Matthew 13:1-58

Contents: Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. The sower, tares and wheat, grain of mustard seed, leaven, hid treasure, pearl, drag net.

Characters: Jesus, disciples, Satan, Isaiah.

Conclusion: The present age will be marked to its end by the presence of both professors of religion and possessors sinners and saints. The believer's work is to sow the Word of God in faith, not expecting thereby to convert the whole world, but in expectation of Him, who at the end of the age, will come with His angels to separate the good and the bad to make an end of sinners and set up His glorious Kingdom.

Key Word: Kingdom mysteries, Matthew 13:11.

Strong Verses: Matthew 13:12; Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:42.

Striking Facts: Some make the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven to teach the conversion of the whole world in this age by the preaching of the gospel. This view is explicitly contradicted by Jesus' interpretation of the parables of the wheat and tares and the drag net therefore there is something wrong with the popular interpretation of the leaven and mustard seed. Leaven means «corruption» and is always used in Scripture as a symbol of evil. The mustard seed parable pictures an abnormal and unsubstantial growth of the outward church. See Daniel 4:20-22.