And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14 KJV
From the start of His ministry, Yeshua proclaimed, “the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom.”
- And Yeshua went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Matthew 4:23 KJVm
The word “gospel,” according to Strong’s, is from the Greek word euaggelion…
…. which means “good news.”
GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM PROCLAIMED IN PARABLES
At that point in time, no one really knew what “the Gospel of the Kingdom” was because Yeshua only shared the mystery of the Kingdom to the crowds in parables so that they wouldn’t understand.
- And he said unto them, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of The Most High: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables”
Mark 4:11 KJVm
The use of parables to conceal information wasn’t unique to the New Testament. The prophet Hosea clarified that the visions of all the prophets had been obscured in a parable format.
- I have also spoken to the prophets and I gave numerous visions and through the prophets I gave parables.
Hosea 12:10 NASB
According to Daniel, the prophetic visions, which includes the parables, had been sealed so as not to be understood until the end of the age.
- He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.”
Daniel12:9-10 NASB
But the visions and parables weren’t meant to be sealed for all time. Rather, the visions and parables would (eventually) be understood, but only in the end times (when transportation and knowledge are vastly increasing).
- “But Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal it up so that it will not be understood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased!”
Daniel 12:4 TLB
In this article, we are going to examine Yeshua’s Kingdom Parables in an effort to understand the message He was conveying to His sheep who are living in the end times.
50 PARABLES
Forty-six of Yeshua’s parables were documented in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. A closer examination reveals that these 50 parables can be further subdivided into four categories:
- The Kingdom -34 Parables
- Love and forgiveness -2 Parables
- Prayer – 3 Parables
- Miscellaneous 21- Parables
THE KINGDOM PARABLES
Of the 50 parables, only thirty-four directly address the kingdom. And the information found within these 29 kingdom parables is “the Gospel of the Kingdom” which Yeshua proclaimed to the crowds.
Fourteen of these kingdom allegories are easy to distinguish because each contain the catchphrase;“the kingdom of heaven is like…”
- He then told another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a man that sowed good seed in his field:
Matthew 13:24 KJV
The remainder of the kingdom parables also contain catchphrases which help identify these parables as kingdom parables. This use of catchphrases help determine that all of the kingdom parables are conveying details which are describing the same event.
THE GOSPEL EXPLAINED TO THE DISCIPLES
Yeshua only spoke to the crowds in parables. Fortunately however, we have some insight into “the Gospel of the Kingdom” because Yeshua did provide an explanation later to His disciples.
- With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Mark 4:33-34 NASB
THREE EXPLANATIONS
Out of all 50 parables, only three of Yeshua’s explanations were ever documented. And all three are Kingdom parables:
- The Sower – Matthew 13:3–9
- The Wheat &Tares – Matthew 13:36-42
- The Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-50
And of those three, two parables provide a reference concerning when the Kingdom parables would be fulfilled. These two parables are:
- The Wheat &Tares – Matthew 13:36-42
- The Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-50
THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT & TARES
- Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:36-42 NASB
THE PARABLE OF THE DRAGNET
- “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:47–50 NASB
THE SECOND COMING AND THE END OF THE AGE
Did you notice that these two Kingdom parables are a description about Yeshua sending out His angels, which takes place at “the second coming” and “the end of the age.” “The end of the age” is a catchphrase that is associated with the gospel of the Kingdom, which concludes with the second coming of Yeshua.
And though Yeshua did provide some explanation, three explanations for 50 parables really wasn’t an abundant amount of detail, leaving the disciples desiring more information about His return and the end of the age.
Now fast forward to Matthew 24:3. Here we see the disciples pressing Yeshua for more details about “His return” and “the end of the age.”
- And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:3 NASB
NOTE: Yeshua’s next response to the disciples is a detailed explanation of “the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom.”
Yeshua obliged His disciples. From Matthew 24:4-12, The Messiah talks about wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution, betrayal, and deception. On a scale of good-to-bad this is “bad news” and not exactly “good news” as the definition of the word “gospel” implies.
- And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
Matthew 24:6-8 NASB
However, it isn’t till we reach verses 13 & 14, that we get our first glimpse of any real “good news.”
- But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:13-14 KJV
HE WHO ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED
Here we see Yeshua is defining “the Gospel of the Kingdom” as: “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Unfortunately, many have been misled to think that “he that shall endure unto the end” is meant to include every believer that has died throughout the ages. It doesn’t. This raises two questions:
1. WHEN IS THE END?
So, when is the end? The subject matter of Matthew 24 was established when the disciples asked Yeshua “what are the signs of His coming and the end of the age?”
- …what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:3 KJV
Keep in mind that the disciples were thinking that Yeshua would return in their lifetime. So, they were expecting that Yeshua’s response would provide details about events which they could watch for which preceded His return in their lifetime. Obviously, He did not return in the first century. One can only conclude that Yeshua’s instructions, such as “watch…” (Luke 21:36), were told to the disciples, but were really meant for the believer that would be alive “at the end of the age.”
So, “he that shall endure to the end” is a reference to those individuals that will be alive to see “the end of the world” and the second coming.
2. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED?
The word “saved” is the Greek word (σωθήσεται) which is derived from the word σῴζω which means: heal, preserve, “rescue.”
Yeshua also provides insight into understanding the word “saved.” Notice, in (Matthew 24:22), that the world will be to the point where no flesh will “be saved.”
- And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:22 KJV
This is a description of the world being on the brink of total extinction, which again is describing an event that will occur at “the end of the age.” And in this instance, being “saved” is not a reference to spiritual salvation, rather, this description concerns only those believers that will be physically alive at the second coming (the Remnant) where Yeshua is going to intervene on their behalf and physically “rescue” them by divinely shortening the apocalyptic events.
A MESSAGE FOR THE REMNANT AT THE END OF THE AGE
So, “the Gospel of the Kingdom” is a message that is meant for “the Remnant of Israel,” which will be alive to greet Yeshua at His return because they will have gathered to The Most High’s divine “place of refuge” to physically escape the apocalypse during the Greater Second Exodus.
So, in context, Matthew 24:13, is better understood to mean:
- But he that shall endure unto the end (of the age), the same shall be (physically rescued.)
Matthew 24:13
Notice that this is the same message that is being conveyed by the Old Testament prophets.
- In that day shall The Most High defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as the angel of The Most High before them.
Zechariah 12:8 KJVm
This is “the Gospel of the Kingdom” according to Yeshua. And when this “good news of the Kingdom” reaches “the Remnant” which are scattered around the world, only then will the end come.
- And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14 KJV
IN REVIEW
- “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:47–50 NASB
Yeshua began His ministry proclaiming “the Gospel of the Kingdom” (34 kingdom parables) which is a message that is meant for those who will “endure to the second coming” and “the end of the age.”
Yeshua’s “Gospel of the Kingdom” is a message about the Greater Second Exodus which is meant for “the Remnant of Israel,” which will be alive to greet Yeshua at His future coming.
And when all members of “the Remnant” (which are scattered throughout the world) receive this “understanding” of “the Gospel of the Kingdom,” then will the end come.
Next: 50 Parables
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