Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's-The Wheat And The Tares

Bible Lessons: Parable “The Wheat And The Tares.”

Matthew 13:24-30 KJV
[24] Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
[25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
[26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
[27] 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?
[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
[29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
[30] 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.

Christ's explanation:

Matthew 13:36-43 KJV
[36] 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.
[37] He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
[38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
[39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world*; and the reapers are the angels.
[40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
[41] 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;
[42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
[43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

* World: Greek-Aion (Ahee-ohn): Age.

The enemy, is Satan, the devil (sower of the tares.)

Ephesians 6:11 KJV
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles* of the devil.

*Wiles-Greek-Methodeia (Meth-od-i-ah):Trickery, to lie in wait.

The sower is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The good seed, are the children of the kingdom
The tares, are the children of the wicked one, His enemy.
The field is the world.
The harvest is the end of the world.
The reapers, are the angels.
The fire, is the everlasting, lake of fire.

Some one might remark, I thought according to I Thessalonians 4:15-18, the church was to be removed first!
This is true for the end of the age of “Grace,” but this parable is not about the age of grace, but about the “Kingdom age.”
The Kingdom age, is that group that exists from the rapture of the church to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His Bride, the church.

When this time ends, with Armageddon, Christ returns and judges the nations, separating between the sheep and the goats. The tares are gathered out first.

Matthew 25:31-46 KJV
[31] When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:
[32] And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
[33] And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
[34] Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in:
[36] Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.
[37] Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
[38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
[39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
[40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.
[41] Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
[42] For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink:
[43] I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not.
[44] Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
[45] Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.
[46] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew 13:28-30 KJV
[28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
[29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
[30] 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.

Some may say, this is reason for letting evil, exist side by side with believers.
NEVER!

First again, to repeat, this is not concerning the age of grace, but the Kingdom age.
But no matter for the answer is the same!

Satan's work and ambition from the very beginning has been to thwart, that is, to hinder or to obstruct, the work or plans of God.
That he is alive and well, trying his best to send the world to hell, while trying his best to corrupt the very house of God, should come as no surprise!
After the church is gone, the children of the kingdom, during the time of the Anti-Christ, will more than ever beset by Satan, and his evil tares.

What is the answer for the people of God in any age?

The Apostle Paul's answer would be, …
I Corinthians 5:13 KJV
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

I Corinthians 10:21 KJV
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

II Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV
[14] Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
[15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
[16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
[17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
[18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Ephesians 5:1-14 NLT
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.
2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.
5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey Him.
7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.
8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.
12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.
13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,
14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

II Thessalonians 3:6 KJV
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

I John 1:6 KJV
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

Isaiah 52:11 KJV
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

Will the church, will the Kingdom age, ever be free from evil, only after the Lord Jesus Christ comes and burns the tares in the furnace of fire.
That we should do our best, through the power of the Spirit of the Living God, is our mandate, and may every one that names the name of Christ be faithful to that calling.

Revelation 2:10 KJV
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.