In the previous posting we examined God’s Word concerning the owner of a field who sowed good seed in his field, only to find that, while his assigned watchmen slept, an enemy entered his field and sowed much more seed of a different kind, called “tares.” Tares are wheat-like plants that look like wheat until their fruit is produced. Tare fruit is black and bitter to the taste. If harvested with the wheat and used for creating bread it produces a bitter taste. Therefore the wheat and the tares must be separated before harvesting their fruit. Using this example, Jesus was comparing true saints to wheat and fake saints to tares. As noted, the wheat and the tares remain together until the time of harvest, meaning that true and false saints remain in “the church” until Christ returns at the end of the age.

Notice that the tares in the man’s field (the Lord’s church) outnumbered the wheat. This meant that pulling up the tares would “root up the wheat.” That the wheat plants are outnumbered by the tare plants is proved by Christ’s Words recorded in Matthew 7:13,14 where He said that “FEW” would enter His “strait” (narrow, selective, difficult) gate leading into His church. His true saints (wheat) would be so few that they would have to be searched for in order to “find” them. Many, salvation seekers (tares), He said, would enter the “wide” (easily accessed, non-selective) gate. Both gates provided access to God’s church in which would be found both wheat and tares, good and bad fish, good fruit trees and bad fruit trees, etc.

In those days owners trained selected servants to be shepherds, telling them exactly how they wanted their herds to be treated. When the shepherds acted, they were acting as the owner’s ambassadors. The symbolism of the parables reflects God’s training of His pastors to reflect His will when dealing with the congregations. Herd owners also would have a chief shepherd who would be in charge of the other shepherds who made sure that they did what they were supposed to do the way they were supposed to do. Today we call them “foremen.”

At this point we need to turn to another parable Jesus used when referring to people entering God’s church, or as He calls it in John chapter 10, His “sheepfold.” Understand that shepherds owned both sheep and goats which, though they look and act very much alike, are in reality very different. Together they formed a “herd” that was referred to as “sheep herd” and the enclosure where the herd was kept at night was called a “sheepfold.” In Matthew 10:1-14 the Lord tells us that shepherds led the sheep to the sheepfold, through the gate and into it. Each herd knew their shepherd’s voice and followed him, noting that “… another’s voice they will not follow” (vss 4,5). How did they know their shepherd’s voice? They heard their shepherd’s voice repeatedly. Shepherds built enclosures out of briars and thorny limbs to keep their sheep and goats safe from predators at night. There would be only one “gate” through which sheep could enter. The shepherd led his sheep into the sheepfold through that gate. So how did the false “shepherds” get into the sheepfold? Jesus tells us.

In the parable, Jesus is speaking about false “shepherds” who enter the sheepfold, but not through the door. The false shepherds symbolically “climb up (over the protective wall) some other way” (vss 1,10,12,13) into the sheepfold (church). These false prophets offer a variety of ways to reach the green pastures (heaven) located by the chief shepherd that do not entail strict rules of behavior and are much more self-directive. As Jesus warned in Matthew 24:3,4, they tell the people that the chief shepherd is indeed who He says He is, but that they (false prophets) have developed easier ways of getting to the green pasture (heaven) the chief shepherd has located. God’s true sheep do not listen to the “easier way” ministers. However, most parishioners do listen to them and follow them. The church’s false prophets have been deceived by Satan into believing that they are serving the chief shepherd, only in a more user-friendly, any-way-you-want-it way. Over time the majority of the people stop listening to the chief shepherd’s words and choose to follow the false leaders who offer a more user-friendly, any-way-you-want-it way to get to the “green pasture” known as heaven. The various “ways” the false leaders offer are known as “denominations,” “faiths,” “congregations,” “churches,” etc. One man reported that through extensive research he had found over 700 different “denominations.” Through his false shepherds Satan has deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).

The sheep owner normally would have many, possibly hundreds of sheep (read about Abraham’s holdings) which, alone, he could not tend. Therefore, he would hire a number of shepherds to look after them. It is these shepherds (pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.) who are deceived by Satan into following his voice.

Now let us turn to Matthew chapters 24 and 25 where we find Jesus talking about His return to earth at which time He will judge those whom He calls “My people”–the sheep and goats (wheat and tares) in His sheepfold (church). First, turn to 24:14 where He tells His disciples that prior to His return the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached throughout the entire world as a witness of His Father’s will for mankind. In 24:11-13 He warns them (and us) that false prophets (shepherds/ tare sowers) would arise within the church and would deceive MANY into committing iniquity (Lawlessness) as their love for His Law would grow cold. However, there would be a minute few who would endure in obedience to His Gospel/Law until the end of their lives. Only these true saints, Jesus tells us, will receive salvation upon His return at the END (of the age)–Mat. 10:22.

In Matthew 24:31 we find Him saying that upon His return to earth He will send His angels out to gather his ELECT saints (sheep/wheat) “from one end of heaven to the other” and “from the four winds.” Heaven is everything above ground level. Where the winds blow is where birds build their nests. Read the series titled Next Stop Heaven? A Reality Check. Key word–Heaven. Now turn to Matthew 25:31 and begin reading. Notice that at this point He sends out His angels to gather all other people (not His “elect” which He has already gathered–24:31). Having gathered “all nations” (all who are not His elect saints) to Himself, He will then separate the “goats” (all false Christians and non-church people), from His “sheep” (true Christians) and will send each group to their respective reward (vss 34,46).

Important information: Read The Three Resurrections. Key Word–Three. Understand that God wants all people to be saved. However, most people who have ever lived on earth have never heard the name of Jesus, have never seen a Bible and have never heard the Truth found inside it. Also, there have been and still are billions who have been in church most of their lives and have never heard God’s Truth. They have been led by Satan’s false prophets who have drawn them away from God’s Truth and to various denominational doctrines. Read Matthew 15:7-9. These who have never heard God’s Truth must hear His Truth and be given the opportunity to embrace it or reject it. God is fair. Everyone must have the same opportunity to hear His voice and make a choice as revealed in The Three Resurrections. L.J.