Bible Prophecy: Parables

I want a very warm welcome to the meeting. Thank you very much for coming. We've come to the end.

And that's kind of maybe sad for you, but it's good for me because I'm getting tired. Hard, you know, every night going for an hour. But anyway, the Lord is able to give us the help.

So plus, I've been away from home for a long time, five weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing my wife. Anyway, we're going to turn back to Matthew chapter 13.

Maybe just a little quick review. Last night, we spent quite a little bit of time leading up to the kingdom offer of the sower. We're going through the parables.

We're going to do the sack, the final six here tonight. And we proved from chapter 12 that a tremendous change has taken place. The Lord Jesus God was dealing with the physical nation up until this point.

And because of the rejection of the nation, they attribute the works of the Lord Jesus to the spirit of Beelzebub, the devil. And now the Lord is turning from the physical nation, and he's turning to the spiritual aspect of the kingdom. And I showed you on the chart here that if you follow this line, which just continues right from Adam and Eve, we could have done that.

But this is the physical kingdom. We are in what's known as the spiritual kingdom or the heavenly side of the kingdom. God is no longer dealing with the nation of Israel as a whole.

He is dealing with individual Jews and Gentiles, but no special relationship does the nation of Israel hold. Actually, we could turn you to Romans chapter 11, where Paul tells us they are actually enemies for the sake of the gospel. But at the same time, he'll tell us they're still an elect.

They're still a remnant. So that is something that we need to keep in mind. And we are dealing with the Lord's teaching on events, characteristics that will cover this period here and also extend through the tribulation right to this point here.

And that's what we're dealing with tonight. Now, I thought what we'd do is I would just get, sorry, I should have got you to turn to John six for a minute. Just hold your finger on Matthew 13 because we're coming right back.

I was asked a question at the door, and it wasn't asked in a critical way, but I made a comment that the title son of man is an eternal title in the word of God, equivalent to son of God. And I should have quoted you this verse, but John chapter six will prove that to you. Once and for all, John six and verse 62, the Lord Jesus himself says these words, what and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before.

So that he is the son of man where he was before. So that's obviously speaking of prior to his incarnation. So that in association with the book of Daniel, where the son of man comes before the ancient of days, that is enough to prove to you that that is an eternal title linked to the Lord Jesus.

Now, one other thing I wanted to do was let's go to Matthew chapter 19 for a minute. We're coming right back to the Matthew 13. Sometimes when you get ministry on these things, you will read the expressions, kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven.

And the question is asked, is there any difference between them? Personally, I don't see a whole lot of difference between them. I'll read you one verse, my brother is smiling. He might agree or disagree and that's okay.

I'll read you one verse, verse number 23 and 24. The Lord Jesus is dealing with the rich ruler that came to him. And here's what he says, Matthew 19, verse 23, then said Jesus onto his disciples, verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And again, I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. So I simply take from the word of God that they are the same thing, looked at from two different aspects. Kingdom of God would bring before me the source, God himself, the kingdom of heaven is something that is opposite earth, heavenly in character.

That's how I see it. Some people try to teach from these parables that the kingdom of God encompasses only the genuine believers and others say that the kingdom of heaven encompasses all false professors and believers as well. I personally have a little difficulty with that, so you can take that into your consideration.

Another thing I would get you to consider is verse, go back to Matthew 13, sorry. Matthew 13, look at verse number 11. Verse 10, the Lord, the disciples ask him why he's starting to speak in parables.

I explained that to you last night. Verse 10, and the disciples came and said unto him, Matthew 13, verse 10, 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. Now, if you read Luke chapter eight and verse 10, which is the same story, the same point, the Lord Jesus said the mysteries of the kingdom of God has to be referring to the same thing.

So I rest my case as a lawyer right there at the word of God, because the word of God has to mean what it means. I've been telling you that over and over. We have to just take the word of God literally and all of our other ideas have to come to a stop.

So with that being said, let's just refresh verse number one of chapter 13, and then we'll move into the parables here. The same day, and I emphasized this last night, this was when the Lord Jesus, his natural family was outside the house. Someone comes in and says, your natural family's outside the house.

He says, who is my mother, my brother? Then he looks at those in front of him, and he says, behold, my mother, my brother, and my sisters, those that were doing the will of God. So you see a change from the physical to the spiritual. And then he actually moves from the house and he goes out to the seaside.

Verse number one, the same day went Jesus out of the house, speaks of the nation of Israel, and sat by the seaside. The seas always speak of the Gentiles. And great multitudes were gathered onto him so that he went into a ship and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake many things unto them in parables. As I said last night, first time he spoke in parables. And a parable, yes, it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, that's one aspect of it.

But it's also a judgment upon those that have rejected him. Okay, a parable will give more light to those that have received him, and it will give darkness to those that have rejected him. So it's a double-edged sword, as I mentioned last night.

And here's the words of the Lord saying, behold, a sower went forth to sow. And when he had sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up. And you know this story.

Verse five, the stony they fell. Verse number seven, the thorns. Verse number eight, the good ground.

Now, what I mentioned last night to you is I believe that this first parable, which we have here on the chart, the sower, I believe it is the Lord Jesus reflecting on his own ministry to the nation up till this point. The reason I say that is because if you look at the other six, I'll just go over this quickly. Look what you have in verse number 24, which is parable number two, the tares.

You have this, the kingdom of heaven is likened. Now, you don't get that mentioned with the sower anywhere. Okay? And you'll notice that when you go through the next six, is likened, the kingdom of heaven is likened, is all six of them, the last six, they all have that little expression.

So I see a difference. As I said, we have seven parables, but one stands unique, and the other six stand in the other group. And the reason I believe that is because the Lord Jesus, as I said, he is up to this point summarizing how the nation has responded to his preaching.

And I said to you, his word fell upon the wayside, fell upon the thorns, fell upon the stony, and fell upon good ground. So it's a lesson that we can learn, 25% of the audience responded to the Lord's preaching. We shouldn't be surprised then when the bulk of society does not come in to hear our gospel, because the world hates God, just like they hated the Lord Jesus.

So he wasn't a very popular man, we are not gonna be very popular. So that's a lesson that we can learn there. Now, I mentioned to you last night, if you look at verse number 24, this is where we wanna quickly run to.

Verse number 24 starts, if you look at the chart, number two, the tares. Now notice what you have in verse 24, another parable. Go to verse 31, another parable.

Go to verse 33, another parable. Those are all the same Greek word, okay? Now a change takes place in verse 44, which is starting the treasure. Number five and six and seven, you'll notice a similar expression.

Verse 44, again. Verse 45, again. Verse 47, again.

So not only are the seven divided into one and six, but the last six are divided into two groups of threes. And the reason for that is, as we're gonna start now, numbers two, three, and four, the emphasis is upon the activity of the wicked one, the devil. And then numbers five, six, and seven, the emphasis is upon God himself working.

So that is something that we can just keep in mind as we read this. So let's pick it up now in verse number 24. Here's what we read.

The Lord Jesus speaking another parable, putting 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 thou, 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 you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. This is tremendous.

Let them 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. Now, just let your eye go down to verse 36 because the Lord explains this little parable to us.

Verse 36, then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house and his disciples came on him saying, declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, he that soweth the good seed is the son of man. There's that lovely kingdom title again, son of man, okay? The field is the world.

The good seed are the children of the kingdom. The tares are the children of the wicked one. The enemy that sowed them is the devil.

The harvest is, now notice this expression, end of the world. That really, it's the same expression in Matthew 24. It's the consummation of the age.

Look at the chart. Matthew 24 will take you right up to this point here. Same expression.

This is where this parable is taking us. This parable is starting here at the rejection of the Lord Jesus and is going right through the day of grace, right through the tribulation period and is bringing us right up to the consummation of the age, okay? And that will be proved here in just a minute. Look at end of verse 39.

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, there's that expression again, the consummation of the age. 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 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.

There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth, notice, as the son in the kingdom of their father. There is a lovely title of the millennial reign, the kingdom of their father.

So you can see how that in the parable, we are given time markers as to just the duration of this parable, okay? You're gonna see that's important in a minute, I'll emphasize that for you. One thing I want you to focus upon is this here. Notice verse 41, when we come to the end, this is what makes the difference now.

The son of man shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom. What is unique about the rapture? The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. He's not sending any angels for us, okay? So how precise the word of God is, I know we're not at this point here in this parable because only the Lord comes to gather us.

But when I read about this event, the son of man is sending angels to gather. So even, it just shows you how perfectly the word of God is given to us. You know, the rapture is not just mentioned in one or inferred just in one place.

All of scripture is dovetailed together. And you can use a very simple point like that to show to somebody who sees no difference between the rapture and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. As you know, the comings of the Lord, there's only two comings of the Lord Jesus.

First coming, second coming. But that second coming is in two phases, the rapture for the church and then the cleanup for the kingdom, okay? So it's very important just to get these structural things. That's what we've been taking up all week, as you know, the structure of the Bible.

So when we get a look at the big forest, then when you're down reading at the tree level, ah, you know where to fit the tree in that big overall structure. Now, really, what is the Lord teaching in the tares? It's very solemn and it's searching. It's all about counterfeits.

That's what the devil is doing. The thing that I'm amazed at is these two things that the Lord Jesus picked, wheat and tares. Tares, you might see it referred to as bastard wheat or it's often referred to as Darnell.

Now, what is the frightening thing about Darnell tares? It looks identical to wheat. We all have driven down the road and seen a field of wheat, right? That nice golden headed thing, you know, with the germs and then the little whiskers that comes off it and there it is just waving in the sun, right? You know, the frightening thing about this parable is this, genuine wheat and Darnell tares, they grow identical. They grow at the same rate.

They grow at the same speed, the same color. They even come up to their head the same. Do you know the difference? The difference is only discovered at the very end.

You know what happens to wheat as it goes up and as all those little germs, as they mature, it gets heavy and the head folds over like this and turns golden, right? Ready for harvest. Do you know what happens to Darnell? It stays straight up, it turns black and all the germs become poisonous. But you don't discover that until the very end.

Now, I would echo a challenge to every single person here tonight. Make sure that you are genuinely saved. I don't think it's proper for Christians to be always digging around the foundation and oh, am I saved? That's not what I'm addressing.

I was recently at a conference and I had a young man come up to me and he would probably be about, I don't know, second year of university, so what would that make him? 20, 21? And I had been at his meeting where he went for a number of times and I've heard him stood up and pray from the age of 16. Tremendous. Now, all of a sudden he told me just this summer he wasn't saved and it bothered him for a while.

But pride stopped him from admitting it. Listen, I said to him, praise God, no need to be embarrassed. Nobody, no Christian would look at somebody, I hope, who had a false profession and say, what was your problem? No, we should rejoice that light has gotten in.

And now the boy talks about the difference of knowing Christ as a savior. So all I say is this, what we learn from this little parable is this. Thank God, those of us that are saved, planted by the son of man.

That's tremendous. It's not the idea that God has just taken seed and just threw a whole bag into the field. No, individually planted.

That's the hand of God in salvation. But you know what else the devil has done? Right alongside, he's planted a counterfeit. So that's something to keep in your mind.

We're told here that the angels, they're the reapers. As I said, that's what's gonna happen. Do you know what I love about this little parable? I love what's done with the wheat, gathered into my barn.

You ever thought of heaven as a barn? The idea of protection, taken out of the elements. Lovely little expression to think, I'm going to the barn. God's great barn, the great harvest.

So that's a lovely, whereas the tares, they're going to the fire. So that's something that's very solemn to keep in mind. Now let's come to parable number three on the chart here, which is the seed.

Now this is another interesting one. We have here in verse number 31. Another parable put he forth, unto them saying, the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

So we understand from the other parable, a field is the world, which indeed is the least of all seeds. Now notice, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the air, we discover from the earlier parables, the birds are linked with the demons. The birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Now, what is going on here? Well, if you go back into Genesis, do you know what you'll discover? Herbs, maybe you Americans pronounce that a little different than us Canadians, herbs, herbs, whatever. They are a different category. We're told that they're after their own kind.

Then you come to trees. They're in a different category. They're after their own kind.

So you know what you have happening in this parable? Something is jumping, morphing out of a God given category and becoming something God never intended it to be. An herb is turning into a tree. It's just total confusion.

That's what it is. You see, you gotta remember what the Lord is teaching. These are characteristics of this aspect of the kingdom that we're in.

Now, I don't need to bring much of the news of the media to you today, but have you ever seen so much confusion? Men wanting to be women, women wanting to be men, boys, girls, girls, boys, like just a total confusion. I'm not happy with what I'm given from God. I'm gonna become something else.

And what's happening to the world all around us? They're just falling headlong. They can't even get the words out there. Oh, wonderful.

It's wonderful. Do you know who's behind the entire thing? The devil. That's what's behind it.

Now, listen to your child of God. You and I live in a world that has an effect on us and we don't even realize it. Do you know what's happening to us? Because, oh, we live in an age of tolerance.

Don't offend. And it's getting to the point where we're afraid to mention that from our platforms, that it's sin. Now, mind you, nobody should stand on this platform and ridicule homosexuals, ridicule the bisexual, all that whole, no.

We understand from the word of God that God loves them. Christ died for them. They can be delivered from that.

Sinful wickedness, we understand that. So there should be, so don't get up here and take that message into your, if you can't handle yourself, don't. Because all you'll do is cause people to run off.

Preach it with compassion, okay? Because God can save them. God will save them. And our time is no different than what the Apostle Paul preached in.

So just keep that in mind. But the thing is this, here's what's happening to us today as we start to, be honest, now we do, we start to shy away from it, don't we? Do you know what often happens? Sympathy starts to come in. You look at Hollywood, it's the newest thing Hollywood's gonna push.

They're all excited about it. You're gonna start to see television shows, you're seeing them now, with more and more homosexuals and transgenders and everything else. And you know the common comment you hear? They're nice people.

They love one another. I saw a bumper sticker here just yesterday. Love is love.

Gosh, I got so mad when I saw that. I felt like pulling the car over and saying, if I love my 12-year-old daughter and want to sleep with her, is that okay? Like, just how far do you push that? Love is love. If I happen to love little boys, I guess love is love.

Who are you to say I'm wrong? You see the slippery slope that we're on? And it's just going to start. Come back to the chart. This is the apostasy that's already working.

And it's just increasing like a massive flood. And do you know what's happening right now? It's like a little boy standing at a dam with a pick and he's starting to pick holes in it. You get much more of that dam taken away and you're gonna be an avalanche coming.

Well, that's what's gonna happen. I am just always amazed as I think, I think I might've mentioned it to you folks, was it on Sunday or Monday, 2 Thessalonians, you'll be studying that, I understand, this winter, the restrainer. Don't let anyone try to tell you that that is not the spirit of God because you've got the masculine used there and the gender.

And only the spirit of God could hold back the antichrist. I just don't believe it for one minute that it can be something else other than the spirit of God. And isn't it amazing, the wickedness that's getting through in spite of the restrainer? What is this world gonna be like when the total restraint is removed? And in comes, see, once again, we're looking at the author.

The devil is beyond. Do you know something that I find amazing when I go through the word of God? Do you ever notice the effects that demon possession has on its host? That always ends up destroying them. Remember, cast the boy into the fire, cast him into the water.

A demon does not want to possess a body and kind of go, oh, this is a nice comfortable home. It wants to wreck it, destroy it. That's what the devil wants to do with humanity because they're the object of God's love.

So in this little parable, which the Lord is looking down the future road, these are characteristics. And we have to acknowledge tremendous what the Lord is teaching us here. Now let's come to number three.

Look at verse 33. Another parable spake he unto them. The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven.

Notice, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. Now listen, everywhere you read about leaven, it's always evil, always evil. It's evil here.

Another telling thing about this parable, characteristic of this age. Do you know what you have? You have a woman moving independent of a man. Boys, I don't have to tell you too much about what's happening out there, do I? Listen, you go back.

This is something that, these are things that we need to be teaching today, brethren, I'm telling you. Headship. Oh, nobody wants to speak on headship today.

Oh my land, that's suppressive. Nonsense. Do you understand that everywhere in the world where Christianity has come with the Bible has always lifted women? Always.

It has always given more rights and privileges to a woman than any religious system of the world. And I find it, this shows you, this shows you the blindness of sin. I find it amazing in the world that we're living, the nation that you're living in, that I'm living in, where on one hand, there's a tremendous push for the Islamic teaching, which suppresses women.

But Christianity, oh, that's suppressive to women. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You go way back into the book of Genesis.

How did all of this get off the rails? A woman acted like a man and a man acted like a woman. Eve led and Adam followed. Headship was reversed.

I wanna, if this is a tune up good, I wanna tune up my brethren. I cannot believe the amount of preachers that I've heard say that man and woman are made in the image of God. That is unscriptural, unscriptural.

We are both made in the likeness of God, but only the man is made in the image of God. Image always speaks of representation, rule, headship, accountability, one that is responsible. And you gotta read, you gotta do a little study in the Hebrew back there in Genesis one, in Genesis two.

Even just to prove it so simply, 1 Corinthians chapter 11 tells you what? Man is the image and glory of God. What's the woman? The woman is the glory of the man. You say, how does that work? You see, when you get a man functioning the way God wants him to function, and you get a woman functioning the way God wants her to function, that brings glory to the man, and that brings glory to God.

The whole thing, the whole structure. So as far as essence goes, man and woman are the same. Body, soul, spirit, no difference, absolutely.

But as far as function, man leader, woman supporter. Never do this, no. Essentially, yes, but as far as function, God gave a completely different role to the man as he did to the woman.

Another interesting thing is back into book of Genesis. Eve transgressed first. Who did God speak to first? It was the man.

Why? Because he was the head. He's the one accountable. He's the one responsible.

So can I bring that even down to another level? Men, husbands, you are the head of your house. Act it. Okay? I don't know how many times I've seen, you know, amazing thing, the sisters can't speak in the meeting.

Well, I'll tell you, they can sure speak in the car, can't they? Just chew the guy's head off all the way. Blah, blah, blah, blah. It's wrong.

Do you know what I'd love to see? There's a, well, the word of God tells us in first Peter that it's a thing of beauty when you find a spiritual woman that knows her place and a spiritual man that knows his place. And together they work for the glory of God. So it must be hard, sisters, in that world we live in because every time, you hear it all the time, we need more women in leadership.

I hope you don't think it's a good thing that your country has a woman that could be voted in. Somebody says, well, this is pretty hard stuff tonight. No, this is what the Bible teaches.

Go through the word of God. Whenever a woman was in leadership, there's always devastation. It's never right.

So contrary, you know what I've often told people? If you want to know what the Bible teaches, look at the world and think the opposite because the devil does, it's true, isn't it, brother? It's so true. The devil is so capable of just turning everything opposite that is of God. And we live in that world and that world starts to affect us and we don't even realize it.

So here's what we have, a characteristic of this environment. You have a woman that is using leaven, three meals. I don't have time to develop it.

It's linked with the doctrine of Christ, okay? Things that belong to God. I mean, you could look around this world. Look at what is being done in the name of Christ.

Places, it's sad, isn't it? 50 years ago, do you know what? Every single woman would have went to a church with their heads covered. Now, even some assemblies midweek are wondering if they need it. You imagine.

Tremendous, isn't it? Tremendous where we've come because we're getting away from these things. I wanna encourage brethren that take the platform. We shouldn't be afraid to take the word of God in hand and preach it.

Gotta do it with the right spirit. We understand that. If you got something against somebody, don't get up here and take it out.

I mean, saints will know that right away, but teach them what the word of God. Today, a lot of ministry, a lot of teaching is all like sort of make us feel good, happy. Well, sometimes things aren't happy.

Sometimes we need to be corrected from the word of God. So God help us in these areas. Let's come to the next one now.

Let's go down to verse number 44. Again, the kingdom of heaven. Now remember what I said from the grammar, the tares, the seed, and the leaven.

They are lumped together and you got all the emphasis upon the wicked one. Now we start the last three, which has to focus upon God's dealings. Now, you might remember where we started this.

I mentioned this quickly last night. We read in 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 32 that God has three programs, the Jew, the Gentile, and the church of God. And God is moving through time, working at different areas in those.

And the reason that we've been doing this whole study is to show you there are verses that apply only to the Jew, but people today are taking them and applying them to the church. So if you don't see those three distinct categories, but you know what you have? As a result of what the Lord is teaching here, you will have the treasure, which speaks of Israel, the pearl speaks of the church, and the net speaks of the Gentile. So that when you come to the start of the millennial reign, all three programs of God will be completed.

Every group in their proper place, and that will bring maximum glory to Christ. So let's just read about the treasure. Verse 44, fascinating.

Just how careful the word of God is. Look at this. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field.

The witch, when a man hath found it, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth the field. Do you notice how the parable ends? He doesn't have the treasure. It's still hidden in the field.

What do we learn is the field, the world. What happened to the nation when they were carried off into captivity? They were hidden in the world, and then God brought them out. What happened after they rejected the Lord Jesus? What happened in AD 70? Titus, the Romans, dispersed again into the world.

They're still hidden in the world. What you see in Israel, a little over 6 million people living in it, is only a trickle, only a trickle. I get people taking me into the Old Testament and saying, the return of the Jew.

Look, look, the verses are being fulfilled. I don't believe it for a minute. Wrong time.

It wouldn't be until after the rapture. Once the church age is done, then there'll be a tremendous influx of Jewish people coming back into that nation. That's when you'll start to see.

But really, those verses are really applying to here when God brings his people into the millennium. So you have to see the things in their proper perspective. Now let's go through the word of, just for a minute, let's go back to Exodus chapter 19 for a minute, just to prove that the treasure is the nation of Israel.

Because if you don't get this first, you won't get all the other groups. If a Jewish person was reading this, they would have no trouble at all understanding this, but we're not Jewish, so we'll take a minute just to look at a couple of verses. Exodus chapter 19, and look at what the Lord Jesus God says in verse number five.

Verse number five. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure. Now that's two words in our English Bible, but it's one Hebrew word.

Peculiar treasure unto me above all people. For all the earth is mine and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Now, if you trace that Hebrew word through the Old Testament, you will get it translated as peculiar treasure, special, jewel, particular treasure, every time it refers to the nation of Israel, okay? So come back to Matthew 13, verse 44.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto treasure hid in a field, which when a man hath found it, that's really the ministry of the Lord Jesus. He came, the nation is there, they refused him. What happened? He hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth the field.

Let me ask you a question. When will God enjoy the treasure? Look at the chart right there. We know that when the Lord comes out of heaven, the remnant that are left will acknowledge their Messiah, Isaiah 53.

It's all in the past tense. He was wounded and a nation is born in a day. And that is when the treasure is finally unhid forever.

Now come to the second one, the next one, 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who when he hath found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he hath and bought it. Do you notice that the merchant man has the pearl? The first one, the merchant man doesn't have the treasure, right at the present, right? God doesn't have Israel yet.

Does Christ have the church? Absolutely, we're his bride. He's got us, right? Okay, now isn't this interesting? A pearl, a pearl comes from an oyster. To a Jew, an oyster is an unclean thing.

We're told that in Leviticus, okay? So it can't be speaking to the Jew. A Jew would never wear a pearl around their neck, unclean. Is that not us? That's how the Jews looked upon us.

We are the pearl. This is the church, right here. And we, of course, are waiting to be raptured home.

And it's a nice thought to think upon that as well. Nice thought even to look at the merchant, the seeking, the traveling. There's all different words there, but I just don't have time to spend on that right now.

Verse 47, again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, there's your idea of Gentiles again, and gathered of every kind, which when it was full, they drew to shore and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world. There's that expression again, the consummation of the age.

The angels shall come forth, so come to the chariot. I know I'm at this point right here. The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, excuse me, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.

There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. You know what I find interesting? We know that as soon as the rapture happens, there's 144,000 Jewish preachers sealed. Do you realize that in a day, the Jewish nation will become the greatest missionary-minded nation that there ever was? That's fascinating to think of.

In one day, 12,000 from each tribe, they will send out, God will of course, 144,000 preachers into the world. You go into the book of Revelation, you wanna know the end result of their preaching? The word of God says from every tongue, every nation, there will be a representative. That's tremendous.

So you know, that's an encouragement to me as a gospel preacher, part-time, when you get time to. You know, don't let some preacher stand up here and say, oh, God's not doing much today. I say, open your eyes, man.

Open your eyes. Don't lament and go on about, oh, it wasn't like it was 50 years ago when they're getting, listen, God is always working. Always.

All around this world, I'm just not aware of it. If a number, here's what Revelation will tell you. As a result of those 144,000, a number that no man can number, that is what God will do in seven years while tremendous judgments are falling upon this earth.

Now listen, there's no judgments falling right now on this earth. We have full reign to preach. There's really no complaint.

There's no excuses. So the power lies in God. And I think of those 144,000 protected from the beast, the beast will try to kill them, will not succeed.

And God will move those people in a world that will be controlled by the beast. You know, it's things like that that give me great encouragement every time I come to your country. I don't know what special training they do to those customs guys and women, but my land, they got an awful look on their face.

Scare the living daylights out of you. And you're ready for all of these questions and hauled off to jail and put on the rack and questioned for hours. I just think, if God wants me in this country at this point, I'll just have a good day, sir.

That's a wonderful comfort to me. I got nothing to hide, of course, but it's God can move his people anywhere. God can save anywhere.

So I hope as we come to an end, this chart, which might've looked, we put it up Sunday, maybe it looked pretty confusing, like, whoa, we've gone over a number of different points. And I think based on some of the comments at the door, I think a lot of this has become a little more clearer to you. Now there's about two or three more weeks to have on this chart.

We might be able to come back if they ask us, but if they don't, well, it was great being here. And we trust that you're all encouraged from what we went through on the chart. So let's take a moment to pray to God.

Father, we bless you once again for thy son, the Lord Jesus, and we thank you for his death. We just marvel at the thought that we have been brought into the counsels of thyself. We've been allowed to look into these mysteries, this unveiling of truth.

We think of the world, they have no time for it. They don't care for it. They have their own plans and they think that their own plans are gonna come to fruition.

But we know from the word of God that only thy plans will come to fruition. And we thank you for the day coming when out of that dark sky into this dark world will come that rider on the white horse, Revelation 19, you read about it, and in a blaze of light, just as lightning goes from the east to the west, we thank you for such a thing that will be when he comes down into this world to reign in Jerusalem. Thank you that we'll be with him.

Thank you for the coming kingdom. Help us, Father, to live in light of that coming kingdom. Help us to keep our minds and our stuff out of this world and to live for him and him alone.

So we commit all to thee. Once again, we would ask for help with the conference this weekend. We would pray for safety upon all thy people that are traveling.

Help from the kitchen right to the platform, we pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.