8    The Bible and the Future of the World 

that seed, but it grows so great that it provides shelter and help even for the 

birds of the air those outside the Church. Notice that Jesus describes the 

Church as living, growing, and changing. The Church grows in size, in 

wisdom, in grace, and in understanding. 

The Sower (Mt 13:24 30) 

      `But he said,  No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat 

along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest 

time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles 

to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.  '   (Mt 13:29 30). 

    The householder lets both wheat and weeds grow together until harvest 

time. In the same way, God allows both people who do good and people 

who do evil to live on earth together. But notice that at harvest time the 

weeds are gathered first. Therefore, at that time, the just and the faithful will 

watch as God first destroys all evildoers. Only after this is accomplished will 

the faithful receive their reward. 

      `Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the 

close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather 

out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into 

the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'    

(Mt 13:40 42). 

    This explanation of the parable is literally true. Angels will go out to 

destroy evildoers and throw them into Hell. The close of the age refers to the 

time at the end of the reign of Antichrist, when God's justice and mercy 

triumph over evil. After the destruction of the unrepentant, the world does 

not end, but the Millennium of  the reign of Christianity begins. Then the 

world and all its peoples will be governed by the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

The Church will have conquered the whole world. 

    This parable also applies to the time at the end of the Millennium. The 

Millennium will begin in the 25th century  A.D. and will end well over a 

thousand years later. At that time, evildoers will again rise up against Jesus' 

disciples. But this time God will quickly put them to justice, without first 

allowing a reign of terror and suffering (Rev 20:7 10). 

The Net (Mt 13:47 50) 

      `Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the 

sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and 

sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will 

be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil