Mat 21:28-32 The Parable of the Two Sons

[Study Aired June 8, 2021]

Mat 21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
Mat 21:29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
Mat 21:30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
Mat 21:31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Mat 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

In our last study, Christ’s authority was challenged by the scribes and Pharisees. Christ would not answer them because they would not answer his question. Christ then follows up with these parables which give us a message about the kingdom of God and us.

Most think Christ spoke these parables to clarify the meaning of his message to the world, at least according the world’s preachers and teachers. On the other hand, Christ says something different.

Mat 13:10-17 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Christ speaks parables to the multitudes and expounds all things to his disciples which are seeking after ‘the kingdom which is within you.’

Mar 4:33-34 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

Luk 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

These parables we are reviewing must be applied within each of us in order to gain the meaning of the parables. These parablesm and all parablesm are about the kingdom of God within.

Here is the first verse in our study.

Mat 21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

The two sons in this parable represent the old man and the new man within each of us. Even though only one father is mentioned in this parable, these men have different fathers.

Joh 8:39-45 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

The two sons are being asked to work the vineyard. The vineyard represents the house of Israel which represents the Kingdom of God. The work with which they are tasked is sowing, pruning and gathering the fruit.

Isa 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Isa 45:4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

Lev 25:2-4 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

The next verses are the answers of the sons.

Mat 21:29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
Mat 21:30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

We naturally do not desire to do this work. These sons represent two different men within us in our walk into the kingdom of God. The second son questioned is our old man. This man speaks comforting words but is a liar. Like father (the devil), like son. The first son is our new man who is being drawn into the kingdom. He first refuses to do the work but repents because the devil is being cast out of his world and he eventually does the work.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Joh 12:31-32 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Our next verses have another question posed to the chief priests and the elders after they questioned Christ’s authority.

Mat 21:31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Mat 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Here are the verses from our last study to give us context.

Mat 21:23-27 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Christ would not answer that question and then spoke a parable against them to show them where they rank in the kingdom.

Mat 21:31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

I am sure they were insulted by this response to their answer. He goes on to explain why he considers the publicans and the harlots will enter the kingdom first.

Mat 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

They did not believe and they would not repent. In order to enter into the kingdom you must repent and believe. What must you repent of and believe?

Rev 2:1-7 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

What are the first works?

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Rom 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The chief priests and the elders of Jerusalem did not believe Christ and therefore did not believe God and cannot do the work of God.

Joh 6:28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Here is the work the two sons were asked to do in the vineyard.

Joh 15:1-17 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

In other words, expect to be judged while in the flesh so that you can sow the good seed of Christ and gather the fruit of the works of God.

Lev 25:2-4 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years (our time in the flesh) thou shalt sow (good seed of Christ in) thy field, and six years (our time in the flesh) thou shalt prune (be judged in) thy vineyard (the kingdom of God), and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year (the thousand year reign) shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Prophecy of Isaiah - Isa 44:1-8 Fear Not, I Will Help You Whom I Have Chosen - Discussion

1 file(s) 7.25 MB

Download

Isa 44:1-8 – Fear Not, I Will Help You Whom I Have Chosen

Isa 44:1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Isa 44:4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
Isa 44:5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD and surname himself by the name of Israel.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:7  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Three times in these 8 verses we are admonished “fear not” (vs 2), “fear not” (vs 8), “neither be afraid” (vs 8). This admonition has been given many times earlier in this prophecy. So, why does the Lord keep telling us “fear not”?

The answer is:  He tells us not to fear because He knows that is exactly what we will do when our faith is tried “in the day of trouble”.

Psa 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Psa 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Psa 37:9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
Psa 37:10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The Lord has ordained and commanded that we cry out to Him when He brings us to our own "day of trouble":

Psa 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

These verses of Isaiah 44 are addressed to “Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen”. The emphasis here is on Jacob and Israel as types of God’s elect. It is ‘Jacob and Israel’ in the positive meaning of those names and not in the negative application of an unfaithful harlot as in:

Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

The point the Lord is making is that even though He will, through the agency of the adversary, lead us into temptations and trials and lead us into the clutches of that great city, “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of the earth” (Rev 17:1-4), He will also provide us a way of escape that we may be able to bear this “time of trouble” as our calling out of that great city is called:

Isa 37:3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Jer 51:2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Isa 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

What truly wonderful and comforting words are being addressed to those whom the Lord assures are His elect! The Lord’s elect are "known by their fruits" (Mat 7:20), which means by their "love of God", which is defined as their obedience to Him and His doctrines:

Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

The verses of today's study deal with us as the Lord's people who are led into and then must “come out of, [and are coming out of the great harlot] (Rev 18:4)… that great city wherein our Lord was crucified" (Rev 11:8), and these verses are assuring us that even though we, too, have been unfaithful, the Lord Himself "for His own name's sake" has chosen us to be His faithful children, and He will not permit us to fail to perform His purpose for us as His elect. It is comforting to know that nothing depends on us, and He will let nothing separate us from His love if we are His predestined elect, His 'Israel' (Gal 6:15-16).

Isa 44:1  Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
Isa 44:2  Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Jacob, Israel, and Jesurun, also spelled Jeshurun, are all names for our new man, the Lord's elect, His kingdom within us.

The first time this name appears, it appears as ‘Jeshurun’, and it is revealed that the Lord's elect, of themselves, are no better than the men of this world:

Deu 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

These words of Deuteronomy 32:15 are a condensed version of the life of every one of the Lord’s elect, His 'Jesurun' or 'Jeshurun'. We are no better than anyone else in and of ourselves. It is Jesurun who must “wax fat” and commit adultery with the kings of the earth, and it is the same Jeshurun who must "come out of... Babylon" (Rev 18:4). Jeshurun must fulfill the seven plagues of the seven angels (Rev 15:8) because, by the Lord's own design, when “Jeshurun [or Jesurun] waxed fat... then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation".

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Nevertheless, Jesurun is the Lord's elect, and Christ will "for His own name’s sake... help... Jesurun", and Jesurun need not fear what men can do simply because he is the Lord's chosen:

Isa 44:2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Here are the other two entries for this nickname for the Lord's chosen:

Deu 33:5 And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
Deu 33:26 There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

This is Strong's definition of this name:

H3484
ישׁרוּן
yeshûrûn
yesh-oo-roon'
From H3474; upright; Jeshurun, a symbolical name for Israel: - Jeshurun.

As a name of Israel, it appears only these four times, three times as 'Jeshurun'.

Here is Strong's entry for, H3474:

H3474
ישׁר
yâshar
yaw-shar'

A primitive root; to be straight or even; figuratively to be (causatively to make) right, pleasant, prosperous: - direct, fit, seem good (meet), + please (well), be (esteem, go) right (on), bring (look, make, take the) straight (way), be upright (-ly).

This word 'yashar' appears 21 times in the Old Testament:

H3474
ישׁר
yâshar
Total KJV Occurrences: 21
straight, 9
1Sa_6:12, 2Ch_32:30, Psa_5:8, Pro_4:25, Isa_40:3, Isa_45:2, Jer_31:9, Eze_1:7, Eze_1:23
direct, 3
Pro_3:6, Pro_11:5, Isa_45:13
right, 2
Psa_119:128, Pro_9:15
brought, 1
2Ch_32:30
directeth, 1
Job_37:3
fitted, 1
1Ki_6:35
good, 1
Jer_18:4
meet, 1
Jer_27:4-5 (2)
upright, 1
Hab_2:4
uprightly, 1
Pro_15:21

It is by far most commonly translated in some form of the word 'straight', as in theses verses:

Psa 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight [yashar] before my face.

Isa 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight [yashar]: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

So, the Lord is making His people ‘straight’… 'yashar', or 'Yesurun' or Yeshurun'. He is "mak[ing] the crooked places straight” within His chosen. That is the meaning of the name He has given His elect.

If the Lord is helping His elect, then who can possibly cause us to fail in His service? If our salvation is in His hands, how then can we possibly fail or be separated from Him? It simply cannot happen if He has appointed us to "the resurrection of life":

Job 23:13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

The spirit inspired the apostle Paul to confirm this comforting fact with these words:

Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Where did Paul get all his ideas about being predestinated and about God working all things together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to the purpose of His own will? Where did Paul get the doctrine he espouses throughout his epistles about the Lord "working all things after the counsel of His own will"?

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

The Lord's predestinated elect are called those "who first trusted in Christ... [and] the firstborn among many brothers" (Rom 8:29).  "The right of the firstborn" is a Biblical doctrine in both the Old and the New Testaments.

Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD , Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Deu 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Psa 89:27 Also I will make him [Christ and His Christ] my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

This is what the Lord will do for His spiritual 'firstborn':

Isa 44:3  For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Isa 44:4  And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

The water the Lord pours out upon us is His Words, and the ‘seed’ upon which He pours it, is also those who have His Words within themselves.

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

In Matthew 13 Christ twice likens His Words and His doctrines to a sower sowing seeds. In the first parable the 'seed' being sown is "The word of the kingdom":

Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

In the second parable in this chapter, the sower's seeds are called "the children of the kingdom":

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

The "men [who] slept" are the Lord's very elect, His virgin bride:

Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all [five wise and five foolish virgins] slumbered and slept.

You and I have "slumbered and slept" just recently and "while [we] slept [our] enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat", among "the children of the kingdom", among the doctrines of Christ.

This is the meaning of this second parable:

Mat 13:36 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.
Mat 13:37  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [this eon (aion), this age].
Mat 13:41 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;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

When we apply the principle of "the sum of Thy Word is Truth" (Psa 119: 160) to these two parables, we are constrained to conclude that this "kingdom of God is within [us]" now "in this age" (Mat 13:40):

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 

What this tells us is that "the good seed [which] are the children of the kingdom; [and] the tares [which] are the children of the wicked one" are both doctrines which are within us. "The tares... the children of the wicked one" are all the false doctrines of Babylon within us which offend our Lord and His Christ, which twist His words and which must be gathered together in bundles and burned at "the end of the world [Greek: aion, age, eon]".

This "end of the world [age]" refers primarily to those upon whom "the ends of the ages are come", meaning the Lord's elect who are being judged in "this present time... [in] this age":

Mat 13:40  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [this 'aion', this age].

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [aion, age] are come.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

"The harvest is the end of the world [Greek: 'aion', age, eon]". “The harvest” is the judgment which is now on the house of God. God's elect are being judged now, in this age, to become "a nation of... kings and priests" (Rev 1:6 and 5:10) during the thousand year reign of "the Lord and His Christ":

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Speaking of these same "kings and priests" we are told:

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

This doctrine also comes right out of this prophecy of Isaiah:

Isa 44:5 One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

Here is the fulfilling of this prophecy:

Gal 6:15 Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16 Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

If we have eyes that see and ears that hear, then this is a good place to remember:

Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

And to ask:

Isa 44:7  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.

Truly "there is no God... like our God":

1Sa 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

Because there is no God like our God, and because our God cannot lie:

Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Like every word of scripture, the word ‘fear’ has both a positive and a negative application. Whenever the Lord tells us, as He does many times, “fear not”, He is not contradicting Himself where He clearly tells us:

Luk 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

So, every time the Lord tells us “fear not” He is speaking of “them that [can] kill the body, and after that have no more they can do”. In other words, do not fear men, but do “fear God”. Our study tomorrow night will cover this subject in much greater detail.

This is just how special we are as the Lord's chosen people, His "very elect":

Deu 4:32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
Deu 4:33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Deu 4:34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, [our new man out of our old man; calling us out of Babylon] by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
Deu 4:35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.
Deu 4:36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire [His Word]; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. 

This spiritually is what the Lord has done for us, and we are His witnesses of that fact.

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Luk 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

The ‘fire’ of the Lord’s words burns up the entire kingdom of our old man so that we have nothing more to lose. We are commanded to “count yourselves as dead”, and as such we have nothing to fear from men. Like all the overcomers of scripture, both in type and in antitype, the only thing we must fear is the loss of our status with our heavenly Father and the crown of life He has laid up for His chosen, His elect:

Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.

That is our study for today, and here are the verses for our next study in which we will learn how foolish it is to place false doctrines above the Words of God:

Isa 44:9 They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
Isa 44:10 Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Isa 44:11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
Isa 44:12 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
Isa 44:13  The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
Isa 44:14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
Isa 44:15  Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
Isa 44:16  He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
Isa 44:17  And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
Isa 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Isa 44:19  And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
Isa 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?