the way was cleared for identifying her with the great goddess of Paganism, who is the mother of a divine son, and who is yet a virgin, a deity best known by the appellation she bore in Egypt, Isis, the mother of Horus. So it was put forth that Mary had no children other than the Lord, and that His brethren and sisters were either the children of Joseph by a former wife, or the Lord's cousins, the children of Mary, the wife of Cleophas. Those who maintained the former opinion asserted that Joseph was an old man when he married Mary. Of this there is not the least hint in the Gospel records. If he had older children, the right of the Lord Jesus to the throne of David would be invalidated, for the two genealogies in Matt. 1 and Luke 3 show that the regal rights were united in Joseph and Mary.
With reference to Jerome's "cousin" theory, it may be stated that the word "brother" is used in Scripture, (1) in the sense of blood-relationship, as children of the same parent or parents; (2) in the wider sense of descent from a common ancestor, e.g. Acts 7:23, 25, where Abraham is the forefather; (3) in a still wider signification of fellow-man (Matt. 7:3-5; 18:15); (4) to express spiritual relationship (Matt. 23:8; 28:10; Acts 9:17; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:11). In the passages where His brethren are referred to, viz. Matt. 12:46, 47; 13:55; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19; John 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1Cor 9:5; Gal. 1:19, only the first meaning can apply. Had they been cousins, the term would have been sungenes which is used in Mark 6:4; Luke 1:36, 58; 2:44; 14:12; 21:16; John 18:26; Acts 10:24; Rom. 9:3; 16:7, 11, 21, and is translated "kin", "kinsman" or "kinsfolk", except in Luke 1:36, 58, where it is rendered "cousin". The Scriptures distinguish "kinsman" from "brother"; see Luke 14:12; 21:16. Only in Rom. 9:3 are the two words in apposition, and there "brother" is used in the sense of fellow-Israelite (No. 2). "Brother", therefore, when used in N.T. in any sense other than that of No. 2 or of No. 3, must be restricted to signification No. 1.
56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?"
57 And they were offended
(= stumbled)
in Him. But Jesus said unto them, "A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house."
(His own family: "house" put for the family dwelling within it.
This is important to keep in mind when you are going to start planting seeds. Many times your own family, and those around you will reject what you have to say, for the simple reason, they think of you as common. They put you on their level of understanding of the Scripture. Those around you know your faults, and the fact that you are a sinner. They prefer to take the word of an outsider, for they will accept him as pure, and knowing the truth, because they simply prefer to over look his faults. They don't yours.
This is why you will either have to change your ways, and allow them to see the change in you, or you will have to just go elsewhere.)
58 And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
(The kingdom of heaven cannot be touched, nor can you become part of it, without belief in Jesus Christ, and the reality of the Word of God.)