really want to know the truth concerning the Messiah and His Kingdom. V.         THE The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are unknown to many: mysteries that transcend the imagination of man. I would also be so bold as to say that there is probably no one in this our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In 4:3, 4: But if Christians in the church have truth about Christ and His kingdom that the Old As Luke 13:20-21 brings out, even true believers fall far short of perfection and can embrace to some extent worldliness, externalism, and bad doctrine. In this parable, the kingdom of heaven was compared to the small mustard seed which became such a large plant that birds were able to lodge in its branches. believers in Christ and they all anxiously await the fulfillment of this The Mysteries Of The Kingdom Of God by Olga Hermans . This is because they are keys that unlock blessings and victory in your life as you advance God’s Kingdom. level. Kingdom, not salvation, is the Gospel? Later, after Christ had sent the multitude away (v. 36), the disciples came to Him to ask why He spoke unto them in parables. Here the fish were sorted. After His temptation, Jesus presented the principles of His coming kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount (chaps. NOTE: The appeal is to their human In Paul’s letters, likewise, leaven represents evil, as in I Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:7-10. It is more evident than ever in the last third of the twentieth century that the gospel has not permeated the whole world and that evil tends to permeate the entire professing church, which is exactly what Matthew 13 teaches. A.        Christ All three aspects, while being operative in a different sphere, are at the same time one kingdom. : The principle of use is also true in the physical B. E.         The First, it has to be hidden in the Old Testament and not revealed there. The key to the parable is to determine what the treasure was that was held in the field. coming was announced by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2), by Christ (Matthew The scene of this prophetic sermon of Jesus was the Sea of Galilee. This particular text suggests that inner aspect of the Christian teachings where Christianity and the ancient traditions find a common meeting-ground, in contradistinction to the various theological doctrines which have grown with the centuries. If you want to know This first parable establishes the basic character of the present age, awaiting the return of the rejected King. The concept of the church as a living organism, composed of living stones which are added each time a believer is saved, was an apt portrayal of the formation of the true church in the present age, and made clear that this is one of the major purposes of God in the interadvent period. We are not told exactly how many but it must have been in We majority of them would never be saved because they did not want the truth and While many of the illustrations which Christ used were designed to make plain the truth, parables were intended to reveal the truth only to believers and required explanation in order to understand them. IV. B. spiritual truth must come from God. Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount accordingly contained timeless truths always applicable, some truths that were immediately applicable to Christ’s day on earth, and some truths that were to have their fulfillment in the millennial kingdom. No one can read about the life of We will discover later that the nation Dr. W. A. Criswell. The first paragraph does not have the precise formula of the later paragraphs, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto,” but is, rather, an introductory parable, serving as a basis for all that follows. NOTE: This is true of The fulfillment of the prophetic truth in this parable will occur at the second coming of Jesus Christ, when the world is judged and the kingdom instituted. NOTE: What is true of This passage serves to distinguish the kingdom of heaven from the kingdom of God which includes only the righteous. Sea is composed of seven parables. The proclamation of the kingdom b. If you desire truth, you shall have it! During the present age, Israel is a hidden entity in the world, only to emerge at the end of the age as a major factor in the prophetic fulfillment leading up to the second coming of Christ. The Although the interpretation should not be dogmatically held, there is scriptural evidence that what was referred to here was none other than the nation Israel. This mustard plant is a species different than the common one used as a condiment. over them so they could not understand the truth. To be fair, the things of the kingdom of God are not quite as straightforward. 5-7), emphasizing spiritual and moral principles that govern the kingdom of God, but especially as these applied to the prophesied kingdom on earth, which the Messiah-King was to bring when He came. These two forms of the kingdom of heaven need to be distinguished carefully. Because of the great multitudes thronging the shores, Jesus went into a small boat a short distance from the shore, and by this means, was able to command a view of the entire multitude. Neither the parable of the wheat and the tares nor the parable of the good and bad fish, as related to the kingdom of God, is mentioned in the other gospels. It The mysteries of the kingdom terminate thus in its manifestation. It may be compared to the situation at Kadesh-Barnea, when the children of Israel, bound for the promised land, because of unbelief, had their entrance postponed for forty years. When The Sun Finally Rises: Wrestling With The Past (Gen. 32:22-32), 2. hand. More than a dozen such truths are revealed in the New Testament, all following the basic definition of Colossians 1:26, which defines a mystery as that “which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” A mystery truth, accordingly, has two elements. truth by types: the Epistles teach truth primarily by doctrine, but Christ God from the shore a few feet and talked with the people. He is considered perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.John is perhaps best known for his bestselling work on Bible prophecy, Armageddon... More, 1. A. they would repent and believe on Christ, the Messiah, who was their king. The parable applying to the kingdom of heaven in its mystery form applies to the professing church which will continue in the world after the true church, the body of Christ, is caught up at the time of the rapture. They had so rejected the truth that God put a double blindness A common interpretation, such as is advanced in Trench’s work on parables, is that the man who finds the treasure is the believer who finds Christ, with the same interpretation carried over to the merchant who finds the pearl.65 Everyone agrees that Christ is a treasure whom all the world has not discovered, but upon close examination, the interpretation is shallow and unsatisfactory. Matthew 13 introduces a different form of the kingdom, namely the present spiritual reign of the King during the period He is physically absent from the earth, prior to His second coming. Christianity is the one true religion because it is supernatural in 67 While Protestants generally have held that Mary had children by Joseph subsequent to the birth of Jesus, Roman Catholics have denied this, as the brothers and sisters could have been children of Joseph’s by an earlier marriage, or could even be cousins. What then are the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven? Sponsor: Leading a Post-COVID Church Free eBook by Thom Rainer - A Past­or's Guide to Min­istry Chall­enges & Opp­ort­un­it­ies Even among evangelical Christians, there are those who question whether Israel is an important biblical nation today with a prophetic future. Jesus reveal truth to him. Only Matthew records seven parables. level. their salvation is at stake. NOTE: It is interesting to note that from this time have entitled Matthew 13 the Sermon On The Sea. B. Everything you receive from God hinges on you knowing Him, knowing His Truth, and walking it out in obedience. ChristÕs kingdom program is to be carried out when the King is absent from The Greek word parable means Òa placing along Because After the death of George Augustus III in December 1350, Jevington Augustus was crowned the King of the Kingdom. 3. Foreword Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 . In His earlier visit, recorded in Luke 4:16-29, although some commended His gracious words (v. 22), others challenged His claim to be a prophet, and, when rebuked by Christ, attempted to throw Him over a cliff (vv. One 63 R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Matthew’s Gospel (Minneapolis, 1943), p. 528. 3.“The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” cannot be understood without first recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and as the One would bring the Kingdom of Heaven to men. The parables are designed to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom, that is, the present age. The point is that there is a long background of unbelief and disregard of previous revelation. These are new truths about the kingdom. it. lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, This book, the first in the Mysteries of the Kingdom trilogy, is a must read masterpiece that will help you to discover the deep things of God and several spiritual secrets. Posttribulationists have made much of the order of the judgment described in 13:30, that is, that the tares are gathered first and that later the wheat is gathered into the barn. understanding of the Bible but we can have no spiritual understanding until God 1), supported by the visit of the wise men and the early ministry of John the Baptist (chaps. If you are willing to turn from your old life and follow Christ. The parable emphasized that the church has been made possible by the merchant who sold all that He had to secure the great pearl. In this parable, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto leaven hidden in meal (cf. This refers to stony ground with sufficient soil to allow the seed to sprout but with insufficient depth to allow adequate roots. Each rejection of the truth becomes easier until a person can come to One of the four major nations located on the Northern Continent. Sermon On The Sea, which tells the followers of Christ about the mysteries of In this parable of the sower, Jesus teaches us how to be fruitful in God’s kingdom and how to avoid being unfruitful. Jesus likened the state of His wicked generation to a man possessed of eight evil spirits (12:45). help others come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior is, ÒWhy The thought is that it is “very small.” Second, as Lenski points out, “Jesus is speaking of the seeds that were ordinarily planted in ancient gardens, hence the remark that botanists know about many seeds that are still smaller is pointless.”63. 1,112 talking about this. It kingdom program between the first and second advents? nations. Their unbelief barred mighty works such as had occurred elsewhere. While they stood, He sat in the boat in the role of a religious teacher. The earthly manifestation of the time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at Do you And as if that is not challenging enough, Jesus chose to present these hidden truths of the kingdom in parables, or illustrative and symbolic stories. ascension. Like the third and fourth parable, no explanation is given, and expositors have tended to find support for their overall view of the chapter. If they had believed God, they might have entered the land immediately. literally on this earth at them moment, but it is here spiritually in the the reign of Messiah over an earthly kingdom. This has supported the view of many that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are identical, as they are occasionally found in parallel passages. If you desire to be already have, but He withholds truth when we are not walking in obedience. This helps verse 12 to make perfect sense, as the first part ‘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’ ..….. As far as the order of events is concerned, in the seventh parable, where the good and bad fish are separated, the order is reversed with the good gathered first. Matthew 13 is not dealing specifically with the church age, the period between Pentecost and the rapture, but with the entire period of the kingdom in its mystery form, that is, the period between the first and second advents, during which the King is absent and which includes the period between the rapture and the second coming. NOTE: The thirteenth chapter of Matthew is written to show how ILLUSTRATION: Muscle Use. take your Bible for granted? are two reasons why a person does not understand spiritual truth. The second parable, as a whole, makes clear the dual line of development within the sphere of profession, with the true believer not clearly identified until the time of judgment. Hungering for spiritual meat? The righteous who remain after the wicked are gathered out are able to enter into the kingdom. If you deliberately refuse The seed on the good ground, which brings forth fruit up to an hundredfold, represented the one who not only hears the Word but understands it and lets it bring forth its fruit abundantly. 102-10. Keys of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 10:7: And as ye Yet, “THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” The term “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” first appears in the Bible in Matthew chapter 13, when Jesus introduces parables. 1144-45. side.Ó  So a parable is a What do you know about Christ, At Mysteries of the Kingdom, our Mission is to prepare Christians for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ by teaching the deeper truths of God's Word. not used is truth lost. At the conclusion of the parables, Jesus asked the disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” Amazingly, they replied, “Yea, Lord.” It is rather obvious that they did not understand the parables, except in their general teachings. It is not necessarily a reference to a truth difficult to understand, but rather to truths that can be understood only on the basis of divine revelation. A vital revelation that Jesus shared on the subject of hearing ad doing is found in Mark 4. The concept of a kingdom postponed must be understood as a postponement from the human side and not from the divine, as obviously God’s plans do not change. revealed in the Old Testament. word ÒmysteriesÓ is very important because it does not mean something In the parable, a sower went forth to sow, sowing his seed upon four kinds of earth. Postmillenarians and amillenarians, like Lenski, usually assume dogmatically that leaven cannot represent evil in this parable, although it is universally used to represent evil in both the Old and New Testaments. In most severe language, Jesus itemized their sinful rejection with severe indictment upon the cities where His mighty works were done. Some have found it difficult to harmonize the concept that truth is revealed in such a way that unbelievers cannot understand it. Dan 4:20-22). But if a man does not act on the truth, Some, however, will receive the message, cherish it in their heart, and believe in the truth of the kingdom. God gave them. Some seed fell among thorns, that is, soil that was good enough but full of weeds. Matthew 13 reveals that there are many mysteries related to the kingdom of the heavens. shall find ourselves losing truth rather than gaining it. England, as no other nation has been It is significant that the net representing the kingdom of heaven as a sphere of profession included all kinds, both wicked and righteous, and that the separation did not come until the end. ChristÕs kingdom is not physically and Scriptural support is given for interpreting the treasure as Israel. Its formation occurs because of an irritation in the tender side of an oyster. PRINCIPLE OF APPLYING TRUTH 13:12-17. reveal truth about the Messianic kingdom that were not this teaching method of parables or illustrations to communicate truth. MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 13:11. 182 Followers. NOTE: This was hardly a formal church service: no nations have and it is rejecting the gospel and will certainly decline and The judgment is parallel to that described in Matthew 25:31-46, where the sheep are separated from the goats. In the world of gems, the pearl is uniquely formed organically. Rather, as in preceding parables, it describes the dual line of good and evil, continuing until the time of the end when both the good and evil are judged according to their true character. teacher and He used the Old Testament constantly in His teaching. NOTE: The Sermon on the know that we are to have Christian homes where the husband loves his wife as Lk 13:20-21). The multitudes were attracted to Christ people like a magnet because they saw in Him great wisdom and power. is also true. Stream Tracks and Playlists from Mysteries of the Kingdom on your desktop or mobile device. As Spurgeon comments, “Magistrates and churches may remove the openly wicked from their society; the outwardly good who are unworldly worthless they must leave; for the judging of hearts is beyond their sphere.”62 At the harvest, the tares are gathered first, then the wheat is gathered into the barn. they come to realize that to follow Christ means that one has to change his It was founded by Augustus Familyin the4th Epoch,After the Trunsoest Empire destroyed. After concluding His discourse at the Sea of Galilee, Christ went back to Nazareth. In the parable, the meal represented that which is good, as it was made from wheat and not from tares. Luke 8:10 says, “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom … The kingdom concept was preached by all the prophets of the Old Testament and had been anticipated for centuries by the Jews. Why? This familiar operation on the shores of the Sea of Galilee was compared to the judgment at the end of the age. Truth rejected or Mysteries of the Kingdom by Arlen L. Chitwood. A mystery is not something secret but sacred. Christ declared the principle, “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” (v. 12). The thirteenth chapter of Matthew marks a new division in the gospel, in which Jesus addresses Himself to the problem of what will occur when He goes back to heaven as the rejected King. The human responsibility remains, however, and the rejection of the kingdom from this standpoint caused the postponement of the promised kingdom on earth. lives and natural men love their sins (John 3:19). he might have shall be taken away from him. The nation rejected the offer of the "The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven"! In sacrifices, which represent Jesus Christ, such as the unleavened bread on the table of shewbread, no leaven was permitted. Old Testament and had been anticipated for centuries by the Jews. Christ said, if you have knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom you will receive more in abundance. 2. However, both are simultaneous events in fulfillment, although actually the tares are destroyed before the kingdom is brought in fully. It would have required much more perspective, the clear revelation of the present age, and, to some extent, perspective of history, for them to have really understood these parables. This is a beautiful setting for instruction on the mysteries In a sense, unbelievers have sinned away their day of opportunity. It is supernaturally bestowed. go, preach, saying. This parable is not a picture of the universal triumph of the gospel, as the postmillennialists teach; neither is it a fulfillment of an earthly reign where Christ is supreme on earth. The mysteries of God are the things that the wise and prudent so often turn aside from — they take them as matters of course; and many besides the wise and prudent, many fools likewise, many who are wise in their own eyes — let me say all who are wise in their own conceits. Mysteries of the Kingdom “Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3:12), when the fruits of the present sowing-time are husbanded. A.        Christ But the reverse Parable of the Sower, 13:1-23. If they would turn to Christ, then God would most certainly What exactly is the Kingdom of God? and read our Bibles but if we do not do this we may find ourselves losing truth as unto the Lord. the Holy Spirit can reveal truth to man, and manÕs desire must be that God does corrected erroneous views held by the Jewish theologians and added new truth in A. progressive revelation. B. of Heaven. mysterious but the revealing of some truth that has previously been Unless God grants truth, we can never understand. Many treasures and spiritual golden nuggets are hidden from the surface, waiting to be discovered by you in the vast realm of God’s Kingdom … John 3:19: And this is The parables in this chapter are not merely teachings or stories; they are mysteries difficult for people to apprehend. should shine unto them. In this parable, the sower sowed the good seed, described as wheat, and the enemy sowed tares, referring to rye grass, the darnel which often grows up with the wheat. What It becomes apparent, however, that increasingly, the Jews were rejecting these evidences that Jesus was indeed their Messiah and prophesied King. These parables, then, In the New Testament, leaven was used by Christ of the externalism of the Pharisees, of the unbelief of the Sadducees, and of the worldliness of the Herodians, and in general of evil doctrine (Mt 16:6-12; Mk 8:14-21). The apostle Paul used the word mystery 21 times in his Epistles. 4:17), and by the Disciples. is reasonable to assume that there are people within the sound of my voice who faith, and trust Christ to save you, He will. Matthew 12:24: But when kingdom in a physical sense at the second advent. C.         Christ rather than gaining insight. THE The Language most commonly spoken is Loenese. The birds that devoured the seed by the wayside represented satanic influence, which supports the hardness of the heart that rejects the message. They recalled that He was Joseph’s son and that His brothers and sisters lived among them.67 Again, as in the earlier visit, Christ stated, “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Mt 13:57). the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness 65 Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Parables of Our Lord, pp. sets forth a principle that never changes – a person who has spiritual Since there is no kingdom present, how then are the disciples to live until on our Lord never speaks about the kingdom as Òbeing at hand.Ó  NOTE: The King was present with Like the first two parables, it was interpreted immediately. The seventh parable, similar in many ways to the parable of the wheat and the tares, summarized the main ideas of the entire chapter. Revelation 3:21: To him We must never One side effect of the darnel seed is that it is subject to a parasite fungus, which infects seed and is poisonous to both men and beasts.61. the recipient of the gospel but also has rejected it, and this once great In the treasure and the pearl are the two major purposes of God for Israel and the church from a spiritual point of view, and His purposes for both are realized, even though there is the dual line of development of good and evil culminating in the second coming of Christ. pursue spiritual knowledge and apply it will be given much spiritual blessing. heal them spiritually. bring in the kingdom. the multitudes seemed to sense this. This argument, however, is invalid. A reasonable conclusion is that the order of events is indeed the destruction of the wicked and the ushering of the righteous to the millennial kingdom. simply means that truth must be acted on in order to be Matthew 10:7: And as ye B. The situation is parallel to the judgment of the nations in 25:31-46. NOTE: The words Òyou,Ó Some have noted that the mustard seed described as “the least of all seeds” is not actually the smallest seed, and that this is an error in the Scriptures. hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. SEVEN MYSTERIES. earthly kingdom would be postponed and the kingdom would spiritually reign in The first reason is that he is Leah: The Woman No Man Loved But Every Woman Envied (Gen. 29:15-35), 1. Some The Kingdom of Heaven (a) was a common Jewish expression for Had enough spiritual milk? The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven itself; mysteries kept hidden by God! the Pharisees heard it, they said. "THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM" The Mysteries Of The Kingdom Revealed INTRODUCTION 1. if he has any truth, it shall be taken from him. Christ was the greatest teacher of all time and those who sit at His feet and Matthew 3:2: And It is in keeping with the principle that darkness follows light rejected. operate on these truths, God may remove the blessing from our homes and we All These parables, then, are in some way related to Christ, the Obviously Christ did not want the They understood because they were 62 C. H. Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom, p. 104. the hearts of all true believers until Messiah establishes His kingdom. 134-35. He is telling us about that through all of the scriptures because He was the Word and the Creator from the beginning. Which Kingdom-Related Word in Scripture is Rarely Translated? with Him forever (Revelation 3:21; 5:10). In this second and last visit to Nazareth, the same rejection occurred, though this time, less violently. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old” (Psalms 78:1-2 Psalms 78:1-2 [1] Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. took place on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, not too far from where Accordingly, when additional revelation is given to believers, it is couched in terms that only they will understand. does not have spiritual truth shall not get more and whatever inklings of truth In the parable, the man was represented as hiding the treasure and selling all he had to buy it. A.        Christ A ministry dedicated to teaching the deeper truths of God's Word. room who has never heard the gospel of Christ. John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. Sermon on the Mount, which tells the followers of Christ how to live; The Mysteries of the Kingdom presents 20-minute Bible studies that go beyond the milk of the Word to the meat - the deeper truths for the spiritually . of Israel as a whole had become dull of spiritual understanding and did not all human life during the present age; that is, the age between the first and With this as a background, chapter 13 faces the question, What will happen when the rejected king goes back to heaven and the kingdom promised is postponed until His second coming? Christ did not challenge their assurance, however, but rather told them that if they were truly instructed in these truths, they would be able to bring out of their treasure house of truth things both new and old. The professing church, however, is permeated by evil doctrine, externalism, unbelief, and worldliness, which tend to inflate the church and make it larger in appearance, even as the leaven inflates the dough but actually adds nothing of real worth. 15: 3-4), and forward in maturity to the "meat" of the Word (Eph. Those who answers for time and eternity. the kingdom when the King is gone; and the Olivet Discourse, which tells the In the second parable, Jesus likewise used the figure of a sower, but this time, dealt with the character of the seed rather than its reception. This [2] I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: The second reason is that unsaved men In the Old Testament, leaven is used consistently to represent evil. Bridgewater, NJ. The general situation is the same as the separation of the wheat and the tares and their judgment, described in 13:41-43. fall. Lenski states, for instance, “It is impossible to use leaven in this sense when picturing the kingdom.”64 If the kingdom was all good, this would be true, but the other parables make clear that there are tares among the wheat, bad fish as well as good fish in the net. What does the leaven represent? The kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ (Rev. Accordingly, Jesus stated, “Let both grow together until the harvest” (v. 30). At this time, they did not understand that there would be an age between the two advents. 1: 18-19). The parables of the sower and mustard seed are found in Mark 4:1-9, 13-20, 30-32, and in Luke 8:5-15. kingdom would be put in abeyance until the appointed hour of the Father to The history of the church has all too accurately fulfilled this anticipation, and the professing church in the world, large and powerful though it may be, is permeated by the leaven of evil which will be judged in the oven of divine judgment at the end of the age. truth can only be known supernaturally. Ladd . Those that were bad, or for any reason unusable, were cast back into the sea. until this point in His ministry, Christ had not used a parable but now He uses They were ÒblessedÓ or ÒhappyÓ because they were operating on divine THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM. In modern times, yeast is usually used. 236 Tracks. Russia and China had the The fact that Israel is a treasure not recognized by the world and therefore hidden is all too evident today. The age will include some who believe, many who will not believe. Some of the seed fell on the wayside (i.e., the hard-beaten path), where there was no receptivity, and fowls came and devoured it. 4:17), and by the Disciples (Matthew 10:7). The Search Of The Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12), Christmas Searches: Expository Sermons For Christmas, 3. therefore became insensitive to the truth. After the Gospel, the apostles taught a foundation. hearts of all who acknowledge Christ as Lord, Savior, Master and King. kingdom all other places in the Book of Matthew. whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, 4:3, 4). of IsraelÕs rejection of Christ, the Messianic kingdom would be postponed. According to Exodus 19:5, God declared to Israel, “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.” According to Psalms 135:4, “The Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.”. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Christ returns to establish His kingdom? that the possibility of this kingdom In the interpretation in Matthew 13:36-43, when the disciples later privately asked Jesus concerning the meaning of this parable, He identified the field as the world, the sower as the Son of man who sowed the good seed, the enemy as the devil who sowed the tares. gospel but rejected it and now they have rank atheism. It is so clear to me but my friend just cannot grasp it!Ó. This is a fundamental principle of life; it never changes. The “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” spoken in encrypted parables taught the timing and entry into the coming kingdom for Israel. In this parable, the same thought was presented as in the preceding one; only here, the pearl seemed to represent the church rather than Israel. "The Mystery of the Kingdom" Some notes on concepts from G.E. His disciples, however, were to be blessed by this new revelation which was not revealed to the prophets and the righteous men of old but was now being revealed to them (Mt 13:17). spoke in parables to the unsaved multitudes because they had hardened their second advents of Christ. The seed among thorns depicted “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches” which choke the Word and make it unfruitful (v. 22). The mystery or the thing previously unknown is that the What is contingent from the human standpoint, however, is always planned from the divine standpoint. Accordingly, Christ stated that He spoke in parables that the unbelievers might not understand and would thereby fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10, that the people would not hear the message. Jesus spoke of “the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11, NAS) that He was at that point revealing to His disciples. This kingdom was offered to Israel on the condition that It was Jesus, therefore, who sold all that He had in order to buy the treasure, Israel, and to purchase it with His own blood (Phil 2:7-8; 1 Pe 1:18-19). spoke to the multitudes in parables. retained. This is in contrast to the future millennial kingdom, which Christ will bring at His second coming, which will begin abruptly as a worldwide kingdom, rather than as a product of gradual growth. The reapers were identified as the angels; the time of the harvest was “the end of this world,” or more properly translated, “the consummation of this age.” The judgment was described as a work of the angels gathering out of the kingdom of the Son of man any that would offend, and casting them into a furnace of fire. In the conclusion of His presentation of the parable of the sower, Jesus made the challenge, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (v. 9). What is the "Sign " of the King's Coming? So Christ, leaving the glory of heaven, made the supreme sacrifice of dying on the cross in order to make possible the formation of the church. Matthew 4:17: From that character. Jesus is telling us how we can obtain the promise of that kingdom in the scriptures. NOTE: Christ was s simple