The mustard bush of Matthew 13 - an aberration

[AdHoc]

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Before embarking on an explanation of the parable of the mustard bush, a short time must be spent on defining the Kingdom. To many Christians the Kingdom of Heaven is rather the Kingdom IN heaven. But it is not so. The problems that man is to rectify are on earth - not heaven. In Matthew 6:10 our Lord prays to the Father;  “10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

“Thy” means that it is God’s Kingdom, and “thy will” means that God’s desires and Laws should be fulfilled on EARTH as the now are in heaven. God gave this duty to man in Genesis 1:26-28 and never forgot it. In Daniel Chapter 2 God announces that after the fourth world power He predicted,  He would introduce an everlasting Kingdom with His people as the government ON EARTH. A Kingdom is a sphere of rule by a resident king where His commands are carried out. Our Lord Jesus, designated King of kings, and King of Israel, came and presented Israel with this Kingdom - but was rejected. In Matthew 21:43 kingship for Israel is removed and God must set aside another period of time to raise up new candidates for kingship in this Kingdom - the age of grace.

The parables of Matthew 13 predict how God’s Kingdom will look like to men during this age - this time of preparation, and how the essential nature of this kingdom under construction will be felt by believers. Since Daniel predicts the physical Kingdom of God AFTER Rome’s rule, the Kingdom of Heaven in this age is restricted to the Church. Our Lord Jesus has not yet crushed Rome to powder. The SPHERE of His rule is only the Church (Rev.1:9). Only after Armageddon will Christ introduce a rule of the rod of iron over the whole earth.

The setting for telling these parables is crucial, so forgive me for lengthening the posting a bit. In Chapter 12 of Matthew the Jewish rejection of Messiah is complete. He is not only rejected and called an imposter but His work by the Holy Spirit is attributed to Beelzebub. Jesus in turn disassociates Himself with His fleshly connection to Israel by rejecting His mother and brethren, and “leaving the house” - the House of Israel. This is further confirmed by Him entering a boat and leaving “the sand of the sea shore” - Israel (Gen.22:17). A boat is IN the sea but not OF the sea. If the Nations are depicted by the sea then the boat is the Church.

From the boat, a picture of the Church, our Lord tells four parables. These parables are directed at “those who have ears”. Israel is again rejected because their ears have become dull. The crowd who heard these parables was then made up of the very same crowd who hear the “gospel of the Kingdom” today. Some Israelites, some Samaritans, some of the Nations (for it was Galilee of the Nations), and His disciples.

The parables starts with “The Kingdom of Heaven IS LIKE … “ In normal language this has two meanings. It can mean that the Kingdom of Heaven bears a similarity to something else but is not ESSENTIALLY the same, and it can mean that this Kingdom bears likeness in its essence and construction and looks. So how does Kingdom of Heaven - the Church in this age, look like and how is it constructed?

In Genesis 1:11-12 God set forth a Law. Every seed would reproduce the same KIND. Now, a study of the Mustard seed will show it to be 1 - 2 mm or 1/20th of an inch. The Mustard seed technically produces a bush, but tradition has given it the status of a tree. The Mustard bush in the Middle East normally grows to 12 feet while the African Mustard bush grows a foot taller to 13 feet (about 4 meters). The Mustard bush is a spreader and grows hundreds of thin twig-like branches. It produces a small piquant fruit and mustard is the most used spice in the world. According to God’s Law of KINDS in Genesis 1:11-12, it could NEVER become the great tree described by the parable.

God, in His wisdom, has refused men the right to interpret scripture with their dulled and fallen intellects. 2nd Peter 1:20 forbids “private” interpretation. Man is left then with the Bible ONLY to explain itself. And the Great Tree of Matthew 13 is found TWICE. In Daniel Chapter 4 and again in Ezekiel 31 this great Tree depicts a World Gentile Power. There is no mention of fruit. No talk of a small but spicy and piquant flavor. The talk is of great height, thick branches, shadows and fowl of the air. What should have been a 12 foot bush with fruit BECAME a great and renown Kingdom of greatness, wealth and rule over the whole earth. The Kingdom of Heaven during the Church age LOOKS LIKE and FUNCTIONS LIKE Pharaoh’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s Kingdom.

And so it has become. The last world power, Rome, in year 313 under Pontifex Maximus Constantine, declared Christianity a Sate religion. It changed soldiers armour for priests clothes. It kept its pagan feasts but gave them Christian names. It looks and speaks like a Christian institute but it is a world trade and political entity with huge power. It is the single most wealthy entity in the world. While the bulk of its 1.3 billion adherents are normal citizens, its leadership harbor all manner of foul spirits. They have the power from the pulpit to incite rebellion and war. They have secret police just like Nazi Germany and their buildings are all constructed in accordance with ancient Babylonian traditions. They war against flesh and blood like the Crusades. They are smeared with the blood of Christ’s martyrs from many inquisitions. Their senior and junior “priest” are known for their excesses - sexual and otherwise.

Well has the Lord Jesus seen the future of Christianity - a big tree solidly anchored to the Gentile world, causing shadows and harboring clean and unclean animals. Christianity was supposed to be a “little flock” - so few that they are surrounded by the wolves. They are supposed to be light and salt - not cause shadows.

What shall we do then? Two things!

1. “Come out of her my People” (Rev.18:4). Leave the religious and economical systems that she is involved in
2. Be mustard. Let the small but piquant fruit of your walk with God by Christ be the spice of the earth

 

[Marilyn C]

Quite wrong there Ad Hoc. You have `spiritualized` scripture. The kingdom of Heaven parables are to do with the Lord`s rulership through ISRAEL in the millennium and beyond.

Remember that the revelation of the Body of Christ was given to the apostle Paul by the Lord when He ascended to the Father. When Jesus was on earth He was reminding the people of Israel concerning God`s promises to them as a nation. 

`Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God to CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE TO THE FATHERS..` (Rom. 15: 8)

Marilyn.  

[Dennis1209]

Excellent. There is so much that could be discussed on this topic. How the mystery pagan Babylonian religious system passed on through Babylon, Persian, Greece, and the Roman empires until Constantine, then formed a church-state branch with an inerrant leader, vicar of Christ, with a 1.3 billion audience in virtually every nation.

A city-state with border security and large protective walls. Telling us to tear down our own border walls. A non-voting member of the United Nations. When a new president, prime minister, dictator, or leader takes office, who is one of the first they have an audience with?

Not to mention the leader of the successful ecumenical movement, baptizing extraterrestrials, a socialist to the core, and the first Jesuit holding office, whom am I to judge homosexuality as a sin. If you are a good moral person you will go to heaven, and so much more nonsense.

Being drunk with the blood of the saints. My hermeneutics of Revelation suggests there will be a repeat of the inquisitions, crusades, and persecutions under this False Prophet system.

I never considered or associated the “mustard bush” with this system, thanks.  

[Marilyn C]

The Architect - God`s Design - Universal.

God designed the kingdom/rule of heaven to be overall and affecting all, (over the earth) - Universal.

 

The Mustard Seed - Jesus quotes Ezekiel`s prophecy that part of Israel will rule in a prominent place, (the universal heaven). (Matt. 13: 32,  Ez. 17: 22 - 24)

God will...`plant it on a high and prominent mountain....Under it will dwell birds (nations) of every sort; in the shadow of it branches they will dwell.` (Ez. 17: 22 - 24)

[AdHoc]

14 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

Quite wrong there Ad Hoc. You have `spiritualized` scripture. The kingdom of Heaven parables are to do with the Lord`s rulership through ISRAEL in the millennium and beyond.

Remember that the revelation of the Body of Christ was given to the apostle Paul by the Lord when He ascended to the Father. When Jesus was on earth He was reminding the people of Israel concerning God`s promises to them as a nation. 

`Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God to CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE TO THE FATHERS..` (Rom. 15: 8)

Marilyn.  

What a pity you did not built a sustained argument for your theory with scriptures attached. The one verse you brought does not give Israel the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel. Such a promise was never transmitted to the fathers of Israel. The closest such promise was that out of Sarah would come kings. But of the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing said. Your first duty is to show why, according to your claim, our Lord Jesus was wrong when He said in Matthew 21:43–45

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

And it will not help to say that our Lord meant ONLY the Pharisees. The parable is about ALL involved with the Vine, and they are replaced by another NATION. This can only mean Israel as a whole.

But even if you could conjure something lie that up. you will have to explain Jesus rejection of His mother and brethren, why went to sea to teach these parables, why He accused Israel of not hearing and why He withheld the meaning by speaking to Israel in UN-understandable parables. And if that somehow could be achieved, you are still faced with no scripture to say that Israel will rule the nations AND faced with scripture that says the Church will rule Israel (Matt.19:28, Lk.22:30).

[AdHoc]

14 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

The Architect - God`s Design - Universal.

God designed the kingdom/rule of heaven to be overall and affecting all, (over the earth) - Universal.

 

The Mustard Seed - Jesus quotes Ezekiel`s prophecy that part of Israel will rule in a prominent place, (the universal heaven). (Matt. 13: 32,  Ez. 17: 22 - 24)

God will...`plant it on a high and prominent mountain....Under it will dwell birds (nations) of every sort; in the shadow of it branches they will dwell.` (Ez. 17: 22 - 24)

The first part of the Book of Ezekiel is about God removing Himself from Jerusalem so that Nebuchadnezzar could ravage it. In the verses preceding verse 22, Israel is accused of breaking Covenant. Then verse 22 to 24 speaks of the SAME tree as Daniel Chapter 4 reigning in Jerusalem. The meaning is clear. Nebuchadnezzar will defeat Jerusalem and reign over it - which he did.

[Marilyn C]

10 hours ago, AdHoc said:

What a pity you did not built a sustained argument for your theory with scriptures attached. The one verse you brought does not give Israel the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel. Such a promise was never transmitted to the fathers of Israel. The closest such promise was that out of Sarah would come kings. But of the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing said. Your first duty is to show why, according to your claim, our Lord Jesus was wrong when He said in Matthew 21:43–45

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

And it will not help to say that our Lord meant ONLY the Pharisees. The parable is about ALL involved with the Vine, and they are replaced by another NATION. This can only mean Israel as a whole.

But even if you could conjure something lie that up. you will have to explain Jesus rejection of His mother and brethren, why went to sea to teach these parables, why He accused Israel of not hearing and why He withheld the meaning by speaking to Israel in UN-understandable parables. And if that somehow could be achieved, you are still faced with no scripture to say that Israel will rule the nations AND faced with scripture that says the Church will rule Israel (Matt.19:28, Lk.22:30).

It is you, bro, that has to justify spiritualizing God`s word. When we do that then God`s word becomes a nonsense - all about US, or anything we want to make `spiritual.`

[Marilyn C]

9 hours ago, AdHoc said:

The first part of the Book of Ezekiel is about God removing Himself from Jerusalem so that Nebuchadnezzar could ravage it. In the verses preceding verse 22, Israel is accused of breaking Covenant. Then verse 22 to 24 speaks of the SAME tree as Daniel Chapter 4 reigning in Jerusalem. The meaning is clear. Nebuchadnezzar will defeat Jerusalem and reign over it - which he did.

`On the mountain height of ISRAEL I (God) will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell.` (Ez. 17: 23)

`when it (mustard seed) is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.` (Matt. 13: 32)

[Dennis1209]

22 hours ago, AdHoc said:

why went to sea to teach these parables

…why went to sea to teach these parables…

To interject another thought. The sea is sometimes a metaphor for chaos, the Gentile nations at a distance, or the evil realm's abode.

Mark 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

Two physical aspects might be so (i)Jesus was not thronged, and (ii) The acoustics are much better and amplified from sea to shore like an amphitheater.

[AdHoc]

12 hours ago, Marilyn C said:

It is you, bro, that has to justify spiritualizing God`s word. When we do that then God`s word becomes a nonsense - all about US, or anything we want to make `spiritual.`

I set forth a commentary of a parable. I gave arguments for arriving at my conclusions. You have three choices:

1. Ignore me
2. Accuse me but bring no proof
3. Rebut me with sustained logical arguments

You have chosen number 2. This is your right, but a Christian who claims to have knowledge of the truth and withholds it is like the watchman for a city. He saw the enemy but did not sound the alarm. The Lord said such a man has the blood of the city on his hands (Ezek.33:6).