Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

We come now to the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. At first glance this parable might seem the same as the Parable of the Treasure. The do have this in common: they are both worth all the finder has. However, the Lord wants us to "compare the things that differ" in His word (Phil 1:10 YLT).

Whereas the Treasure is set against the Leaven, the Pearl is set against the Mustard Seed. The Treasure is found in the land, the pearl is found in the sea. The treasure is whole, the pearl is found in the shell. The man buys the whole field to gain the hidden treasure, the pearl alone is worth all.

A pearl is created through suffering. It is molded over time as an unwanted irritant. This is perfect picture of the scattered Jew among the nations (the sea). Through suffering, protected in the shell (clams are not kosher), the pearl is formed. The pearl is taken out of the shell and out of the sea.

Jews were scattered among the nations, but God has never forgotten his promises to them. It was to confirm these promises that the Lord came (Rom 9:4; 15:8) and what the Apostles preached in the Acts.

"And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them."-Ezekiel 36:18

This verse in Ezekiel preceded the wonderful last section of the prophecy which speaks of the resurrection of Israel as a nation, her restoration to the land and the rebuilding of the millennial temple. The Promises of God are yes and amen!

This is central to the New Covenant as spelled out in Jeremiah 31:

Thus says the Lord,
Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs the sea,
And its waves roar
(The Lord of hosts is His name):
“If those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
-Jer 31:35-36

Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah... the prophets speak clearly of the full restoration of Israel and her place as a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priests for the nations.

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you"
-Zech 8:23

A Sower
- B Wheat and tares
-- C MUSTARD SEED
--- D Leaven
--- D Treasure
-- C PEARL
- B Drag Net
A The Scribe

Outward Israel has grown into a large tree from a small seed, wherein the fowls of the air have found rest. In this sprawling nation there is a hidden treasure and further, a small, suffering, valuable pearl of great price.

Israel will fulfill the promise of Abraham, to be a blessing to all nations! She will be restored. She will be a blessing to Gentiles! Yet some "sons of the kingdom" will be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 8). This is not traditional "hell" (beware the traditions of men!), these are those who will initially refuse to acknowledge the Messiah. In their place, some grafted-in gentiles will sit with Abraham in the kingdom.

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. But THE SONS OF THE KINGDOM will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
-Matt 8:10-12

Remember from the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the SONS OF THE KINGDOM are not "the church" but the seed sown by the Son of Man.

“He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom..."-Matt 13:37-38

This is the "good seed." These are the true children of Israel. Yet we know, that is not enough. One must also have faith.

‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’
-Isaiah 49:6

God will restore the Kingdom to Israel, yet entrance into the full blessing is for those who will repent and acknowledge their Messiah.They will look on him whom they have pierced. They will morn for a son of Israel, a brother according to the flesh. Jews are his "brethren" (this will be vital to understanding the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats of Matt 25).

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
-Zech 12:10-11

The Revelation - Part 14 - Possible Parallels

As we step into Chapter 8 of the Revelation, we see the final seal connected to silence and to the seven trumpets. Not all books of scripture are chronological. We see this clearly in the Book of Daniel where one has to be careful to follow the narrative and the visions and piece them together carefully.

In a similar way, the eight Kingdom Parables of Matthew 13 overlap in their timing. Two parables may cover the same time frame, but address different aspects of the Kingdom. The Parable of Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price are similar, but deal with different aspects of similar events. The former dealing with Israel in the land, the latter with Israel among the nations.

When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 

-Revelation 8:1-6

With that possibility in mind, allow me to post a chart I made many years ago. I will then address a few things in this chapter.

Matthew 24	Seals	Trumpets	Vials
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.	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.	The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.	And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image
And ye shall hear of wars and   rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom	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.	And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.	And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
there shall be famines	And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine	And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.	And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
and pestilences	And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.	And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!	And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
earthquakes, in divers places	And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?	And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth... but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.	And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken	And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind... the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?	And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men; and the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.	And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.	And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.	And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever… And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth… and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.	And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath… And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Sorry for the small font. You can use the general concept to make your own chart.

There seems to be some pattern here. Some of the items are more obvious than others. There seem to be parallels between Matthew 24 and the Seven Seals on the one hand and between the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Vials (Bowls) on the other. And they all seem to culminate in the coming of the Lord.

In the last verse from Matthew, we see reference to the "tribes" mourning. We think of the prophecy in Zechariah of Israel weeping when they see the one whom they have pierced (Zech 12:10). Matthew and the Revelation are heavily on Jewish ground.

We also think of the passage in 1 Thessalonians which concerns the Lord coming in the clouds (as he left in Acts 1, as promised by the angel seen there). We've looked at that "Rapture" passage in detail elsewhere (see link below). We also note here the voice of an archangel as well. 

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
-1 Thess 4:15-17

 I'll just insert here a thought from E.W. Bullinger on this chapter for your consideration.

Revelation chapters 6 and 7 present the six seals, the sixth carrying on to the end. The seventh seal contains a new series of judgments under the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:7, Revelation 8:11, Revelation 8:14) and the seven vials (Revelation 16:1, Revelation 16:18, Revelation 16:21). The seventh seal thus embraces the period of both trumpets and vials (Revelation 8:7, Revelation 8:18, Revelation 8:24), and is immediately followed by the Apocalypse (Unveiling of "The Word of God": see App-197), the Son of Adam (App-99). The first six trumpets relate to the earth, the seventh to heaven (Revelation 11:15). The seven are divided into four and three, the last three being woe trumpets. The judgments and woes now to be set forth are just as real, as literal, as the judgments predicted and fulfilled in the past history of Israel; Exodus 34:10. Deuteronomy 28:10. Isaiah 11:15, Isaiah 11:16. Micah 7:13-15.

 -E.W. Bullinger (Notes in the Companion Bible, Revelation 8:5)

Next time we will look at the trumpets, woes, and vials (bowls) with a wide lens. Below are some previous studies of the second coming you might want to read.

Quick Look at 1 Thess 4, The Rapture, Part 1

Quick Look at 1 Thess 4, The Rapture, Part 2

2 Thess Clarifies 1 Thess, More on the Rapture

Parable of the Hidden Treasure

I realized I didn't have an official post on The Parable of the Treasure. I did cover it, in contrast form, in the posts on the Peal and the Leaven. Here is a quick review from those posts:

PEARL:
Whereas the Treasure is set against the Leaven, the Pearl is set against the Mustard Seed. The Treasure is found in the land, the pearl is found in the sea. The treasure is whole, the pearl is found in the shell. The man buys the whole field to gain the hidden treasure, the pearl alone is worth all.

LEAVEN:
To the multitudes by the sea, Israel is a confusing mass of religious tradition, but the Lord sees a hidden treasure which we shall see in the next and corresponding Parable of the Hidden Treasure. The Lord always has his remnant, even if man cannot see it.

A The Sower
- B Wheat and tares
-- C Mustard Seed
--- D LEAVEN
--- D TREASURE
-- C Pearl
- B Drag Net
A The Scribe

The Parable of the Treasure is the first given inside the house. This is not meant for the multitudes. It is a message of hope for Israel in the land.

The Greek word translated "field" here is the word "agrós." The idea is a specific hamlet. This is a remnant within a village. But while the whole field is purchased, the treasure is hidden by the owner.

In 1 Kings 19 we hear the Lord saying this to a despondent prophet Elijah:

It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, [King] Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, [the prophet] Elisha will kill. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”-1 Kings 19:18-19

God is showing himself strong on behalf of Israel. He has chosen a new king (to replace wicked Ahab) and a new prophet (who will perform twice the miracles of Elijah).

Elijah speaks to the Lord:
“I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
1 Kings 19:10

Elijah had been hiding in a cave, thinking that Israel was in full apostasy, and that the Lord was abandoning him and it. But knows those who are His.

It is not by accident that John the Baptist was said to be a type of Elijah; that the Lord was said by some to be Elijah; that Elijah appeared with the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration and that Elijah will come to Israel before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord (Mal 4:5); the period known as the Great Tribulation and seen by John in the Revelation (Rev 1:10).

Paul clarifies in the Acts Age epistle of Romans that God is not done with Israel by appealing to Elijah's experience in 1 Kings 19:

I say then, has God cast away His people? CERTAINLY NOT! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” Even so then, at this present time there is a REMNANT according to the election of grace.
-Rom 11:1-5

GOD IS NOT DONE WITH ISRAEL!

At the end of the Acts Age she was temporarily set aside as God revealed a new Body which was hidden from BEFORE the foundation of the world. But when this present age ends, Israel will again be at the center of God's plan.

The field will be purchased and the hidden treasure revealed.

Parable of the Scribe

We have finally come to the last parable of "the kingdom of heaven" in Matthew 13. Now, your bible probably only lists seven, but the wording in verse 52 is clearly parabolic (there's a 50 cent word!).

Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
-Matthew 13:52

This is the balance to the Parable of the Sower.

A THE SOWER
- B Wheat and Tares
-- C Mustard Seed
--- D Leaven
--- D Treasure
-- C Pearl
- B Drag Net
A THE SCRIBE

This is at the end, in the house. The treasure is brought out by the householder (Gk: oikodespótēs, "master of the House"). This final note is Israel finally taking to her calling in the "great commission" to the Gentile nations. The good seed is bearing fruit.

We know that the "whole world" was promised to be blessed through Abraham (Gen 18:17-18; Gal 3:8-9; etc). That is via two ways: Jesus as the Christ and Israel as the conduit of God's earthly blessings. Remember, Abraham was blessed and justified BEFORE he was circumcised. He was of the uncircumcised (Rom 4).

When we look at the parables given "in the house," we see this structure:

A THE TREASURE IN THE FIELD:
The nation of Israel as distinct from the nations
B THE ONE BEAUTIFUL PEARL:
The remnant of Israel as distinct from the nation
B THE MANY FISH:
The Gentile nations as distinct from Israel
A THE TREASURE HID IN THE HOUSE:
Israel, viewed as a missionary nation sent to the nations.
(Charles Welch, Parables - An Alphabetical Analysis)

The "mystery" of the one new man of Ephesians was never Gentile faith. Scripture has shown us gentile faith from the beginning (as we saw with Abraham). We see all of Nineveh come to faith in the Book of Jonah, for example. And in Matthew itself we see this being said of the Roman Centurion by the Lord, "I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matt 8:10)

Peter heard this as well. So, we should cease with accusing him of ignorance when he is sent to Cornelius in Acts 10. The Lord never entered the Centurion's home in Matt 8 and never sees nor touches the Gentile servant he heals. Peter was right to say he had not been in the home of Gentile. The Lord was changing conditions, and Peter (as the one with the keys to the kingdom, Matt 16:19) was being instructed.

We discover the Spirit and the gifts falling on Gentiles was granted by the Lord to make Israel jealous (Rom 10:19-20; 11:11). This was also prophesied. It is not something hidden revealed. Romans 10:19 is a quote from Deuteronomy 32:21.

The prophets knew of this (Gal 3; Rom 15; etc.). But the body (Eph 2:14-16) Paul speaks of in Ephesians was hidden from the prophets (Eph 3:9). We know from his trial in Acts 26 that Paul spoke "no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come" (v.22). In the last chapter of Acts, Paul went to the Jews in Rome "persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets" (Acts 28:23).

Paul was in chains in the Acts "for the hope of Israel" (Acts 28:20). In Ephesians he reveals he is now "the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles" (Eph 3:1).

As we have noted before, it was not until the end of the Acts age that God reveals his "hidden" plan for the present age. That which was "at hand" for Israel in Matthew and in the Acts age, was put on hold. These parables, and the Book of Acts, will soon come alive again as Israel is once again restored.

That is the teaching of the parables of Matthew 13. As we move on to the other parables in Matthew, we must keep this context in mind.

Guests at the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22

We now briefly look at the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22. We are again told by our Lord that this parable concerns “The kingdom of heaven” as we saw in the kingdom parables of Matthew 13.

 The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding…-Matthew 22:2-3a

As we had in The Parable of the Sower, we see here an invitation going out to different groups and we see rejection (“and they were not willing to come”). The sacrifice had been made and the wedding supper was ready (“See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding”).

We have referenced this wedding supper in other studies. In this short note, we want to concentrate on the final group who accept the invitation. As we’ve seen previously, the Lord prophesizes Israel’s rejection (calling them “murderers”) and the destruction of her city (Jerusalem, v.7). We’ve seen this in the previous parables, but now we are dealing with those outside those initially invited.

This call then goes out to a new group (“those who were invited were not worthy”). Who are these who were “not worthy?” These are the gentile “dogs” (Matt 15) who were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12).

The Lord tells us, “the wedding hall was filled with guests.” So, these are not “sons” (heirs), they are not “the bridegroom” and they are not “the bride.” This group is made up of GUESTS in the kingdom and guests at the wedding feast in the coming New Jerusalem (Rev 21).

The Lord of the Feast (the King) comes among the guests and finds one without a wedding garment, and has him sent out (Mt 22:11-15). He is cast out “into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” We have seen this place before and we shall see it in the parables of Matthew 24 and 25. This is not tradition’s “fiery torment,” this is a place outside the New Jerusalem, out among the nations in the age to come (see previous studies on The Parables of the Kingdom).

But what of the “garment”? In the Lord’s letters to the Jewish churches in the Revelation, he three times references white or undefiled garments. We are not speaking of the free gift of resurrection life, we are speaking of reward.

In Rev 16, in speaking of His return (the “Parousia”), the Lord says, ““Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” When we get to the marriage supper in Rev 19, we get the specific description of the makeup of the linen worn by the “wife,” “for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”  

We again have works coming in. The GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ, but every group, in every family of God, though the foundation laid is secure and eternal (Christ himself), there is a judgment of works. In the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, we see the picture of something pure (the pearl is used in scripture of that which is holy) being born out of suffering, and rescued out of the teeming sea (gentiles; in the Parable of the Treasure, we see the remnant of believing Israel taken from the land). These are clothed in righteous works which distinguishes them.

In Revelation 21 we see the Bride of the Lamb, the New Jerusalem, the city with the names of the Apostles to the Jew (the names of those who will “sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” in the Kingdom, on earth). This is the reward. This is the “city whose builder and maker is God” that Abraham sought (Heb 11:10). The Lord is the “Bridegroom.” The called-out church of this age is His “Body” (Ephesians) whose blessing are not in the earth, but “in heavenly places.”

So who are these “guests?”

The guests are believers among the Gentiles to whom the gospel of John 3:16 (etc.) has been sent (to “the world”). Some of these will be at the marriage feast in the Kingdom (Matthew 8) and some will miss out. Those who do not have a righteous walk, just like the Jews who do not, will be cast into the outer darkness (outside the New Jerusalem, outside the kingdom).

The implication is that the guests go through the Great Tribulation as well, but I do not want to be dogmatic about that. However, they arrive at the feast, they are guests and they must be clothed in the right garment (“righteous acts”). Again, another study for another day.

Matthew 22 continues to point us to a future kingdom, a future judgment, a future reward, and a future disappointment. In context of the whole book and the parables within, we are looking at all things, including these guests, in that light. Israel is front and center. In our day, however, Israel is still set aside. We await the day she turns back to her Savior, repents, and the times of refreshing can come in (Acts 3).

Parable of the Drag Net

We have now come to the seventh parable (often considered the last by many), The Parable of the Drag Net. Note the specifics attached to this parable which will help us connect it to other things in the Book of Matthew.

“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."-Matthew 13:49 

• end of the age
• blazing furnace
• angels
• separating wicked and righteous
• weeping and gnashing of teeth

We see this language in The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares:

The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The tares are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the tares are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.-Matt 13:38-43

A The Sower
- B WHEAT AND TARES
-- C Mustard Seed
--- D Leaven
--- D Treasure
-- C Pearl
- B DRAG NET
A The Scribe

So why the redundancy? Again, we note the audience and setting of the parables. The Wheat and the Tares is given to the multitudes, outside the house, by the sea. The Drag Net is given inside the house to the Lord’s inner circle. So, as we noted the similarities, we now note the differences.

In the former we have “wheat” and “tares” sewn. In the latter, we have a great harvest of fish from the sea. The former is a warning to Israel that their land may be filled with the multitudes, but who is truly a son of the kingdom may only be obvious at the end of the age. The seed picture individuals.

Gentiles nations are pictured as the raging sea in scripture. In the latter we see the “righteous” gentiles harvested. But what does this have to do with the House of Israel? Much in every way! As we will see in Matthew 25, much of their judgment will have to do with how they treat “the least of [His] brethren [Jews]” during the tribulation.

[Aside: we looked at the harvest of fish in John 21 as the resurrected Lord presented Himself to seven of the twelve disciples. We saw the "12 baskets full" of the what was left of the loaves (wheat) and the fish at the feeding of the 5000 in Matt 14, etc.]

As these judgments are “at the end of the age,” we must not apply them as universal to all men of all ages. They will be at the end of the next age (when Israel is back at the center of God’s plan and the Acts age is finally consummated). The blazing fire we have covered elsewhere, but I note again it is the “Gehenna” fire. We know of this from Isaiah 66 where Israel is back in the land and “corpses” (dead bodies) are thrown into that real, earthly conflagration.

Note the differences in rewards, hopes and judgments in scripture which we have looked at over time. (Our next thought will be a brief review.)

KJV NOTICE: The KJV reads “end of the world” in these passages. That does some violence to the context as we have noted previously. The Greek word is “aiṓn” which speaks of an “age,” not necessarily the end of the physical earth.