The Parable of the Pearl answers the second question. We find its interpre- tation in the faithful remnant that has forsaken all to follow Him. By His death on the cross He sold all that He had to purchase them, and they will become His special treasure. (Mai. 3:16-17, margin.) In Bev. 18 they are caught up to Him; in Bev. 21 they are seen coming with Him. Note the description of the New Jerusalem, " T h e Lamb's Wi f e ," as given in Bev. 21:9-14. Just as Eve was taken from the first Adam during a deep sleep, so the Lamb's Bride was taken from the last Adam by His death upon the cross. The Parable of the Drag-Net deals with the closing scene of the age. When the King returns in power and glory, He will send His angels to sort the bad from the good, as they do the fishes in the net, or the tares from the wheat. Bead the description given in Ezek. 20:33-44. " H a v e ye understood all these t h i n g s ?" " A n d they said unto Him 'Yea, L o r d . ' " (Verse 51.) "Th e se things"—that is, the mysteries which have been hid in the past, but now re- vealed, in these parables, unto you who have eyes to see. " T h en said He unto them, therefore every Scribe which is instructed into the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an house- holder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." The old things had been revealed in the Old Testament; now God was going to es- tablish, through the seed of Abraham and David, a Kingdom in power and glory. The King had come and had •been rejected. He now reveals, to the faithful remnant, the new things by these parables—that the Kingdom must now come through a rejected and cru- cified King, and that they would be the channel and expounders of these things. And so it proved to be. After the crucifixion and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon these men, giv- ing them the boldness to make known these facts to the rest of Israel. Note Acts 2:29-36; Acts 3:12-26. III. Application. A spiritual application of all these parables is easily found in the his- torical church. And how truly they fit into the conditions that exist today! 1. The leaven of the Pharisees (rit- ualism, outward show, externalism of religion). (Matt. 23:14-16, 23-28.) 2. The leaven of the Sadducees (skepticism as to the supernatural, im-
pure and false doetrine). (Matt. 22: 23-29.)' 3. The leaven of the Herodians (political power, worldliness). (Matt. 22:16-21.) Against all these, we have Christ's warning (Matt. 16:6; Mark 8:15). It is very obvious to anyone having spir- itual vision that these leavens are working in the Church today. As the growth is manifested outwardly (mus- tard seed), the corruption is develop- ing inwardly (leaven). The simple pure seed of the Kingdom which was sown by the Master has grown into a great tree. (Ecclesiastical systems) Satan's agents, higher critics like the birds of the air, have taken refuge in its branches, endeavoring to catch away the seed, the Word, lest it bring forth fruit. The leaven, which invari- ably refers to evil in the Scriptures, hidden in three measures of meal, has its significance. 1. Note what woman typifies in the Bible. (Zech. 5:7-11. Bev. 17:3-6.) 2. It is a historical fact that three of the greatest evils of the day origi- nated with women—theosophy, spiritu- alism and Eddyism. 3. The church should heed the warnings. (I Cor. 14:34. Gen. 3-16. I Cor. 11:3. I Tim. 2:11-14. Tit. .2:5.) REVIEW. LESSON I. The Power of Faith. The lesson crystallizes in a sentence given in Yerse 29, "According to your Faith be it unto you." The woman be- lieved and touched His garment. She was made whole by faith. The father believed and his daughter was raised from the dead. The blind men believed and their sight was restored. Friends believed and brought a demon possessed man and the demon was cast out. 1. Believing is faith. Acts 16:31. 2. Trusting is faith. John 1:12. 3. Looking is faith. Isa. 45:22. 4. Coming is faith. John 6:37. 5. Taking is faith. Bev. 22:17. There was no attempt on the part of any of these people to analyze their faith; it was simple, natural, definite. They acted upon the evidence furnished them by the words and works of Jesus, and they were rewarded. Let us ' ' Go and do likewise." LESSON II. Mission of the Twelve, We find the Golden Te x t. furnished
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