Promise of Eternity IV

Biblical Guy Bible Study, Revelation, Second Coming, Uncategorized , , , , , , , ,

Resurrection-of-the-Dead

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Revelation 21:4

John 14:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 21:1-4

The resurrection of the dead leads to a new life, our life after death that Jesus is able to provide by His death and resurrection.  This is also about what is to come, the Second Coming and the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus, our Rescuer, and Redeemer; He took on our human nature, but without our sinfulness, and remained pure to pay the debt for our sins (Rom. 1:4; Heb. 1:1-4; 2: 7, 14-15).

Let’s look at some keywords:

“Wipe every tear….” This means we have victory in Christ and that God is true to his promises!  This is also a contrast of those who made oaths to the beast and/or are disloyal to God (Psalm 23:6; 49:14; Is. 25:8; 35:10; 51:11; 1 Cor. 15:54; 2 Cor. 1:20; Rev. 3:14; 7:17).

“No more death/swallow up death,” meaning we receive the promised, eternal inheritance (John 11:25; 1 Thess. 4:13; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 9:13-17).

“Everything new,” means God is the Creator; He will complete His purpose-He will work it out.  God intervenes in history and in our lives.  He will judge, as He demonstrated with the Flood (Gen 6-8; Isa. 4:5; 43:18-19; 57:19; Rom. 8:18-23; Heb. 8:13; 2 Pet 3:7-13).

“Alpha and the Omega,” means God is eternal and rules over all places and time. This refers to the majestic, Messianic journey and work of Christ. He is omnipotent, or “all-powerful.” “Alpha and Omega,” also refers to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and embodies His Sovereignty.  Christ is all in all; He is LORD of all that is past, present, and that which is to come!  His will and purpose will come true, and ours will not; so, to grow, we must surrender to Him (Isa. 41:4; 44:6; John 19:20; Rom. 8:18-25; Gal. 2:20-21; Col. 1:17; Rev. 1:8; 22:12-16).

“Give to drink… water of life,” gives us an image and a promise of comfort, and provides the remedy to the greatest fear of loss to a desert dweller (Psalm 36:9; Is. 35:1-2; 55:1; Ezek. 47:1-12; John 4:10-14; 7:37).

He who overcomes means our perseverance of faith in Christ and the promises of our Lord.

“Be my son,” refers to our inheritance, the blessings we have in Christ, and His love and pursuit of us, for He does seek us (Rom. 8:15-17)!

We are a part of His Covenant and thus, He will give us not only a hope, but also a future. Our Christian lives, even in persecution and trials, are of great worth and meaning. Those who are His are called to be faithful and loyal to Him, and Him alone.  We overcome the ways of the world when we look to Christ and not to our desires or situations (Zech. 8:12; Mark 13:13; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; Jubilees).

Jesus lived, died, and rose again for you and me!  All we are to do is trust and obey Him, and as we continue in this endeavor, He gives us even more empowerment for enduring life and performing ministry along with His special favor and peace!  Even if we do not see Jesus, He sees us, loves us, and helps us persevere.  This may seem unattainable or even unfathomable when we are under stress or the hostile occupation of life.  However, we can do this because we have access to His empowerment; we are literally kept by God through faith.  As we grow in our faith, we become even more precious to God and He will preserve us through trials and life.

September 23, 2017

Biblical Guy False Teachers, Rapture, tribulation, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

 

What is this all about? There are a vast amount of Facebook and social media posts as well as videos on YouTube claiming that there will be a sign of Virgo or something to that effect on September 23, 2017, that will either usher in the Tribulation or Christ’s return or a great monkey battle. Many say that on that on that day, there will be the fulfillment of Revelation 12, and that it means the Rapture will occur. First off, there are three main problems. One is Astrology! The second, is the premise of Leo having nine stars is false, along with the statement that the addition of the three planets brings the stars in Leo to 12, is also false. And, this occurrence is not even rare and has happened many times in the last 7,000 years. No one consulted with an actual astronomer.  The third, they have not read Rev. 12… This is the typical hype of a false teacher, no facts and playing on people’s emotions who are not willing to fact check!

Many Christians today prefer to take the word from false teachers who are tantalizing and provocative and not from God’s Word!

They feel they have special knowledge from God and thus do not read or study the Bible. Instead, they listen to fools who point to themselves, pseudo Bible teaching and not to our LORD or the true Truth of His Word. This creates the havoc of emotional driven immature Christians with false knowledge that leads to a weak do-nothing faith and division in His Church.

Before coming to Christ fully, I was captivated in a false teaching myself and seen the destruction it is having with young and immature believers. This was the “Jupiter Effect” on March 10, 1982. That a rare event will correspond with Christ’s return. The same thing is happening now.

Astrology? Really? “All the counsel you have received has only worn you out. Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the flame… Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you.” Isaiah 47:13-15

See more here: Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19; 47:13-14; Daniel 2:27; 4:7, 19

  • Revelation 12? This passage is written in the style of a Greek play depicting the mythology of the Greek gods such as the struggle of Leto giving birth to Apollo and Python and the Egyptian account of their gods Isis and Typhon as she gave birth to Horus.  John is using Jewish apocalyptic language. Understanding the literature and metaphors-what the First Century Jew saw-gives us a richer meaning of what the text (God) is seeking to communicate with us today. John uses this captivating style to show the struggle as God gives birth to Israel, Israel gives birth to Jesus, while Jesus is being opposed by Satan.

“Sign,” usually means something seen in the sky, or an astronomical event. Here, it is an illustration, conveying an event that is unexpected and astonishing. As with most symbols and metaphors in Scripture, it is an expression with the intention of pointing to something beyond it (Luke 21:11, 25; Acts 2:19).

These images deal with spiritual warfare, the conflict of good and evil, of light and dark, rooted in history and with ramifications for the future. These passages also deal with symbolism that is deeply rooted in Judaism as well as the plan and work of our Lord and the heralding of His Second Coming. The application is our being and remaining faithful to our Lord and continuing our witness and maintaining character in the midst of persecutions. We are also called to bear Fruit in and with His light as His witnesses against the dark forces, to a corrupt and conflict- ridden world with all its trappings of contradictions and confusion (Eph. 6:10-20). 

All this false date setting makes Christians look stupid. It’s embarrassing…

It all comes down to Christian maturity and are we really in the Word and building our faith. To answer this, seek this question: Are you chasing your desires or our Lord? The answer to this question will determine what direction in life you go as well as if, when, and how sin will entice you to fall! Sin is coming; we can either draw near to God to stay clear, or draw near to sin and thus away from God and His best for us. The great news is that Christ gives us the ability to stand firm in Him. The key is, we need to want to! Peter’s people were being slandered and taken advantage of, and they were becoming disillusioned. Peter’s call was to stand firm in faith and not worry what others do as long as we look to Christ wholeheartedly (1 Pet. 2:12,15, 23; 3:9, 16; 4:4,14; 4 1-11).

Thus, the best defense is the offense of righteousness and demonstrating the good life in Christ!

WILL THE TEMPLE BE REBUILT?

Biblical Guy Second Coming, Uncategorized , ,

(A Jewish perspective) In Jewish Culture and History by Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, May 8, 2017

temple b
The prospect of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem continues to captivate the hearts and minds of millions of Christians around the world. When will it be rebuilt? Will there still be animal sacrifices? What would happen next? How will it work with the sacrifice already offered on the Cross? Those are just some of the questions that sincere Christians are asking.

Whatever we think about the possibility of such a building project, we must remember that the New Testament, while confirming its great respect for God’s Temple in Jerusalem, posits that the Jewish Christ and those in Him are the ultimate Temple of God (1 Pet. 2:5). 

Jesus’ incarnation, described in terms of God “tabernacling among us”, is one of the clearest examples of this connection in John’s gospel (John 1:14). The clearest connection with the eschatological Temple described by Ezekiel, however, can be found in the words of Jesus uttered during the priestly watering-pouring ceremony during the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus declared: “He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) The Scripture to which Jesus is undoubtedly referring describes the river that makes the desert green and all dead things alive again. That river flows directly from the belly of the Temple that Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 47:1-9).

So, will the Temple be rebuilt? Perhaps, but we must always remember that the ultimate Temple is located in the person of Jewish Christ and in the lives of his Jewish and Gentile followers.

https://israelstudycenter.com/will-temple-rebuilt/

Does John 14:1-4 Teach a Rapture?

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raptured“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

What is going on? Basically, Jesus is facing betrayal. He turns to His Disciples to comfort them and says; do not be afraid or troubled! Trust in God; trust in Me. He then gives them a picture of hope by showing them a glimpse of what Heaven will be like. In Heaven, there will be many rooms in My Father’s Home, one made up especially for each of you! I will prepare it personally and at the right time, I will come and get you and you will always be with Me. You will know all about it and how to get there.

In so doing Jesus uses the word, Take you, as the NIV and many translations state. So, this may seem like some kind of snatching. Or is it? However, look to the context.  The KJV uses, receive you unto myself.

So, does take you mean a rapture? No. This means that Jesus is our only way, the gate and stairway to Heaven; there is no other way to God except through Him. Remember context denotes meaning. This is about the resurrection of the dead leads to a new life, our life after death that Jesus is able to provide by His death and resurrection. This can also refer to the Second Coming or the new age of the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. But, moreover, this is about Jesus as our Rescuer and Redeemer; He took on our human nature, but without our sinfulness, and remained pure to pay the debt for our sins. In the process, His human nature voluntarily became lower than the angels, but as Fully God, He is superior to them, in essence, power, purpose, and distinction (Rom. 1:4; Heb. 1:1-4; 2: 7, 14-15).

Jesus is preparing for us, those He chooses, an eternal home; Heaven. This is not just a residence; rather proof that God will completely and thoroughly accomplish and achieve His purpose throughout the universe. He will bring all things to fruition. He brings peace and a future to those in Him. Thus, God will achieve His purpose; we will inherit His wonders and blessings and we will have no ties to the old nature of sin and evil. Jesus is not just preparing a place for us in Heaven; He is preparing us in our journey of faith in the here and now too (Isa. 42:9; 48:6; 51:15-16; 65:17-25; 66:22; 1 Cor. 15:35-57; Rev. 7:9; 21:1-8)!

To further this point, look at another key word, Trust / believe in God.

This is a call to a personal relationship-unity with conviction with Christ, and it is a command to step up in faith, our response to the call of God to trust in Him through times of danger and fear. This is a depiction of a righteous person’s proper dependence upon Jesus as He is exemplified. He is our Sanctuary; He is the Eternal God on whom we can rely and not only give our life to, but also live our life for (2 Sam. 2:3; Isa. 8:17; 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Isa. 8:14-18; 28:16; John 13:36; Heb. 2:13)

This passage has been greatly abused by many so-called pastors who read it out of context and inserted their own feelings as truth. This is not a guarantee or a give to get scheme or a rapture. Rather, this is an invitation to radical faith. We often get more than we want and have more than we need and do better in His will than ours. We are limited in thinking and power and He is not. He is saying we can trust in Him totally and completely with all we have now and for our future. Because, He is not just preparing a place for us in eternity, He is preparing us for eternity too!

What we go through is not just about sin in an unfair world, it is the building up of faith and being that display a beacon to a dimly lit world that needs His Light.

 

Promise of Eternity III

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Promise of Eternity

 

 

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3

John 14:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 21:1-4

 

 

A Jewish allegory is employed, “No longer any sea.” This is about how evil and oppressive things will be replaced with what is good.  The word sea is a Jewish metaphor for what is frightful and terrible, and what is inexplicable and/or hostile as the sea was greatly feared by them. The sea is where the monsters lived; people did not live anywhere near it, nor did they have a navy. This saved them from numerous deadly tsunamis over the centuries. Such imagery is used for invading armies and the occupation of the Romans. This does not necessarily mean the seas will evaporate or be removed, but the fear of it as “sea” meant evil.

Here, God is saying He will neuter evil’s power or remove it all together. This can also refer to how God will (has already done) neuter Rome, its power, and its influence (Job 7:12; 41:1; Psalms 74:13; 89:9-10; Is. 27:1; 65:17; Rev. 13:1-10).

God dwells with His people!  He is the God Who is now and Who is to come.

We are shown His perfection, holiness, and purity. God is the One who restores, converts, and brings salvation and hope. This also means righteousness, rightfulness, and renewal.  Christ is coming again and all will consummate His will and purpose.  Justice and His Kingdom will be fulfilled, and every knee will bow (Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10; Rev. 21:1-22:5; Tobit; Jubilees; 4 Ezra)!

This is our great comfort, God seeks us; He wants to be with us, He is our refuge; He is the One to whom we look for leadership (Psalm 23; 80:1; 121:5-6; Isa. 4:5-6; 49:10; Micah 7:14; John 10:11-18; Heb. 3:1; 13:20; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 4:6-7).

Jesus is our only way, the gate, and stairway to Heaven; there is no other way to God except through Him.

Now, the epic three-word phrase that gives us what to look forward to: Prepare a place.  Jesus is preparing for us, those He chooses, an eternal home; Heaven.  He brings peace and a future to those in Him. God will achieve His purpose; we will inherit His wonders and blessings and we will have no ties to the old nature of sin and evil.  Jesus is not just preparing a place for us in Heaven; He is preparing us in our journey of faith in the here-and-now, too (Isa. 42:9; 48:6; 51:15-16; 65:17-25; 66:22; 1 Cor. 15:35-57; Rev. 7:9; 21:1-8)!

Know that Christ is our Real and true hope! For our lives now and what is to come in eternity!

In application, a real Christian and an effective church leadership always point people to Christ as Lord and operate in the Fruit of the Spirit. Thus, our character will show calmness, personal care, tenderness, and the Love of Christ in meeting the needs of others–never out of arrogance or manipulation. That also means not to manipulate ends times teaching, that points to a personality and not The Person of Christ!  We are to be more than just a personality; as we are from the work of the Holy Spirit within us (Prov. 15:1; Isa. 40:11; 42:2-3; Phil. 4: 5; Matt. 5:5; 11:29; 12:15; Eph. 4:1-2; Col. 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:24; 1 Thessalonians 2:7).

When we operate in real faith and the parameters of the Fruit of His Spirit and Word, we will get End Times more properly, and our church will prosper.  Pastors and church leaders are being good ministers when we realize we are still human and fallen, and face our own sins and temptations that would cloud us from being true representatives of Christ.  When we are good ministers of the God, we point others to Him by our actions and deeds.

Promise of Eternity II

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revelation-21

 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”  Revelation 21:2

The goal in our Christian life is to be apart from sin-not to allow ourselves to be influenced to compromise our faith and life in Christ.

When we choose to mix or add in evil and try to rationalize evil away, we become the evil people Revelation talks about and the fools that the Proverbs talk about.  We must be above reproach and open to inspection when we claim Christ as Lord.  Our faith matters, because what we do and say does indeed echo into and throughout eternity.  Our spiritual growth affects our moral success and failures (2 Cor. 5:10).  We will give an account and Christ our Lord will wipe away our tears!

Take a careful read of Revelation 21 without any preconceived notions, take in God’s marvelous Word.

New Jerusalem means God comes to us.  Jerusalem refers to the city where God reigns and where He is among His people. It represents the holiness and eminence, as Jerusalem is a place of gathering, community, and worship in Jewish culture and faith.  It was also a place for Israel to be a blessing and evangelist to the world. Where the world came to Israel to see a magnificent Temple and then they would hear about a One True God who takes cares for His people. Their gods they worshiped were petty, conniving, hateful and had no care. So, all people groups of the earth would send their tradesmen, diplomats, war, spies, and travelers too, though the hub, where The Temple sat, of the world’s trade routes.

For Now, this is reversed, as Christ in us, we go to the world. Then, we may have a further fulfillment at Christ’s return.

The contrast is, then, in the Old Jerusalem, where they journeyed to meet Him.  Now, the New Jerusalem is God who journeys to meet them. In ancient Judaism, this theme also meant “hope.” It is also a position and representation of the people of God, “His people,” as a bride of God. Here, it is pointing to Christ as Messiah and our hope. Christ and His Kingdom are the New Jerusalem.  Faithfulness is the key that opens to us the door to life in the New Jerusalem (Gen. 12:1-3; Neh. 11:1-18; Psalm 87:5-6; Is. 48:2; 52:1; 54:11-12; 62:12; 65:17-18; John 1:14; 13:34; 16:33; Gal. 4:26; Phil. 1; Heb. 11-10; 12:22; 1 John 4:20; 5:4-5; Rev. 2:11, 17, 26; 3:5-13, 12, 21; 19:7; 21:1-22:5).

This is further set in by this key word, Bride.  This is an identification of His people and an image of our Redeemer’s intimacy and the community between God and His children (Eph. 5:31-32; Rev. 19:7).

The key word, Throne… dwelling of God, means, “God is among us!” It refers to the Tabernacle-how God resides among His people, and the theme of “Immanuel.”   Tabernacle and Sanctuary are images of the Old Testament Tabernacle tent that was God’s heavenly dwelling. As a throne, this refers to the inner sanctum of God’s most holy of holies where the Ark, with the two tablets of the Testimony Moses brought from Mount Sinai dwelt.  This represented God’s home on earth as a “copy” of God’s Throne Room, made for His presence in the inner chamber of Jewish Temples and the Tabernacle, a tent used before the Temple was built by Solomon.  Now, John sees the real heavenly version has been brought down to us. This is very significant in Christian redemption (Ex. 24:9-11; 25:8-9, 40; 29:45; 32:15; 37: 24-28; 43:7-10; Lev. 26:11-12; Deut 10:5; 1 Kings 6:12-13; 22:19; Is. 8:8-10; 51:16; Ezek. 37: 24-28; Zech. 2:11; Dan. 7:9-10; Matt. 1:22-23; 13:38; John 8:42-45; 2 Cor. 6:16; Heb. 8:1-6; 9:1-14; Rev. 3:12; 4:1; 7:15; 11:19; 14:15-17; 15:5-16:1, 16:17; 21:22).

Jesus tells us in John 14:1-4 that we have an Eternity waiting for us! 

Father’s house, means Heaven where God’s presence dwells with us, as opposed to Hell where God’s presence is absent. This is our ultimate future hope and residence, our future reward and our current motivation to pursue righteousness.  Classically, in Judaism, this meant the Temple, God’s dwelling on earth, where God dwelt amongst His people. Here, this refers to our heavenly dwelling place that God prepares for us that no mere human words could ever describe (Ezek. 43:7-9; 44:9-16; 48:11, 35; Luke 16:9; John 8:35; 14:28; Acts 1:10-11; Rom. 5:2; 1 Cor. 15:16-19; Heb. 7:25; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; 1 John 2:1).

 

Promise of Eternity PI

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eternity b

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” Revelation 21:1

John 14:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 21:1-4

What to expect? Total renovation!  God will be making all things new, and we have hope beyond wonder as a new heaven and a new earth will be formed.  We can take comfort that God will remove evil from humanity, separating out the good. The old earth and heaven will be restored prior to sin; even fear will be gone.  In Revelation, everyone is celebrating, shouting that the presence of God is now among us all, as God Himself now lives with us and within us for eternity.

Then, the greatest comfort is given; God wipes away all of our sorrows and fears so there is no more death, suffering, or pain as evil is wiped away for good.

God’s Word is true and trustworthy.  He reveals one of His names, the first and last, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.  He promises refreshment to quench the thirst of all who are victorious in Christ, who will inherit everlasting life.  Christ gives us springs of water without charging us what is owed, and thus, His grace continues.  But, God will also keep His promise of judgment; all those who are evil will be removed from those who are good, and all those evil people will be sent to hell for all eternity.

New, in context, means “rejuvenated.”  God is changing the “old order of things,” but that does not necessarily mean He is replacing it.  As Paul states, we are being reconditioned in Christ by our “new” covenant of grace, as the “old” is passed away (Gen 3:17; Is. 51:15-16; 65:17; 66:22; Rom. 8:18-23; 2 Cor. 5:17).

New heaven and a new earth. This theme comes from Isaiah 65, teaching that God will completely and thoroughly accomplish and achieve His purpose throughout the universe.  As Christians, we will be “transfigured” so we will have no ties to the old nature of sin and evil.  An “extreme makeover” where the entire creation is restored to its original parameters-before sin corrupted everything-and we receive our new bodies (Gen. 1:1; Is. 42:9; 48:6; 51:15-16; 65:17-25; 66:22; 1 Cor. 15:35-57).

This IS God the Creator, Redeemer, and Consummator communing with us and making a total transformation and renovation of His creation!

He will bring all things to fruition. He will bring peace and a future to those in Christ!  As magnificent as this is, it is only the backdrop of what will be going on; the far more spectacular “center stage” is that God IS among us.  He is our Lord, Protector, and Sustainer.  He will remove the evil; so those who are in Him will never hear, “depart from me.” Rather, we will hear “come to me and I will give you rest.” He has saved us, but here is how He continues to save us as His grace is continually at work, involved, and shepherding us now and for eternity. He promises us all things new, and for those who reject Him, all things of judgment.  In the meantime, we have Christ in us now, empowering us-a preview, and a real, effectual presence and hope for us now. This is to inspire us for faith, reliability, and steadfastness in our Christian life (Ex. 33:14; Matt. 7:23; 11:28-30; 25:41; John 5:22).

Our lives here on earth, whether joyful or in suffering, is not the end of the story!  God will achieve His purpose; we will inherit His wonders and blessings!

Christ will “wipe away every tear.” This must resound in us not just for our personal hope and comfort, but also to enable us to trust in Christ for all things and situations.  Those in Christ are His and His for all time; there is no fear or dread when we are with our Lord King.  He IS the Alpha and Omega.  He will bring all things new to those who know and love Him, and judgment to those who fight Him. We can be encouraged, as we have hope, reason, and purpose, to be faithful because of our confidence in Him, producing active faith that glorifies Christ and builds His kingdom (Eph 1:14; Heb. 12: 18-29)!

 

 

 

 

The Parable of the Leaven, the Tares and the Rapture PII

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Parable Leaven TaresMatthew 13: 24-43

How would you explain the key words of Wheat, Good seed, enemy and Tares? What is in your life right now that these words could represent?

Look at some key words for us to wrap our heads upon:

“Leaven” is yeast and would be mixed in the flour and water and baked to make bread that is fluffy, more palatable and easier to eat. Or you would lust have a large flat, dry cracker. As with cities today baking was a profession and you obtain your bread from the local bakery or family co-op., Because, ovens were expensed to build and the practicality of laboring in the field in which women did too, and making bread which is an all-day event of gathering, milling, kneading, and baking would be most difficult. But some people pooled their resources and had a community oven and took turns making and proving bread for their community.

Leaven is also a symbol for evil as a little evil can do a lot of damage!

Point? It only takes a very small piece of yeast for a large amount of flour. Just like faith!

“Three measures” of flour is about a bushel and would make enough bread for over one hundred people.

What is Jesus doing? He quotes from Psalm 78:2.  He shows His concern for the entire world not just Israel.

Parables disclose and close. Sometimes their meaning is not apparent or literal and takes prayer understanding and thought. They also reveal the truth to those who listen and conceal truth from those who refuse to hear. We have to be open and available for His Word to impact us (Psalm 72:1-6). (For more info read the last study on Parables from Matthew 13:1-23)

“Explain to us,” Jesus was teaching farmers and most of His disciples were fisherman, perhaps they did not understand the metaphors, maybe they were not listening, perhaps their hearts and minds were closed off.

There are times people will not care or listen to us or God. We are still responsible to proceed with maturity, tact and love to proclaim His Word. We are not responsible how people take it or treat us, we are only responsible to trust and obey. Even when you feel like a failure, He is still there loving us and our efforts are never a waist when we are in Him! He is in control His timing is sovereign.

“Harvest,” is a symbol for the End Times (Ezra. 4:30-32; Isa. 32:13-15; Jer. 31:27-28; Hos. 2:21-23; 6:1).

Point? God supplies the seed, we cast them, and He germinates them. Sometime later a seed you sowed may germinate, you never know!

“Gather out” / “weed out” refers to Christ’s divine authority over the final judgment when all those who refused to accept His grace will be cast off into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).

“Weeds” are the reprobates (Rom. 1) Who refused Christ and took themselves or Satan as their lead.

The “wheat” is His chosen people who by faith accepted Him and He was their leader.

“Shine,” all of our efforts even though sometimes we cannot see them will shine forth in eternity, so have faith and confidence in His Kingdom!

“Furnace,” is Hell (Mark 9:43-48; Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:10-15) which is the final place for all those who rejected God. It is the final condemnation and judgment. God does not sentence people there, we send ourselves there (Eze. 33:11; John 3:18-21; Rom. 1:18-32; 2:8; 2 Thess. 2:9-11)!

God is willing and able to save us from Hell, but are we willing to accept His love and free gift, strange as it may be most people refuse (Matt. 5:29-30)!

So, what is the sequence? Who is gathered up first? The faithful Christians? NO!

So, if there is a rapture, and now I think you should hope not, who is taken? Also read Matthew 24 too. The “Weeds” who are pulled and burnt! Evil people who are not redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb!  Those who are wicked.  Those who refused Christ. Look carefully in order of the sequencing, as many have overlooked this to make their dogmatic point.  First, weeds, the enemy are gathered up and thrown into the furnace of fire, Hell. That also means people who teach false doctrines, perhaps that is why this passage is omitted. Then the Harvest of the wheat, meaning the mustard faith folks, those who are the children of the Kingdom of God, are gathered into the barn.

Outline out a plan to put into practice some of the precepts of these parables,

  1. A willingness to listen.
  1. The ability to practice real authentic faith.
  1. Be willing to trust Him regardless of your circumstances.
  1. Practice surrendered obedience.

Which is far more important that a theory that is wrong….