The Lord Jesus gave us seven parables in Matthew chapter 13. He explained to his disciples that these were "secrets", or "mysteries" of the kingdom of heaven.

"The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you" (Matthew 13:11, NIV) "It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 13:11, KJV.)

      The meaning of this word "mystery" is explained to us in verses 34, 35.

"Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." (Matthew 13:34-35)

      A New Testament mystery, then, is the revealing of something that has been hidden since the creation of the world. In other words, it was not prophesied in the Old Testament. God did not reveal these things to the prophets of old.

      Several other verses give us this same definition.

	"In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed to God's holy apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 3:4, 5).
	"And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things" (Ephesians 3:9).
	"According to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God" (Romans 16:25, 26).
	"And he made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment" (Ephesians 1:9, 10).
	"The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints" (Colossians 1:26).

      Therefore the things described in these seven parables are not fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the kingdom. Any attempt to understand or explain these parables without understanding that basic point can only result in confusion and false doctrine.

      These things could not have been anticipated because Jesus said these were "things hidden since the creation of the world" (Matthew 13:35). There is absolutely nothing in the OT to prepare people concerning the mystery phases and aspects of the kingdom as revealed in these parables.

      The kingdom of Heaven, as described in these seven parables, stands in sharp contrast to the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy. [80]

1. Parable of the Sower. vs. 1-9. Explanation. vs. 18-23

      Notice that the harvest, the end of the age, is not mentioned. The emphasis is on the progress of the gospel in the hearts of men. The seed is the message about the kingdom. It is sown in the heart. The seed is good; but it is the character of the soil upon which the seed falls which determines the result.

      The parable also reveals the destructive activity of the evil one.

      If we compare the conditions existing in the "kingdom of heaven" as revealed in this parable with the conditions that are prophesied in the Old Testament, we must observe with astonishment that they do not seem to be describing the same thing! The significance of this fact we will leave till we have examined the second parable.

      Here, in this first parable, Jesus describes the activity of Satan within the kingdom. That evil one snatches away the word from many hearts. But that is in contrast to what Isaiah prophesied!

      Also, according to Jesus, there is persecution because of the word, and many who have received the word with joy fall away under the fierce persecution that Satan brings. This is in complete contrast to all the Old Testament prophecies about the kingdom! What does this mean?

2. Parable of the Weeds. vs. 24-30. Explanation. vs. 36-43

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field . . ."

	The sower of the good seed is the owner of the field.
	"Sower of the good seed is the Son of Man."
	"The field is the world."
	"The good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom."
	"The weeds are the sons of the evil one."
	"The enemy who sows them is the devil."
	"The harvest is the end of the age."
	"The harvesters are angels."
	"At the end of the age the Son of man will send out His angels and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil."
	"They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
	"Then the Righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

      Jesus said very plainly that the field is the world. It is therefore, not the church.

      The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom sown in the field which is the world.

      The world is also the scene of Satan's activity.

      The weeds are the sons of the evil one sown in the field which is the world.

      It should be obvious that the field stands for the kingdom. The field is owned by the one who sowed good seed (vs. 24). The one who sowed good seed is the Son of Man. He is the owner of the field which is the world. It is His kingdom.

      This is not necessarily a parable about the church. It is a parable about a "mystery of the kingdom." It is a parable that reveals a phase of the kingdom that was hidden from men in ages past.

      The weeds, the sons of the evil one, are not sown in the church, they are sown in the world.

      The "sons of the kingdom" are the church. The church is in the world. The parable is not intended to show a mixture of good [81] and evil in the church. It shows the mixture of good and evil in the world.

      We cannot root evil out of this world. That is not our task (vs. 28, 29). But we are to root evil out of the church!

"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you." (1 Corinthians 5:12, 13)

      This mystery phase of the kingdom is not what the OT prophets prophesied concerning the Kingdom. [82]

      Instead of being established upon the earth in power and glory, as the prophets declared it would be, the kingdom resembles a field in which wheat and weeds are growing together: It is the form the kingdom assumes under the administration of men during the absence of the King.

      For example, look at Isaiah 9:6, 7, Isaiah 11:1-9, Isaiah 2:1-4. These prophecies describe the Kingdom of the Messiah as a rule of righteousness and justice (9:7; 11:4, 5). This is in contrast to the terrible unrighteousness and injustice that existed at that time in the government of Israel.

"The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the House of Israel, and the men of Israel are the garden of His delight. And He looked for justice and saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress" (Isaiah 5:7).

      The poor, the orphan, the widow were being mistreated; the rulers were corrupt, crooked and oppressive (Isaiah 1:17, 23).

"Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them" (Isaiah 1:23).

      But in the promised kingdom, it is said of the King, "with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth" (Isaiah 11:4); and,

"Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever . . ."--and, lest anyone should doubt that this could be literally accomplished--"The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:7); also,

"I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counsellors as at the beginning. Afterwards you will be called The City of Righteousness, The Faithful City." (Isaiah 1:26.)

      But these prophesied conditions of righteous government on this earth are in stark contrast to those existing in the mystery phase of the kingdom as revealed by Jesus in these mystery parables. It is a shameful and God-dishonoring doctrine that says these prophecies are not to be taken at face value and within the context of their day, but only meant a 'spiritual reign in the hearts of men.'

      Is God a deceiver? He promised righteous government to the poor, downtrodden people of Isaiah's day. Yet some say He did not mean that at all! According to the amillennial theory, He was using symbolic language and they should have understood that God did not mean freedom from oppressive and unjust government but meant only a 'spiritual reign in the hearts of men.' Such a view makes God's promises to be no better than the promises of today's politicians seeking election.

      In the kingdom prophesied by the OT prophets there is no room for the activity of Satan. But in the kingdom of heaven of Matthew 13, Satan is active.

	He snatches the word out of peoples' hearts,
	he persecutes believers,
	he causes trouble,
	the sons of the evil one outnumber the sons of the kingdom.

      And, no marvel, for in this present age Satan is the "god of this age" who has "blinded the minds of unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

      Satan is the one "who leads the whole world astray." (Revelation 12:9) Also, "The whole world is under the control of the evil one." (1 John 5:19).

      That is in terrible contrast to the description of the kingdom prophesied in the OT.

      Be assured that the kingdom of prophecy has not been given up. It has not been cancelled. It has not been transferred to the church.

      The time of its setting up has only been delayed until these secret counsels of God have been accomplished. Once this mystery phase has been accomplished and the King returns, the kingdom of OT prophecy will be set up, "then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

      This Mystery phase of the kingdom must first take place and run its course before the kingdom of OT prophecy is established. This is the unalterable purpose, pleasure, and will of God which He ordained and kept "hidden since the creation of the world." That is what Jesus is revealing in these mystery parables and what the Holy Spirit revealed through the Apostle Paul concerning the "Mystery of Christ" of Ephesians 3.

      Our Lord explained the first two parables, and also the seventh,--but gave no explanation of the next four. We must proceed with great caution.

      We are not to use our own imagination without regard to Scripture. Let Scripture explain Scripture, always keeping in mind that the kingdom as described in these parable is a mystery and is therefore not the fulfillment of the OT kingdom prophecies.

      We must give careful consideration to each feature of these parables, they are not duplicates or repetitions. Each one stands alone describing a different aspect of the kingdom; an aspect that was not prophesied and therefore not expected.

      The Church is one thing: the restoration of the kingdom to Israel is quite another matter. The confusion of these two things has resulted in erroneous interpretation, not only of the parables, but much of other Scripture also.

      The "wheat" is one feature; the "weeds" are another;
      The growth of the mustard tree another;
      The yeast the woman mixed into the meal is another;
      The treasure another;
      The purchase of the field and the hiding of the treasure another;
      The pearl of great value is another;
      And the casting of the dragnet yet another.

      They are all distinct and separate mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

      "The kingdom" correctly observes one writer, "is here upon the earth under the administration of the servants of the King, who is now in heaven. These servants, equipped by the King to occupy until He comes, are but men; and, like men in general, who have violated every trust that God ever reposed in them, they sleep at their post: and the administration of the kingdom is further vexed by the active opposition of Satan. Under such conditions the kingdom assumes a form very different from that predicted by the prophets, and one foreign to the mind of the King. It continues in this form until the King returns and purges it of evil."¹

3. The Mustard Tree. vs. 31, 32

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

      A tree is often used in the OT as a figure for an earthly kingdom, a mighty kingdom, that gives shelter to the nations. (Daniel 4 and Ezekiel 31.)

      The Messianic kingdom--the resurrection of the house and throne of David--is portrayed as a great tree planted by the Lord on the mountain heights of Israel (Ezekiel 17:22-24).

      The mustard tree is not that kingdom, because the parable represents the present "mystery" form of the kingdom.

      It has been suggested that although a mustard seed may grow into a large shrub it normally never grows into a large tree big enough to give shelter to the birds of the air.

      But in the parable it does grow into a large tree! And, some suggest, it is this abnormal growth that gives this parable its significance.

      In any case, in the parable it is a garden plant and becomes the largest of the garden plants--becoming a "tree" by comparison to the size of the other garden plants. Although it grows taller than the other garden plants it never towers over the trees of the forest. Thus it is in contrast to the towering and mighty cedar tree of the prophecy in Ezekiel 17:22-24. It is the mystery phase of the kingdom that was not envisaged by Ezekiel.

      The "birds of the air" are the same that snatched away the seed in the first parable. Also, Babylon, the painted prostitute of Revelation 17, becomes the cage of "every unclean and detestable bird."

      We often distinguish between the visible Church, that which professes to be Christian in the world--from the invisible Church, the body of true believers. The mustard tree represents the visible Church--that which is seen by the world as the "Church"; Christendom as a whole; with all its corrupted and various denominational branches. [84]

      From its small, seemingly insignificant beginning in Acts 2, the "Church" grew into a great, world-wide edifice, but with much that was not "natural", that is not of the Spirit. The fleshly outgrew the spiritual.

      Very soon after the so called conversion of Constantine (288-337), "the simplicity of the gospel was corrupted; pompous rites and ceremonies were introduced; worldly honors and emoluments were conferred on the teachers of Christianity, and the kingdom of Christ in a great measure converted into a kingdom of this world. It is none the less the kingdom of heaven, in its present "mystery" form; and the birds of the air, which have for so long been the burden of its reproach, shall be driven from it when the King returns in glory."²

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18).

4. Parable of the Yeast. vs. 33

"The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

      This is often interpreted as the Gospel having an influence for good on the world. While it is true that the Gospel has had an influence for good, that is not the point of the parable. [History contradicts that interpretation. After 2000 years of the Gospel, the greater part of the nations of this world are without Christ and sinking deeper into ungodliness all the time.]

      Nor is it illustrating, as some fancy, something once set in motion that cannot be stopped.

      We are not free to just use our imaginations without regard to Scriptural usage. Scripture is to be explained with Scripture.

      Jesus elsewhere used yeast (leaven) always as a symbol of evil, of corruption; never of anything good. So it is contradictory to say that He is here using yeast to symbolize the Gospel!

      How did Jesus use "yeast" elsewhere?

      Jesus warned strongly against the yeast--the teaching--of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herod (Matthew 16:6, 11, 12; Mark 8:15).

      The Pharisees were the legalists, the formalists of their day. They were hypocrites. They insisted on and glorified outward observance without the inward reality.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23:27, 28).

      The Sadducees were rationalists and skeptics. They wanted a natural or "scientific" explanation for everything. They did not believe in angels, or spirits, or a resurrection (Acts 23:8). Their counterpart would be the evolutionists and Humanists of today.

      Herod was not a Jew. He was not of the house of David. He was a worldly person with a superstitious fear of God but who lived for this world. The Herodians were a political party among the Jews who supported the kingly claims of Herod who was not a Jew. Their counterpart today would be those who seek to bring in the kingdom of God through political reformation instead of through the coming of Jesus the King.

      Yeast is therefore the symbol of formalism, hypocrisy, rationalism, skepticism and worldliness. The history of the Church shows that the doctrine of [85] Christ has been adulterated and corrupted by all these things.

      Is there any doctrine of the Bible that has not been corrupted by the yeast of men? Are not the exhortations and warnings of Paul to Timothy warnings against the yeast--teachings--of men? 1 Tim. 4:1-7, 11, 13, 15, 16; 6:3, 20, 21. 2 Tim. 2:15, 16, 17; 3:5, 8, 16, 17; 4:2-5. Add to all that the corruptions of our own day. A modern example is the feminist movement that demands that all "sexist" references in the Bible be removed. They do not want to pray to God as their Father nor refer to Jesus as the Son of God. Thus they deny the one who bought them and judge themselves unworthy of eternal life while yet "worshipping" and calling themselves christians. The yeast has pervaded the dough until it has become a rotten stinking mess.

      The yeast is not a repetition of the mustard tree. The mustard tree represents corrupt organization that is a roost for all kinds of man-made doctrines, practices and evil. The yeast represents corrupt teaching that makes insidious and often undetected inroads into the pure gospel, the pure doctrine of Christ.

      The parable is to reveal a "mystery of the kingdom." Paul declared that "the mystery of iniquity," (2 Thessalonians 2:7, KJV) was already at work. The parable of the yeast and the "mystery of iniquity" speak of the same thing.

      The flour would be representative of Christ and His Word--the food of the child of God. We are commanded to keep the feast with unleavened bread.

      "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

5. Parable of the Hidden Treasure. vs. 44.

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, And then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field."

      Many a learned commentator, many an earnest preacher, have labored valiantly with this parable and the parable of the pearl to make the finder of the treasure, or the buyer of the pearl, to be the earnest soul who is seeking the truth; or is seeking salvation; or searching for the true church.

      The treasure, they say, is Jesus Christ, or eternal life, or the church, or salvation, or the truth, or the word of God. Or, the parable is said to represent the exceeding great value of these things. The problem is that none of those explanations fit. The Scripture itself has no patience with such ideas.

      The gospel cannot be bought.

      Salvation is not for sale.

      "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

      We have nothing of value we can give in exchange for the gospel. Salvation is "by grace . . . not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

      But the one who bought the field may boast much! He sold everything he had to buy that field!

      The gospel is not hidden. When we receive it we are not to hide it. We must boldly confess Christ before men. We are to be lights in this dark world.

      The Treasure is Not the Church. The church is not hidden. The church has never been lost, hidden or buried. To say such is to contradict the words of Jesus, "on this rock I will build my church, and [86] the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18).

      It is true that the disciples left everything to follow Jesus but that is not the point of this parable. If the meaning of the parable is only to illustrate the cost of discipleship, that we must be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus; that it is costly to be a real Christian, why clutter it up with hiding the treasure and then buying the field in order to obtain legal possession of the treasure? These features are not just inserted for dramatic effect. They are an integral part of the parable and a correct interpretation will take them into account.

      Furthermore, such interpretations are in contradiction to the statement that this parable is a "mystery of the kingdom." The parable reveals something "hidden since the creation of the world." It is a new truth. That we must be willing to give up everything to follow the Lord is not a new truth. Such has been often emphasized in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 10:12).

      Upon close examination we will discover that this parable has nothing whatsoever to do with someone discovering the gospel or finding salvation, or coming to Christ. And the treasure is not the church.

      What then does the parable mean?

      "He sold all that he had."

      The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who sold all that he had in order to buy the field!

      "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor . . ." (2 Corinthians. 8:9).

      "Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8).

      The Field is the World.

      In the parable of the weeds, Jesus said that the field is the world (Matthew 13:38.) Here also, the field is the world. Jesus purchased the world with his blood.

      "Look," said John, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

      "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 1:29; 3:16, 17).

The Hidden Treasure is the Nation of Israel.

Of Israel God has said, "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine." (Exodus 19:5 NKJ.)

"For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure" (Ps. 135:4 NKJ).

      The parable can only be understood within the framework that Jesus Himself gave us when He gave the parable. The usual "explanations" ignore that framework and so get bogged down in vapid explanations that either explain nothing or are in actual contradiction to such scriptures as Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8, 9.

      Remember, this parable is a MYSTERY of the Kingdom of Heaven. It reveals a phase of the kingdom that was not prophesied in the Old Testament. It was hidden until the time came for it to take place.

      It is thus different from what was prophesied, it is not what was expected, it takes men by surprise. It is the phase of the kingdom that exists between the First Coming and the Second Coming of Christ. It is the phase of the kingdom during the absence of the king. The Kingdom of OT prophecy requires the [87] presence of the King, it awaits the second coming of Christ.

      Thus, the parable of the hidden treasure is revealing a phase of the kingdom that is different from what was prophesied in the OT.

THE KINGDOM PROPHESIED. (See table on page 55)

      The promise of the kingdom in the O.T. is the one promised to Israel in fulfillment of God's covenant with David. There is no other kingdom promise. The promise was first given in 2 Samuel 7:1-16, and later confirmed by God's oath in Psalms 89:3, 4, 34-37; emphatically expanded in Psalms 2:1-9 to extend over all the nations of the earth; gloriously expounded in such chapters as Isaiah 9:6, 7 and Isaiah 11.

      Without argument, the natural meaning of these and other OT prophecies describes a kingdom here on the earth in which the Son of David rules over a restored Israel in their own land, and this rule is extended over the whole earth. They describe a government of absolute justice and righteousness that is not only spiritual but is also social and economic--governing every aspect of man's existence here on the earth.

      A serious problem of understanding and interpretation exists today. Some insist that these prophecies are to be understood only as symbolic of Christ's rule in the church. It is a circular argument. The prophets prophesied the coming of only one kingdom. The church is the kingdom of God, therefore, (they say) it is the kingdom prophesied. But obviously the church is completely different from the kingdom prophesied on the OT. They are compelled then to say that the OT prophecies cannot be taken at face value. The church is a spiritual kingdom in which Christ reigns in the hearts of men. The prophecies must therefore be taken symbolically or "spiritually," otherwise they would have to admit that the church is not the kingdom prophesied.

      This writer believes in taking these prophecies at their natural meaning and looks for their fulfillment here on the earth. Yes, the kingdom prophesied is to have its spiritual aspect, but it is not only a spiritual kingdom. The prophets described both social and economic reforms to be brought in by the Messiah. His kingdom would govern every aspect of human existence here on this earth. Obviously the church does not fit that description. The kingdom as prophesied will be ushered in by the second coming of Christ.

      The Kingdom Prophesied. As has already been stated--the promise of the kingdom was to Israel. The Messiah would rule over Israel. He would also govern the whole world in great glory and power: Striking down His enemies: Ruling in perfect righteousness: Dispensing absolute justice to every person on the face of the earth.

      The prophecy cannot yet be fulfilled because Israel has rejected the Son of David. They have refused their King. However, that rejection has only delayed, not nullified the promise, because the promise is unconditional (2 Samuel 7:8-16; Psalms 89:3, 4, 34-37).

      The Lost Sheep of Israel

      When Jesus began His ministry, Israel was the first object of His search. He said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). When He sent out the twelve He instructed them: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel." (Matthew 10:5, 6).

      He discovered, as it were, the treasure hidden in the field of the world; and unable to take immediate possession of it, "He hid it again, and then in His joy went and sold all He had and bought that field."

      The treasure hidden in the field speaks of Israel's present, but temporary, [88] hardening of heart and rejection because of their unbelief. (Romans 11:11, 12, 15, 23-32).

      When the Lord Jesus said of Jerusalem, "Look, your house is left to you desolate, for I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." (Matthew 23:38, 39), He was describing, as it were, the hiding of the treasure in the field until that nation should repent and accept Him as their Messiah.

      The field must be purchased at the cross before He could take title to the hidden treasure. Caiaphas, the high priest, made a prophecy of which the Holy Spirit said; "He prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation." (John 11:50, 51). There was no other way that Israel's salvation could be accomplished. The field must be purchased at the cross.

      And in the purchase of the field He also secures the blessing of the Gentile nations through the gospel. "Behold," said John, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

      The purchase of the field implies world-wide possession. Christ is more than the King of Israel. He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords. The kingdoms of this world are all to become His kingdom (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 11:15).

      The field, which is the world, has been purchased not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus. In the field of the world Israel remains hidden treasure until that day when they shall acknowledge Him whom they have slain. It is then that the kingdom, according to the terms of the covenant made with David, shall be established.

The Mystery of Israel's Temporary Hardening of Heart.

"I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins" (Romans 11:25-27).

      The mystery of Israel's temporary hardening of heart--to last until the full number of the Gentiles have come in--agrees with the mystery of the hidden treasure. They are the same. They both explain Israel's present rejection and future glory.

      The OT prophets prophesied the repentance and salvation of Israel as a nation. God would bring them through the fires of the Great Tribulation, the furnace of affliction, to cause them to turn to the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:4-24, Daniel 12:1, Zechariah 12:10-13:1, Zechariah 13:8, 9). But the prophets did not foresee that there would be a period of time separating the first coming from the second coming of the Christ, and that during this time Israel's heart would be hardened. God kept that a secret until after the birth of Jesus--that is why it is called a 'mystery.'

      Uncovering of the Treasure: And the Joy of our Lord:

      The parable ends with the purchase of the field. It does not take us to the day when the treasure will be uncovered. Why? Because that event is not a "mystery," it was prophesied. The unearthing of the treasure belongs to the time prophesied when the nation of Israel finally repents and turns to Jesus as their Messiah.

      "In his joy went and sold all that he had. and bought the field."

      Jesus, "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame . . ." (Hebrews 12:2).

      The joy of our Lord will be echoed by Israel in that day when the treasure is uncovered.

"Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare His holy arm in the [89] sight of all nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God" (Isaiah 52:9, 10).

"The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendour in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God" (Isaiah 62:2, 3).

      Notice the theme of the treasure--a crown of splendor--a royal diadem.

The Kingdom Near?

      Unfortunately, some confuse Israel with the church. They mistakenly declare that the many explicit prophecies about the kingdom must not be taken at face value but are 'spiritually' fulfilled in the church. They say the church is the fulfillment of OT prophesies about the kingdom because Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:14). If the kingdom of prophecy did not come on Pentecost, they say, then the words of Jesus failed because He said it 'is near.'

      That teaching ignores the fact that the promise of the kingdom was conditional upon the repentance of Israel, and Israel did not repent. God had foreseen this before the creation of the world and laid His plans accordingly. Jesus is revealing this in these parables of the "mysteries of the kingdom." "And he made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment" (Ephesians 1:9, 10).

      Worst of all, such teaching ignores the fact that the same words, 'is near' are also used concerning the future second coming of Christ in person.

      Paul says, "The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5).

      James says, "The Lord's coming is near" (James 5:8).

      Peter says, "The end of all things is near." (1 Peter 4:7).

      Those words--and the words "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near"--were all spoken within the lifetime of the apostles and over 1900 years ago--yet Jesus has not yet come, and the end of all things has not yet come. Likewise, the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy has not yet come.

      Furthermore, in Luke 19:11-27, Jesus "went on to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once." The parable teaches a definite and long delay in setting up the kingdom of OT prophecy. It can only be set up when the King returns!

      The Apostle Peter, in Acts 3:12-26, calls on Israel to repent and turn to God. If they would repent, not only would their sins be blotted out, but God would send to them the Christ who would restore all that had been promised by the holy prophets.

      This promise was only given to the nation of Israel. Gentiles were never promised that if they repent the Christ would come!

      James, recognized this mystery phase of the kingdom--the formation of the church during the time of Israel's temporary rejection--the 'treasure' hidden in the field. He spoke of the time when the treasure would be unearthed. "I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild and I will restore it." It would be "after this." That is, after God has finished "taking from the Gentiles a people for Himself." (Acts 15:13-18).

      The application in the NT of various OT passages to the Church does not disinherit Israel. Nor does it make the Church to be "spiritual Israel." These spiritual blessings are also ours because God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). Whatever spiritual blessings were promised to Israel [90] are also ours in Christ. But they are not taken away from Israel. The promises to Israel have not been cancelled, nor transferred to the church. Israel shall yet become "a royal priesthood, a holy nation": when under the new covenant, God's laws will be "written on their hearts." As one writer has aptly said;

"The blessing which they forfeited under the law was offered to them in grace, but refusing this, they were set aside until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. Meanwhile the treasure is hidden until the time for its display has come."³

6. The Pearl of Great Value. vs. 45, 46.

"Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
"When he found one of great value,
"He went away and sold everything he had
"and bought it."

      The Pearl represents the Church.

      The Seeker of the pearl is Jesus.

      The Lord Jesus, the finder of the treasure, is also the seeker of the pearl.

      But the treasure and the pearl are not identical. That the two things are different is implied by the difference in the figures used.

      In both cases the price He paid was the same, but that does not prove their identity. "The 'lost sheep' of the house of Israel were His treasure, and in finding them, He found what He had lost: for they were His, the sheep of His pasture and the flock of His hand, over which He was to exercise the shepherd-rule, to which He was ordained in God's covenant with David. (Ezekiel 34:23, 24)." "But a wider mission than this had brought Him from heaven to earth. "I have other sheep," He said, "that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). The far away Gentiles were to be brought near, and were to hear His voice; and the fold that was Jewish and legal was to be given up, and there was to be one flock--with all national distinctions gone--and He the shepherd of them all. So the Church comes into view."⁴

      Paul declares of the church that it is "the church of God, which He bought with His own blood." (Acts 20:28).

      Why did Jesus use the figure of a pearl? Why not a diamond or a ruby. Those are precious stones which, size for size, are more valuable than a pearl. Elsewhere, Scripture compares a good wife to rubies (Proverbs 31:10). Why did Jesus not use that figure here? Was He ignorant of the relative values of these things? Certainly not! He knew full well what He was saying. Now a pearl is not dug out of the ground like a diamond or ruby. No. Pearls are made by animals, specifically a shellfish called an oyster. It is how they are made that makes the pearl to be a fitting picture of the church.

      A pearl is said to be the "result of injury done to the animal that produces it. Its material is nacre, as it is called, or mother of pearl, which lines the interior of the shell, and which is renewed by it as often as injured or worn away. A particle of sand getting between the animal and the shell, the irritation causes a deposit of nacre upon it, which goes on being deposited, layer after layer till a pearl is formed . . . The pearl is thus, as we may say, an answer to an injury; and it is the offending object that becomes, through the work of the injured one, a precious and beauteous gem. It is clothed with a comeliness put upon it, as the objects of divine grace are, with the beauty and glory of Him we crucified!"⁵

      Therefore the Scripture testifies:

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:27). [91]

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory." (2 Corinthians 3:18)

      The grain of sand that injures the oyster is neither valuable nor beautiful. But being clothed with the essence of the oyster it becomes beautiful and valuable. So we, worthless, sin-ugly grains of sand are made to be beautiful, valuable children of God through the sanctifying, purifying work of Christ as He clothes us with Himself. But this was through the injury we did to Him in nailing Him to the cross and piercing His side.

"Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25-27).

      In the pearl, we have the creation of the church; which is formed during the time of Israel's rejection and preservation.

      A Profound Mystery

      The creation of Eve from the side of Adam and the ordination of marriage held another mystery, a profound truth kept secret for ages and generation past, but now revealed in the relationship of Christ and His church. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:31, 32).

      Our interpretation of the pearl of great price is harmonious with this mystery hidden in the creation of Eve from the side of Adam. She was formed from an injury to the side of Adam. The Church is formed as it were from the injury to the side of Jesus, the second Adam. Marriage, as ordained by God, is because Eve was formed from the injury to Adam's side.

      Have you ever wondered what Adam experienced and felt? When he woke up after God had cut a bone out of his side, did he experience any pain? Whoever has experienced major surgery knows the pain that follows after for several days as the wound heals. A scar remains to always remind one of the surgery. Did Adam experience any pain and difficulty in moving about for a few days? Was there no scar to remind him and Eve of whence she had come? The Scripture does not say. But Scripture does say that the Second Adam, Jesus, experienced pain at His crucifixion and appears to bear in His body the scars of crucifixion which would remind us through eternity of how we were purchased. In Revelation 5:6 our Lord is seen as a "Lamb, looking as if it had been slain."

      Paul says, "This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church."

      An important point (overlooked by those who confuse Israel with the Church), is that although Christ is spoken of as the King of Israel, and King of Kings; He is never spoken of as the King of the Church! He is the bridegroom, she is His bride. He is the head, she is His body.

      The pearl of great value, then, is the Church, exceeding precious to Him, purchased by His blood; formed, as it were, from His very side.

      However, there are some important differences between us and a grain of sand. First, the grain of sand has no control over its own destiny. But we can choose the right or the wrong. "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7).

      Second, the grain of sand is completely passive in accepting the covering which converts it into a pearl. But we must be active. After our initial putting on of Christ when we were baptized into [92] Him--after that has been accomplished, we are exhorted to be continually putting Him on day by day!

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24).

"Put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature . . . since you . . . have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:5, 10, 11)

      Finally: There are uncountable millions of grains of sand in the ocean; lost, ugly, unloved. Only the grain of sand that comes into intimate contact with the oyster becomes a pearl, a thing of beauty and value. Just so. Only those souls who come to Jesus and remain in close fellowship with Him can be saved and transformed into something fit for heaven and eternity.

7. The Parable of the Net. vs 47-50

      This last parable of the series speaks neither of Israel nor of the Church. And it is not related to anything in the other six parables.

"Once again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish into baskets, but threw the bad away."

      Then Jesus gave the explanation.

"This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

      The key to understanding is in the words, "This is how it will be at the end of the age."

      Nothing has yet been caught by the net because it has not been let down into the sea. It is only let down at the end of the age!

      The end of the age is marked by the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-31).

      The letting down of the net has reference to the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom, that is to be made immediately after the removal of the Church from the earth.

      Here is a new gathering, apart from Israel and the church. It is the result of God's grace to the Gentiles after the Church has been caught up.

      The net is not let down into the sea [of nations] until the completion of the age. Therefore it does not apply to the present time. It is certainly not the putting of the fish "into denominational vessels"--as some would like to have it.

      During the time of the great tribulation the gospel will be preached:

      a.) It will be preached by a mighty angel:

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Revelation 14:6-7).

      It is the gospel with an added, urgent warning "For the hour of His judgement has come." Although we are to warn of the judgement to come, we cannot say "the hour of His judgment has come."

      b.) There is also the preaching of the two witnesses in Jerusalem in Revelation 11:3-7. Surely this will result in many turning to Christ.

      c.) It will be preached by the 144 000 servants of God out of Israel (Revelation 7:3). In the words of Stanford Chambers, [93]

"Allow that they serve, and allow that their service is not in vain. They are "servants of God." Paul, contemplating Israel's grafting in again, exclaims, "what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?" . . . Today two billion souls are without the knowledge of the truth. Multiplied millions have heard no kind of gospel making known the name of Jesus! And why? Because the Gentiles, supposedly grafted in, have been unfaithful in the execution of the Great Commission. When grafted in again, the converted, born-again Israel will do the job. Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled, and that prophecy, note, embraces "all the nations." (Conquering And To Conquer, p. 45)

      In His prophecy about the end of the age, Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14.

      This final preaching of the gospel is after the church is taken up. This is the letting down of the net at the end of the age.

      The separation of the good fish from the bad is synonymous with His judgment of the living nations when our Lord shall come in glory.

      "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats . . ." (Matthew 25:31-46)

      The above is not a resurrection nor is it the judgment at the Great White Throne in Revelation 20:11.

      Some of John the Baptist's words concerning Jesus belong to His second coming. "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor, gathering wheat into His barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12).

[KOG3R 80-94]