Two Points for Understanding End Times Prophecy
I see this often on social media: “God is separating the wheat from the tares!” Some talk about false believers within a church. Others go political: “The left are showing themselves to be tares.” And I’ve seen many other interesting parallels.
But what is Jesus’ context?
I invite you to pause and pray the Holy Spirit would cause His Word to be understood.
The Parable
Now let’s read it:
Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Explanation
We’re particularly blessed because Jesus explained this parable to the disciples and also ordained for it to be included for us in the Scripture.
Matthew 13:36-43 (NKJV)
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
So, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Makes sense.
The field is the world. So, the scope is worldwide—not just the Church. It includes the people who know they’re followers of Christ, the people who know they aren’t, and everyone in between. (Truly, at any given moment, we’re either one or the other, and Jesus knows.)
The good seeds are sons of the kingdom—followers of Christ. The tares are the sons of the wicked one—they follow the god of the world to their destruction.
The harvest is the end of the age.
What’s the meat of this parable? I see two points.
Let Both Grow Together Until the Harvest
“Let both grow together until the harvest” (Mt 13:30). In verse 39, Jesus tells us the harvest is the end of the age. So, believers and unbelievers are to grow together on the earth until the end of the age. This by itself contradicts the idea that Christians would be gathered before the end of the Tribulation.
Some people will say we’re in the “Church Age” or the “Age of Grace” now, and the Tribulation is afterwards. These terms come from a theological framework called Dispensationalism, which took root in the 1800s and quickly spread.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus gave us the work of making disciples of all nations, and promised to be with us, even to the end of the age. Our word translated “nations” is the Greek word “ethnos”, which is where we get our word “ethnic”. It means a people group with its own language and culture. There are many such groups today who have been identified, but they have not yet been reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If your heart is burdened for the unreached people groups, there are some ministries who focus on reaching them, such as The Jesus Film Project and Advancing Native Missions.
Why would the end of the age precede the fulfillment of disciples of all nations?
Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Mt 24:3). He framed His answer accordingly: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Mt 24:6). After describing severe persecution and widespread apostasy (to abandon obedience and/or renounce faith in Christ), He says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mt 24:14).
Dispensationalism teaches a gathering of believers before the tribulation described in Matthew 24:4-29, which would be before the end as He defines it.
If a winemaker wants to decide whether its time to harvest, the first thing she will test is the sugar content (called Brix) of the grapes. Yeast eats sugar, and the byproduct is alcohol. Underripe grapes will produce a weak wine. She wants to maximize Brix, while balancing other factors such as acidity, and the weather forecast, etc. Look at the Scriptural equivalent to Brix:
Joel 3:13 (NKJV)
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the winepress is full,
The vats overflow—
For their wickedness is great.”
Revelation 14:14-20 speak about harvesting the earth in the same vein—when wickedness is prevalent and has climaxed.
Again, to summarize, “Let both grow until the harvest [end of the age]” means believers will not be gathered before the end of the Tribulation.
First Gather Together the Tares
Matthew 13:30b (NKJV)
…and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’
“First gather together the tares” teaches us the sons of the evil one will be gathered first, before the sons of the kingdom. In other words, there will be a post-wrath gathering of the believers.
You may be saying, “Does it really mean that?” Remember what He says in His explanation of the parable:
Matthew 13:40-43 (NKJV)
40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Proverbs 2 speaks of the same:
Proverbs 2:21-22 (NKJV)
For the upright will dwell in the land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
After God separates the tares from the wheat, the righteous will have rest in the presence of the Lord.
Closing Challenge
Whether you die today or remain alive until the coming of the Lord, what kind of harvest are you sowing? “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Ro 8:13-14).
We can only live by the Spirit of God if we have been born again. Jesus said many people will say, “Lord, Lord!” and He will tell them, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt 7:21-23). Mere intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel won’t save us (Ja 2:19). 1 John is a great book for self-evaluation. If we have truly been born again, let us abide in Him and not turn aside to destruction.
How can a person be born again? Living according to the flesh comes natural for us, yet it separates us from our Creator (Is 59). It wasn’t always this way. Our first father and mother, Adam and Eve, had a perfect relationship with God originally. They rebelled against Him when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of which God commanded them not to eat. Immediately the closeness they enjoyed with God was shattered. Shame and separation took its place. When they heard His voice, they hid. Yet God pursued them, making the first move towards reconciliation. The LORD promised a Savior, the Seed of the woman, to destroy the work of the serpent, who had deceived Eve. He said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Ge 3:15). In making them clothes of skin (Ge 3:21), the LORD also offered the first blood sacrifice on their behalf, demonstrating from the beginning that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Le 17:11, He 9:22). As Adam’s offspring, every one of us rebel against our Creator as he did (Ro 5:12, 1 Cor 15:21-22), and we earn eternal death. The Creator Himself took on flesh (Jn 1:1-3, 14; Lk 1:35) in the body of Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). Being made like us in humanity, but without sin, He alone was able to be an acceptable blood sacrifice for Adam’s race. Jesus willingly died for us, was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day, proving His power over the grave. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Being born again is not a matter of simple intellectual assent to the facts of Christ’s life, death, burial, resurrection, and our sinfulness as a human, but an earnest desire to leave our way of rebellion and follow Jesus as our Lord. Repentance is a lifelong practice for all those who are adopted through faith as sons of God. Peter preached (Ac 2:38): “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Christ sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside every child of God, and He’s the one who gives us the power to walk in obedience to Christ. Paul preached everywhere, “that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Ac 26:20).
As the LORD pursued Adam, He is also pursuing each one of us. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Re 3:19-20).
I see this often on social media: “God is separating the wheat from the tares!” Some talk about false believers within a church. Others go political: “The left are showing themselves to be tares.” And I’ve seen many other interesting parallels.
But what is Jesus’ context?
I invite you to pause and pray the Holy Spirit would cause His Word to be understood.
The Parable
Now let’s read it:
Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Explanation
We’re particularly blessed because Jesus explained this parable to the disciples and also ordained for it to be included for us in the Scripture.
Matthew 13:36-43 (NKJV)
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
So, He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. Makes sense.
The field is the world. So, the scope is worldwide—not just the Church. It includes the people who know they’re followers of Christ, the people who know they aren’t, and everyone in between. (Truly, at any given moment, we’re either one or the other, and Jesus knows.)
The good seeds are sons of the kingdom—followers of Christ. The tares are the sons of the wicked one—they follow the god of the world to their destruction.
The harvest is the end of the age.
What’s the meat of this parable? I see two points.
Let Both Grow Together Until the Harvest
“Let both grow together until the harvest” (Mt 13:30). In verse 39, Jesus tells us the harvest is the end of the age. So, believers and unbelievers are to grow together on the earth until the end of the age. This by itself contradicts the idea that Christians would be gathered before the end of the Tribulation.
Some people will say we’re in the “Church Age” or the “Age of Grace” now, and the Tribulation is afterwards. These terms come from a theological framework called Dispensationalism, which took root in the 1800s and quickly spread.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus gave us the work of making disciples of all nations, and promised to be with us, even to the end of the age. Our word translated “nations” is the Greek word “ethnos”, which is where we get our word “ethnic”. It means a people group with its own language and culture. There are many such groups today who have been identified, but they have not yet been reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If your heart is burdened for the unreached people groups, there are some ministries who focus on reaching them, such as The Jesus Film Project and Advancing Native Missions.
Why would the end of the age precede the fulfillment of disciples of all nations?
Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Mt 24:3). He framed His answer accordingly: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Mt 24:6). After describing severe persecution and widespread apostasy (to abandon obedience and/or renounce faith in Christ), He says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mt 24:14).
Dispensationalism teaches a gathering of believers before the tribulation described in Matthew 24:4-29, which would be before the end as He defines it.
If a winemaker wants to decide whether its time to harvest, the first thing she will test is the sugar content (called Brix) of the grapes. Yeast eats sugar, and the byproduct is alcohol. Underripe grapes will produce a weak wine. She wants to maximize Brix, while balancing other factors such as acidity, and the weather forecast, etc. Look at the Scriptural equivalent to Brix:
Joel 3:13 (NKJV)
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the winepress is full,
The vats overflow—
For their wickedness is great.”
Revelation 14:14-20 speak about harvesting the earth in the same vein—when wickedness is prevalent and has climaxed.
Again, to summarize, “Let both grow until the harvest [end of the age]” means believers will not be gathered before the end of the Tribulation.
First Gather Together the Tares
Matthew 13:30b (NKJV)
…and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’
“First gather together the tares” teaches us the sons of the evil one will be gathered first, before the sons of the kingdom. In other words, there will be a post-wrath gathering of the believers.
You may be saying, “Does it really mean that?” Remember what He says in His explanation of the parable:
Matthew 13:40-43 (NKJV)
40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Proverbs 2 speaks of the same:
Proverbs 2:21-22 (NKJV)
For the upright will dwell in the land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
After God separates the tares from the wheat, the righteous will have rest in the presence of the Lord.
Closing Challenge
Whether you die today or remain alive until the coming of the Lord, what kind of harvest are you sowing? “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Ro 8:13-14).
We can only live by the Spirit of God if we have been born again. Jesus said many people will say, “Lord, Lord!” and He will tell them, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt 7:21-23). Mere intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel won’t save us (Ja 2:19). 1 John is a great book for self-evaluation. If we have truly been born again, let us abide in Him and not turn aside to destruction.
How can a person be born again? Living according to the flesh comes natural for us, yet it separates us from our Creator (Is 59). It wasn’t always this way. Our first father and mother, Adam and Eve, had a perfect relationship with God originally. They rebelled against Him when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of which God commanded them not to eat. Immediately the closeness they enjoyed with God was shattered. Shame and separation took its place. When they heard His voice, they hid. Yet God pursued them, making the first move towards reconciliation. The LORD promised a Savior, the Seed of the woman, to destroy the work of the serpent, who had deceived Eve. He said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Ge 3:15). In making them clothes of skin (Ge 3:21), the LORD also offered the first blood sacrifice on their behalf, demonstrating from the beginning that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Le 17:11, He 9:22). As Adam’s offspring, every one of us rebel against our Creator as he did (Ro 5:12, 1 Cor 15:21-22), and we earn eternal death. The Creator Himself took on flesh (Jn 1:1-3, 14; Lk 1:35) in the body of Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). Being made like us in humanity, but without sin, He alone was able to be an acceptable blood sacrifice for Adam’s race. Jesus willingly died for us, was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day, proving His power over the grave. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Being born again is not a matter of simple intellectual assent to the facts of Christ’s life, death, burial, resurrection, and our sinfulness as a human, but an earnest desire to leave our way of rebellion and follow Jesus as our Lord. Repentance is a lifelong practice for all those who are adopted through faith as sons of God. Peter preached (Ac 2:38): “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Christ sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside every child of God, and He’s the one who gives us the power to walk in obedience to Christ. Paul preached everywhere, “that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Ac 26:20).
As the LORD pursued Adam, He is also pursuing each one of us. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Re 3:19-20).
Excellent article! I keep bringing up the parable of the wheat and tares with people and they are just unable to grasp it. It’s like their Pre-Trib bias puts a cognitive block that makes them incapable of seeing how clear the parable of the wheat and tares is.
A natural reading of Matthew 13:30 makes Pre-Trib impossible, so Pre-Tribbers try to warp the interpretation of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares to dodge the devastating implications have on their position.
Also, good job bringing up Proverbs 2:21-22. I’ve also thought about how it’s evidence in favor of our view on the end time harvests of the world.
Without the power of the Holy Spirit, the parables cannot be grasped. I saw this in a memorable way when we read two or three of the parables in my English literature class in college. Though I was trying to explain them, my teacher said, “I don’t understand! I don’t understand! I don’t understand!” It was sad, but not at all surprising. (He was openly contentious against Christianity.)
This is an awesome teaching. Please pray for my friend who believes in a pre trib rapture as well as most of the western church, they need prayer that the Father would remove the scales from their eyes so that they will not listen to false doctrine but be led of the Spirit by the Holy Spirit🙌🏼👑⚔️🔥when reading the living word( Yeshua/Jesus) who literally is the word made flesh
Thank you for your encouraging message, Elizabeth! I prayed for your friend and yes, the western Church. Amen!
Would you consider subscribing to my mailing list? And if you do YouTube, I have a new channel there: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDC9ul6ldhSZKNxFumd7HCg
I hope you will keep this site in mind to share with your friends, especially combined with your own testimony, because the people who love you will care about that the most.
God bless,
Annette
I was listening to a preacher yesterday and he said something about the “tares that have been sown in our hearts” and I had to do a double-listen as I always thought that the wheat and tares were types of believers (because they look so much alike at first). I really am pondering this parable again even though I believe that, for the wheat, it is the chaff that is removed from the true believer through tribulation and perhaps a tare never actually goes through tribulation, its just thrown in the fire. But what this brother said about tares in the heart makes sense too, as the kingdom of God is within and our hearts are compared to soil. I’m finding as I grow (hopefully) I’m looking more at Jesus’ teachings from a spiritual perspective and at myself for those things that offend. So many of my brothers and sisters in Christ are very quick to say, “well that’s not me, of course”. But I’m wondering, “Lord, is it me?”
Hi Brigitte. Sorry for my delay in replying to your comment. I do not agree with the preacher, because Jesus says “the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one” (Mt 13:38). One cannot be both at the same time. I believe we both (tares and wheat) will go through the Tribulation and at the end of the age (when Jesus returns), the wicked will be gathered out (killed) and the rest will live. In the soils parable, all the soils are believers, but the thorny soil and the among thorns soil apostatize for two different reasons (offense at trouble or persecution; cares of the world or deceitfulness of wealth). Regarding, “Lord, is it me?” that is a very good attitude to have. The Scriptures say, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Co 10:12). God bless you.
Omgoodness, I’m sitting herw praying to be wheat not a tare. I’m going through some spiritual warfare. Attack of the enemy. So much!!! Also I thought about The wheat and tares being a parable about the heart as well, but He explains to the disciples that the tares are the enemies children..
Matthew 13:38 ( Which is so sad bro, I’m so afraid. Omgoodness, May He have mercy. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽)
“The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;”
I believe there is a parable about Him threshing❤️🔥
Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Yes, I’m afraid of the Lord, the Heart is deceitful, and pride can be blinding. I pray He abides in us, circumcises our Heart and that We are Wheat, threshed. Not tares🙏🏽 omgoodness 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Hi Annette,
I agree that this parable is not a description of the pre-tribulation rapture in any way. As you point out the tares and the wheat will go through the 7-year tribulation.
With that said, there are a few truths to understand regarding dispensationalism, which is not an invention of man, but is scriptural and inferred throughout the Bible. Two verses I bring to light:
Ephesians 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
When we examine the Greek root for the word dispensation, we see:
STRONGS NT 3622: οἰκονομία
οἰκονομία, οἰκονομίας, ἡ (οἰκονομέω), from Xenophon, and Plato down, “the management of a household or of household affairs; specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of others’ property; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship”: Luke 16:2-4; hence, the word is transferred by Paul in a theocratic sense to the office (duty) intrusted to him by God (the lord and master) of proclaiming to men the blessings of the gospel, 1 Corinthians 9:17; ἡ, οἰκονομία τοῦ Θεοῦ, the office of administrator (stewardship) intrusted by God, Colossians 1:25. universally, administration, dispensation, which in a theocratic sense is ascribed to God himself as providing for man’s salvation: αἵτινες… ἡ
Think of the administration of God’s kingdom as a corporation. The unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal in power, but each have specifc roles that they do for the salvation of mankind and keeping the order of the cosmos.
Remember, Lucifer was the head cherub that oversaw the throne of God, how He planned and organized the universe before the creation of man. When he became Satan out of pride, he tried (and still tries) to recreate HIS VERSION of what God’s plan was before he rebelled.
We live in Satan’s world system today, and throughout the ages all the world’s civilizations that came and went were “cheap copies” of what Satan is trying to recreate on earth since he reclaimed it in the garden.
The relationship God had with mankind in the garden was different that it is today. This is where the idea of dividing God’s providence through dispensations comes in. It is the same for the time between Noah and Moses. No commandments or strict religious observances were required until the Exodus, and were nailed to the cross 2500 years later. During that time, the way God dealt with his people was not the same. The divisions of administration of divine justice are clearly outlined. Going forward, more clear divisions are made during the tribulation, and afterward in the millennium and beyond…
Now regarding the rapture, here is something to consider:
2 Thessalonians 2
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Verses 3 and 4 give the context.
Verse 6: This means we are to know and understand that SOMETHING is holding back the revealing of the antichrist on earth.
Verse 7: Something or someone must be taken out of the way, but whom? It can’t be the antichrist, he must be destroyed by Christ in the next verse.
If there is no pre-tribulation rapture, then as you say, everyone must go through the 7 year tribulation, but when exactly does this revealing of the antichrist take place? If verse 8 says that once he appears, the Lord comes down, then when does he have time to set up his beast system? The chronological order of many prophecies cannot follow through logically with this scenario.
As you say, it is not everyone that says Lord Lord that gets saved. We must be Born Again, and become a new creature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
I think people skip over this part to quickly… new creature means you’re no longer “human” in God’s eyes. The body is no longer joined with the spirit it was conceived with, and this invisible separation is what God uses to distinguish his Bride or Church if you will. This is also known as the Body of Christ. One head which is Christ, and its members are scattered throughout the world, people like you and me, all serving a purpose and function. Christ is the maestro and we are nothing but musicians playing our part in the orchestra.
At some point, the rest of the Body must join the Head. A wedding must take place. The King is coming for his bride. This is not the scenario we read if the Church and Body of Christ must go through a tribulation period. This is not customary of a kosher Jewish wedding back in Jesus’ day. The ending of the wheat and tares parable does not sound like a kosher wedding reception to me.
Food for thought.
Blessings in Jesus name.
Hi Richard,
Ephesians 3:2 and Colossians 1:5 have nothing to do with the theological framework of Dispensationalism. It’s dishonest to conflate those verses with theological Dispensationalism. Theological Dispensationalism says that Jesus gathers the Church before the Tribulation, without her finishing the job He entrusted her to, which is to make disciples of all nations. [This will be fulfilled in the context of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:14).] It also makes two bodies of Christ (the Church, and the Tribulation saints), when there is only one. When you celebrate a holiday meal with your family, don’t you wait until everyone is at the table before you begin to eat? Dispensationalism tries to convince itself they will be feasting with the King while many lost people, including a decent remnant of Israel, have yet to come to the table. It is exact opposite of what Romans 11:11-15 teaches, and does not hear the warning to the Gentiles in Romans 11.
I have a video/article about 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, answering the common argument that the Church is gone before. (Verse 8 is the end of the man of lawlessness, not the beginning.) https://overcomingthetribulation.com/church-gone-before/
The extra-biblical idea of Pre-Tribulation Rapture is not found in Scripture, and it’s contradicted by it. The parable of the wheat and tares is clear: we will all grow together until the harvest, and at the end of the age (when Jesus returns), first the tares will be removed (killed) and then the wheat is gathered.
Excellent response Richard!!!
““And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’”
Revelation 3:7-13 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/rev.3.7-13.NKJV
Good article, but please leave politics out of it. There are tares on all political sides, all over the world.
I am apolitical. I was simply reporting how I have heard people speak online.
She did leave politics out of it. Just because she used the word ‘political’ and ‘left’ doesn’t mean those are necessarily her thoughts. In fact, she quoted others, not herself.
‘…Others go political: “The left are showing themselves to be tares.” ‘
Great article, Ms. Bell.
[…] you’re interested in looking at some of the other problems with Pre-Wrath, I would point you to the parable of the wheat and tares and the parable of the dragnet in Matthew 13. My two-part testimony explains how I was first […]
Excellent write up!!
So what I understand is that Jesus is speaking at the end of the Jewish Age since He hadn’t yet died on the cross. Heb 9:26
The wheat are the Christians of the 1st Century who would be part of the age to come Matt 12:32 and the tares are the Jews who refused to convert to Christ but persecuted the church.
Hi there. I do not agree that He’s talking about “the end of the Jewish Age since He hadn’t yet died on the cross.” He’s talking about the wheat and tares growing until harvest, when the wheat is mature. The tares are gathered first (killed), and then the wheat are gathered. He’s talking about His second coming.
Dispensationalism artificially divides up time and creates all kinds of confusion.