Then He told them many things in parables, saying:..."The kingdom of heaven is like…” Matthew 13
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record in their gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry seven parables which are known as the “kingdom parables.” They are called “kingdom parables” because nearly all include the phrase “the kingdom of heaven is like…” and then go on to describe aspects of the kingdom of heaven. Matthew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” (basileia ho ouranos) exclusively in his gospel account. His use of the phrase instead of the similar phrase “kingdom of God” is in an effort to not offend his primarily Jewish audience. Both kingdom of God and kingdom of heaven are interchangeable and mean the same thing.
The kingdom of heaven is one that is both present and future in scope. The present kingdom is the one that resides within us as Christ followers. “He (God) has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves...” Col. 1:13-14. This is the church, the body and bride of Christ. The kingdom of heaven is also promised to all those in Christ as something that will inherited in the future. “What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption”. I Corinthians 15:50
The first thing to understand is that the kingdom parables in Matthew relate to the time period immediately following the church age, specifically the tribulation period and the millennial kingdom period. The church age deals with the body and bride of Christ, and is the period that begins at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is given to the body of Christ, and ends when the church is removed, along with the indwelling Holy Spirit, from this world at the rapture. Everything relayed in the kingdom parables relates specifically to the tribulation and millennial kingdom periods of the kingdom of God. As a result, the parables apply mainly to the remnant of Israel, and not to the church. This is an important distinction to keep in mind.
A parable is a story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson. Some have called them “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.” Jesus used parables frequently when teaching spiritual concepts to His followers and those who listened to his teaching. While parables can be used to make hard concepts easier to understand, that is only true if the symbolism is explained and the story made plain. But, Jesus did not use parables to make His teaching more understandable to the crowds at this point in His ministry. Instead, the scriptures make clear that He used parables to obscure His teaching. He did explain parables to His disciples, but did not provide explanations to the general crowds which came to hear Him speak. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all make this same point.
Then the disciples came up and asked him, "Why are you speaking to them in parables? " He answered, "Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.” Matthew 13:10-11
Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open my mouth in parables; I will declare things kept secret from the foundation of the world. Matthew 13:34-35
He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples. Mark 4:33-34
Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean? " So he said, "The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Luke 8:9-10
For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back -- and I would heal them. Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn't see them, to hear the things you hear but didn't hear them. Matthew 13:12-17
Here is the first kingdom parable of Jesus that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record.
Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn't deep. But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. Let anyone who has ears listen." Matthew 13:3-9
We know it is about the kingdom because Jesus later describes it as such when He explains the parable to His disciples in private: So listen to the parable of the sower: "When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. And the one sown on rocky ground -- this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. Now the one sown among the thorns -- this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good ground -- this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown." Matthew 13:18-23
So, this parable is explained to the disciples thankfully, and recorded by Matthew to benefit us all. What is the topic of the parable? Receiving the word about the kingdom of God (basically the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ), hearing fully, understanding it, and as a result producing spiritual fruit. The word of the kingdom of God will be available to all people during the tribulation period. Similar to now, some will receive it and some will not.
The second kingdom parable of Jesus was again about sowing seeds, wheat to be specific. He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner's servants came to him and said, 'Master, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from? 'An enemy did this,' he told them. 'So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ' the servants asked him. 'No,' he said. 'When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I'll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.' " Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus also later explained this parable to His disciples when they were together in private: Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He replied: "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; and the good seed -- these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness. They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.” Matthew 13:36-43
Typically, this parable is explained as having to do with the rapture where the “good seed” (Christians) are gathered into the barn (taken to heaven) and the “bad seed” (children of the evil one-unbelievers) are gathered and thrown into the blazing furnace (lake of fire). But, it should be noted that the parable describes the harvest occurring at the “end of the age” which would be after the tribulation period. And remember, these parables are focused on the tribulation period, and during the tribulation the focus is primarily on the remnant of Israel being brought into God’s kingdom. So, this gathering and separation of the good and bad refers to the unrighteous during the tribulation period being gathered for the blazing furnace (Hades/Sheol and then after judgement into the lake of fire), and the good being gathered into the barn (the millennial kingdom).
Jesus provides a description of this same event in Luke 17:26-37: "And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as in the days of Lot--they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out, and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding grain at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.” And answering they said to Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered." Luke 17:26-37
In Jesus’ description, the evil are gathered, or taken, first and the righteous remain to be gathered together afterwards. He clarifies to the disciples when asked where they are taken, that where they are the vultures will gather. This is not a verse referring to the rapture of Christians as so many people assume, it is at the end of the age when the unrighteous are gathered first and taken to a place of death (the lake of fire). In Luke 17, Matthew 24, and Mark 13 (end times prophecy by Jesus known as “The Olivet Discourse”), all these verses all pertain to the time after the rapture, specifically the tribulation period and millennial kingdom.
The third kingdom parable discusses a mustard seed illustration. He presented another parable to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. "It's the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it's taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32
This parable, again giving insight into the kingdom of heaven, is recorded in all three gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (chapter 13). Typically, this parable is taught as meaning that the church will grow in size, from a small mustard seed to a large tree like plant. But, notice what is nesting in the branches of this large unnatural plant...birds. Remember the birds from the first parable? The birds are representative of the “evil one”, or Satan. These are Satan’s foot-soldiers, demons. This parable refers to the institution of religion (not the church) during the tribulation period. It has grown from a small seed (like a mustard seed) and when planted in the field (remember the field is explained as the world in the second parable) it grows into an unnaturally large tree. The tree is so big that birds (demons) nest among its branches. This is describing the religious system (the false religion of the antichrist specifically) that is prevalent during the tribulation period. This false religion is so large and unnatural that it allows demonic forces to enter into its ranks and corrupt it from inside. We know from the book of Revelation chapter seventeen that this false religion known as “Babylon the Harlot” is destroyed.
The fourth parable discusses the kingdom with an illustration using leaven. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened. Matthew 13:33
Similarly, the fourth parable giving insight into the kingdom of Heaven deals with the false religion of the tribulation period. It is recorded by both Matthew and Luke (chapter 13). Typically again, this parable is taught as describing how just a little truth (leaven) can permeate the entire world and result in converting the entire world. But again, remember the context, this refers to the tribulation period. And recall what we have already been taught. The woman can be seen as Babylon the harlot, the false religion of the antichrist kingdom. She mixes (the word used is actually to hide or mingle) three measures of leaven into the flour (more specifically wheat flour). Three measures of flour refers to Genesis chapter eighteen when Sarai was told to prepare three measures of flour as a meal for the Lord. This was a type of thanksgiving fellowship offering, and leaven was not allowed. Wheat as we saw in the second parable of the wheat and tares represents the righteous. Leaven in the bible is always symbolic of sin, and never of anything good or righteous. Leaven is forbidden in prescribed sacrifices, and Jesus refers over and over to the “leaven of the Pharisees”. Leaven is not a good thing, it is always seen as representing sin.
This parable then describes the mingling or hiding of something sinful or bad into what is typically something holy until the whole thing is sinful or bad. This is symbolizing the tribulation false religion of the antichrist, a predominantly gentile false religion called Babylon the Harlot. She hides leaven (a corrupting influence of sin and untruth) into what was originally something meant to be holy and involve thanksgiving and fellowship (the institution of religion). During the tribulation period it is mixed and ferments until the whole thing is completely (three is the symbolic number of completeness in the Bible) “leavened” or sinful and corrupt. Again, this corrupted false religion of the tribulation is destined to be destroyed.
The fifth parable describes a treasure in a field: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44
It should be noted that the last three parables were told only to the disciples after they had left the crowds of people and were gathered together alone. This fifth parable deals with the kingdom of heaven and equates it to a treasure buried in a field. Typically, it is taught as the man who finds the treasure is us, mankind. The treasure is the kingdom of heaven, waiting to be discovered. The man sells everything he has to obtain that field, and the treasure buried in that field. But, the man is actually Jesus. The second parable explains that the “man”, the sower, is the “Son of Man” Jesus Himself. The treasure is His kingdom, His people. The treasure is initially buried in a field (the world), meaning that mankind is dead in their sins. Jesus uncovers it, and then reburies it. Jesus sells everything He has (gives His own life in sacrifice for us) and purchases (redeems) the field (the world) in which the treasure (His kingdom people) are buried.
This parable is symbolic of Jesus finding, but strangely enough then reburying, the treasure (His chosen). Then, later after having purchased the field it was hidden in, obtaining that treasure once again for Himself. Again, we are talking about the tribulation period which is primarily focused on the redemption of the remnant of the Nation of Israel. Jesus finds them but reburies them for a time. Israel being blinded for a period of time, and a remnant being set aside to be redeemed later is laid out clearly in Romans 9-11 by Paul. Jesus, sells everything He has (His sacrificial death on the cross for all) and buys (redeems) the field (redeems all of creation) to obtain the treasure buried in the field (the remnant of Israel which returns to Christ during the tribulation period).
The sixth parable is similar in nature to the fifth: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46
It similarly discusses a treasure and describes the kingdom. Again, this parable is typically taught as the “merchant” being lost mankind who searches for the “pearl of great value” (the kingdom of God) and they sell all they own to obtain that pearl (the kingdom or alternatively salvation). However, again the “merchant” or man in the parable is Jesus. He is the one who is searching for fine pearls (His chosen people, the kingdom of God). He is the one that sells all He has (sacrifices Himself for us on the cross) to obtain (redeem) the pearl of great price (His chosen). Pearls are unclean in Judaism, so most likely this is symbolic not of the Jewish remnant (as the fifth parable focuses on), but rather is referring to gentiles and His chosen ones in that group which will become part of His kingdom, again, during the tribulation period.
Lastly, the seventh parable describes a large drag net thrown into the sea. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:47-50
This parable compares the kingdom of heaven to a net full of fish being gathered and sorted. This again is about the harvest at the end of the age (the end of tribulation period). The net is thrown into the sea and gathers every kind of fish (all are to be judged at the end of the age). As in the second parable, the evil (unrighteous) are once again gathered and then taken by the angels and thrown into a fiery furnace (lake of fire). The good (righteous) are then gathered into “containers” which is symbolic of the millennial kingdom of God into which only the righteous will be allowed entrance.
"Have you understood all these things? " They answered him, "Yes." Matthew 13:51. Lastly, Jesus asks His disciples if they understood all the parables and their symbolism. The disciples tell Him “yes” unfortunately for us, as we do not get further explanation from Jesus.
Then Jesus says one more additional thing that is important to understand: "Therefore," he said to them, "every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old." Matthew 13:52. This is not normally considered one of the seven kingdom parables, but it is presented to the disciples in the form of a parable. A “teacher of the law” is technically a scribe, someone who is well-versed in the Mosaic law and in the Old Testament scriptures, who can interpret them and teach them to others.
The “owner of a house” in the parable is therefore those, like the disciples themselves, who are considered scribes (teachers) within the kingdom of God. They bring out of the “storeroom” (their knowledge as guided by the Holy Spirit) “treasures new and old” (scripturally-based truth and doctrine), both from the old testament (covenant) and new testament (covenant). It is confirmation that the disciples in God’s kingdom have access to truths about not only the scriptures regarding the old covenant, but scriptures regarding the new covenant.
I understand that this teaching is different from what is typically taught on the kingdom parables. It is not something that I developed on my own, but is teaching that I have examined for myself from several teachers that I highly respect. These include such teachers as Arno C. Gaebelein, Alfred Edersheim, J. Dwight Pentecost, John F. Walvoord, Chuck Missler, and Thomas Ice. I encourage everyone to be like the Bereans as Paul says and examine the scriptures for yourself to determine whether or not it is scriptural.
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