We have endeavored to show in our exposition of Matthew 13 that the prophetic parables found therein contain an outline sketch of the history of Christendom, i.e., the circle of profession, that sphere where the authority of Christ is nominally owned. That which is in view, particularly in the first four parables, is the circle of human responsibility, and therefore it is a picture of failure which is presented to us. Look where you will, it is always the same; whenever God has committed anything to man as a responsible creature, he has failed in his trust.

God placed Adam in Eden on the ground of human responsibility—that is, on probation; and he fell. God gave to Noah the sword of magisterial authority, but he failed to govern himself. God committed to Israel the law, and they broke it: before Moses came down from the mount they had set up the calf and were worshipping it. God instituted priesthood in Israel, in the tribe of Levi, and Aaron and his sons were duly consecrated to their office; yet on the very next day two of Aaron’s sons offered strange fire, and judgment fell upon them. God instituted kingship in Israel, and that also was a sorry failure, as the books of Kings and Chronicles bear witness. God endowed Nebuchadnezzar with great power and it turned his head: he became so bloated with his own self-importance that he made an image to himself and demanded that all should worship it.

And the Christian profession has been no exception. Paul announced that after his departure "grievous wolves should enter the flock," and they did. The evil introduction by Satan at the beginning of this dispensation has never been eradicated, nor will it be till harvest-time. Instead of things getting better, Scripture explicitly declares they will become "worse and worse"; until Christ will "spew out" the whole system that bears His name.

The seven parables of Matthew 13 divide into four and three, the usual division of a septenary series. The first four were spoken to the multitude on the seashore; the last three to the disciples within the house. Hence, the first four give us the external view of the history of Christendom; the last three treating of that which is internal or spiritual. The first four are arranged in two pairs, the first two giving us the individual aspect of things, the wheat and tares. The second pair set forth that which is collective and corporate, the mustard-tree and the leaven.

Again: the first parable shows us a "sowing"; the fifth and sixth reveal the resultant crop. In like manner, the second parable also shows us a "sowing," while the third and fourth describe the harvest which springs from it. Should it be asked, Why is the crop from the second sowing mentioned before that of the first? The answer is, this is in keeping with God’s invariable method: "Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual" (1Co_15:46). Cain was born before Abel, Ishmael before Isaac, Esau before Jacob. The nation of Egypt existed before Israel; Saul came to the throne before David, and so on.

Let us now briefly review the details of these parables. The first represents our Lord still here upon earth, in Servant-form, scattering broadcast the Seed of the kingdom. It intimates the ratio of the Gospel’s success, and forewarns us that only a fractional portion thereof produces abiding results. It makes known, from the human side, the various hindrances which render most of the Seed unfertile. Thus, this parable plainly repudiates the popular delusion which supposes that this age will yet witness a universal reception of the Gospel; it positively forbids any expectation of a millennium brought about by human enterprise or the labors of Christ’s servants. It declares that as the result of the opposition of the devil, the flesh and the world, most of the Seed is either caught away or choked, and general barrenness is the result. Nor is there any hint at the close of the parable that such opposition would cease or that the yield would increase; instead, the Lord affirmed that it would decrease from an hundred-fold down to thirty-fold. The history of the last nineteen centuries has fully corroborated the teaching of this parable and made manifest the fulfillment of Christ’s prediction. Only a fractional proportion of people in any land, state, city, or village really receive the Gospel! Not only is this true in general throughout the world, but it applies with equal force to the religious sphere. Where is the church to-day which can carry on its work if the faithful minority were removed?

The second parable carries us forward to a point after Christ’s ascension, and shows us dual forces at work in Christendom. These "dual forces" are named in verses 24, 25. They are Christ (through His servants) sowing His "good Seed" and the Devil sowing his "tares." Through the unwatchfulness of the Lord’s servants, while "men slept," the Enemy got in his work, and as the result the crop in the field, as a whole, is spoiled, and is to continue thus to the end of the age.

Some have experienced a difficulty in verse 27. In view of the fact that the "tares" so closely resemble the wheat that the one cannot be distinguished from the other till harvest-time, how was it that their presence was detected at such an early date? The difficulty is more imaginary than real. Note the difference between what is said in verse 25 and verse 27: in the former it was "men" that slept: in the latter, it was the "servants’’ who discovered the presence of the tares. These "servants" obviously refer to the apostles, who were endowed with the Holy Spirit to an extent that none others have been, and therefore possessed a discernment which none others have had since then.

But though the "tares" were detected, orders were given that they must not be removed; they were to "grow together" with the wheat until the harvest. It is a great pity that many with more zeal than knowledge have ignored this command of Christ’s. This word of His at once exposes the uselessness, worthlessness, and unscripturalness of "reform" movements and efforts. Men have indulged the idle dream that they could improve the world by ridding it of noxious weeds: in other words, by the banishment of drunkenness and immorality, and the purifying of politics-as well might they attempt to purify the waters of the Dead Sea! Christ said, "Let both grow"; do not waste time in seeking to get rid of the "tares." "Preach the Gospel to every creature" is our marching-order, and due attention to it will leave no time for seeking to root up weeds! Finally, it is blessed to note that the Enemy can neither injure the wheat nor prevent the garnering of it. The sowing of his tares was by God’s permission.

The third parable carries us beyond the days of the apostles and anticipated the time when the outward character of professing Christianity underwent a radical change. That which had hitherto been despised, had become popular; that which was so insignificant in the world, assumed huge proportions. But instead of this being a great blessing, it was a fearful curse. So far from its being a triumph for the Gospel, it evidenced a victory of Satan. The little mustard-seed developed into a monstrosity, and produced that which gave shelter for the agents of the Devil. Instead of living as strangers and pilgrims here, professing Christians took part in politics and sought to reform the State. Instead of having as their hope the returning Christ, they sought to improve the world, and to such an extent did they imagine they had succeeded, it was announced that the millennium had commenced.

The parable of the leaven presents to us something still more tragic. Just as the mustard-tree depicted the outward corruption of the Christian profession, this fourth parable shows us the inward corruption of it. Into the "meal," which represents the pure doctrine of Christ, a foreign element was stealthily introduced. This was designed to make the food of God’s people lighter and more palatable to the world; but it corrupted the same. The Lord announced that this evil process would continue until the whole was leavened. This cannot be completely realized while the Holy Spirit remains on earth; but how nearly this prophecy has become history shows us how very close at hand must be the time when He will take His departure.

But though these four parables give us a sad picture of the unfaithfulness of men, there has been no failure with God. That cannot be. In spite of all the breakdown in human responsibility, and notwithstanding Satan’s opposition, God has been slowly but surely working out His "eternal purpose." "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world," says Act_15:18, and clear and abundant proof of this is furnished here in Matthew 13.

The fifth and the sixth parables bring before us the gracious and blessed work of Christ, securing for Himself two Objects which are inexpressibly precious to Him, namely, the "treasure" hid in the field and the "pearl" from the sea; which represent redeemed Israel and the Church of the present dispensation. This gives us the brighter side of things, and shows that, notwithstanding Satan’s Divinely-permitted success, Christ shall yet "see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied" (Isa_53:11).

In connection with the next parable there remain two points to be considered: first, Christ’s interpretation of it, which is found in verses 49, 50. The careful reader will observe that this contains a principle similar to that found in connection with the interpretation of the second parable which is given in verses 41-43. In the parable (itself) of the tares Christ went no farther than what actually takes place here on earth, see verse 30; the state in the next world of those represented by the tares is not revealed. But in the interpretation of this parable, which Christ gave to His disciples, their future destiny was made known, see verses 39-43. Thus the interpretation carries us farther than do the details of the parable itself. This principle is also exemplified in a number of symbolic prophecies: Daniel 7 supplies a notable illustration—the explanations there given going beyond the symbols used.

It is thus in the seventh parable. In verses 47, 48 the final destiny of neither the good nor the bad fish is given. Neither in the parable of the Tares nor of the Net does the execution of judgment form part of the parable itself. The reason of this is not far to seek. These parables all treat of the present dispensation. while the churches are on earth: God’s judgment will descend after they have gone. Hence. in the parable itself the "tares" are left in the field (v. 30); and in the last parable the "bad fish" are left on the shore. that is. on earth (v. 48). This is clear from the fact that the "vessels" into which the "good fish are gathered" are on earth. The execution of judgment upon the "tares" and on the "bad fish" occurs at a later date, and this was indicated by Christ Himself, in His giving the interpretation separately and after the parable itself.

In further confirmation of what has just been said. it is to be noted that, the fishermen have nothing to do with the work of judgment. As Christ declared "at the end of the age (which will be more than seven years after the Rapture) the angels shall come forth." etc. (v. 49). Thus it is the "angels" who execute God’s judgment—compare carefully Rev_7:1, Rev_8:1, Rev_16:1, etc.

One other point connected with the last parable must be noted. In verse 49 we are told that "the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just." This is the very opposite of what the fishermen do in verse 48: they, first, gather the good fish into vessels, and then cast the bad away. In both the parable of the Tares and of the Net the "angels" are occupied with the wicked. The "just" in verse 49 refer to the godly Jewish remnant who will be on earth, after the Church has been removed just before at the end of this age.

The very fact that Matthew 13 contains seven parables intimates that we have here a complete something, and that is, the history of the Christian profession on earth. In the prophetic outline presented by Christ, the salient points and principal epochs in this history are noticed. In the first, which is introductory, the earthly ministry of Christ is in view. The second, describes what took place in the days of the apostles. The third, brings us down to the fourth century, when the little mustard-seed became a great "tree," which pointed to the union between the State and professing Christianity in the days of Constantine. The fourth takes us to the end of the sixth century, and forecast the rise of the Papacy, the woman corrupting the meal.

After the fourth parable there is a manifest break: the Lord leaving the seaside and retiring within the house: thus He was hidden from the multitude! Marvelously and accurately does this correspond with the history of Christendom, for, following the establishment of Romanism, came the Dark Ages, when the multitudes were forsaken by Christ. After the break, come the next two parables spoken to the disciples only. These forecast the great Reformation in the days of Luther, Calvin, etc. Most significant is it that the central object in each is Christ seeking that which was hidden and bringing it to light. That which He first unearthed was the "treasure" hid in a field. How manifestly this found its parallel in the recovery of the precious Word of God which had for so long been kept back from the people! The parable of the "one pearl" anticipated the recovery of the blessed truth of the oneness in Christ of all God’s people.

The seventh parable, as its position in the series indicates, treats of conditions at the close of this dispensation. In the light of this, how very significant are the words at the end of verse 47: "A net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind." No efforts are now being spared to attract fish of "every kind" into the various denominational "nets," and everything that would tend to frighten or keep away worldlings is carefully avoided. In modern "church" (?) services there is something to suit the tastes and meet the needs of all, except the true children of God! Social, economic, and diplomatic problems and issues are discussed to satisfy the political mind. Worldly amusements are introduced to attract the lovers of pleasure. Grand organs are put in and professional vocalists engaged to soothe and charm the aesthetic. Dramatic speakers, so-called "Evangelists," who are but religious showmen, are employed to please the sensation-monger. In short, everything that can please the flesh has been brought into the churches (?) to draw the crowds and thus catch fish of "every sort." Sad it is that so much time, money, and energy are wasted in such misguided and God-dishonoring efforts. Sinners do not need amusing and cheering, but showing their lost condition. The business of the ministers of the Gospel is not to tickle ears, but to preach that which, by the Spirit’s application, will touch hearts and search consciences. Their duty is to make manifest the character of God, the awfulness of sin, the certainty of its punishment, and to bid their perishing hearers, "Flee from the wrath to come."

The next thing to happen will be the removal of God’s saints from the earth, and their translation to heaven: see 1Th_4:16-17. Following this, after a brief interval, God will pour out His judgments upon the wicked, and then shall "the angels come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (vv. 49, 50). These verses will then receive a solemn and literal fulfillment. After this "then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (v. 43), i.e., the upper or heavenly department of Christ’s millennial kingdom—Joh_1:51 implies the two spheres of the Messiah’s Kingdom. May the Lord grant that each reader of these articles shall "find mercy of the Lord in that day" (2Ti_1:18).