Parables of the Kingdom

[Checkpoint]

Jesus was a teacher like few others.

His teaching was both practical and spiritual, with one basic message, the good news of the Kingdom of God/Heaven.

He taught in many ways, one of which was by the use of parables.

Matthew 13 brings a number of his Kingdom parables together, about which Jesus asked and observed:

Matthew 13:

51 “Have you understood all these things?� Jesus asked.

“Yes,� they replied.

52 He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.�

This thread is for us to present our understanding of these and any other Kingdom parables.

Are our views of the Kingdom confirmed or challenged by what is in Matthew 13?

Does this teaching add to, or modify or take away from, what has been your understanding of the Kingdom?

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 7 by jgh7]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

Post 5 has completely disappeared.. does anyone know what happened?

I still got it...

So have I -now!

I had without knowing it put JW on "Ignore".

Thanks for answering what you did.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

I agree that Matthew 13 contains a series of illustrations all related in some way with God's kingdom.

The Jehovovah's Witness understanding of the "Kingdom seed" illustrations for example relates to what we believe happened to Christianity after the death of Jesus (and the last of the Apostles).

We believe the "harvest season" begain at the beginning of the 20th century and has continued to the present time.

That is what JWs believe about that parable, which you seem to prefer to call an "illustration".

What you have presented is history/prophecy rather than what the parable format is actually intended to convey.

Jesus tells us what that is.

"The kingdom of heaven is like...".

Mark 4:30

Then He asked, "To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?

Luke 13:18

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?"

[JehovahsWitness]

What you have presented is history/prophecy rather than what the parable format is actually intended to convey.

Well let's just say we (JWs) view Matthew 13v36-42 as a "prophetic parable" (ie a parable intended to explain features of the kingdom some of which would be future to the time it was intitially given)

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

How literal is your diagram to be taken in relation to the texts it cites?

Matthew 13:37-43 - The JEHOVAH'S WITNESS interpretation is as follows

37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. Literially Jesus Christ who "sowed" or established true Christianity by teaching the truth about the kingdom.

38 The field is the world Literally the present world system that exists on this planet

and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. Genuine Christians Judged as such by Jehovah God.

The weeds are the people of the evil one Imitation Christians (individuals that do not genuinely meet God's standards)

39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. Literally Satan who "sows" or infiltrates false teachings through non-biblical apostate teachings (the trinity, hellfire, the immortality of the soul, etc) that mimiced Jesus teachings but in fact would result in imitation "weedlike" christians throughout the ages.

The harvest is the end of the age literally from 1914 to the start of the Great Tribulation

The "The gathering" of genuine Christians into one united "church" or religion that reflects True Christianity as established by Jesus in the first century (1919 to present)

and the harvesters are angels. Literally angels that work unseen to help present day True Christians preach about the Kingdom

FURTHER READING
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2013531

[JehovahsWitness]

Do JW's believe that according to the diagram, all other Christians (except the early Christian Church) are weeds sown by the devil and will be weeded out of the kingdom and sentenced to the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth?

No because Jesus said there would be "weeds" and "wheat" growing together (ie that there would be genuine Christians within the "weedlike" Churches but those wheat-like genuine Christians would not be gathered together in one "church" or religion until the harvest (the 20th century) when true Christianity (as opposed to apostate imitation "christianity") would be reestablished. In short there have always been true Christians from the time of Christ but they could not be clearly identifiable as a group (religion). There would be no true Christian ORGANIZATION from the end of the first century until the "harvest" gathering (1919 onwards).



JW

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 15 by JehovahsWitness]

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Jesus foretold a future Great tribulation. At that time all mankind (all humans) will be judged. Matthew 13:40-43 concentrates, we believe, on how "imitation" weedlike Christians will feel about impending destruction* ...

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

*weeping and gnashing of teeth: There is no "place" where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" this is an expression Jesus used to describe anguish and worry felt by the living, not torture of the dead. Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in hell.

On the other hand all Faithful anointed Christians resurrected to their position in the kingdom Government will "shine" (be elevated to their position with Christ in heaven)

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

[Checkpoint]

Do JW's believe that according to the diagram, all other Christians (except the early Christian Church) are weeds sown by the devil and will be weeded out of the kingdom and sentenced to the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth?

No because Jesus said there would be "weeds" and "wheat" growing together (ie that there would be genuine Christians within the "weedlike" Churches but those wheat-like genuine Christians would not be gathered together in one "church" or religion until the harvest (the 20th century) when true Christianity (as opposed to apostate imitation "christianity") would be reestablished. In short there have always been true Christians from the time of Christ but they could not be clearly identifiable as a group (religion). There would be no true Christian ORGANIZATION from the end of the first century until the "harvest" gathering (1919 onwards).

JW

The explanation of this parable was clearly given by Jesus, and any "interpretation" should not add onto it times and ideas that are just not there.

He said nothing, and intended nothing, for example, about any "Christian ORGANIZATION" or "apostate imitation christianity".

Nothing about "1919 onwards" or "the 20th century".

[shnarkle]

Does this teaching add to, or modify or take away from, what has been your understanding of the Kingdom?

Given that the Kingdom of god has been postponed indefinitely, it is impossible to determine what it is or rather was supposed to be. If it ever arrives, we can revisit your question. Until then, it is pure supposition.

But why would one necessarily need to look at the kingdom as being postponed? Christ said that where two or three are gathered in his name, there he is in their midst; and where the king is, you will find the kingdom as you can't have a kingdom without a king. There's nothing stopping people from bringing out all their treasures, and the book of Acts describes that happening. It still happens to this very day. People will suddenly just up and walk away from their lives for no apparaent reason. They leave all their stuff behind to live in communes etc.

[shnarkle]

[Replying to post 15 by JehovahsWitness]

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

Jesus foretold a future Great tribulation. At that time all mankind (all humans) will be judged. Matthew 13:40-43 concentrates, we believe, on how "imitation" weedlike Christians will feel about impending destruction* ...

40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

*weeping and gnashing of teeth: There is no "place" where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" this is an expression Jesus used to describe anguish and worry felt by the living, not torture of the dead. Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in hell.

On the other hand all Faithful anointed Christians resurrected to their position in the kingdom Government will "shine" (be elevated to their position with Christ in heaven)

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

The passage you supplied sounds like the period known as God's wrath, no? Tribulation isn't referring to the same events is it? The reason I ask is because I thought the term tribulation is only referring to the tribulation of antichrist. I could be wrong, but can't find where tribuilation may be referring to God's judgement.

[JehovahsWitness]

... I thought the term tribulation is only referring to the tribulation of antichrist. I could be wrong, but can't find where tribuilation may be referring to God's judgement.

MATTHEW 24: 21
For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! - Holman Christian Standard Bible

WHAT IS THE "GREAT TRIBULATION"?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe the "great tribulation" to be a future world situation, which will start with the destruction of false religion and climax with the destruction of the wicked and the entire world system of things at Armageddon when every human will be judged either worthy of everlasting destruction or allowed to survive to live on under kingdom rule (we believe God's kingdom to be a heavenly government that will rule over the entire planet earth).

We believe that survivors of these events will be the "meek that shall inherit the earth" ie those that survive this destruction will continue life on earth but under much better living conditions.


JW