Matthew 13:24-4324Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So 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? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let 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. 31Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 34All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. 36Then 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. 37He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41The 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; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:24‑43)
The parable of the wheat and tares is the first “similitude” of the kingdom of heaven. This “similitude” is a parable which tells what the kingdom of heaven is like. God uses, as in the parable of the sower, the imagery of sowing and harvesting grain to teach us about His kingdom. In this parable, good seed was sown in the field, but the enemy subtly sowed bad seed in the field. “The enemy that sowed them is the devil.” These are called tares; they represent those who are not true believers, for they do not produce good fruit. When tares first appear, they look the same as wheat, but later in the growth cycle it is easier to detect the difference. After the tares appeared, the servants suggested that it would be good to remove them. However, we may well consider that if one had failed to be vigilant to prevent the enemy from sowing the tares, would he be better at removing them from the wheat? No, there was the danger of damaging the wheat while uprooting the tares. The Lord knew this, and history confirms that men are not good at distinguishing the real from the false. The servants were told to let both grow together until the harvest. The Lord had a good purpose in allowing the tares to grow with the wheat. It is indicated in the parable of the treasure hid in the field. God has a treasure hidden in this world — the children of the kingdom. Since Christ was rejected and cast out of the world, He could not have His kingdom on earth. So, God chose to take for Himself a people from earth to heaven. His treasure is the children of the kingdom; they are hidden in the world, though in plain sight. The tares disguise the wheat. When the kingdom is complete at the end of the age, He will take His treasure to heaven. The children of the kingdom have a heavenly portion of reigning with Christ over the earth. The people of this world do not realize what is happening.
The Separation Process
In this parable we have portrayed an interesting series of closing events. At the time of harvest, the first event to take place is the reapers gathering the tares in bundles in the field. “The field is the world.” The bundles of tares are left in the field for burning at a later date. The Lord uses angels to do this work. “The reapers are the angels.” Then the wheat is gathered into the barn. “The good seed are the children of the kingdom.” After the wheat is gathered into the barn, the tares are burned. “The tares are the children of the wicked one.” And lastly, “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” The Father’s house is the destiny of those who are part of the heavenly kingdom.
The Binding of Bundles
“The reapers are the angels.” It appears to me that we are close enough to the Lord’s coming to see that the reapers are beginning to gather the tares into bundles within the sphere of Christian profession. In recent years, under the banner of Christianity, many new so-called Christian organizations are attracting people into false cults, organizations of worldly worship, lying miracles, and other ideologies which have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:55Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:5)). By human contrivance, these groups attract people into following their cause, rather than Christ’s cause. It may be possible for real believers to be connected with these cults, but if they are, they will be removed from them when the Lord comes. Let all real believers beware of joining such groups. These groups are the bundles which will be left in the world after the Lord takes His own home.
The Wheat
In the Scriptures wheat is always connected with heavenly things. The Lord spoke of Himself as the corn [grain] of wheat which must fall into the ground and die in order to have a people in heaven with Himself. The wheat harvest of this parable develops this theme. The wheat is gathered into the barn. At the rapture, the Lord will take His people to heaven, even as He prayed for all those who would believe on Him through the word of the disciples in John 17:2020Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (John 17:20). Then in verse 24, He added this request: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which thou hast given Me.” And in John 14:2-32In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2‑3) He said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions. ... I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Further details of the Lord’s coming are revealed to us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17) and 1 Corinthians 15.
The Burning of the Tares
After the wheat is gathered into the barn, which is the heavenly part of the kingdom, the Lord as Son of Man will send His angels to burn the tares. They are the false professors of Christianity who will still be on earth after the Lord comes. They, being still on earth, will be “gathered out of His kingdom” as offensive; any claim they have to be a part of His earthly kingdom will not stand. This is why it is so important to distinguish the heavenly calling of the church. Those who seek for a kingdom on earth with the Lord are liable to fall into the snare of the bundles of tares. Since the privilege of entering into heavenly things is so great, the judgment for the abuse of it is also severe. “There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Feast of Weeks
Returning for a moment to the feast of weeks (Pentecost) when all Israel went up to Jerusalem for the celebration of the grain harvest, we see a common imagery with the grain harvest of the parable of the wheat and tares. During the seven-week period the grain was gathered in. Then at the feast of weeks (Pentecost) all went up to Jerusalem before the Lord for a celebration. The celebration was to wave two loaves baked with leaven before the Lord Jehovah. These two loaves represent the heavenly saints presented before God. The loaves, along with the accompanying offerings for sin and sweet savor sacrifices, are presented before God. Though they have leaven in them, the accompanying sacrifices make them acceptable to Him. This is also a picture of what will happen at the rapture when the dead in Christ and living believers are presented to the Lord, as 1 Corinthians 15:2323But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (1 Corinthians 15:23) states: “Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” At that time they will be taken up into heaven, to be perfectly like Christ. The rapture of the living and dead was not revealed until Christ had ascended as Man into heaven, but here we see them being presented to the Lord. A comment comes to mind regarding what we have presented in this picture. It goes like this: “God found such delight in His Son Jesus Christ that He wanted many more just like Him.” The two loaves of Pentecost waved before the Lord are the result of the corn of wheat falling into the ground. Christ has His people in heaven with Himself. What a day that will be!
The Righteous Shine
The explanation of the parable of wheat and tares ends with the expression, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:4343Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:43)). The saints in heaven will rejoice in relationship with their Father. These are the ones who entered into the kingdom of heaven while on earth, but now they are in heaven, so the terminology is changed. It is no longer called the “kingdom of heaven”; it is called “the kingdom of their Father.” They are with Christ in the Father’s house shining as the sun — witnesses of His glory. May the Lord encourage us to continue on faithful to Him until that moment when we are with Him at His coming!
D. C. Buchanan