Wheat and Tares

Wheat and Tares

    In this very center of the Gospel message is the parable of the wheat and the tares. We find this parable recorded in Matthew 13:24-30, where God says:

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

    The Bible gives us the spiritual meaning of this parable in Matthew 13:37-43, where we read:

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of the man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Fathers. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

     We will learn that the parable in these verses teaches that at the end of the world there will be a separation of the saved individuals, who are called "wheat," from the individuals who thought they were saved, but in actuality, had never become saved. They are called "tares."

Immediately, we can know the following.

1 The field is the world. Since local congregations have been placed all around the world, we can understand that the wheat and tares are found in these churches.

2 The good seed are the children of the kingdom, that is, they have become saved. Throughout the New Testament era until the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the local churches had been given the commission and the mandate to evangelize the world. Moreover, those who became believers were to become members of a local church, if possible. By the end of the church age, local congregations could be found throughout the world, and that is in harmony with the language of this parable, which states that the field wherein the seed was sown is the world.

3 The tares are weeds that look virtually identical to the wheat. They represent those who are still in Satan’s kingdom, that is, they are not saved. However, during the church age, they were found in the same churches in which the true believers were found. They were altogether mixed in with the true believers and looked so much like the true believers that it was impossible to accurately separate them from the true believers. Matthew 13, verses 29 and 30, teaches that the tares were to remain with the wheat. That is, if an attempt is made to separate the tares from the wheat it might happen that the wheat is also removed.

    To understand this more fully, we shall begin our study of this very informative parable by looking carefully at the character of the local churches as they have existed throughout the New Testament era.

Church Members

    The first question that must be asked is: Who are to be members of the local congregations? This question must be asked because in this parable, the wheat and the tares typify church members. The Biblical answer must be that hopefully, the members are those who truly have become saved. With this truth in mind, many churches readily proclaim that their congregation is a saved membership. Their membership is spoken of as "members in full communion." In other words, they believe that each and every one of their members is a true child of God. They believe the proof of this is that each and every member has been baptized in water, made a personal confession of faith, agrees that their church doctrines are Biblical, attends worship services fairly regularly, and lives a decent, moral life. In fact, if a member becomes divisive or begins to live immorally, he is excommunicated. Thus, the spiritual overseers of the congregation believe the church membership is being maintained as a saved membership.

    Having said all this, the big question must be asked. Who makes the decision that permits any individual who professes Christ to become a member of the congregation? The answer is, the pastor and the elders and deacons make that decision. They carefully examine the person’s conduct and his profession of faith in Christ, and they make the decision that he has become saved, and therefore, should be a member in full communion. Insofar as they can determine, this person is truly seed that will grow up as wheat.

    But therein lies a huge problem. Can these pastors or elders or deacons look into the soul of this person and know with absolute certainty that this individual has been given a new resurrected soul? The answer is obvious. Of course, they can’t. Only God can do that.

Isn't it true that many people can give an appearance of salvation when they are not truly saved?

    Then how can they know that this person has truly become saved? Isn’t it true that many people can give an appearance of salvation when they are not truly saved? God deals with this problem in Hebrews 6:4-6. This passage teaches:

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the power of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame

    As we examine these verses, we might think they are speaking about a congregation of saved members. Such phrases as, "tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God," surely must refer to those who have become saved. However, in this citation God speaks of a congregation that has been brought very close to the kingdom of God but consists mainly of unsaved members. We know we understand these verses correctly because the same passage speaks of falling away, and that is impossible if a person

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

    In other words, in this passage God is not speaking of those who had become saved. Rather, He is speaking of those who could easily be identified with those who had become saved, but in actuality, they had not become saved. Thus, we are made to understand how impossible it is to know with certainty which church members are saved and which church members are still not saved.

Ye Shall Know Them by Their Fruits

    True, the Bible declares in Matthew 7:20:

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

    Doesn’t this verse tell us we can know the true believers by looking carefully at the spiritual fruit they have produced? The principle is true but what human being is qualified to truly know the fruit produced by another person’s life? A pastor, an elder, or any member of a congregation may outwardly appear to be a godly person, devoted to serving the Lord. But unknown to anyone, he may have an intense desire for wealth, or he may have seriously wrong sexual desires, or he may have great pride that is not readily discernible. In the public eye he may appear to be very godly but in his private life he may demonstrate that he could hardly be a true believer. Or he may be living as godly as possible because deep in his heart, he is trusting his own good works as a basis for salvation.

Ultimately, the fruit that should be seen in the life of the true believer is obedience to God.

    Without question, the statement "by their fruits ye shall know them," can help any individual analyze his personal relationship with God. He knows his own thoughts and motives and desires. He can know whether the fruit of his life measures up to the standards God has established in the Bible. It is also true that God knows everything about this person, and He knows precisely if the fruit of this person’s life indicates that he is a true

believer. But at best his fellow man can only hope that he is truly saved. Ultimately, the fruit that should be seen in the life of the true believer is obedience to God. Therefore, the command of our day to forsake the local church is one test whereby a person can know if he is, indeed, a true believer.

    Moreover, later in this study, we will be reminded of God’s Words in II Corinthians 11 where God speaks of Satan, who comes as an angel of light, and his ministers. In that context, God speaks of Satan’s ministers as "ministers of righteousness." This helps us to see the extreme difficulty of knowing if someone is truly saved. Thus, we are brought back to the teaching of the wheat and tares parable that the separation must occur at the end of the world.

    Surely, we must realize that it is impossible for any pastor, elder, or deacon to positively ascertain that any individual in the congregation is truly saved. It is no wonder, then, that as God speaks of the local congregation in Sardis, He declares in Revelation 3, verses 1 and 4:

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know they works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead... Thou has a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

    Obviously, we can readily see that in the church in Sardis a few members were wheat but most members were tares. God saw the hearts of the members of the church in Sardis, and He can accurately declare that only a few were true believers.

Wheat and Tares Members Cannot be Separated

     We can now begin to see the beginning reality of the wheat and tares parable. All through the world, churches are to be found. The membership of these churches appears to be saved, that is, they all appear to be wheat. But in any church, as in the church in Sardis, there are those who identify with the language of Hebrews 6:4-6. Outwardly, the whole membership is considered to be wheat. But in reality, part of the congregation are tares as was the situation in the church at Sardis.

    There is no good way to separate the wheat from the tares. Throughout the church age, the wheat and the tares have grown together. Outwardly, the conclusion is that all the members of any church that is reasonably faithful to the Bible must be saved. They all give the appearance of being wheat. But no one can know for certain that they are saved. No one can know for certain that they are not tares.

There is no good way to separate the wheat from the tares.

    The parable continues. At the end of the world, the wheat is separated from the tares, and the tares are bound together in preparation for them to be cast into the fire. How is this accomplished?
    God answers this in verses 39-41 of Matthews 31:

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 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;

     Again, questions must be asked. What time in history identifies with the phrase "the end of the world?" Who are the angels? In reality, how will the tares be gathered? How will this separation be accomplished? Doesn’t Christ come on the last day of salvation? On that final day of salvation, will not all the believers’ bodies be resurrected as glorious spiritual bodies and immediately be caught up to be with Christ in the air? (See I Thessalonians 4:17.)

    Simultaneously, will not those believers who are living at that time be instantly changed into their glorious spiritual bodies and also instantly be caught up to be with Christ in the air? (See I Thessalonians 4:17, I Corinthians 15:51-52.) On that last day of salvation, will not the bodies of the unsaved who died previously be cast out of the graves? (Jeremiah 8:1-2) On that last day of salvation, will not the unsaved who are living at that time enter into that 5 months period of final Judgment? (See Revelation 9:5)

    The above questions are all true. Therefore, how can the language of Matthew 13:40-43 concerning the separation of wheat and tares at the end of the world be in agreement with these truths?

    To understand this we should examine several additional key words in this parable. The first word is the word "harvest." God uses this word in connection with His plan to bring the Gospel to the world so that the fruit of the harvest -- those who become saved -- can be brought into the kingdom of God. We read in Matthew 9:36-38:

But when we saw the multitude, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the

labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

... harvest is concerned with people becoming saved.

    We can readily learn from these verses that harvest is concerned with people becoming saved.
    But who are the laborers that God uses to bring in this harvest of saved people? In Matthew 13:39, God speaks of the reapers in this end-of-the-world harvest as angels who send the Gospel into the world so that people might become saved. Does the Bible teach that God uses angels? Obviously, we must examine the word "angels."

Angels or Messengers

     In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word malak, which is frequently translated "angels," at times is also translated "messenger." This is also true in the New Testament. The New Testament Greek word aggelos is frequently translated "angel." But at times these words are also correctly translated "messenger." As we examine verses that contain the word malak or aggelos, we find that the messenger that is in view can be God Himself, or it can be angels, or it can be humans who have a message to bring. The context in which the verse is found must determine the proper translation.

For example, we read in Malachi 3:1:

Behold, I will send my messenger [malak], and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger [malak] of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

    The word "messenger" is used twice in this verse. The first "messenger" must be John the Baptist who was sent by God to announce Jesus as "the lamb of God." The second "messenger" is clearly Christ who is the Lord, the messenger of the covenant.     

    In the New Testament, the word aggelos is translated as "angel" about 180 times and as "messenger" seven times. For example, in Matthew 11:10-11, the Bible speaks of John the Baptist as a messenger of God. There we read:

For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger [aggelos] before they face, which shall prepare they way before thee. Verify I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

     We can clearly see, therefore, that the Hebrew malak in the Old Testament and the Greek aggelos in the New Testament must be carefully examined in the context in which they are found to determine whether they are speaking of God Himself, of angels, or of humans.

    That brings us back to Matthew 13:39, where God speaks of a harvest in which the reapers are angels. Can we be sure the word aggelos in this verse, which was translated "angel" by the King James Bible translators, is speaking of angels and not those who are saved, who as messengers of God, bring the message of the Gospel to the world?

    In answer to this question, we will look at God’s statement in John 4:35-38:

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

The reapers gathering in the harvest are those who have become saved.

    These verses clearly show that the reapers gathering in the harvest are those who have become saved. They obviously are those who as messengers of God have been commanded to bring the Gospel to the world. They faithfully send forth the Word of God so that God can apply the Word to the hearts of those elected to salvation. Thus, those who become saved are the harvest of believers who enter into the kingdom of God.

     Therefore, returning to Matthew 13:37-43, the Greek word aggelos, found in verses 39 and 41, would be more accurately translated "messenger." The angels do not bring in the harvest. It is brought in by the believers who bring the Gospel to the world so that the harvest -- those who become saved -- can be reaped and brought into the kingdom of God. Thus, in the first part of the parable of the wheat and the tares, the believers are called seed that produce wheat. But as the parable continues, the true believers are called messengers who are to bring in the harvest of the wheat.

The End of the World

    But what about the phrase the "the end of the world," which is found in Matthew 13, verses 39 and 40:

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.

     How are we to understand this phrase? To answer this question we should examine how God uses the phrase "the end of the world" elsewhere in the Bible.

In Hebrews 9:26, we read:

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

     On the one hand, in this context the phrase "end of the world" points to A.D. 33 when Christ went to the cross to pay for the sins of the elect. Thus, the phrase "end of the world" can include the whole New Testament era. This final period of time that lasts approximately 2,000 years is the end of the world that finally will have lasted about 13,000 years. The phrase is used in a similar way to the way God uses the phrase "last days" in Acts 2:17. It can be shown that in the context of Acts 2, the term "last days" includes the entire New Testament era.

    However, returning to Hebrews 9:26, in this context, the phrase "end of the world" may focus on the judgment that Jesus experienced on behalf of those He came to save. Thus, Hebrews 9:26 is not decisive in informing us how to understand the phrase "end of the world."

    However, in Matthew 24:3 we find the same phrase. In this context, it is more helpful in showing us how to understand the phrase "end of the world." We read:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

    This verse serves as an introduction to the information set forth in Matthew 24 that teaches the timing and character of the Great Tribulation. This chapter also teaches that the Great Tribulation is immediately followed by the return of Christ and by the end of the world. Thus, we can be assured that the term "end of the world" can clearly identify with the time of the Great Tribulation and the end of the world.

Significantly, it is during the time of the last part of the Great Tribulation that the final harvest of believers will be brought in.

    

    Significantly, it is during the time of the last part of the Great Tribulation that the final harvest of believers will be brought in. As we learned in the book "The End of the Church Age and After," at the time of the "latter rain," a "great multitude which no man can number" will become believers (Revelation 7:9-14). As individual believers send the true Gospel into all of the world, this final harvest of souls is brought into the kingdom of God.

    It is also the time when those who are saved are commanded to come out of the local church. This is so because in the church institution, which consists of all the local congregations, the Holy Spirit is no longer applying the Word of God to the hearts of anyone.

    Thus, we can be assured that the phrase "the end of the world" clearly can be identified with events that occur during the Great Tribulation and the end of the world.

    We have learned that the parable of the wheat and the tares is focused on the time of the Great Tribulation. We should now begin to understand God’s declaration of how the tares came to exist within the local congregation.

    In the next chapter, we will learn the identity of the enemy that sowed the tares.