Matthew 13:38

“And the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the sons of the Kingly Rule, and the tares (darnel) are the sons of the evil one.”

The field represents the whole of mankind (not just the Jews or the church, there is no parochialism here), and the good seed are ‘the sons of the Kingly Rule', in this case (contrast Matthew 8:12) those who are responsive to God's Kingly Rule. The pseudo seed are the sons of the evil one (which includes many who thought themselves sons of the Kingly Rule - Matthew 7:22; Matthew 8:12). Thus the Kingly Rule of Heaven does not at any stage include the pseudo seed. It includes only the true ‘sons of the Kingly Rule' (compare Matthew 5:9; Matthew 5:45; Matthew 5:48) who look forward to the final eternal Kingly Rule of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

The world is here seen as divided into two. On the one hand are those who are sons of the Kingly Rule, who submit to the king and walk in His ways, continually obeying His commands (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:24). On the other hand are the remainder of mankind (Matthew 13:41), whatever their profession, who are, (unknown in most cases to them), sons of the evil one, that is, they walk according to his instructions, deceived and in darkness, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them through the hardness of their hearts (Ephesians 4:18).

This theme of division into two, those who can see God truly as their Father and those who cannot, was emphasised in Matthew 7:13; Matthew 7:24; and continues on until Matthew 25:46. It includes all men and is a constant theme of Jesus. Men must either come under the Kingly Rule of Heaven, or, whether Jew or Gentile, they will be lost. There is no other alternative.

Contrary to attempts to suggest the opposite there is no hint here of ‘the church' or of pseudo-Christians. It is speaking of the whole of humanity. The lines are clearly drawn. The whole of humanity is represented by the good seed and the darnel. On the one side are those who are truly human (they are like ‘a son of man' because they do the Father's will - Daniel 7:4 with Matthew 4:25 b; Matthew 7:13 with 21), on the other are the darnel (those who outwardly appear to be men but inwardly are like wild beasts - Daniel 4:16; Daniel 4:25 a; Matthew 7:3). And the God of Heaven is setting up a Kingly Rule which will never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44). That the picture in Daniel is in Jesus' mind here comes out in the dual references to the Son of Man and in the sequel where the casting into the furnace of fire clearly reflects Daniel 3:6.