Events Preceding the Second Coming of Christ

So our way of looking at it, it has some of the things that are going to be covered in the Great Tribulation in chapter 45. So I'm really just going to cover section A from the book. And there's some things in 44 that we'll address in the Great Tribulation, which seem to be a better division. And there's some issues about when the rapture begins. Are there some things preceding that? Some people believe there's a preparation period. I don't know, it seems that the rapture begins a great tribulation.

We should consider it as that. So we're going to kind of treat it that way. So I'm really just going to talk about really just one chapter in Scripture for the most part, Matthew 13, which is not an easy chapter, but it's an interesting chapter. So let's go ahead and look at this picture here. So I tried to take the picture that we had before and kind of show you what Matthew 13 is talking about.

So we're going to be talking about the time period from basically Christ's death on the cross until he comes again with his saints. So his second coming with his saints. The rapture is really not in view in Matthew 13. It's talking about this time period, including the church age, including the tribulation. And this is God's plan. This is God's rule in this age. So it doesn't really address the church. It addresses just God's plan for this time period. So the church is in view. I think also believers that are saved in the tribulation are in view as well. So it's God's saving grace that's in view.

So in Matthew 13, there are seven parables that are put forth. And these seven parables describe the character of this age. And some, it seems to refer to, may be more focused on the church, and some may be more on Israel. And we'll kind of go through that.

We're going to spend the majority of our time on the first two parables. And if you look in scripture, you'll see that there's more written about the first two parables than the rest of them. Not a whole lot for the mustard seed on. There isn't a whole lot. The first two parables are repeated in Luke and Mark, so we can draw upon that comparison. So I listed three words that are important as we look at Matthew 13.

There's this word parable. It's literally the placing of one thing beside another. And parables are for illustrations. And I have another chart that's going to illustrate that. kind of a guide to understanding parables. So I think we have to keep in mind, we look at these parables, they're for illustration. They're not going to establish a new truth. They're going to spotlight a truth. And I was kind of thinking about, and maybe I'll get myself in trouble here, but a parallel to that.

If we think about music, think about music in the church. Is music to be Are we to focus on the music and the word, and we get our doctrine? I know people, I know, this is not preferable, that establish their doctrine from songs. This Christian song sounds great. I'll take this Christian song and that Christian song, I'll make up a doctrine. Well, it gets very confusing.

So, you don't want the cart to drive the horse. I mean, you want Scripture to be the focus. You want that to be the focus, and the parable is really going to, as is music, it's supposed to spotlight to cast light upon God's Word. And the same with the parable. The parable is going to spotlight a particular truth, a particular doctrine that's already in view. If you flip it around and try to establish doctrine with the parable, because the parable is a parable, and even though the Lord's explained it, you can get into error, I think. And the next chart I'll show you in a minute will expand upon that.

So that's the word parable. The word mystery is is the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven. A mystery is something that, in Scripture, is something that was knowledge withheld, not previously revealed. And if you look in, let's just look in Matthew 13 here for a second. In Matthew 13, and we'll just look at this one verse, Matthew 13. in verse 35.

So Matthew 13.35 says, And if I just go back to 34, it says, all these things Jesus spoke to them, spoke to the multitudes in parables. He did not speak to them without a parable, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, and I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.

So I think that kind of explains the idea of a mystery. These things are hidden, not revealed. And some actually have looked at this, I didn't quite see this clearly. Some things, they kind of divided these seven parables. They said, well, some are hidden and some have already been revealed. And I didn't get enough time to really verify that. So I'm not going to say that. But some have tried to divide. They had like the first four they felt were hidden. And then the last three they felt were already revealed. So they kind of segregated them. And I'm not really going to do that. But that's just for your information.

And then the third thing is this idea of the Kingdom of Heaven. It's God's rule on the earth. It's God's operating plan, if you will. It embraces any sort of empire that God may have on the earth at a given time. If you think about this period we're covering, we're covering the Church Age and then we're going into the Tribulation. So God's plan includes the Church and also includes the Tribulation in this time. This is His rule on the earth during that time period.

Well, you asked a good question. I'm not sure I can give you an answer, but what I think is important is to look at the context and how it's used. We're going to read a good portion of Matthew 13. Look at the context of how it's used. It's going to say that the kingdom of heaven is like a sower who goes out to sow the seed. So it's saying that this is God's operating principle, but it uses the word heaven. And then to make it even more confusing, and I probably Really, there's a similar thing, the kingdom of God. And in the parallel passages, that is used. So there's even a more little, but you have to look at the context. What's being said?

And each of these cases, so the kingdom of heaven is like a sower. The kingdom of heaven is like a tares among the wheat. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like, so in each case, he's describing an aspect of the kingdom of heaven God's operating rule on the earth. And I agree with you, the word heaven. Go ahead. So this is something you shouldn't confuse with the kingdom, in a way. Exactly, exactly.

Actually, if you look through a study, and this got to Galileo, you can look through all the times when the word kingdom is used. And somebody has put in like seven different aspects of the kingdom. And this is called the mystery kingdom. because it's described as, this is a mystery parable, this is a mystery of things that are hidden. So this period is a mystery kingdom.

And I believe it's not to be confused with the millennial kingdom. This is God's rule on the earth. Okay, do you see my first chart? Okay, let's go back. No, it's good. We don't want to get off to a bad start here. So what I'm saying here is that this period between the cross and his second coming is what Matthew 13 is talking about. And this is the kingdom of heaven. This period is called the kingdom of heaven. And he's going to say the kingdom of heaven is like a sower who goes out to seed. the kingdom of heaven is like. We're living in this mystery kingdom.

And I wouldn't let the words trip you up. When we look at what are the operating principles, what is he saying about this? Well, he has established the fact that his word is going to go forth. His word's going to go forth. And actually, he's also established there's going to be a tribulation period. This is his rule. This is his plan. He has a church age. He has a tribulation period. That's his game plan. He laid it out that way. He's had a game plan the whole time. Right. Ever since he created the church. Exactly.

Matthew 13. is describing his plan, or his operating principle, I should say. Things are going to be like, he's going to tell us about somebody sowing seed, and there's going to be different kinds of soil. There's going to be, over here, tares among the wheat. Here's something that we probably already realize.

If you go into a, well, take the church age, if you go into a body of believers today, would you expect everyone in that body to be saved? to be a true believer? Or are there ones in there that are tares, that are not truly believers? So he's saying that you're going to find, in the time period between the cross and my second coming, that we're going to have what's called a mixed multitude. Not everyone will be a believer. And he's going to lay out other things that you're going to see in there. You're going to see the mustard seed. I'm getting ahead of myself. I just want to tell you where we're headed.

It's like this idea that the church starts off as a small body of people, but then it grows to a very large multitude. Are we converging in Maryland or diverging? I'm just having trouble with God's rule on earth. I mean, I see that more as a millennium. So what you're saying is you don't see The church age and the tribulation is God ruling. You see, it's sort of out of control, or I don't know. I don't want to put words in your mouth. Right. Isn't that God's plan? And we're going to see that. We're going to see that, actually, the tears are sown by Satan, right? Isn't that God's? I'm not saying it's not God's plan, but the real part, I think, Okay.

You're saying if he was ruling, things would be more in order? I'm sorry, Mary, I'm... Well, it's certainly there. It says he's ruling with a rod of iron, right? I mean, things are... But in this time period, his word is going forth. People are responding to that word, right? And he says there's going to be a judgment. There's going to be a tribulation period.

So, I mean, it's not... Okay. Actually, we'll see that. We'll answer that question. I had the same question. Okay. Okay. You can keep talking. I mean, what you have to realize, I know Merlin at work. We're in this briefing on what was it? Identity theft. She asked the same hard questions this poor guy's identity theft. She's asking, well, what about this identity theft? What about this identity theft? All right, Merlin. He didn't ask you questions. He didn't ask you questions either, right? OK. All right.

OK, so after thinking about parables a little bit, I was reading in Dwight Pentecost's book. And this is maybe a commercial, but I don't know. I've really benefited by Dwight Pentecost's book on he's writing about the end times. It's really an outstanding book.

He talks about some guides to interpreting parables. And he kind of says the same things like Verna's shared this before. You need to know the customs, the practices, the elements, the makeup, the enacting a parable as an illustration. I mean, if we're really going to, we should know about farming for this today, right? About seed and sowing. We should know that pretty well. I don't know it that well. So we're going to be hurting here a little bit. I thought this was really good. Determine the central truth that's trying to be taught in that parable, or is being taught in that parable.

Number three, how much of the parable is interpreted by the Lord? We're going to find the first two parables, the sower and the seed and the soil, the Lord interprets, and also the tares and the wheat. The rest of them, the Lord doesn't really interpret. A few cases, it seems like there are things in there that refer back to his interpretation. But only the first two does he interpret. And I kind of found without the interpretation, it makes it tough. I mean, at least for me personally, I have a hard time seeing. At least it's written down.

Right, right. So when the Lord's interpreted, I mean, it opens up the first two parables, we're going to get a lot more insight into his rule on the earth. OK, number four. Determine if there's any clues in the context the parables meaning. And we're going to see a lot in terms of being able to look at Luke and Mark to get some other information from there. And I was going to ask number 1, 2, 3, does anyone know what don't make a parable walk on all fours?

I was asking Ryan about that yesterday, if you know what that expression meant. So are you people comfortable with that expression? I'll tell you what I think it means. Don't make the parable so, and this is back to getting the cart before the horse, don't make it so that's going to drive your doctrine. Don't make the parable drive your doctrine as a believer. Don't make it so, well, this parable describes everything in scripture. It doesn't. It's supposed to spotlight a certain area. Be careful of the doctrinal usage of the parable, and then understand the time period. All right. With those with those in mind, I get a plus for color from Maryland, probably. OK. All right. So what I try to do here, unless before we start, before we look at this, let's go ahead and read. Turn to Matthew chapter 13. And if I could have someone read verses 1 through 9 in Matthew 13. That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it while all the people stood on the shore.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying, A farmer went out to sow his seed, and he was scattering seeds, and some fell in the path, And the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came out, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seeds fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seeds fell on good soil, where it produced a crop 160 or 30 times Okay, so what we're going to see with these first two parables, there's going to be a public declaration of the parables, like he says in verse 2. A great multitude gathered to him, so he got into the boat and sat down, and the whole multitude was standing on the beach. So the Lord's in the boat, and they're on the beach.

So the first part we're going to see is going to describe the public declaration of the parable, And the second part, the disciples are going to bring him aside and they're going to say, well, Lord, explain to us this parable. So there's a public part and a private part. And the Lord says that he's not going to disclose to the public all the insight. He said, I'm only going to disclose it to the disciples. So that's part of his plan. That's part of his operating principle. He's going to disclose it to his disciples.

So let's start off here. OK, so the first part says, and what I basically did, Matthew 13, 3 through 8, I took most of the verse. And in some cases, I left part of it out. So the first part says, some seed fell beside the road. So I was struggling here. So I have my little picture down here. I view that as a berm. If you have better ideas about farming and stuff, you can help me. Wonderful. I love it. I view that as a berm.

I found out one piece of insight from A.T. Roberts says that it was not uncommon to have in a plowed field like here, to have paths along the perimeter of that for people to walk that were paths. So in his mind, that might be the path where that they weren't the rich soil, they're just a path. And there could be a berm on that, and so it fell by the side. So he said there could be a path around the perimeter of the field.

Anyway, the result is that when the soil, when the seed was sown, the birds came and ate it up. We're going to get more insight as we go into the explanation. And actually, if you look, keep your finger there, look over in Luke just for a second. We're going to do this a couple of times. Look over in Luke.

In Luke 8.5, which is a parallel passage, it says that a sower went out to sow his seed, and he sowed it in some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up. So Luke adds an additional idea that there were some that was trampled. So some got trampled by foot, and some got eaten up. So there's another aspect that the parallel account tells us. OK, so that's the seed beside the road. Then other seed fell in the rocky places.

And there wasn't much soil. and it immediately sprang up. It seems like there's some connection, and this is where I, if I was a good farmer, I might know this. If there isn't much soil, there's some kind of relationship that things seem to spring up quickly. I don't, because there's not much depth of soil, I don't know enough about that.

I know weeds spring up really nicely, quickly, but I don't know. So there's a, and... And that seems to be exactly the idea, right? That's what he's saying here. He says, not enough depths. Because they have no roots, they wither away. Another idea that kind of comes into play here in the parallel passage, it talks about the fact that it's in Luke again.

In fact, in Luke 8.6, if your finger is still there, it says that another seed fell on the rocky soil. And as soon as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture. Then this passage, actually I left it out. It says, the sun came out and scorched it. And it withered away. So the lack of moisture is in view there as well. It had no depth of soil, and it had no moisture. And it withered.

OK. And the third one is among the thorns. The seed fell among the thorns. It says the thorns came up and choked it out. Let's see if I have something else. And basically, it says in Mark, in the parallel passage in Mark, it said, and we can just look at that, Mark 4.

And Mark 4, it says that, Mark 4.7, it says, an other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it out, and it yielded no crop. So there was no crop produced there. Actually, there's no crop produced back in one. Number two is a question. We'll kind of hold that question until later when we get to the explanation. Number four. Other seed fell on the good soil and yielded a crop some 100, some 60, some 30. OK. So some questions here. I call this the parable of the sower, the seed, and the soil. So we're going to go to the words explanation in the next chart. But before we go there, just from what we've read so far, who's the sower? You have an idea who the sower might be? You say it a little louder, Marilyn? Jesus? OK, good. Good. I'm sorry.

How about the seed? What's the seed? The seed? Well, we're going to find out. The Lord's going to tell us exactly what the seed is, which I'm getting ahead of. I just wanted to see if you remember from previous Okay. All right. Well, we'll see what the seed is.

And then the soil is kind of, there's four types of soil, four types of things that happen, or four kinds of soil. One's the berm, so to speak. One's in the rocky places, whatever soil is there. Some is among the thorns. And then some is in nice, rich earth. Okay. All right, so let's go to the next one here.

OK, so now the Lord, basically the disciples call him aside. So if you go back to Matthew here for a second, Matthew 13. The disciples call him aside and they say, why do you speak to them in parables? Jesus answered, To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. So here's that. The Lord's telling them that the disciples are to know these unrevealed things. Disciples, it's been granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

So it's obvious he's speaking about, in the context, what's happening on the earth, not in heaven. So even though it says heaven, it's talking about the things that are happening on this earth, his plan and rule upon this earth. but to them it has not been granted. And he goes on, and we're going to come back to that in a little bit. So now he goes through and he says, the seeds sown beside the road. Talk about that one first. First an observation here.

If you notice in all of these, I didn't bring my little pointer, but it says, if anyone hears the word of the kingdom. So they hear the word, this group hears the word of the kingdom. This man hears, it says, this man who hears the word, hears the word, hears the word. They all hear the word. Every single person hears the word. So I think that's important. Because I was kind of thinking. Well, OK. All right. Good, good, good. OK.

So scripture talks about the fact that Some people, like over in Romans, let's look just in Romans for a second here. I don't want to get too far afoot here. But in Romans chapter 1, I guess my point, what I'm trying to make here is that some people, well, I kind of want to say that some people don't want to hear. These people at least heard the word.

But there are some. like in Romans chapter 1 and verse 20. And it says, For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor him or give thanks, They became futile in their speculation. Their foolish hearts were darkened.

So there are some people that don't want to hear. It's not this group. These are people that do want to hear. They wanted to hear. But there are other issues. Other issues came along that influenced that hearing. I guess that's kind of my point. So let's go back to the first one here. If anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away. So if you look at Mark, if you look at Mark 4, let's turn to Mark 4 here for a second. Mark 4. Mark 414. It says that the sower is sowing the Word. So God's Word is being sown. So the sower sows the Word. So God's Word is being sown.

So the question comes along, it says he does not understand it. So why doesn't he understand it, is the question. Why doesn't this person in the first category understand the Word? Because what happens is he doesn't understand it, and then the evil one comes along and takes it away, so his opportunity is gone. Why doesn't he understand it?

I think we have insight into that if you look in verse 15 of Matthew 13. because the Lord describes, he's speaking to the disciples here, and he talks about the people, the heart of this people in verse 15, Matthew 13, 15, he says, "...for the heart of this people has become dull.

With their ears they scarcely hear. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they would see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and return, and I would heal them." So it seems like even though they hear, they're dull, Ultimately, they don't want to hear. They don't want to hear the word. And then, because they don't want to hear the word, Satan comes along.

He's in control, as Marilyn was saying. He's the prince and power of the air. People aren't neutral in this life. They're either in the control, the prince and power of the air, or they're in the Lord Jesus. There's no middle ground. So Satan comes along and snatches that away. Do you think it could be like they do not want to understand it, maybe?

It doesn't say that, but... Well, it seemed like... I just... back to that, you know, it says they're dull, they scarcely hear, they have closed their eyes. And it says... actually, it says, otherwise, if they hadn't... they weren't dull, they didn't scarcely hear and they closed their eyes, otherwise, they would see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They don't want to.

I don't... I don't know what else. You think that's... I'm sorry. I don't listen to it all the time. I use my wife. I know it. She tells me all the time, Roger, you're not listening to me. You listen to what you're saying, right? I guess I am. Okay. Good point. Good point. Yeah. Okay. Good. Okay. Let's see. All right. Oh, I know another one.

This is what, look over, I apologize, keep going, she'll list all this stuff, but of course I get the ideas after I do it and put it in the chart. Luke 8, Luke 8, 12 is another parallel passage to this passage. Luke 8 and verse 12, and this is kind of really a zinger here, so to speak. Luke 8 and verse 12 says, And those beside the road are those who have heard, and the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

So the potential is there. I mean, that's incredible. The potential is there, but they don't want to. I mean, that's incredible. The potential is there for these three categories, the top three, to be saved, but they don't want it. That's a hard thing. That's a hard thing for us to say. I mean, it's like you say, why did I believe? I mean, I don't know. It's one of those. Anyway, OK, let's move on here.

We'll never get finished. The seed in the rocky places. It's a man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no firm root in himself, but it's only temporary. And when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. OK, so let me ask you a question. When it says, he heard the word, what do you do after you heard the word? What does it say?

OK, so is he saved? Mike Doyle, how many hands? Is this one different than the first one? How would you contrast the first one with the second one? The first one, he doesn't understand, right? The second one, he hears the word, he immediately sees it with joy, but there's some issue about firmness of root, temporary. So the question about this, is that temporary?

We look at doctrine in Paul's epistles that talk about our position in Christ and our condition in Christ. Could this be kind of in view here? Could it be the spotlighting position and condition? I mean, could this, you know, is that in view, you think?

Well, I have two. I have two. But before long, it just seems like it just didn't take or something. So the question, you know, one of the questions of receiving it with joy. Rather than to belabor this, there's a parallel passage, I think, that really helps here. So let's look at the parallel passage, even though I was going to do it a different way. We'll never get there if we don't do this. And it is in... Okay, let's look back in Luke again. Could someone read verse 13 in Luke? I'm sorry, Luke 8, 13. I apologize. Anyone? Oh, Harry? No, I'm sorry. Luke 8, if you just read verse 13. Yeah, just 13.

Those on rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. And these have no firm root. They believe for a while, and in time, temptation fall away. Okay. Does that change your opinion in any way? Yes, but they believe. Okay, okay. So could we be looking at a position condition issue maybe? Is that possible? Why don't you hold that thought and we'll move on.

We'll look at the rest of them and then we'll come back and we'll try and make it. But I think there's, to my mind, there's an interesting view in the second one there. I mean, I've been through this, you know, I've gone through this before and thought, well, okay, you kind of go through it fast and people say, you know, this commentator says this or that and you kind of go, okay, that sounds good, let's go on. So I think number two is that it's interesting, there's an interest, you know, from what the words say, it says he believed. So that's interesting. OK, good. Let's look at number three. See, with someone among the thorns, this man, he hears a word, but he doesn't even get... See, it's interesting.

He doesn't even get... There's words of the world, deceitfulness of wealth, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. He doesn't get off the starting block, it seems like to me. He doesn't... I mean, he hears a word, but he's... Oh, I got, you know, whatever it is. wealth, and it reminds me of the rich young ruler, right? He has all this wealth, and he's focused on his wealth, and he walks away from the Lord, he says, you know. So, let's see, it talks about the pleasures of life, deceitfulness of wealth, the pleasures of life.

Basically, there's no fruit. No fruit is produced there. the good soil, this man who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and brings forth some hundred, some sixty, some thirty. He hears the word and he understands it. And what's really great here in the parallel passage in Mark 20, you don't have to turn there, he says he accepts it. So actually we see, if you look at this man down here, he heard the word, he accepted it, and he bore fruit.

The second one, he heard the word, received it, and the other parallel pastor said he believed it, he was joyful, but then, you know, something happened in his life, and I don't know, that gives you, to my mind that gives you, it looks, could that be a person that, as we've seen sometimes, they seem to believe, and then, you know, he's saved, but he's not walking with the Lord, he doesn't match his position. I don't know, food for thought. I've gone through it and said, well, the first three, they're not saved, this is saved, and let's go on. Go ahead.

Just thinking about it, if there's any growth whatsoever, I mean, it seems like you almost have to be a believer, or there wouldn't be any growth. If any fruit, well, yeah, the believer is fruit, right? This one here, He doesn't he didn't produce, you know, he didn't produce any fruit. Oh, I mean, you have a comment or a thought? No seed, right? Well, a little bit pregnant.

Well, and that's a good and that's a real good point. Is that a real good point? Well, how much fruit did the thief on the cross produce? We do. That's wonderful. That could be his fruit. What I'm saying is, he just said, Lord, remember. But there was growth. I mean, there was growth. It did, right? It sprung. It did. I mean, I would think that happens.

Okay. All right. All right. I don't wanna make this walk on all fours. But anyway, but it's really good. I mean, I think I think I think it, you know. Anyway, let's see here. Anything else I want to say about this? Okay, I just will go into that thoughts. We're gonna go on to the next one. This is almost. So we're still doing farming here.

This one is in Matthew 13, 20. And this talks about these tares sown among the good wheat. So the kingdom of heaven, this is compared to a man who sowed goods. His enemy came along, sowed tares among the wheat. This is really interesting here. These tears, these tears did be Darnell. I'm not a farmer, but I and this particular it looks like wheat.

I grew up in the city and all my life and this is going to be tough. Right. Yeah. We're out in the country. There says is anyway, says that it's a weed that resembles wheat, but has a blow. I mean, it looks like there's some black grain in there. I don't know. I can't do a good job. Anyway, so it looks like wheat. And in the context of this story, they say, Lord, there's some tears out in that wheat. They recognize those teeth. And they say, Lord, let's get them out of there. Let's harvest them.

Don't do that. Don't gather them. Because in doing that, you just don't at the same time. He says, don't do that. He's going to delay the harvest. He says, and at that time, the tares will be, bind them into bundles and they'll be burned up and the wheat will be going to my barn. So don't do that. Don't root up the bull. Okay, so let's go on to the explanation. So it says, the one who's, Marilyn, this is the question. is Jesus. So this is where the Bible kind of helps us out with the other one, I think.

It tells us that the Son of Man is sowing the good seed. Another good thing here, this one says that the world is the world, and we're going to find in the mustard seed later on, even though it seems like the field is the world, and one downstream of it. It says the good seed are the sons of I started a little bit with this, that it sounds kind of kingdom, you know, the mage, you know, the millennial kingdom, but blessing the sons of these countries of the kingdom with the sons of the evil one. So, sons of the kingdom, sons of the evil one, time period of God's rule on the earth, the church and the, and they're believers from what I can tell. The enemy who sows the seed is the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels.

And then that says angels, this reminds me of the, kind of the great white throne, where he's gathering out all the ones that are, you know, are stumbling blocks, so lawless, and they go into the lake of fire, and then the righteous will shine forth.

So, I mean, that sort of fits. So what we see in this parable is that we have among the body of true believers, there's a mixed multitude. So that's a spotlight of the passage, but not that not everyone believes. You can't, you know, there are some that do not. You know, the gathering of. OK. OK, let's. Does it say that it's to figure out who really is a believer and who isn't? I agree with you.

You will know them by their fruits, right? I mean, I've heard somebody say, we're fruit inspectors. Check your fruits out. Our job is to present God's word to people. That's a good point. At some level, you have to make some judgment about that. So, at some point, you have to make... So, he's going to describe what heaven is like. The kingdom of heaven is like. Because the Lord doesn't have a parallel passage to explain them. There is a parallel mark in the mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. A mustard is a small seed.

I found out that it could grow to a bull like you put animals in and they grow every year. It could grow to 10 or 12 feet. I went outside and looked at it. 10 or 12 feet, that's pretty good. It could grow to 10 or 12 feet from the small 12 feet. It says it's smaller than all those beads, but when full, it is larger than the tree. And the birds of the air come and nest in it.

Picture here, and a little bit, I get a little bit, you know. And I'll have to, you know, people, the beginnings of the, the picture of this growing, like a small, like it started out with like 123,000 were added and then millions now or whatever. Church, the picture of the church. It's tough. I find it tough. I mean, I don't see anything wrong with that explanation, but a lot of other scripture to help us out here. So people believe that's the picture of the church.

The leaven, like leavened bread, the woman took and hid until it was all flour, until it was all bread, is many times talked about, like in Luke it talks about, beware the leaven of the Pharisees. Beware of their evil practices. So, 11 kind of represents evil.

So, passage here. Let's have a hold on for a second. I have a whole lot of time, but just real quickly here. 2 Timothy, chapter 2. And I'll just start reading. In 2 Timothy 2, it talks about being diligent to present yourself to prove your name, accurately handling the word of truth.

And it says, but avoid world chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness. And their talk will spread like a ring among them are men who have gone astray from the truth, saying that the resurrection has taken place. So it seems like that that this 11 is a set of things that toward the end, as the Tribulation period is coming, there are false doctrines that appear. There are things that are not the truth. It talks about, in 3 and 4, it says, for the time will not endear sound doctrine. but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own nature, and will turn their ears away from the truth, and will turn aside to miss. People have looked at this and said, well, the leaven is what's interdicting the church and is a corrupting fact. Once again, we don't have a direct interpretation of that.

The hidden treasure. Heaven is like the kingdom treasure hidden in the field, which man found and hid again, and for joy over it He goes and sells all that he sold. You know, a lot of these things I found, you know, you need to study more Testament prophecy and, you know, study more Scripture to get a better view of some of these. This one seems to be the, kind of the, like Israel is like the treasure, hidden nation of Israel. God says in Romans, God hasn't rejected his people. They're blinded now, but God says there are That's a body of people that he's going to save the nation period. So people. So people said this is Israel.

And then the costly pearl on the dragnet. So this pearl of great value. You know, this one, I'm not sure they say that much. I don't know. I bet. And if I don't understand, it doesn't mean that there isn't some good thing. And then the dragnet. I think it talks about, I think, the judgment at the end of the age. It talks about that they're gathering this and judgment is taking place. So that's it for the parables. Any thoughts? Let's just go ahead and close, eh? Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, your word, we thank you that you've, Lord, um, given us explanations, explanations of, and we thank you that you've shown us, outlined truths from your word. Thank you for that, in Christ's name, amen.