The Future Of The Kingdom

This morning I felt like I should read from the Gospel of Matthew.  I love reading the Gospels, hearing what God is like through the life and example of His Son Jesus.  This morning I am thinking about these verses - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 NIV:

[24] "Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. [25] But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. [26] When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

[27] “The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

[28] “ 'An enemy did this,' he replied.

“The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

[29] “ 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' ”

[36] Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

[37] He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. [38] The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, [39] and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. [40] “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. [41] The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. [42] They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear."

So as I read these verses this morning, I realized (I am sure I have before as well) that Jesus is describing His perspective of the growth of the Kingdom of God, until the end of the age and judgement day.  This is a very different picture than what is commonly taught in our churches these days concerning the end times.  If we look at what Jesus said here, there is no significant increase of weeds until they take over most of the field.  There is no description of end-times trials and plagues, just good and evil living together until the final judgment day.  Make no mistake there will be a day of judgment, but it is not before the final end of the age.

Secondly, the Lord does not act in judgment until the end of the age.  He allows the evil to co-exist with the good, knowing that if He brought judgment upon the evil the good would be hurt as well.  In Genesis 18:16-33 we have the story of Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah, cities of exceedingly evil people.  Here is God's final response to Abraham - Genesis 18:32 NIV: "Then he (Abraham) said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”  This is the heart of God, for the sake of 10 righteous people, he would not destroy a whole city of evil people, and that is before Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of every sin.  How is it then that we have developed a theology that says God will judge whole nations or cities for the sins of just some of its citizens??  I find that thought completely at odds with what Jesus teaches us here about His Kingdom which He established here on earth.  The future of the world sounds very different in this version than in the version being preached in most western churches these days.  Personally, I will believe Jesus' version as laid out here.