Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE

GOD’S WHEAT FIELD. Matthew xiii, 24-30, 36-43—July 28. “Gather ye together first the tares, and bins them in bundles to bum them, but gather the wheat into My gamer."—Verse SO. OUR International Sunday School Lessons are. specially helpful this year. We are glad that the selection contains so many lessons on the Kingdom. This topic has not had sufficient consideration, considering its prominence in the Bible. Today’s study is another of the Kingdom parables. It is the embryo Kingdom that is pictured; it relates to this Gospel Age, and the work of selecting the Church. "The Field Is the World.” This parable also shows us the very

commencement of the Lord’s call for His Bride from amongst all nations. St. Paul declares to the Jews, “It was necessary that the Gospel should be preached first unto you, but seeing ye reject it, * * * 10, we turn to the Gen-

tiles.” (Acts xiii, 46.) The entire world constituted the "field” for the sowing of the “good seed,” which is strictly defined, "the Gospel of the Kingdom.” Jesus and the Apostles sowed this “good seed." and all His true followers since have been authorized to continue the work in His name. But the Adversary, Satan, as pointed out here in the parable, brought in a different kind of “seed.” and sowed this over the “wheat field.” The result is that today the “tares” are so plentiful that they think they are the. “wheat,” and the world in general so considers them. The “wheat” class are considered “a peculiar people.” Of their good fruits the Apostle mentions meekness and humility, and these tend to bow their heads, while the “tares” stand proudly up in the display of their “form of godliness." The Lord allowed the matter to go on, fully assured that He would have in the end the crop which He desired, and very content to allow a great lesson to be taught by the presence of the “tares” and the ultimate treatment accorded the “wheat.” *

The Lord could have hindered the Adversary from bringing in the false doctrines, or He could have separated centuries ago between the wheat and tare classes, but this was not according to His intention. He purposed to “let both grow together until the Harvest.” In the Common Version the words, “The Harvest is the end of the world.” hjve been seriously misunderstood. It does not mean the end of time, nor the end of the earth—its destruction —nor the end of Divine favor. It merely means the end of the present Age. “In the Time of the Harvest.” This expression signifies that the Harvest of this Age will not be an instantaneous work, but a gradual one, requiring time. There is good’ reason for believing that the Harvest of this Age is a period of forty years, as the Harvest of the Jewish Age was of that length. In this time of the Harvest two things will be accomplished: (1) The “tares” will be gathered into “bundles,” ready for the “burning”—destruction. (2) The “wheat,” at the same time, will be gathered into the “garner”—the heavenly Kingdom.

“They shall gather out of His Kingdom all things which offend, and them which do iniquity; * • * there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” There will be two classes amongst the “tares”; one class, “doers of iniquity” (inequity, unrighteousness), the other class, those that have caused others to stumble. Doubtless this will include many teachers and preachers, and many doers of wonderful works. But we must not forget that we are considering a parable, and that the “tares” are symbolical, and likewise the “furnace” and the “fire.” The interpretation is that, in the end of this

Age, the Harvest time, there will be a great “time of trouble” for all nations. society, governments, financial institutions, etc. The “wheat” class will be saved from that “time of trouble” by the resurrection change. But the “tares” will not

be saved from it; they will be cast into the trouble and have their portion with the hypocrites. That trouble will not last forever. Many Scriptures seem to show that 11 will be terrific, but of very short duration. It will be on the earth, and net in some fat-off place. When the “fire" of that great day of anarchy and trouble shall cease to “burn,” there will be no more “tares,” there will be no more people having mere forms of godliness and pretensions for the Kingdom, begotten Of error. All humanity will be bumbled and anxious for Messiah’s Kingdom, which will then be established. It 5 will be "the desire of all nations.” (Haggai ii. 7.) Those formerly “tares,” as well as the remainder of the groaning creation, will welcome it and its blessings. In that Kingdom the glorified “wheat” class “shall shine forth as the sun” for the blessing of all the families of the •artiL-Maxt. xilL 43j. GalaiiajA iii. au

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"The harvest is the end of the age."