"To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?"The Wheat and the Tares
(, )
'Another parable put He forth unto them, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven
is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept,
his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up,
and brought forth fruit,
then appeared the tares also.
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?
He said unto them,
"An enemy hath done this."
The servants said unto him,
"Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?"
But he said,
"Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares,
ye root up also the wheat with them."
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."'
- - - - - - - >
'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."
He answered and said unto them,
"He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
The field is the world;
the good seed are the children of the kingdom;
but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world;
and the reapers are the angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire;
so shall it be in the end of this world.
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;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."'
Hello Lanolin,
This parable is only recorded in the gospel of Matthew, therefore refers exclusively to the Kingdom of Heaven and it's subjects, not to the Church. So this parable cannot be used as a template to determine end-time events relating to the Church.
With love in Christ Jesus
Chris
If a farmer knows the end or the harvest from the beginning by what seed is sown . How much the more does God know the end form the beginning?
Is it not written "by their fruits shall ye know them"?
How then do we come by the fruit if not by the seed that is sown?
Is it not written God is a "husbandman"? Did he not speak of the "seed of the woman ,and the seed of the serpent"?
if every seed bringeth forth fruit after its own kind is not each seed predestined to bring forth the fruit after its own kind then?
It is not unreasonable to think that Adam was in many ways asl
No I don't, because we will.
Yes He will return physically, but that occurs seven years after He gathers His ready and waiting Bride and whisks her off to His Father's house for the wedding!
We will be changed to incorruptible flesh at the very instant that He calls us, and then we will be just like Him.
Jesus doesn't knock on the Church. He is not on her outside. One is not of the Church, the Body of Christ unless he/she does repent, at which occasion we are forgiven of all our sins---past, present and future.
As for the virgins, we are to make sure we are among the ready, filled and rich with the oil of the Holy Spirit---spiritually vital and revealing the light of Jesus Christ until the end.
He is coming also physically "to the air" where those that are found ready will be caught up to meet him.
You say Jesus does not knock on the door of the church? Then you need to re read rev 3:20.
there is only one church and therefore only one door.
You surmise that Jesus is INSIDE the church. I would argue that the church does not know God . That is "He who is from the beginning" I would also point out that after the resurection no door was an obstical to the Lord locked or otherwise .
Why then does the Lord seem to be 'unable' (?) or unwilling to go into His own church?
"IF we confess our sins then we have an advocate with the Father.........." Sins still need to be confessed when we commit albeit sin is already judged .
The church is not ready . She cant be ready for she does less than the church at the reformation with what some boast as having more than they.
We have false prophets and false Apostles parading before Gods people and Gods people are being "made merchandise" by them. Nor do they discern that they are false .
There is little or none outreach save to promote ones own church or ministry and then only 2/3 times a year .
prayer meetings but once a week and a church used but one day a week save for giving the world to do its work.
Idolitory is on the increase and the Uk is much as it was in Gidions time.
If the church is supposed to eb the salt of the earth and the salt is supposed to stop the meat from rotting and corruption is on the increase and lies the norm. Where then is the salt?
we have so called revival meetings that are not much different than rock concerts of the world and then it is boasted the Holy Spirit is there .
Then I say the Lord is outside of the church that prefers to do its own thing and keep its own traditions rather than be led by HIM to do HIS work. not only in the church "I will build my church......" but also in the world.
The tabernacle made with hands was built to exacting specifications. Not of Moses but according to the pattern he saw in heaven.
How much the more then the living tabernacle of God not made with hands?
in Christ
gerald