THE PARABLE OF THE TARES & OF THE DRAGNET

What is the main point of Matthew chapter 13?

First, Jesus describes the different responses a person can have toward knowledge of the kingdom of heaven and their consequences. The Lord then told a parable about a farmer whose field had been sown with both wheat and weeds.

Matthew 13:24–30 MSG PARABLE OF TARES (WEEDS): The central message of this parable is that the consummated kingdom of God will be different from the present kingdom (reign) in that the consummated kingdom will be in a perfected environment of only sons of the kingdom. Currently, sons of the kingdom and sons of the Evil One live together in human society.

This means that on Earth, good and bad people will grow and live together. The Kingdom of God will be present amongst the evil of the world. At the end of time people will be separated into their eternal destiny.

24-26 He told another story. “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.

27 “The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn’t it? Where did these thistles come from?’

28 “He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.’

“The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’

29-30 “He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.’”

13:25 Tares were very common in Palestine and closely resemble wheat; they are not really distinguishable from wheat until the grain appears at harvest time.

13:30 The question of separation or relative purity in conduct or doctrine among the disciples and the church is answered by Jesus’ directive. This is not to be done by the disciples nor by the church—but will ultimately be done by God’s angels (vv. 39, 41). Premature separation in the present age is out of the question and becomes more destructive than it is purifying.

Matthew 13:47-50 MSG - PARABLE OF THE DRAGNET: “Or, God’s kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t do any good.”

The parable of the dragnet, like the parable of the tares (vv. 24–30), deals with saints (the good) and sinners (the bad) in a mixed society. Its uniqueness is that it alludes to the church’s responsibility to cast the gospel message before all of society, realizing it will attract all types of people, some of whom will be found unredeemed by the angels at the end of the age.

What are the two meanings of the parable of the three servants?

The first two servants are able to see God in a positive perception, as understanding, generous, and kind, while the third servant sees God as harsh, demanding, and critical. Finley suggests these interpretations among the teachings for Christians: The nobleman (Lk 19:12), or the man (Matthew 25:14) is Christ.

Who are the tares in Matthew 13?

In Matthew 13, Jesus taught the parable of the wheat and the tares. Tares are weeds that resemble wheat. In the parable, a wheat field had deliberately been polluted by an enemy who sowed the seeds of the weeds intermixed with the wheat. Only after the plants were partly grown did the problem become apparent.

What does it mean to separate the wheat from the tares?

The tares bound and burned are the evil ones separated out and cast into fire (punishment) at the Judgment. The wheat gathered into the barn represents the righteous who are separated out and made to “shine forth” in the kingdom of the Father.

What do the parables in Matthew 13 mean?

The man represents God and the seed is His message. Just as a planted seed starts to grow, the word of God starts to deepen and grow within a person. Some seed fell on the path and the birds ate it. The birds represent Satan. The seed on the path represents people who hear the message, but it is immediately lost.

What is the main message of the parable?

The Parable of the Wheat & Weeds teaches us that God does have a plan for this world and He is working to accomplish it. However, it is unfolding over time and that means there's some waiting to do, something we find difficult. Jesus is teaching us patience – the patience of a God who chooses to delay His judgment. 

The central message of this parable is to be ready for Christ's return. Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour when the end will come, only the Father in Heaven knows. Jesus is instructing His disciples to be vigilant in their walk with the Lord and be ready at all times for Christ's second coming.

Prayer: Merciful God, you plant each of us like seeds in the same field and together we are nourished and nurtured by the sun. We sway in the wind and are refreshed by the rain. We are blessed by the knowledge that you want us to grow towards what you call us to be.

When we deprive others of that same opportunity, forgive us. When we want to uproot those whom we believe do not belong in our part of the field, forgive us. When we label others as good or bad rather than accept them for who they are, forgive us. When we are reluctant to acknowledge that we ourselves are a mixture of weeds and wheat, forgive us. When we are afraid to look into the fields of our own lives to see what is growing there, forgive us.

O God, you know us inside and out, through and through. You search us out and lay your hand upon us. You know what we are going to say even before we speak. So we pray that you will help us to reach out to the uprooted and rejected, the lonely and the outcast, and to develop and grow the good in ourselves, in others, and in the world. This we pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.

The Three Heavens of the Bible

MEANING OF THE WORD “HEAVEN”: The Greek word from which heaven comes has the root meaning: “solid crystal” or “spatial expansion.” The origin of this word has to do with Water. r (Colin Brown: The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology; Volume 2: pages 188-1969

Colossians 1:16 For by Him the all things were created in the heavens (plural). Throughout the Word of God there are BASICALLY THREE HEAVENS or at least three heavens.

After the Angelic Conflict God cast all the fallen angels (those who chose to go with Satan) into the Deep (depths of the expanse of water) then God froze that water. Then as the Holy Spirit moved over the deep (Genesis 1:2) water covered the earth and way out there was yet another “heavenly ocean” (Brown, page 189) The vastness between these two great waters was called “HEAVEN” like a hollow sphere. 

Look at Genesis 1:8  God called the expanse heaven. NASV in the margin firmament. The Hebrew word means an expanse, firmament, an extended surface. A vault that lies between that area of water around the earth and that heavenly ocean way out in space and the area, the vacuum. This word also comes from the root of ‘boundary” (The Complete Biblical Library Volume 4, page 414) or the boundary above, referring to these waters serving as a boundary above the earth – *yet below the heavenly ocean or the outer circle of water around all this space – this vacuum is called HEAVEN. 

Lexicon definitions: The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament: heaven, sky, air. In the New Testament in a physical sense it means the over-arching, all embracing heaven beneath which is the earth and all that is therein. It is also used for that heaven where the residence of God is, called by the Psalmist “THE HOLY HEAVENS” A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Arndt and Gingrich) where they take some 4 full columns to discuss this word. [simply: heaven.] This is what is found in several of the Greek Lexicon..; the word heaven followed by pages discussing various aspects of heaven.

Old Testament Lexicons generally also start with a simple word “heaven” or “sky” and then also move on to various discussions concerning the word.

THE PLURAL HEAVENS

You will note in Colossians 1:16 For by Him the all things were created in the heavens (plural.) Throughout the Word of God there are basically three heavens or at least three heavens.

First Heaven is that portion of the sky immediately around the earth. That part we see just above the earth—clouds in First Heaven and this is the abode of birds of the air.

Second Heaven is what we see on a clear night, when we look way up into the vastness of the stars and celestial creations; This is the area of outer space like the galaxies. The far off space of the stars, many of course can be seen with the naked eye, but also multitudes require high powered telescopes to see. 

The first Biblical reference is found in Genesis 1:14 Then God said let there be lights or luminaries in the expanse of the heavens (and one of these is the sun, others are planets, comets; Comets are luminous in contrast to satellites which are reflectors.)

There are no comets in our heaven (galaxy) but they exist in other galaxies But we do have meteors in our galaxy. Meteors enter our atmosphere at great velocity and it has been estimated that there are some 75 million meteors entering the earths atmosphere daily. 

Chinese scientists tell us that an Asteroid is headed in the direction of earth with the force of 3 billion bombs, so if you do not have enough to worry about, here is something to add to your list; or…you can just TRUST God that He has a plan for this earth for at least 1000 and seven years.

As we read on in Genesis 1:14-18 and then God tells us one of their functions

14 to separate the day from the night and let them be signs and for seasons and for days and years.

15 And let them be for lights in the expanse (heaven) of the heavens to give light on the earth and it was so

16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.

17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,

18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

So the purpose for the solar system in the Second Heaven is given. We have five given functions.

1 To divide the day from the night –purpose of the sun.

2 For the discerning of times

3 For seasons—divisions of the year; winter, the season of dormancy, Spring the season of sowing and germination of seed. Summer the season of growth and maturity and Autumn the season of harvest.

4 For days and years, the rotation of the earth was the solar standard for determining time until 1940—called solar time but after 1940 we use a much more accurate measure called atomic time.

5 To give light to the earth

To give you some idea of just how vast this Second Heaven is, and all that it involves, let us look at how Astronomy measures the universe because we can go to billions of miles within our own solar system. The system for this measuring is in reference to how fast light travels. Light travels 186,000 miles per second; if you multiply that by 60, you can tell how many miles light travels in a minute: 11,160,000 mpm. You carry this out to a year and from this we have what astrologers call “light years”. One light year equals about 6 Trillion miles.

And beyond our system lies still more galaxies. With the naked eye we can observe 100,000 light years away, so to really think of just how big the Second Heaven is you have to think in terms of galactic clusters.

As we read on in Genesis 1:14-18 and then God tells us one of their functions:  14 to separate the day from the night and let them be signs and for seasons and for days and years. 15 And let them be for lights in the expanse (heaven) of the heavens to give light on the earth and it was so 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

Virgo, for example, is a cluster of several thousand galaxies, not just a star but a cluster of galaxies, and it is 50,000,000 light years away.  The Milky Way, for example, is simply a series of galaxies. The Big Dipper, well when you look at the big dipper with your girlfriend you are looking 650,000,000 light years away. Another very important reason for the design of the Second Heaven was for the purpose of special signs and wonders and miracles, some of the great events of history. 

Such events as the “SIGNS AND WONDERS” associated with Joshua’s Long Day, the Exodus, the Cross and, of course, the heavenly signs at the Second coming of JESUS CHRIST. There are no such signs for the Rapture of the Church. Now, remember there is yet a Third Heaven beyond the second.

The Third Heaven we cannot see – it is way out there as the abode of God. Where the Throne of God is; the garden of stones… This is where JESUS CHRIST is sitting right now at the right hand of God.

Now all this about the Second Heaven may not be all that important to you right now, but if you, as a believer in JESUS CHRIST die before the Rapture I want to give you some idea of how far your soul will travel to be with the Lord. Also what is going on in the Second Heaven is not all that important to us right now in the Church Age, but it will become significant in eschatology; that is... during and at the end of the Tribulation and the return of JESUS CHRIST to the earth. Much of this celestial activity is covered in the book of Revelation.

1. The Third Heaven is the dwelling of God. Now, of course, God is omnipresent, but there is a place where He reveals Himself in the Second Person of the Godhead, JESUS CHRIST. This is a real place with a real location in the Third  Heaven.

2. This is where the throne of God is located. Psalm 11: 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. God, even JESUS CHRIST can look down from the Third Heaven and view everything going on, on the earth. Psalm 103: 19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. (He rules over all the angelic authorities in the Second Heaven and on earth.)

3. This is also called the DWELLING PLACE OF GOD 2 Chronicles 6:21 “Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive. 

4. The Third Heaven is the dwelling place of the Third Member of the Godhead, God the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:16, and the Holy Spirit is called the heavenly gift, Hebrews 6:4.

5. This is also called the Kingdom of Heaven, Matthew 4:17.

6. JESUS CHRIST in his Resurrected Body ascended through the first and Second Heaven and at this very moment is seated at the right hand of God in the Third Heaven. So the Resurrected Body of JESUS CHRIST is there, which reveals that this is a real literal place.

7. The Third Heaven is extremely important to the believer in the Church Age living in the period called the mystery.

(1) First this is the place of your Second birth. John 3:3 speaks of being born from above This is very important in the thinking of every believer. In your first birth, you were born here on earth, cosmos, but in your second birth you are from above, that is the Third Heaven.

(2) And your citizenship is in the Third Heaven. Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; It is amazing how many Christians get so caught up in this world, when we are not from this world. We are ambassadors for Christ here on earth, our citizenship is in the Third heaven.

And we do not look for great blessings from this world but from the Third heaven at the coming of JESUS CHRIST. One day JESUS CHRIST will rise up in His Resurrected Body from the throne in the Third Heaven and travel through all the Second Heaven and as He approaches earth, a trumpet will sound and every believer will rise up and meet Him in the air. Until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

So at the Rapture we will meet the Lord in the First Heaven, in the clouds.

(3) The Third Heaven is the location of the source of all Divine blessing, the abode of God is the sphere of all our blessings. Colossians 1:5 and Ephesians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, John 3:27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. Ephesians 1: 3 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, John 3:27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. 

(4) In Colossians 1:5 we saw the hope laid up for you in heaven.

(5) Our inheritance is stored in the Third heaven for us, 1 Peter 1:4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

(6) In the Angelic Conflict the Third heaven is very important for it is here that the victory of JESUS CHRIST will take place. Ephesians 1: 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

(7) This is the place of your Eternal Security, that you are saved forever in JESUS CHRIST. Ephesians 2:6 and raised us up with Him, (at the point of Faith in JESUS CHRIST as Savior) and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

~Bits&PiecesofSpringvalleybiblechurch.org 

GOD'S GIFTS TO US

What is the greatest gift that God has given to the world? So, instead of abandoning us or retaliating against us, he offers us a gift, the best gift that has ever been given: his Son, crucified and raised to life again. And he promises he will reign over us in an eternal kingdom that is far better than any of us could ever ask for or imagine.

When did we receive the Holy Spirit? In the book of the Acts of the Apostles the arrival of the Holy Spirit happens fifty days after the resurrection of the Christ, and is celebrated in Christendom with the feast of Pentecost.

Why is the Holy Spirit a gift to believers? Jesus gave us the greatest gift that any Christian could imagine. The Holy Spirit, the counselor, the Spirit of God himself; the spirit of truth would come to guide the disciples and to guide all Christians.

Why is the Holy Spirit called a gift? As a gift, the Holy Spirit is not deserved or earned. He is not given as a reward, perhaps for being good and faithful, or for achieving or attaining a high degree of holiness, but rather to empower or enable attainment of these. However, the Holy Spirit, being a gift, means that He has to be accepted to be owned.

What is the Holy Spirit's greatest gift to us? Through the Holy Ghost we may know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that His Church has been restored to the earth. We may have the promptings of the Holy Ghost to show us all the things we should do (see 2 Nephi 32:5).

How do you receive the Holy Spirit? The path to receiving the Holy Ghost is to exercise faith in Christ unto repentance. We can become clean through qualifying for the effects of the Savior's Atonement. The covenants offered in baptism by authorized servants of God bring that cleansing.

How do I receive the Holy Spirit into my life? Ask for God's forgiveness for your sins. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." If you want to feel God's presence—the Holy Spirit—in your life, you'll have to admit those sins to God, ask for His forgiveness, and repent, or commit to doing better in the future.

What happens when the Holy Spirit comes upon you? Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This power that comes from the Holy Spirit allows you to stand strong for the things of God.

What is the Holy Spirit in simple terms? Definition of Holy Spirit is the presence of God as part of a person's religious experience: I felt the Holy Spirit in the room with me, leading and guiding me in prayer. Christianity. Also called Holy Ghost, the third person of the Trinity: I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

What is the gift of the Holy Spirit? The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. 

What are the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit? The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.”

What are the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit and their meanings? These abilities, often termed "charismatic gifts", are the word of knowledge, increased faith, the gifts of healing, the gift of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, diverse kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.

How are the gifts of the Holy Spirit used? The gift of the Holy Spirit, counsel, helps us to change things to the way they should be. Counsel helps us to make good judgements and giving good advice. It helps us to change things from bad to good. This gift of the Holy Spirit helps us to lead others in doing what is right and good. 

What is an example of the Holy Spirit helping you in your life? He gives us power, love, and self-discipline. Power can be many things backed up by the Holy Spirit, such as boldness to preach the gospel and power to perform healing miracles. Love given by the Holy Spirit is obvious when we have the heart to love others the way Jesus would.

How do the gifts of the Holy Spirit effect our lives? It helps us to change things from bad to good. This gift of the Holy Spirit helps us to lead others in doing what is right and good. The gift of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, can help us know what is important and what needs to be done. For example, not judging someone by something you "think" but you are not sure about.

How can you recognize the Spirit's action in your life? "The only way you can recognize Spirit is by showing up and being present. Moment to moment, our attitude determines our altitude, and self-inventory of your consciousness helps too. If you are present, loving, and at peace, it is your spirit.

How can I make the best use of what God has given me? Discover Your God-given Gifts:

Prayer: Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask, seek and knock. We can pray about and seek out our talents. 

Asking Others: Asking others can also give us an idea about our talents. 

Pay Attention to What You Enjoy: What activities do you enjoy?

Practice: Talents do not develop overnight.

Do we need to thank God for all the gifts that we have received from him? We do, however, thank God for everything wholesome and godly. God is the author of every good gift we experience in life and we thank him for these gifts. The Bible says, "give thanks in all circumstances ... " (1 Thessalonians 5:16). God's Word also teaches us to "rejoice in the Lord always ... " (Philippians 4:4).

What happens if you don't use your spiritual gifts? It is possible to be sinfully careless or indifferent and not use the gifts God has given us. The gift (ability) may still be present, but lack of use may hinder its development, as well as its usefulness and productivity.

What you are is God's gift to you, what you make of yourself with God's grace is your gift to God! “What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.” “It is to the Cross that the Christian is challenged to follow his Master: no path of redemption can make a detour around it.”