I mentioned the other day that I wanted to share on Christ's parable of the wheat and the tares, and now would be a very good time for me to do that.
First, the parable:
Matthew 13:24-30
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Now, Christ's interpretation of the parable:
Matthew 13:36-43
"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
Please notice that the harvest is the end of the world, and not the end of the tribulation period.
Also, please notice the distinction between "his kingdom", which, in context, is Christ's kingdom, and "the kingdom of their Father".
This is extremely important because, as I have been saying here, Jesus' kingdom rule will last for 1000 years or during his millennial reign, and then, at the end of his millennial reign, he will deliver up the kingdom to his Father.
Let me pause here for a moment to remind everyone of Paul's words to the saints at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 15:19-28
"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."
Some important points that we must take away from what we just read:
1. Christ is the firstfruits of them that slept or the first person to be raised from the dead unto eternal life.
2. At Christ's coming, and not comings, they that are Christ's will similarly be raised from the dead unto eternal life.
3. Then comes the end, when, or after, he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father. Again, there is a distinction being made here between Christ's kingdom and the kingdom of the Father after Christ delivers it up to him.
4. Christ's kingdom will be delivered up to the Father when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power for he must reign, for 1000 years, or during his coming millennial reign, until he has put all enemies under his feet, and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. We know, from Revelation chapter 20, that death and hades are cast into the lake of fire at the end of Christ's millennial reign, so that is the timeframe that we are dealing with here.
5. When all things have been subdued to Christ's rule, then shall the Son also himself, or then shall Jesus, be subject unto the Father who put all things under him that God may be all in all.
With these facts in mind, let's look back to Jesus' interpretation of the parable of the wheat and tares that we read earlier.
Again, in the timeframe which Christ himself established in that parable, or at the end of the world, and not at the end of the tribulation period, the reapers or the angels shall gather out of his kingdom, or out of Christ's kingdom which will have lasted for 1000 years, all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Of course, this perfectly coincides with what we read in Revelation chapter 20, or with what we read in relation to what will ultimately transpire at the great white throne judgment. There, like here in this parable, the tares are burned first, or the wicked are cast into the lake of fire first. Then, or after this, the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, and not in the kingdom of Christ. Again, Christ delivers his kingdom up to the Father at the end of his coming millennial reign.
I'll end with the words of Jesus:
Who has ears to hear, let him hear.