Tag Archives: Parables

January 7, 2011 · 7:39 am

Parable of the Tares in the Field–Exposing the “Rulers of the Darkness of This World” Part I (Conversations With the Seer)

I came to the seer with a question that was really bothering me. I see now that it is an age old question that countless people have asked down through the centuries. “What’s really going on in the world? Why do the evil ones prosper and the innocent suffer?”

To which the Seer replied, “In order to answer that, we must realize that the great God of heaven has secrets.  Oh, yes, He keeps secrets–secrets that He will only reveal to certain individuals that He can trust.  “Now this is not just some made up assumption on my part. The Holy Scriptures declare this to be true. ‘Surely the Lord GOD (Yahweh) will do nothing, but he reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets’ (Amos 3: 7). And, ‘I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world’” (Mt. 13: 35).

“So God definitely has secrets?”

“Yes, and they are contained in the parables. But He is revealing those mysteries to people right now. He’s revealing them to those who have a sincere, seeking heart. For, you see, these secrets go way back–back to the very foundation of the world. And Christ came and taught these secrets to those whom He had chosen. For He did say, You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen You and have ordained you to bear fruit, spiritual fruit. He shows mercy on whomsoever He will, for He is sovereign.”

“What are the secrets about?” I asked.

“God’s secrets have to do with His plan and purpose for all of us down here on earth.  It’s all about Him establishing His government down here on earth.  He calls it His kingdom, for He is the King.  And He uses parables to reveal mysteries to us. Man’s wisdom teaches that the parables of Christ are nice little stories to make it a bit easier for us to perceive the things of God. Not so. It’s just the opposite. He teaches in parables to deliberately cloud the meaning for the masses so that only those who He wants to reveal the secrets to will understand!”

“These secrets are not given to everybody?” I asked.

“Would you tell everybody your own secrets?  Of course, they are not given to everyone. The disciples even asked the Savior why He spoke to the masses using parables. He related to them that through parables they would understand “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the masses, the multitude] it is not given” (Mt. 13: 11). The parable is double-edged. It reveals the secrets and mysteries of what God is doing to those He gives it to, and the parable prevents just any-old-body from interloping into His precious things that He reserves for His elect, His chosen ones. The masses can literally hear the words of His parables and not understand them. They can “see and not perceive” their meaning (Mark 4: 12).

“But how does this all tie in with my original question as to why the innocent suffer while the evil ones look like they are winning?”

“The answer to your important question is found in one of His parables. It is a secret and a great mystery that only a few will understand. And you are going to say when I finish explaining this, Why didn’t someone tell me before? It is the Parable of the Tares in the Field (Matthew 13: 24-30, 37-43). Before we get started, though, I want you to realize that this is a sacred secret and not to be taken lightly, for this knowledge is crucial in order to understand the forces at work on the earth, which, in turn, helps us comprehend not only what is happening, but why it is happening.”

Then the Seer began to read the parable. “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matthew 13: 24-30).

“I don’t get it,” I said.

“Neither did the disciples. Christ had to explain it to them. Right after He spoke the parable to them they asked Him, Declare unto us the parable. He goes on to explain to them that the field is the world in which we live. The man is the Son of man, Christ Himself. And he sows the good seed, which are the children of the kingdom, or His followers, the children of God. The enemy who sowed bad seed into the field is the devil. The bad seed are his children, the ‘children of the wicked one.’ Both the children of God and the children of the devil are growing up together in this earth. And they will continue on growing until the time of the harvest, which is the end of the world age as we know it. At that time, the children of the devil will be gathered up and disposed of, and the children of God will shine forth in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt. 13: 36-43).

“Wow.”

“We have to realize that He ‘sent the multitude away’ and then explained this parable only to His disciples (v. 36). This information is heavy and was only for a chosen few–only to those that He had personally chosen out from among all the people. And so it is today.  He is revealing these things to His elect.” [For more you can read my two books which you can find at the top of this page.  Just click “Ebook…”] Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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September 24, 2009 · 11:00 am

God’s Spiritual Life Cycle–Babes in Christ and What Stunts Their Growth

To fully understand the profundity of the Creator’s eternal purpose in “bringing many sons [and daughters] unto glory,” we must learn of the spiritual life cycle of God’s Spirit in us–how it grows unto full maturity.

This is a great mystery that has been “kept secret from the foundation of the world” (1).  This mystery of the growth of the Spirit within us has been carefully guarded, couched in the criptic words of the parables of the kingdom.  These are the very secrets of the kingdom of God, how He rules and reigns both in His children’s hearts and throughout the earth and universe. 

These parables are not nice little stories to make it easier for all to understand what the Master is teaching us, but to prevent interlopers from receiving it.  They are secrets, after all, and are hidden in plain sight.

Why Parables?

The disciples asked Christ why He spoke to the crowds in parables.  “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand” (2).  They may hear the words, but they won’t understand what they mean.  Those who do not have “ears to hear” will just not get it.

The Seed Is the Word

In the parables, Christ likened this spiritual growth unto a seed that grows.  He refers to a natural seed.  And He explains that this seed in His parables represents the word of God.  He said, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (3).  A seed must die in the ground; it must lose its original identity as a lonely grain of wheat, for instance.  It takes in moisture, which corresponds to the “water of the Word,” and then, as it dies, new life springs out of it, and a blade of grass rises “from the dead” and vaults out into the sunlight.

First Stage of Growth–Babes in Christ

This answers to newborn “babes in Christ,” spiritual infants, who have not matured or grown.  They are like natural children–mostly alive  for what they can receive from their parents.  A little child receives nourishment from their parents and grows.  There is nothing wrong with this, for all new children of God must receive spiritual food from God’s word in order to grow.    Truth plus study and prayer is the recipe for spiritual growth. 

The problem lies in the fact that most Christians stay in this growth as babes and children.  They do not mature, for they are fed with teachings tainted with error.  Even with much study in false doctrines, the child of God cannot grow.  “We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the crafty presentation of lies” (4).  The truth is that “certain men have crept in unnoticed,” (5) and they are teaching lies to the new Christians who are desiring to have their lives changed from darkness to light.

For we are warned of this very thing.  “There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies”.  “Many will follow their shameful ways…and in their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (6).

Thus we see that a newborn babe in Christ is in peril because of false teachers and preachers.  As disease and malnutrition stalks natural babies, false teachings and lies stunt and threaten the lives of the children of God.

So Which Are the Lies About God That Stunt the Growth of Babes in Christ?

How can we tell the false teachings from the true teachings?  Christ gave us the answer.  “By their fruits you shall know them” (7).  Look around and observe the fruits of the various ministries and denominations.  Are the people growing?  Are the flocks changing, or are they still trapped in sin and sinning?   Are the people still mostly alive for what they can receive of God, or are they unselfish?  If they are not changing and growing “up into Him,” if they are remaining selfish, desiring to be blessed and not yearning to be a channel of blessings unto others, then it is safe to say that the teachings they are fed with are tainted.    KWH  

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  1. Matt. 13: 35
  2. Mark 4: 11-12
  3. Luke 8: 11
  4. Eph. 4: 14 (Phillips)
  5. Jude 1: 4 (NKJV)
  6. II Peter 2: 1-3
  7. Matt. 7: 20

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December 20, 2008 · 8:53 pm

The Parable of the Net–The Immortal Kingdom and Its Counterfeit

Parables Are Not Nice Little Stories

First, parables are not nice little stories to help us understand the things of God.   They, on the contrary, conceal hidden mysteries concerning the kingdom (government) of the Creator (Yahweh).  What this parable reveals about His governance has been “kept secret from the foundations of the world” (Matt. 13:35).  To the masses He speaks in parables so that only those who are suppose to receive the secrets will get them, leaving the others blinded (13:13-16).

“The Parable of the Net” is the seventh and last parable that Christ spoke in Matthew 13.  “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (13: 47-50).

The Key to the Parable of the Net

The key to understanding this parable and its rich secrets is found in the phrase “end of the world.”  This speaks of the demise of all the current kingdoms and governments of man as seen in the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2: 36-45).  All of man’s governments will be crushed by the “stone kingdom” which is the “kingdom of heaven” headed by the Son of man Himself, known to the world as Jesus Christ, but known to a few by His Hebrew name, Yahshua.  He is the “stone that the builders {of governments} rejected.”

His government “is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Dan. 7: 27).  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom for two reasons: The King is immortal, and His children who rule with Him will be immortal as well.  That’s what the Good Book is about–the taking of His chosen ones to Immortality, the conquering of our final enemy, Death.  That’s it in a nutshell–the doing of His will and purpose.  Any other endeavor enshrouds man in pale, lifeless vanity, soon to be forgotten by the Living.

His kingdom that replaces the world system at the end of this age will be  populated by immortals–those with “eternal life” or “everlasting life” {Oh, we say those words and read and quote those scriptures that contain them, but have we really believed them?}.  He is, after all, the “God of the living and not the dead.”  They have told us about “going to heaven” but this “kingdom of heaven” headed by Christ will be established right here on earth.  There will be a few mortals who will believe this and walk with Him here.

Satan Presents the Counterfeit to the Kingdom of God

God’s designated enemy is Satan, and he knows about Yahweh’s plan to establish His kingdom in the earth.  Satan’s mission is to counterfeit it–to present to mankind alternative ways to “get to heaven,” or achieve immortality.

History is strewn with discarded teachings that promise immortality.  Almost every culture had it as its focus.  The ancient Egyptians had their mummification rituals; the Hindus their nirvana; the Aztecs their bloody human sacrifices buying  a ticket to the afterlife; the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and on down to the promise of heaven and paradise of Christendom and Islam.

The Net Catches All Who Shoot for Immortality

So then, in the parable of the net, we see that God’s kingdom operates as a net that catches all “comers”–all who would attain immortality the lawful way and “some other way.”  We see two camps: those few in history seeking eternal life in Yahweh’s kingdom and those endeavoring to live forever by some other means.

This idea of achieving immortality is ancient and has been adrift in the “sea of mankind” since the beginning of humanity.  “Sea”  is the symbol in scripture for the masses of humanity.  The kingdom of heaven’s essence is the promise of immortality and, like a net, it has been cast out there into everyone’s heart and mind–the desire to live on.  Like a net, every one is caught with this idea in mind–the desire to live forever.

There is a time in the near future when God will deem the net to be full.  This will be the “end of the world,” or the end of life as we know it to be.  Christ will return to assume His literal throne right here on earth.  Those things that offend His little ones He will root out and destroy.  This will usher in a thousand year reign of peace and love in the earth.  No more war, no more tears, no more heartache and pain.  The Prince of Peace will send His representatives into every corner of this ravished earth, teaching all about His glorious reign (See my book here     http://yahwehisthesavior.com/epilogue1.htm ).

Funny how this very medium is called “The NET.”  This inter-Net is right on time to be used as a net to catch all kinds who would live forever, for every conceiveable philosophical thought thrives here.  Funny how the ancient parable of the net is being enacted by high tech means in these latter days.    Kenneth Wayne Hancock

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October 4, 2008 · 4:25 pm

The Parable of the Sower–The Secret of Spiritual Growth

     Parables conceal the mysteries of the government (kingdom) of God.  They contain things “kept secret from the foundation of the world.” 

    

     One parable, the parable of the sower, is the key that will unlock the understanding to all the parables, and that is the parable of the sower.  Know ye not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables? (Mark 4:13).  It is found in Matthew 13:1-9. 

     

          Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, Some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they  had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

          And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung  up,  and  choked them; but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty-fold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

 

       He mentions three levels of fruit production—thirty, sixty and one hundred fold.  Just like some plants produce more fruit than others, some true Christians will “produce” more fruit of the Spirit than others.  Some will remain “babes in Christ,” mostly concerned with what God can do for them.  Some will grow to be young men and women in God.  And some will grow up fully “into Him,” or rather He will be fully manifested in them.  All three of these fruit bearers are in His fold, in His kingdom, and yet, some will have Christ walking in them fully. 

 

     The Master goes on and explains this parable in v. 18-23.  The seed that the sower sows is the word of the kingdom, the words about God’s government that rules the human heart and also the governments of this world.  Seed by the wayside is snatched up by Satan.  Seed on stony ground can’t get rooted because of fear of what their friends and neighbors will say, so it withers.  Seed among the thorns is when this word is choked out and pushed aside by loving the riches of this present world system.  But seed into good ground is a “good and honest heart” taking in this truth, and understanding it, and bearing fruit–the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, and peace.”  These are the “good ground” who will bear fruit at different levels–30, 60, and 100 fold.

 

     We will not all remain children “tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.”  We will not all remain powerless “against the wiles of the devil.”  We will not all remain weak and powerless against sin and sinning.  Some will become the “manifested sons of God.”  Some of us will fulfill this “high calling of God in Christ.”  Some will be able to say like Paul the apostle, “It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me.”  Some will not remain in buildings with the other pretenders, who go through the motions of “going to church” instead of being the church, the very body of Christ. 

 

     Yes, some will see and believe the secret concealed in this parable and will realize that there are different  distinct levels of fruit bearing in His kingdom.  Some of his offspring will walk in His Spirit in a greater depth than others.  

 

     The apostle John writes to Christians on different fruit bearing levels in I John 2: 12-13–children, young men, and fathers.  Many other scriptures confirm this.  “First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear…Faith, hope, and charity (agape love)…Justification, sanctification, and glorification…” and many more. 

     

     This does not set well with the politically correct.  It never has.  The same word of the kingdom is sown to all, but the growth by the “good ground” depends on how much the seed is watered by study and prayer.   

 

     Finally, as the last line of the parable of the sower says, “Who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Let those who can take this in and understand it, do so.  For some do not have “ears to hear” this parable.    Kenneth Wayne Hancock

 

     {For more on this read a chapter in my book at  http://www.yahwehisthesavior.com/yahch20.htm .  Also see

 https://immortalityroad.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/parables-conceal-the-mysteries-of-god/ for more on parables.

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May 13, 2008 · 12:54 am

Parable of the Tares in the Field–Children of the Wicked One

Evil has a face–a human face.  Evil has arms and legs, but above all, a cunning mind and a devious heart.

Some faces of evil are obvious.  Those of Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein and other tyrannical butchers come to mind.  But it’s the faces of evil that you pass on the street or see in restaurants or that sit in locked board rooms–those are the ones we must beware of.

And, oh, how our spiritual forefathers warned us of these evil ones.  The apostles and prophets and our Savior Himself warned us of them.

Who are they?  They are called the children of the devil,  “the children of the wicked one,” “false teachers, false prophets,” and rich men “heaping treasure together for the last days” (James 5:3), among many other names.

They are the “tares” in the “Parable of the Tares in the Field.”  We must remember that parables contain the mysteries of God.  Parables are used purposefully to teach God’s elect while hiding those same secrets from the multitudes.

Reading “The Parable of the Tares of the Field” (Matthew 13: 24-30, 37-44) is like viewing the true spiritual history of man through the eye of a satellite camera.  In it we see a landowner (the Son of man) who sows good seed (the children of the kingdom) in his field (the world).  But an enemy (the devil) came and sowed tares (the children of the wicked one) along side the good seed.

The servants notice the tares coming up with the wheat and asks the owner if they should pull up the tares.  He says to let them both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world), so that the good seed won’t get uprooted along with the tares.

And so the harvest comes and the reapers (the angels) put in the sickle.  The wheat (the children of God) are separated from the “children of the wicked one.”  The latter are then taken and destroyed.  The children of the Kingdom inherit all things with their Father.

Point: the wicked one has children; they are in our midst.  Some are common sociopaths without a conscience.  Others are more subtle, working diligently with other rich men for a “one world government.”  They are paving the way for the Anti-Christ to take over the New World Order.  They cry “peace, peace, when there is no peace.”

Peter warns of them in II Peter 2, saying that “while they promise the people liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption” (v. 19).  Jude devotes his whole letter as a warning to be aware of these “children of the wicked one.”  Moses wrote of these who give their hearts and souls to Satan as the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).  Christ told the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44).

From Genesis to Revelation, they are there.  We must beware of them because evil strides the earth today.  And evil has a face–a human face.  KWH

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May 4, 2008 · 1:50 pm

Parables Conceal the Mysteries of God

     Parables are not nice little stories to help us understand the Bible. We have been told this by well-meaning teachers and pastors, but it is not true.  To the contrary, parables are used by God to deliberately keep some from knowing His secrets.  Before you click away, let me elucidate.

 

     The Creator has a stupendous plan to reproduce Himself.  He has had His prophets and righteous men write about it down through the ages. But He has kept it secret by speaking about it in parables.  In order to comprehend His purpose, we must first understand His concept of the use of parables.

 

      The first thing to know is that parables contain the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.”  They conceal the secrets of God, hidden since the foundation of the world.      

     God is sovereign, and He will reveal Himself and His plan to whomever He desires.  “For a man can receive nothing except it be given to him from heaven.”

 

      Christ, the Anointed One, was teaching the multitudes in parables.  Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  {First, parables reveal “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.”  And He gives this knowledge to certain ones, and some He does not give it to} This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, nor do they understand…but blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” Mt. 13:10-13, 16, RSV.  

 

     Parables are His “dark sayings.” The word “dark” is translated from the Hebrew word, chiydah, #2420 in Strong’s, meaning a “puzzle: hence a trick, conundrum, sententious maxim: dark saying (sentence, speech), hard question, proverb, riddle.”  Puzzles and riddles are deliberately thought out by the speaker.  They are purposely spoken.  And so it is with His parables.  All these things spake Jesus (Yahshua) unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Mt. 13:34-35, Psm. 78:2.

 

     Parables are not nice little illustrations; they are riddles and puzzles that are meant for only a few to understand and solve the mysteries of His governance in the earth.     Kenneth Wayne Hancock

 

(For more on “parables” go to my book, Yah Is Savior: The Road to Immortality at      www.yahwehisthesavior.com/yah.htm   chapters 19-21)

 

 

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