PRIVATE PARABLES PART 2

In the Bible there are various genres of literature. There are portions that are narrative such as the historical books of both the O.T. and the N.T. There are portions that are poetic in nature, such as The Psalms and Proverbs, as well as much of the prophetic writings. There are sections that are prose such as the Epistles. Within in each of these genres there are various literary devices that are used. We have spent the last several weeks studying the Parables of . Parables are a literary device in their own merit, closely associated with proverbial devices. Within these parables other literary devices have been used, the most prominent being an extended simile. When Jesus repeatedly says: the kingdom of heaven is like … He is using an extended simile — in other words, comparative language. There is another structural, literary device that many commentators see in this passage, called a chiastic structure.

A chiasm (also called a chiasmus) is a literary device in which a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order. The result is a “mirror” effect as the ideas are “reflected” back in a passage. Each idea is connected to its “reflection” by a repeated word, often in a related form. The term chiasm comes from the Greek letter chi, which looks like our letter X. Chiastic pattern is also called “ring structure.”

Some chiasms are quite simple. The common saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is chiastic. The words going and tough are repeated, in reverse order, in the second half of the sentence. The structure is ABBA. Another example of a chiasm, also with the ABBA structure, is Benjamin Franklin’s axiom “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Other chiasms are more complex, even spanning entire poems.

As it relates to the structure of the kingdom parables found in one scholar has presented it the following way:

A. Parable of the Sower

B. Disciples’ question and Jesus’ answer and interpretation of the sower

C. Parable of the tares among the wheat

D. Parables of mustard seed and leaven

E. Explanation of parables and interpretation of weeds

D`. Parables of treasure and pearl

C`. Parable of the net

B`. Jesus question and disciples answer about understanding the parables

A`. Parable of the homeowner

Though, in my mind this structure as presented is far from perfect, it does give sense to some of the things we have hopefully noticed as we have studied the kingdom parables. First, I want you to see that the “A” sections both have to due with the receptivity of the Message of the Gospel. The “B” sections both involve questions asked. And the “C” section both speak of good and evil. In other words, the parables of the weeds or tares among the wheat, and the dragnet (which we will look at today) correspond with one another in the chiastic structure of the parables.

As you can see from this the

The first time we went smelt dipping, since we were doing it on the Michigan side of border, we used dip nets and spent all night dipping only to go home empty handed. Then we learned that if we went into Canada we could use a seine for catching smelt. A seine is a large net that is held between two poles. If I recall correctly it spread out for about 20 feet. So one Friday evening we got word somehow that the smelt were running at Point Pelee in Ontario, on Lake Erie. We loaded up my Uncle Ed’s customized van and took off for the border. On that particular night we filled up a five gallon bucket with smelt every time we took the seine out into the water.

This morning, as I once again attempt to conclude our series on the Kingdom Parables of we will look first at the Parable of the Drag Net. Then we will conclude with the Parable of the Scribe who becomes a disciple of Christ.

Let’s now look at the parable of the dragnet, .

THE PARABLE OF THE DRAGNET

I have often told you before that fishing was one of my favorite pastimes. It was something that I enjoyed doing with my dad, and sometimes my uncles and cousins as well. I have very faint memories of going smelt dipping with my dad, Uncle Ed, and cousin Lee.

The first time we went smelt dipping, since we were doing it on the Michigan side of the border, we used dip nets and spent all night dipping only to go home empty handed. Then we learned that if we went into Canada we could use a seine for catching smelt (this method was illegal on the U.S. side of the waters). A seine is a large net that is held between two poles. If I recall correctly it spread out for about 20 feet. So one Friday evening we got word somehow that the smelt were running at Point Pelee in Ontario, on Lake Erie. We loaded up my Uncle Ed’s customized van and took off for the border. On that particular night we filled up a five gallon bucket with smelt every time we took the seine out into the water.

I thought about this this week because a dragnet was basically an elaborate seine. In N.T. times the fishermen on the Sea of Galilee used two different types of nets for industrial fishing. One type of net was a one-man operation; it was somehow thrown out into the water in the direction of a school of fish that had been spotted, and then it was retrieved. The other type of net is what is being referred to in this passage as a dragnet, which is a kind of net commonly used resembled the modern seine—a large fishing net made to hang vertically in the water by weights at the lower edge and floats at the top.

Matthew 13:47 NASB95

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;

The New Manners and Customs of the Bible 13:47 Fishing Nets

As mentioned previously, there are some strong similarities between the parable of the tares among the wheat, and the parable of the dragnet. But there are also distinctions as well. First, the similarities.

THE SIMILARITY TO THE PARABLE OF THE TARES AMONG THE WHEAT

Both parables refer to the end of the age

Both parables refer to the furnace of fire

Both parables refer to angels

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO PARABLES

The parable of the dragnet emphasizes the separation of believers from unbelievers, while the parable of the tares emphasizes the coexistence of believers with unbelievers

The parable of the tares emphasizes the long period of time in which the two coexist together. The parable of the dragnet emphasizes the situation that exists when the end of the age judgment takes place

John MacArthur wrote: (pg. 395)

“The parable of the wheat and tares illustrates the coexistence of believers and unbelievers in the present form of the kingdom, and this parable illustrates their separation as the form of the kingdom changes … During the present era, which is the church age, God permits unbelief and unrighteousness. But the time is coming when His toleration will end and His judgment begin. The first phase of judgment will be the separation of the wicked from among the righteous, the tares from among the wheat. The dragnet of God’s judgment moves silently through the sea of mankind and draws all men to the shores of eternity for final separation to their ultimate destiny — believers to eternal life and unbelievers to eternal damnation.”

Now that we have talked about the similarities as well as distinctions between the two very similar parables, let’s look with more detail at the elements of similarity.

THE END OF THE AGE

The term end of the age can have various meanings, especially for those of us who are dispensationalists in our theological understanding. Though there are those who hold to as many as eight dispensations, the three most commonly held ones are the Mosaic Law, the Present Dispensation of Grace, and the Future Dispensation of the Millennial Kingdom. Each of these dispensations can be thought of as an age, and therefore the end of the age could be viewed as the end of a certain dispensation.

With this in mind we have to determine if Jesus is referring to a time that precedes His millennial rule or a time that is after His thousand year reign. Dispensational theologians typically see this as a reference to the judgment that occurs at the end of the tribulation period when Christ returns to establish His earthly kingdom. Jesus spoke of this during His last recorded discourse in the Gospel of Matthew, the Olivet Discourse. In this discourse He referred to the judgment at the end of the age being like when a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Sheep are often seen as being docile and gentle, whereas goats are seen as being rambunctious and contentious. Though the two animals often migrate together to find a field in which to forage for food, shepherds often have to separate them because the goats would chase the sheep away from the food source.

At the time of the second coming of Christ, after He has defeated His enemies, Christ will take His seat on His throne. At that time all the nations will be gathered to Him and He will separate believers from non-believers. If I understand it correctly, believers who survive the horrors of the tribulation will become the citizens of Christ’s earthly kingdom. They will be welcomed into the joy of their Master, and they will take joy in His righteous reign that will endure for a thousand years.

On the other hand, those who are unbelievers will be set aside for eternal punishment. And that seems to be the focus of our parable in . Let’s turn our attention now to the harvesters. Notice .

THE HARVESTERS

Notice that the angels of heaven are the harvesters in this instance. The Apostle John informs us that just prior to this event, Christ will return to earth as the triumphant victor.

Revelation 19:11–16 NASB95

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The armies which are in heaven are the very same angels that will separate believers from unbelievers.

Unlike the rapture of the church which will proceed the tribulation period, and believers will be taken out of the earth, in this instance it is unbelievers who are taken.

Let’s focus our thoughts now on the judgment.

THE JUDGMENT

The angels who are reaping the harvest will take those who have been separated for punishment and throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Hell is an horrendous place of torment. It will be so horrible that people will wish for death or an end to torment, but that will not happen. Some people picture hell as being some sort of social club where people can gather and party with their friends. But there will be no gathering with friends. Hell is described as a place where the fire burns eternal, and yet it is a place of darkness. We cannot comprehend the fullness of it. If we could then we would become the world’s hardest working evangelists warning others to flee from the destruction to come!

According to the account of the White Thrown judgment is

Revelation 20:15 NASB95

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Everyone who has placed their faith in the finished work of Christ will have their name written down in the book of life. Everyone else will have a place reserved for them in the furnace of fire. As I once saw on a church sign: eternity — smoking or non-smoking?

To borrow the language of the parable of the sower and the soils, those who have the soil condition to receive the seed of the message of the gospel will find great reward. But those in whom the seed did not lead to a fruitful harvest will spend the rest of eternity in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Look with me now at .

THE PARABLE OF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD

This section begins with Jesus pausing to ask the apostles if they understood the parables He was telling them. It appears that the phrase “all these things” “refers to the growth of the kingdom despite the mixed reception of its message” (David L. Turner, pg. 354). They affirm that they did indeed understand them (at least in part anyway; we know from their actions later on that they did not fully grasp everything that Jesus taught them on this fateful day). Then Jesus closed with the eighth and final parable of this chapter, the parable of the head of the household. Look again at .

We understand this is a parable because of the phrase “is like a ...” That is found in the middle of the verse. Jesus’s reference to scribes is somewhat surprising since they are most often mentioned in the Gospels as being in partnership with the Pharisees and enemies of the gospel. A scribe was a teacher of the Holy Scriptures. In the kingdom of heaven the apostles are the chief scribes; they are not only the leaders of the church but they were the ones who penned the New Testament Scriptures. “Their ministries will entail teaching the kingdom message as they draw upon what Jesus has taught them and teach their own disciples new truths tied to old truths” (ibid, pg. 354). Notice the last phrase of verse 52: who brings out of his treasure things new and old. The normal word ordering of such phrases would be something old and new, with “old” being first. Many see in this the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke e. The Parable of the Teacher of the Law (13:52)Scribes were “teachers of the Scriptures.” If they are likened to the owner of a house who brings treasures out of his storeroom, the further implication is unavoidable—they are not bringing forth things new and old for purely private or personal reasons but in their capacity as teachers. Jesus’ disciples claim they have understood what he has been teaching. “Therefore,” he responds, discipled teachers of the Scriptures, if they have understood, must themselves bring out of their storeroom the treasures now theirs so as to teach others (cf. Trotter).

We, who are disciples of Christ have a responsibility to teach others. We have a responsibility to share the life giving message which has been entrusted to us as Ambassadors of Christ.Let’s pray.

THE APOSTLES ARE THE SCRIBES OF THE KINGDOM

THE TREASURES ARE THE DOCTRINES OF THE WORD

THE NEW IS PREEMINENT TO THE OLD

GOD’S PEOPLE SHARE THEIR TREASURE WITH OTHERS

Let’s pray.

Closing Song: No. 442 — EACH ON, REACH ONE

Jude 24 NASB95

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

Jude 24–25 NASB95

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

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