August 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
352
STRUCTURE SCRIPTURE By NORMAN B. HARRISON, Minneapolis, M innesota........ All Rights Reserved cÇJÏie Q ld y s ien e s o f th e O ^ in gd i o n t
field of wheat and tares, its harvest is a separation of these constituent elements. The second is the consum mation of the yet future age-ending for Israel, the one foretold by the prophets; this harvest is described as a separation of fish, good and bad, drawn from the sea (the nations) to the land (Israel). (2) The harvest of the wheat and tares is placed so as to divide the parables into two groups, setting the last three off by themselves. (3) At the same juncture, our Lord changes His posi tion from the seashore to “the house.” Scholars recog nize in this a symbolic act setting forth the fact that He is now turning in His teaching to Israel. T h e K ingdom of H eaven It becomes evident that these parables are not limited in their scope to the church age, much less to the church itself. The application is wider than that. Again the duration is longer than that of the church age. What is the “kingdom of the heavens” ? The name harks back to Daniel 4, verses 25 and 26, where Nebuchad nezzar is being warned that “the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men,” and that “the heavens do rule.” Much has been written in explanation of the phrase. Its central concept, however, is simply this: Our Lord Jesus Christ, rejected of men but “My King” in the counsels of the Father, is withdrawing into the heavens, from thence to administer the affairs of His kingdom during this age while He is awaiting the time of His open mani festation (cf. Psa. 110, quoted copiously in the New Testament). Hence the seat of government gives_ its name to the sphere of government, much as “Washing ton” or “Paris” stands for the country governed there from. How long does the kingdom of the heavens last? Evidently it will continue beyond the rapture of the church and through the tribulation, until the King comes forth in power and glory (cf. Rev. 19:11-16). Thus we are able to envisage the great sweep of time compre hended by the parables of Matthew 13. T h e M ysteries of t h e K ingdom Jesus tells us that, in these parables, He is giving us “to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (v. 11). A mystery is not something mysterious, but some thing hidden that it may be revealed in its own appointed time. For example, the apostle Paul says, “For the mys tery of iniquity doth already work,” explaining that this must continue in the form of mystery, hidden until the restraint is removed, “that he might be revealed in his time” (2 Thess. 2:6, 7). The mysteries of the kingdom are then: (1) the hid den forces secretly at work in the field during the King’s absence, (2) the developments resulting from these forces at work, prophetically told by our Lord in these parables. (We will center our attention in these mysteries in next month’s study.) [Continued on page 35S]
m o o v e r s t a t e the importance of Matthew 13 in the unfolding scheme of divine revela tion, as well as in the student’s understanding of Scrip ture and the age in which we live, would appear to be an utter impossibility. Jesus, come to a crisis in His minis try, turns toward the future and becomes eyes for those who have eyes to see through His all-discerning eyes. He puts into parabolic pictures that grow increasingly lumin ous with the passing years a portrayal of hidden forces opposing His ministry, which will continue to thwart, per vert, and subvert the gospel to the very end of the age. Failure to comprehend these word pictures is to re main in the audience, uninitiated, watching the perform ers upon the stage, sometimes amused but more often perplexed, whereas Jesus is inviting us to go behind the scenes with Him as our interpreter. That this chapter presents the same structural plan as found in our previous studies is evidenced by the fact that there are just seven parables which we may tabulate as usual: 1. Sower 2. Wheat andTares 5. Hid Treasure 3. MustardSeed 6. Priceless Pearl 4. Leaven 7. Drag-Net Note: (1) The first parable is introductory. This is par ticularly evident concerning the first column where the thought of wheat, or its substitute, is carried out from planting through harvesting. (2) The second is of the dual character already cited—light and darkness (Gen. 1), Abel and Cain (Gen. 4), Passover, the innocent for the guilty (Lev. 23). T h e C hapter A nalyzed But the matter is not so simple. There is interpreta tion and action to be taken into account. An analysis of the chapter yields the following (we number only the parables) : 1. The Sower (1-9). Significance and Interpretation of Terms (10-23). Harvest—-Separation of Tares and Wheat (34-43). Accompanied by Return to “the House” (36). 5. Hid Treasure (44). 6. Priceless Pearl (45, 46). 7. Drag-Net (47, 48). Harvest—Separation of Bad and Good (49, 50). Instruction Comprehends Things “New” a n d “Old” (51, 52). Among other things, we should note: (1) Our Lord refers to two harvests', separate and distinct, each in keep ing with the character of the age it concludes. The first is the consummation of the present age. Since this is a 2. Wheat and Tares (24-30). 3. Mustard Seed (31, 32). 4. The Leaven (33).
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