THE 5 PILLARS OF MATTHEW 3.1 The Parable of the Sower (Matt 13, pt. 1)
ESCHATOLOGY THROUGH COMPARATIVE STUDY Daniel 5 Pillars of Matthew Revelation Visible Kingdom Spiritual Kingdom Full Kingdom Israel Church Millennium [[Rise]] [Fall] Restoration 1.Design 2.Presentation 3.Stages: #1, #2, #7 4.Key 5.Transition Christ in Glory (1) Church Age (2-3) Rapture (4-5) Tribulation (6-18) 2nd Coming (19) Millennium (20) Eternal State (21-22)
5 PILLARS OF MATTHEW No.1 No.2 No.3 No.4 No.5 5 Discourses of Jesus in Matthew The Sermon on the Mount --The Design of the Spiritual Kingdom The Sending of the Twelve --The Presentation of the Spiritual Kingdom The Kingdom Parables --The Stages of the Spiritual Kingdom The Kingdom Life Discourse --The Key of the Spiritual Kingdom The Olivet Discourse --The Transition of the Spiritual Kingdom Matt 5-7 Matt 10 Matt 13 Matt 18-20 Matt 24-25
7 KINGDOM PARABLES # Parable Church Period Verse 1 Sower [Soils] Apostolic (33-100) Matt 13:1-23 2 Tares [Weeds] Patristic (100-312) Matt 13:24-30; 34-43 3 Mustard Seed Imperial (312-590) Matt 13:31-32 4 Leaven Catholic (590-1517) Matt 13:33 5 Hidden Treasure Reformed (1517-1727) Matt 13:44 6 Precious Stones Evangelical (1727-1990) Matt 13:45-46 7 Dragnet Postmodern (1990-2101?) Matt 13:47-50; 51-58
OPENING 13 1 On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat on the shore of the sea. 2 Crowds joined themselves to him until he needed to enter a boat; the whole crowd was standing (on the shore). 3a He spoke to them many things in parables and said to them: (Hebrew Matthew 13:1-3a) 13:1 That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, (Matt. 13:1-3 NAU)
#1. ON THE ROAD 3b A man went forth from his house in the morning to sow his seed. 4 In his sowing some of it fell on the road and the birds ate it. (Hebrew Matthew 13:3b-4) "Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. (Matt. 13:3-4 NAU)
#2. AMONG THE ROCKS 5 Some of it fell among rocks where there was no density of soil, and when it sprang up it withered because there was not much soil there. 6 When the sun above it became warm, it was burned and dried up because it had no root. (Hebrew Matthew 13:5-6) 5 "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. (Matt. 13:5-6 NAU)
#3. AMONG THE THORNS 7 Some of it fell among the thorns, and the thorns (grew and darkened it). (Hebrew Matthew 13:7) 7 "Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. (Matt. 13:7 NAU)
#4. GOOD SOIL 8 Some of it fell on good ground and made fruit and produce, the first a hundred, the second sixty, and the third thirty. 9 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear. (Hebrew Matthew 13:8-9) 8 "And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 "He who has ears, let him hear." (Matt. 13:8-9 NAU)
WHY PARABLES 10 Then his disciples drew near him and his disciples said to him: Why do you speak in parables? 11 He said, to you it has been given to know the kingdom of heaven, but not to them. 12 Whoever has, it will be given (to him) again, but whoever has nothing, that which he thinks (he has) will be taken from him. (Heb Matt 13:10-12) 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables? 11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. (Matt. 13:10-12 NAU)
WHY PARABLES 13 For this [reason] I speak in parables, for they see but do not see, hear but do not hear. 14 in order to fulfill what was said by Isaiah the Prophet: Go and say to this people, hear but do not understand, see by do not (understand). 15 Make the heart of this people fat and make their ear heavy and blind their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes. (Heb Matt 12:13-15)
WHY PARABLES 13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' (Isa 6:9-10) (Matt. 13:13-15 NAU)
DIVINE CURSE 9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.' 10 "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed." (Isa. 6:9-10 NAU)
DIVINE BLESSING 16 Blessed are your eyes that see and your ears that hear. 17 Truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Hebrew Matthew 13:16-17) 16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matt. 13:16-17 NAU)
#1. NON-BELIEVER 18 But hear you the parable of the sower. 19 The sower is the Son of Man, and the seed which fell on the road is everyone who hears the kingdom of heaven but does not understand it. Satan comes and snatches away from his heart everything which was sown in it. This is the seed which fell on the road. (Heb Matt 13:18-19) 18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. (Matt. 13:18-19 NAU)
#2. FALSE BELIEVER 20 That which fell upon the rocks is the one who hears the word of God and receives it immediately with joy. 21 But he is without root and is (in) confusion and when a little trouble and distress comes to them, Satan causes them to forget from their heart. (Heb Matt 13:20-21) 20 "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matt. 13:20-21 NAU)
#3. UNFRUITFUL BELIEVER 22 That which fell among the thorns, this is the one who hears in his desire to gather wealth, Satan causes him to forget the word of God, and he makes no fruit. (Hebrew Matthew 13:22) 22 "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Matt. 13:22 NAU)
#4. FRUITFUL BELIEVER 23 That which fell into the good earth is the one who understands it and makes good fruits, that is, from good works. He brings forth from the first a hundred, from the second sixty, and from the third thirty. (Hebrew Matthew 13:23a) 23 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." (Matt. 13:23 NAU)
#4. FRUITFUL BELIEVER 23b As for the one hundred, this is the one purified of heart, and sanctified of body. As for the sixty, this is the one separated from women. As for the thirty, this is the one sanctified in matrimony, in body and heart. (Hebrew Matthew 13:23b) If This Additional Information Is Genuine, It Validates Paul s Devotion to Singleness as an Advantage to Ministry (esp. as a Missionary). If Does Not Put Down Women or Family, but Recognizes the Difficulties of Focusing with the Complexities of Life.
4 KINDS OF RESPONSES Kinds of Soil Types of Believer Types of Heart 1, On the Road Nonbeliever Hard Hearted 2, Among the Rock False Believer Soft Hearted 3, Among the Thorns Unfruitful Believer Double Hearted 4. On Good Soil Fruitful Believer: 100: Pure & Focused 60: Single & Devoted 30: Married & Sanctified Single Hearted
4 PERPETUAL TYPES The Same Seed (Gospel) Always Produces 4 Responses, because People Are Predestined in 2 Ways: The Non-Elect Will Be Lost: Either as Hard Hearted (Uninterested) Nonbeliever, Or as Soft Hearted False (Temporary) Believer. The Elect Will Be Saved: Some Are Double Hearted (Unfruitful, Unproven). Some Are Single Hearted (Fruitful, Proven). People Determine within the Divine Predestination. The 2 Kinds in the Middle Are Hard to Distinguish. There Are Degrees of Devotedness in the Last Kind (due to Differences of Gifts).
THE 1ST OF 7 STAGES The Parable of the Sower [Soils] Described a Time When the Son of Man (Jesus) Sowed the Seed of the Gospel, and There Are 4 Kinds of Responses due to the People Being 4 Kinds of Soils. This Seems to Describe the Time of the Apostolic Church Period (33-100), when the Apostles Continued Christ s Work of Sowing, and Experienced the 4 Kinds of Responses. When One Sees that All the 7 Parables Fit the 7 Periods of the Church History, It Will Become Evident that Christ Was Describing the 7 Stages of the Spiritual Kingdom.
WHY SO LONG The Rejection of the Gospel by the Majority of the Jews Reveled How Difficult It Is in Awakening People from False Reality. The Spiritual Kingdom (Kingdom of Heaven, Church Age) Will Be a Long Process, in Which Gentiles Are Blessed, While the Jews Are Disciplined. The Spiritual Kingdom Will Have Stages as the Visible Kingdom Did, with Rises and Falls, due to the Same Human Nature. The Visible Kingdom Is Over, but the Promises of God to the Patriarchs Will Be Fulfilled during the Full Kingdom.
WHY SO LONG For God, Time Is Not an Issue; It Matters Only When He Is Proving His Sovereignty to Men. For the Jews, the Deeper the Sins Is, the Longer and Harder It Takes in Disciplining for Lessons to Be Learned. For the Gentiles (Nations), There Are So Many Souls to Be Saved. The Longer the Church Age Is, the More Is the Mercy and Grace of God. For the Church (Born Again Jews and Gentiles), Practicing the Life of Christ on Earth with Suffering and Opportunity of Doing Good Is the Accumulation of Glory for Eternity. God s Will Is Good in Giving a Long Church Age.