PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE
PART 4
MATTHEW 13


7TH MYSTERY:
PARABLE OF DRAG-NET IN THE SEA

Again, 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!
MATTHEW 13:47-48

PARABLE OF THE DRAG-NET EXPLAINED:

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!
MATTHEW 13:49-50
(Reference: Matthew 13:18, 36)


Jesus called His disciples to be “fishers of men!” (Mark 1:17). They were fishermen by profession, and were mending their nets (Matthew 4:21). The night had been far from satisfactory, as nothing had been caught all night. Yet, Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” or ‘a haul or catch of that which is drawn in.’ Simon Peter complained that they had fished all night, and yet had caught nothing. “NEVERTHELESS, AT YOUR WORD we will cast the net again. Then the two ships of the disciples were filled so full that the two ships both began to sink. At this great miracle, the disciples, so astonished at the catch, bowed down in reverence to the LORD. “Then Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth you shall catch men.” And when all the disciples brought their ships to land, they (Peter, Andrew, James, and John) forsook all, and followed Him”(Luke 5:4-11).

Appropriately, Jesus’ parable of the dragnet here in Matthew refers to the fishing process of casting a dragnet into the sea and dragging it to catch “fish.” The “fish” are inspected and separated. The good fish are separated from the bad ones. The “sea,” if not a specified sea, in prophecy refers to “humanity”…every people, tongue, and race. As the Gospel is preached by Christ through His disciples, it is preached to every nation, tongue, and race. The gospel net cast into the sea of humanity is the universal gospel work of gathering men and women into the kingdom. The net is cast by proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the same net gathers in every kind of “fish” (men). Some of these men and women receive the Gospel Word but allow other things to fill their sensual, stupid, and insensible minds and do not consider the truth of the Word they have heard. So the WORD is lost upon them. Others receive the Gospel Word with joy, perhaps struck with the beauty of truth and grace, but having no root of character or deep conviction to believe the Word soon wither away from being a disciple of Christ. Some allow the cares of this life to choke out the Gospel Word that must be believed by faith; and some believe the Gospel Word until persecution arises. Having not allowed a deep work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they don’t know how to stand firm on the Gospel Word and defeat the enemy until the victory for their lives is manifest. Therefore, they fall away from kingdom living. However, some of these fish become true disciples. With deep conviction, they are inwardly changed in their character, so that they will not draw back from believing the Gospel Word, even when tribulation or persecution arises. They learn to trust GOD, knowing that He is faithful and will help them, no matter what the circumstances are. These allow the Holy Spirit to do a work of grace in their hearts so that they continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD JESUS, committing their lives to being fruitful for GOD and the kingdom. The good ’fish’ separate themselves from the bad (evil ones) by continuing to walk in paths of righteousness by letting the WORD of GOD direct their lives…even unto eternal life. The separation and destiny at the end of the “age” of the “fish” in the net are the same as that in the parables of the wheat and the tares. The “bad” fish and the tares are destroyed, while the “good” fish and the “good” wheat is saved unto eternal life.

When the Gospel of the Good News of Christ Jesus is preached, it requires a response from those that hear the Gospel. Many, like true disciples, recognize Jesus Christ as the Creator of the Universe and GOD of all. Recognizing His Deity, they bow before Him to forsake all and follow Him in His commandments and disciplines. Yet, there are always a “few” that are not true disciples but merely “false, hypocritical professors (confessors) of the truth.” The good (true disciples that profess…confess) Christ as LORD) and the bad (those that look good but hide under a mask of deception) are gathered together to hear the Gospel of Truth. And, there will be an astonishing revival and a ‘catch’ of men at the end of the age to fulfill this prophecy of the ‘two gospel ships’ taking in so many people into the kingdom that the ships begin to sink, but the nets do not break. With the ships being close to shore, the nets will be dragged in. This is a picture of all Christians working together in unity to bring in the last great harvest of souls. The boats, have toiled all night, refers to the end of the age when Jesus returns the second time. There are so many fish (souls) that the ships are brought to shore (portals of heaven) to keep from losing the fish. Then the good fish, like the good wheat, will be taken into the kingdom of heaven where is eternal life, while the bad will be, as the tares, cast away and destroyed.

AND I say unto you my friends,
Be not afraid of them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do.

BUT I will forewarn you
Whom you shall fear:
FEAR HIM,
Which after He has killed has power
To cast into hell;
Yes, I say unto you,
FEAR HIM!

ALSO I SAY unto you,
WHOSOEVER SHALL CONFESS ME
Before men, him shall
The SON OF MAN
Also confess before the angels of GOD:

BUT he that DENIES ME before men
Shall be denied before the
Angels of GOD.

LUKE 12:4, 5, 8, 9


WHEREFORE (as the Holy Ghost says,
TODAY
If you will hear His voice,
HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS,
As in the provocation (which causes bitterness),
In the day of temptation in the wilderness.
Hebrews 3:7-8

WHILE IT IS STILL CALLED TODAY,
IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE,
HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS BECAUSE OF SIN,
BUT HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD
CALLING YOU TO
SALVATION!

ACCEPT HIM AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR AND BELIEVE ON HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
WHILE IT IS STILL CALLED
“TODAY”