Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G066 Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven:
The Tares – The Mustard Seed – The Seed – The Yeast
Matthew 13:24-43; Mark 4:26-34; Luke 13:18-21
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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version.
Matthew 13:24-43
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.
31 Another 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:
32 Which 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.
33 Another 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.
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 That 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.
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.
Mark 4:26-34
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
Luke 13:18-21
18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
In this lesson, we will study together the parables of the tares, the mustard seed, the growth of the seed, and the expanding power of the yeast. These are all parables about the Kingdom of Heaven that the Lord Jesus taught, immediately after He taught the parable of the sower. The time and place where the Lord Jesus taught these parables were still in the afternoon of a Sabbath day, by the Sea of Galilee, near the town of Capernaum.
We think that Luke may have recorded the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast being taught by the Lord Jesus at a different time and place. This teaching was not at the same time and place as recorded by Matthew and Mark. It was common for the Lord Jesus to repeat His teachings at various times and locations throughout His ministry.
Matthew 13:24-25
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.
The Lord Jesus continued using another parable related to sowing seeds to teach a different truth about the Kingdom of Heaven. He used the image of a landowner who sowed good seed in his field. The good seed would produce a crop for the landowner. However, at night, while everyone was sleeping, the landowner’s enemy came and secretly sowed tares among the wheat.
The tares (G2215) are a type of grass that closely resembles wheat, making it very difficult to distinguish between the two. However, when it produces seeds, its seeds are black. The seeds of the tares contain toxins that can be fatal if ingested.
The enemy’s goal was to damage the field’s yield because the tares would overtake the wheat and make it difficult for the landowner to harvest the wheat. This would require extra time and effort to gather the tares.
Matthew 13:26-27
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?
Only when the tares produce seeds can people clearly see the difference between the wheat and the tares. Only then can they see that the field is mixed with many tares. The landowner’s servants came and reported the situation to the owner, expressing their concerns. They asked, “Where did the tares in the field come from?”
Matthew 13:28-30
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.
When the landowner heard the servants’ report, he immediately understood the situation and told them that an enemy had done this. When the servants asked the landowner if he wanted them to go out and gather the tares, he replied that they should not do so. The reason was obvious: at that time, the roots of the tares and the roots of the wheat were intertwined. If the tares were pulled up, the wheat around them would also be uprooted. The best approach was to let the tares and the wheat grow together until the harvest. At that time, the harvesters would first gather the tares, tie them into bundles, and burn them. Then they would gather the wheat and bring it into the barn.
Mark 4:26-29
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
The parable about the growth of the seed is recorded only by Mark. The Lord Jesus spoke of a person who, after sowing seeds, entrusted the sown seeds to the laws of nature to illustrate the natural development of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The sower goes out and sows seeds into the ground, which we understand to be wheat seeds. Days and nights pass, and the sower goes about his daily activities without doing anything further for the seeds. The seeds sprout and grow on their own, even though the sower does not know how they develop. This is because God has ordained that every seed from the ground be nourished by the soil, grow, and yield fruit according to its kind (Genesis 1:11-12). When the grains are ripe, the sower simply uses the sickle to harvest the crop.
The sower represents those who preach the Word of God. The seeds represent the Word of God. The soil represents those who receive the Word of God.
The sower “should sleep, and rises night and day” symbolizes the preachers of the Word of God going about their normal activities after preaching the Word of God.
“The seed should spring and grow up” symbolizes the Word of God growing in the hearts of those who receive it, sanctifying and renewing them.
“He knoweth not how” symbolizes that the preachers do not understand how the Word of God develops within those who receive it.
“For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself” symbolizes the hearts of those who joyfully receive and keep the Word of God, resulting in spiritual fruit in their lives.
“First the blade, then the ear” symbolizes faith becoming a pillar in the lives of those who live according to the Word of God, leading to the growth of good qualities in them, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
“After that the full corn in the ear” symbolizes the good qualities maturing into good works in the lives of God’s people.
“But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” symbolizes the preachers of the Word of God receiving the fruits of their labor on the day of Christ’s return when they have led many into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 13:31-32
31 Another 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:
32 Which 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.
Mark 4:30-32
30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
Luke 13:18-19
18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Next, the Lord Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate the power of the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The mustard seed
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The mustard plant
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“Which indeed is the least of all seeds” or “When it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth” does not mean it is the smallest seed of all seeds in the world. Rather, it is smaller than all the seeds that farmers sow in the ground.
Although the mustard seed is very small compared to other seeds, when it grows into a plant, the mustard plant is larger than all other garden plants. It can reach up to 7 meters in height, with branches spreading as wide as it is tall. The mustard plant grows very quickly. Within about six weeks after germination, its roots are firmly established in the ground, its branches and leaves have spread out, and it begins to flower and produce seeds. The leaves, fruits, and seeds of the mustard plant are used as food and herbal medicine.
Dear people of God, you can watch a video about the mustard seed and plant here: https://sourceflix.com/the-mustard-tree/.
We see that Matthew records it as “sowed in his field,” Mark as “sown in the earth,” and Luke as “cast into his garden.” Once again, we think that Matthew, an apostle who directly heard the Lord’s teachings, recorded the Lord’s words accurately, while Mark and Luke recorded them according to the storyteller’s account. The storytellers for Mark and Luke might have used different terms with the same essential meaning to recount the Lord’s words.
The stark contrast between the seed and the mature mustard plant symbolizes the very rapid and powerful growth of the Kingdom of Heaven. Since the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross, the Kingdom of Heaven has been established and has continued to grow for nearly two thousand years. Billions of people have professed faith in the Kingdom of Heaven, though in reality, not all live according to that faith. Tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions, have sacrificed their lives and the lives of their families for their faith in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The birds nesting in the branches of the mustard plant symbolize the people of God dwelling in the Kingdom of Heaven. Although in the parable of the sower, the birds symbolize the evil one, they can also represent the people of God. Because the birds are creatures of God, they are cared for by *God to the extent that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the will of God (Matthew 10:29). We see that the Bible uses the image of a lion to symbolize the Devil (1 Peter 5:8), but it also uses the image of a lion to symbolize Christ, calling Him the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5). In the parable of the mustard seed, the birds cannot be used to symbolize the devil, as the Kingdom of Heaven cannot be a dwelling place for the devil. When considering a parable, we need to understand what aspect of the Kingdom of Heaven the parable is addressing and then look at which details in the parable highlight that aspect. Here, the aspect of the Kingdom of Heaven being strong, powerful, and quickly established is emphasized. Therefore, the event of birds nesting in the mustard plant first and foremost highlights the greatness and strength of the mustard plant compared to other plants. It is a representative image of the greatness and strength of the Kingdom of Heaven compared to all human good philosophical and religious systems. Furthermore, the birds can also symbolize the people of God, finding joy and security in the protection of the Lord within the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Kingdom of Heaven has also left its mark on human culture. The Bible is the most printed and widely distributed book in the world. The total number of Bibles printed in the past 1,500 years, since the invention of the printing press, has reached around 5 to 7 billion copies. In the 21st century alone, an average of about 80 million Bibles are printed each year [1]. On average, there are 31,536,000 seconds in a year. So, every second, an average of 2.5 Bibles are printed. The Bible is also the most translated book. The complete Bible has been translated into 704 languages. The New Testament has been translated into 1,551 languages. Many parts of the Bible have been translated into 1,160 languages [2]. Nowadays, there are also many electronic versions of the Bible available online, stored, and used on computers and mobile phones.
According to various sources, including the Bible Gateway, one of the most popular online platforms, the following statistics are reported:
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Over 20 million people access their website each month.
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They have over 100 million page views per month.
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Their website is accessed from over 200 countries and territories.
YouVersion, a popular Bible app, has reported that it has millions of daily users. According to statistics from 2021, since the YouVersion app was launched in 2008, there have been over 400 million app installations on mobile phones.
According to a 2020 report from the American Bible Society, the average American spends about 10-15 minutes each day reading the Bible, which amounts to approximately 1 to 2 hours per week.
According to a report from the Barna Group, a research organization on Christianity, they found that:
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44% of American adults read the Bible at least once a week.
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22% read the Bible every day.
As for the thewordtoyou.net/bible/ website of the Vietnamese Church, which was launched on February 9, 2022, there have been over 166,000 visits so far.
Thanks be to God that He has also granted His Church among the Vietnamese people the ministry of reading and meditating on His Word together every day.
Matthew 13:33
33 Another 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.
Luke 13:20-21
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Next, the Lord Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to the leavening of dough when yeast is mixed in.
Although other places in the Bible use leaven to symbolize the spread of sin, such as in Matthew 16:6, 11; Luke 12:1; and 1 Corinthians 5:7, in this parable, the Lord Jesus used the characteristic of leaven causing the dough to change to speak of the powerful transformation of the Kingdom of Heaven in the lives of those who believe in Him.
“A woman” is the one responsible for cooking, baking, and managing the family’s food, symbolizing those who manage the Word of God, such as apostles, Gospel preachers, and those who teach the Word of God, caring for the spiritual lives of God’s people.
“Leaven” is the doctrine, the teachings of Christ, as opposed to the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which are false teachings, equivalent to the non-biblical doctrines of churches claiming to be of God today.
“Meal,” or dough, is the life of each of God’s people offered to the Lord.
“Three measures of meal” is the portion of dough sufficient to make extra bread for a large family, symbolizing the Kingdom of Heaven being abundant and complete with its citizens. We do not know the exact population of the Kingdom of Heaven, but surely it will be many and complete, according to the divine will of *God.
Mixing leaven into the dough is bringing the Word of God, the doctrine of Christ, into the lives of God’s people through teaching, so that they may grow in understanding of the Word of God, become strong in faith, and become useful to many.
The Word of God has the power to regenerate and sanctify, transforming for the better those who earnestly seek the *God and His salvation.
“This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” (Psalm 119:50).
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17).
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:22-23).
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18).
Every child of God has the duty to read, meditate on the Word of God day and night, and carefully obey it. That is the command of God, as written in Joshua 1:8. In fact, the lives of God’s people who are not faithful and diligent in meditating on the Word of God and digesting the Word of God every day to carefully obey it are always restless, prone to stumbling, and worse, gradually declining in faith. They are no different from malnourished individuals who eventually die of starvation amidst a storehouse of food. Because they refuse to eat the food prepared for them.
Matthew 13:34-35
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 That 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.
Mark 4:33-34
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
While studying the parable of the sower, we have understood that the purpose of the Lord Jesus’ preaching about the Kingdom of God in parables is solely for those who have a heart to seek *God and His Kingdom to understand and receive [3]. The Lord Jesus quoted words from Isaiah 6:9-10, which He Himself, in the person of the Divine Word, prophesied about the hardness of the hearts of the Israelites. Now, Matthew has quoted a prophecy from Asaph in the Psalms to demonstrate that the Lord Jesus is indeed the Christ, and He has fulfilled the prophecies. Matthew did not quote the exact words of the prophecy, but he conveyed its meaning. The original text of Psalm 78:2 is:
“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”
“The dark sayings” has the same meaning as “things which have been kept secret.”
“Of old” is synonymous with “from the foundation of the world.”
“The dark sayings of old” or “things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” are none other than the Kingdom of God, the Gospel of Salvation by *God, the Church, the end times, and the final judgment.
Matthew 13:36-39
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.
After teaching the parable of the yeast, the Lord Jesus sent the crowds away. Perhaps it was late in the afternoon, and people needed food and rest. The Lord Jesus then returned to His lodging, likely the house of Peter the Apostle. His disciples accompanied Him. Once inside, they approached Him, asking Him to explain the parable of the tares in the field.
The Lord Jesus explained to His disciples clearly:
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The good sower is the Lord Jesus, referred to as “the Son of Man.” This title was self-proclaimed by the Lord Jesus Himself to emphasize His human nature. The Lord Jesus is entirely a person born of humanity, according to the lineage of a human woman. But He is also the Son of *God because He was conceived by *God in the womb of the virgin Mary. Details about how the Word of God became flesh and belonged to the lineage of a woman are presented in our sermon, “The Word Became Flesh,” published on the website timhieuthanhkinh.com [4].
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The field is the world, meaning the physical world where human beings live. Some people have mistakenly thought that the field represents the Church.
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The good seed is the true children of God, anyone who sincerely repents of their sins, fully accepts the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and wholeheartedly lives according to the Word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ has, through the Church, sown the Living Word of God, proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation of *God for anyone with a heart seeking *God and His redemption. The true children of God have been continuously sown into the world for nearly two thousand years. They have grown and yielded abundantly, ready for the spiritual harvest at the beginning of the harvest season, on the day when Christ comes to take the Church out of the world, and for the spiritual harvest at the end of the season, at the end of the End Times, when Christ returns to earth.
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Tares are those who falsely claim to be disciples of the Lord. They do not sincerely believe in the Lord, but they may speak eloquently about Him. Most people in organizations bearing the name of the Lord are not true believers. They misuse the name of the Lord for their own gain. In worldly terms, they are “borrowing the Word to make a living.” Their lives, not following the Word of God, are spiritual fruits that help true believers discern them as tares. They are sown by the Devil into the world, both to draw many people away from the truth of the Word of God and to make the name of the Lord a subject of ridicule by the world and the Church to be doubted because of their hypocritical lives. They are children of the Evil One, that is, children of Satan (John 8:44).
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The Devil is the adversary of God and God’s people. Satan uses those who falsely claim to be God’s children to both deceive and lead many into heresy, while also persecuting the true children of God. In fact, Satan used the Roman Catholic Church to kill an estimated 50 to 150 million believers, burn Bibles, and kill those who kept them during nearly a thousand years of “the Dark Ages” (590 – 1517) [5], [6].
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The harvest season is the End Times, the time when *God punishes the whole world for seven years with disasters, plagues, famine, wars, and the persecution of evil spirits, along with the global government of the AntiChrist.
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The reapers are the angels who come down to earth with the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the End Times.
Matthew 13:40-43
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.
“All things that offend” refers to every violation of God’s law, every act that the Bible calls sin.
The Lord Jesus called those who falsely claimed to be His disciples “them which do iniquity”. Iniquity is violating the law. The law referred to here is the law of *God, including all the commandments and ordinances of the Triune God, as recorded in the Bible. The commandments include the Ten Commandments of *God, the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Commandment to be Holy of the Holy Spirit. Iniquity is doing what the law prohibits or not doing what the law requires. Examples include:
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Not honoring the Sabbath day is a violation of *God’s commandment.
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Not loving and helping brothers and sisters in Christ is a violation of the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Eating food offered to idols or consuming blood is a violation of the Commandment to be Holy of the Holy Spirit.
There is one important thing that we need to always remember. That is, the Lord Jesus Christ is one with every individual in the Church. Therefore, those who accept the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ but do not love their brothers and sisters in Christ will also be judged, along with Satan. What one does or does not do for their brothers and sisters in Christ is also done or not done for Christ. Disregarding, oppressing, or taking advantage of one’s brothers and sisters in Christ is indeed disregarding, oppressing, or taking advantage of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not helping, not assisting, not visiting, or not comforting one’s brothers and sisters in Christ is indeed not helping, not assisting, or not visiting, not comforting the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:31-46).
A person who does not keep their own being pure, whether physically or spiritually, also does not keep Christ pure. Not caring for one’s own body is also not caring for the body of Christ. Only when a person realizes their oneness with Christ and lives according to that awareness can they fully experience being in Christ and Christ being in them. Their lives will always be peaceful and victorious, filled with the joy of being united with Christ.
The tares are gathered by the reapers, taken out of the field, and burned in the fire during harvest time, just as the impostors of Christ’s disciples in the world will be gathered by the angels, taken out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and thrown into the furnace of fire, that is, into hell, like that. All sins, meaning all wrongdoings not according to the standards of *God, will also be thrown into hell.
We know that all those who are not in the salvation of *God will be judged by Christ for their actions on the day of final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). After judgment, they will suffer in hell for eternity. But as Matthew 13:40-42 implies, at the end of the End Times, all those who falsely claim to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ while still alive in the flesh will be thrown into hell by the angels. This will be the case for the AntiChrist and his False Prophet (Revelation 19:20). Thus, the AntiChrist, his False Prophet, all those who falsely claim to be disciples of Christ, and those who believe in God during the End Times but lack mercy will all be thrown alive into hell.
We understand that immediately after the judgment of those who believe in God during the End Times, as prophesied by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46, those who are martyred for the sake of God during the End Times will be resurrected (Revelation 20:4). Perhaps that will also be the time when the saints who died before the New Testament era will be resurrected. As for the people of God within the Church, they have already been resurrected or transformed, not long before the End Times, when Christ comes to take the Church out of the world. The resurrection of the people of God within the Church, of the saints during the End Times, and of the saints before the New Testament era all belong to the first resurrection. The second resurrection is the resurrection of those who do not have salvation to face the final judgment after the end of the Thousand-Year Kingdom era.
Immediately after the people of God during the End Times and those from eras before the New Testament are resurrected, the Thousand-Year Kingdom is established. At that time, the people of God from every age will shine in glory, entering the Thousand-Year Kingdom together. They are the sons and daughters of *God, joyfully living in His kingdom. It will be a time of great restoration, akin to the dawn of creation. We understand that those who believe in the Lord during the End Times will continue to thrive throughout the Thousand-Year Kingdom era. Humanity will continue to develop, preparing for the Everlasting Kingdom in the new heavens and new earth.
The Lord Jesus concluded His explanation of the parable of the weeds with a familiar call: “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Those who have ears to hear and contemplate the truth of God should listen and reflect on the Word written in the Scriptures. Also, listen to and contemplate the teachings of God’s faithful servants. The true people of God always sense the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the blessings of the Triune God while pondering the Word. They always feel joy and peace from the Triune God while obeying the Word. The true people of God are affirmed by the Holy Spirit in their hearts to know who are the faithful servants of Christ, preaching the Word in honesty and grace from the Triune God.
Thanks be to the Triune God for always accompanying the Church and granting the Church the Living Word to protect and shepherd it.
We conclude this lesson here.
May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!
Pastor Timothy Christian Huynh
and Priscilla Christian Huynh
05/25/2024
Notes
[1] https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction
[2] https://www.biblica.com/resources/bible-faqs/how-many-different-languages-has-the-bible-been-translated-into/
[3] https://preachingfromthebible.net/g065-the-parables-about-the-kingdom-of-heaven-the-sower/
[5] “Estimates of the Number Killed by the Papacy”:
https://www.opendrive.com/files?MV82MzI2MTQxNV9MNHBvZA
[7] https://timhieutinlanh.com/cac-dieu-ran-cua-thien-chua/
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