PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – Part 2

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Matthew 13:31-35

Lesson #33
PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – Part 2

• Memory verse: 1Cor 5:7
• The Parable of the Mustard Tree and Birds (Mat 13:31-32)
• Read Mat 13:31-32
  • Background:
    • The mustard seed:
      • The mustard we know does not grow to the size of a tree.
      • Botanists suggest that the species spoken of in the parable is the khardah, Arabic for mustard.
      • Because of the tiny size of the seed, it came to symbolize small beginnings, and was the smallest weight of measure.
      • It is fiery hot when bruised and attractive to birds for food and shelter.
      • Herbs don’t usually grow into trees because they have a different botanical structure from trees.
        • The growth of trees is slow but the growth of herbs is rapid.
        • While this particular mustard might grow big to appear to be a tree (10-20 ft. high), it is not a tree.
        • Herbs do not develop woody tissue as a trunk.
        • Also they only live long enough to develop flowers and seeds.
        • Therefore, when Jesus says this mustard grew into a big tree, he is talking about an expansion completely foreign to the very nature of an herb.
    • The popular mis-interpretation of the parable:
      • Many believe that the parable should be interpreted that the church, which started small with the disciples, would grow large to fill the earth with its good influence and anyone could take refuge in it.
      • Why is this a misinterpretation?
        • Because the Bible never teaches that Christians will be a majority in this world.
        • Instead, true believers are always spoken of as being a remnant
        • Because the last parable spoke about the true and false growing together in the world, the church will never convert the world.
    • The difference between true Christianity and Christendom:
      • True Christianity is faith in Jesus Christ–a personal relationship with the God of creation which makes us part of the body of Christ, a body of believers.
      • Christendom is the organized church religion en total that may or may not lead one to a faith in Jesus Christ. All members are not necessarily born again believers.
    • What is the grain of mustard seed?
      • The grain of mustard seed represents the word of God implanted in believers so that it produces a genuine group of Christians.
      • Those Christians are the original Apostles and true believers today.
    • What is the field?
      • Matthew says “field”, Mark says “earth”, and Luke says “garden”.
      • It is the field of the world as in the first parable in chapter 13.
    • Who is the man who planted it?
      • No hint is given to the identity of the sower.
      • Because of the context of Mat 13 it is assumed to be Christ.
    • What are the birds?
      • Remember the meaning of the birds in Mat 13:32.
      • Let’s be consistent! They represent Satan and his demons.
    • What does it mean they come to nest in the tree?
      • Satan and his forces are in the church to eat up the true seed of the gospel.
    • What is the tree?
      • The growth of Christianity that started small and grows to lofty prominence.
        • Large denominations that have become concerned with numbers and buildings: more concerned with tree growing than seed planting.
        • This is Christendom, man-made religion.
      • A look at church history and prophecy:
        • The seven churches spoken of in Revelation are prophetic statements about church history in the age between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ.
        • The churches of Revelation and church history

Churches of Revelation, Parables, and Church History

Rev 2-3 Mat 13

The Churches of Revelation	Parables of Mat 13	Church History
Rev 2:1-7 Church at Ephesus	Parable of the Sower and the Seed in Mat 13:3-23 The planting of the gospel of which some will accept and some will reject for various reasons.	The Apostolic Church period 30-100 AD
Rev 2:8-11 Church at Smyrna	Parable of the Tares and the Wheat in Mat 13:24-30, 36-43 Evil and good will exist together in the church of which at times you will not be able to distinguish between the two.	The Persecuted Church period 100-312 AD
Rev 2:12-17 Church at Pergamos	Parable of the Mustard Tree and Birds in Mat 13:31-32 After fighting the church from without, Satan changes tactics to fight from within the church by marrying the church with the world system.	The Indulged Church period of Emperor Constantine 312-606 AD
Rev 2:18-29 Church at Thyatira	Parable of the Leaven and Meal in Mat 13:33-35. Toleration of evil, idolatry, and false doctrine.	The Pagan Church period 606-1500 AD (the dark ages)
Rev3:1-6 Church at Sardis	Parable of the Treasure and the Field in Mat 13:44 No moving of the Holy Spirit to bring people to spiritual life calls for reform in the church.	The Dead Church period 1500-1750 AD (the Reformation Era)
Rev3:7-13 Church at Philadelphia	Parable of the Merchantman and the Pearl in Mat 13:45-46 The era of great missionary emphasis.	The Church Christ Loved period 1750-1950 AD
Rev 3:14-22 Church at Laodicea	Parable of the Good and Bad Fish in Mat 13:47-51. The age of reason and humanism.	The Lukewarm Church period 1925 – second coming of Christ.
No church in Revelation as this is a new beginning without the church.	Parable of the Scribe and the Householder in Mat 13:51-52 The treasure of God’s kingdom throughout history is the gifts Christ gave to the church in Eph 4:11: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers.	The Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ for 1000 years.

• • • • In church history the Tree represents the period of time of the Indulged Church under Emperor Constantine:
        • When Emperor Diocletian died in 305 AD, the succession of the Roman Empire was in dispute. On the night before a battle, Constantine, the leader of one army, had a demonic vision of a cross aflame in the sky with the Latin words “by this sign conquer”. Constantine won the battle making a bargain with the demonic power and became emperor. In 312 AD Constantine ordered all Christian persecution to stop and that all heathen temples be converted to Christian churches. Christianity became the state religion and by law everyone had to profess to be a Christian or lose his job. Infant baptism was required by law. Names of the pagan temples were modified to reflect names of Christian saints. Apollo was changed to St. Apollinaris. The names of pagan gods on stone idols were changed to the names of Christian saints. A coin from Constantine’s reign had on one side the pagan gods and on the other side Christian symbols. Pagan feast days were converted to Christian holidays maintaining some of the semblances of pagan symbolism. For example Easter and Christmas.
        • In 325 AD, the Council of Nicea argued the deity of Christ. They decided that Christ and God the Father are equal contrary to the popular opinion of the time.
    • What, then, is the central truth of this parable?
      • The true church of Christianity started small and grew rapidly to become Christendom.
      • It became more concerned with building a large institution pleasing to man in which Satan is present and working in order to stop the true gospel and the salvation of people.
• The Parable of the Leaven and Meal (Mat 13:33-35)
• Read Mat 13:33-35
  • This is another parable that is often mis-interpreted.
    • The common, popular misinterpretation:
    • Like the last parable, this one is said to mean that Christianity, hidden in the lump of the world will permeate the world and become the conquering power and therefore cause the world to be saved.
      • As we have seen, this idea is totally foreign to all the rest of the Bible.
      • The Bible teaches that the world will get worse and worse, not better and better.
      • Christians will never be a majority but always a minority.
  • The parables in chapter 13 are progressive in their teaching of truth.
    • =1= Parable of the sower : The rejection of the word of God
    • =2= Parable of the wheat and tares: The opposition to the work of God
    • =3= Parable of the mustard tree: The distortion of the plan of God
    • =4= Parable of the leaven and meal: The corruption of the fellowship of God
  • What is the meaning of leaven?
    • Consistently in the Bible, leaven always means something bad or evil, or sin
      • It is that which disintegrates, breaks up, or corrupts.
      • Fermentation implies a process of corruption.
      • The first time leaven is used in the Bible is Gen 19:3. Lot gave unleavened bread to the angels because he knew the meaning of leaven and that nothing unclean should be given to these angels.
      • The next reference is when the Jews left Egypt. (Exo 12:15-20)
      • In Exo 34:25 no sacrifice to God should be made with leaven. (Lev 2:11 Lev 6:14-18 Exo 12:8,15,19,20)
      • In the tabernacle on the table of showbread, only unleavened bread was allowed. These things in the tabernacle represented Jesus Christ, the bread of life.
      • The specific offerings in Leviticus:
        • Some have leaven and some do not.
        • When the offering was to point to Christ, the one without sin, unleavened bread was used.
        • When the offering was to point to man or the church, leavened bread was used.

Lev 2:1-11 Christ (4,11)

Lev 23:15-21 The church at Pentecost (17)

• • • New testament use of the picture of leaven by Jesus:
      • Jesus used it to mean hypocrisy when he spoke of the “leaven of the Pharisees”.
        • (Luk 12:1 Mat 16:6,12 Mat 22:23,29)
      • Jesus used it to mean worldliness when he spoke of the “leaven of Herod” (Mar 8:14,15)
    • New testament use of leaven by Paul:
      • He used it as a picture of sin. (1Cor 5:6-8 Gal 5:7-9)
      • We notice 3 things in Paul’s use of leaven:
        • =1= It is something which exerts a powerful and moving influence.
        • =2= It hinders men from obeying the truth.
        • =3= It is expressly said to be “not from Him which called you.”
  • Who is the woman? The figure of a woman is used symbolically in the Bible in three ways:
    • =1= As a kingdom, whether good or bad. (Isa 47:5)
    • =2= As a city. (Jer 6:2 Isa 3:26 Eze 24:6,7)
    • =3= As a church, whether true or false:
      • True. (Gal 4:16 Isa 54:1 Eev 12:1,6,17)
      • False. (Zec 5:7 Rev 2:20 Rev 17:1)
    • Remember that these prophetic parables in Mat 13 correspond with the 7 churches of Rev 2-3 to represent the church age.
      • Read Rev 2:18-29 Church at Thyatira
      • Jezebel is used symbolically to portray immoral false doctrine.
      • Just before the second coming of Christ, there will be a one-world false religion, that Revelation calls Babylon the Great. Revelation depicts it as a kingdom, a city, and a church. (Rev 17,18)
  • Notice the action of the woman in the parable:
    • She hides the lump of leaven.
      • The leaven cannot be something good, for we are told not to hide the gospel, but share it openly.
      • This is, therefore, false doctrine she secretly hides and scatters.
      • Her object is to stealthily introduce a foreign and corrupting element into the meal to effect its deterioration.
  • What is meant by the three measures of meal? Jesus used the phrase known by all Jews of the time.
    • The first use of the phrase is when Abraham prepared a meal for the Lord in Gen 18:6.
    • It was a meal of true fellowship.
    • Three measures of meal is equal to an ephah which was the amount offered in the meal offering. (Eze 45:24; 46:5,7,11.)
      • This offering was done after the sin offering where sin was atoned for.
      • It is, therefore, an offering of fellowship. (Lev 2:11)
        • Once we accept Christ as our Savior, our sins are paid for.
        • We now have fellowship with Him. (Exo 16:36 Num 15:9 Num 28:12,20,28 Num 29:3,9,14). We see the use of the phrase in the offerings.
    • Number three in the Bible is a symbolic number that represents the Holy Trinity. Therefore, the companionship of the believer is with the three members of the Holy Trinity: God, the Father, Jesus, the son, and God the Holy Spirit.
  • The central truth of the parable:
    • Sin, false teachings and doctrines will permeate the church age polluting fellowship with God.
    • As a resu,t, there will be a falling away from God (a great apostasy) at the end of the church age.
    • Read 2The 2:3-4

Homework

Matthew 13:44-46

• Application of Mat 13:31-35
  • Examine your spiritual life! Are you playing church or do you have a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
    • What can you do this week to deepen your walk with the Lord?
    • God wants us to fellowship with Him in prayer and reading His word.
      • What is it that keeps you from prayer and reading His word?
      • How can you change that?
• Preparation for Mat 13:44-46
  • Read Mat 13:44-46
  • The parable of the treasure and the field (Mat 13:44)
    • This is another often mis-interpreted parable.
    • A clue: Consider the actions of the man to come up with your interpretation.
      • What is the treasure?
      • What is the central truth?
  • The parable of the merchantman and the pearl (Mat 13:45-46)
    • This is another often misinterpreted parable.
      • What is the pearl of great price?
      • A clue: It is not the same as the treasure in the field.
      • What is the central truth of the parable?
• Memory verse: 1Cor 6:20