Q. Who are to be the reapers when the harvest spoken of arrives? A. "The reapers are the angels." Q. What is usually understood by the word angel? A. It is generally supposed to mean, invariably, a spiritual being, belonging to another world. Q. Is this exclusive signification correct? A. It is not. In the Scriptures, angel sometimes means a spiritual being, and sometimes a human being still dwelling in the flesh. Q. What is the original word for angel? A. It is translated from the Greek word aggelo or aggelos-which signifies simply a messenger. Q. How are we to understand when the word refers to spiritual beings, and when to human beings? A. By the general sense of the passage in which it is found. Q. Can you quote a passage where angel signifies a spiritual being? A. "And the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God."(Luke i. 19.) "And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”—(Luke ii. 10.) Q. Can you repeat a passage where angel evidently means a human messenger? A. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels [aggelousmessengers] unawares."-(Heb. xiii. 2.) " Unto the angel [aggelo-messenger] of the church of Ephesus write."(Rev. ii. 1. See also John v. 4.) Q. Who were the angels which Jesus represents as the reapers? A. They were the messengers or agents by whom the Redeemer separated his true followers from the false, and by whom, also, he cast the latter into that punishment, which is represented as a furnace of fire. Q. Who were these messengers or agents? A. They were those, who, at the end of that age, destroyed the Jewish city and nation-in which destruction all those were involved who had proved unfaithful to the Redeemer. Q. What was to be done with the tares, or those wicked persons who had pretended to be the disciples of Christ? A. They were to be "cast into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Q. Should we understand this declaration in a literal or a figurative sense? A. In a figurative sense. A "furnace of fire" is a striking emblem of great punishment; and "wailing and gnashing of teeth," is a figure representing the intensity of the suffering experienced by those upon whom that punishment is inflicted. Q. Is a furnace a frequent figure in the Scriptures, to represent great temporal calamities and punish ments? A. It is. "For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron."-(1 Kings viii. 51.) Q. Was the furnace into which the tares or wicked persons were to be cast, in another state of existence, or in this world? A. It was in this world. Q. What evidence have you that the furnace was to be in this world? A. We have the evidence of God's word: "Saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem."-(Isa. xxxi. 9.) Q. Is there not another passage, which shows that Jerusalem was the furnace of God, in which he punished his wicked people? A. There is. "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it so will I gather you in mine anger, and in my fury and leave you there, and melt you. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof.”—(Ezek. xxii. 19—22.) * * * * Q. Were the Jews, including the hypocritical followers of Christ, destroyed, as thus described, in Jerusalem, at the end of that world or age? A. They were. They were gathered into Jerusalem in vast numbers, where, after a long and awful siege, they where overwhelmed and destroyed by the Romans. This was the furnace into which the tares were cast and here the fire of God's righteous judgments was poured out upon them, until they were destroyed. Q. What fate were the righteous to experience at this period? A. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Q. Who were the righteous? A. They were the wheat, which was to be gathered into garners—the faithful and devoted followers of Jesus. Q. What is represented by their shining forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father? A. In this is represented, not only their salvation from the terrific calamities which overwhelmed the Jews, but also the superior privileges and advantages they enjoyed, and the peace with which they were blessed, for a long time after their enemies had been destroyed. Q. What do you now understand to be the general meaning of this parable of the Wheat and Tares? 62 PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES. A. We understand that the Saviour uttered it, to describe the separation which should take place between his true and false disciples, at the conclusion of the Jewish age, and the salvation and safety of the former, as well as the destruction of the latter. Q. Is this construction of the parable supported by many able commentators? A. It is. Q. What says Bishop Pearce in relation to this parable? A. "This [parable ] is spoken, not of what shall happen at the end of the world, but of what was to happen at the end or destruction of the Jewish state. ** ** Ecclesiastical history informs us, that by a divine admonition, the faithful Christians retired from Judea, before the ruin of it by the Romans, and were preserved." Q. What is the language of Dr. Clarke? A. "Some learned men are of opinion that the whole of this parable refers to the Jewish state; and that the words which are commonly translated the end of the world, should be rendered the end of the age, viz., the end of the Jewish polity. That the words have this meaning in other places, there can be no doubt; and this may be their primary meaning here." [NOTE. The parable of the Net, which is found in the same chapter with the parable of the Wheat and Tares, is so similar to the latter, in its phraseology and application, that it has not been deemed necessary to devote a separate lesson to its consideration. The teacher can ask such questions in regard to it, as may be thought proper, and the scholar will find abundant materials for answers, in the lesson just completed. LESSON XIII. Parable of the Marriage Feast. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."-(Matt. xxii. 2-13.) Q. On what occasion was this parable uttered by Christ? A. It was while he was partaking of a dinner with one of the chief Pharisees, on the Sabbath day.—(See Luke xiv. 1.) Q. Were the Jews in the habit of making their best dinners on the Sabbath, for the purpose of honoring the day? A. They were. Q. What course did Jesus usually pursue in teach ing? |