Parables no 12 The Net

“THE 41 PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST”
28 general parables and 13 kingdom of heaven parables
Parable #12 – “The Net”
Matthew 13:47-50
The 7^th of the 13 kingdom of heaven parables

“v47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: v48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. v49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, v50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50)

BACKGROUND:
In 445BC, with one Bible week equating to seven years (a prophetic year being 360 days), God commanded that seventy weeks each of 7 years, would be determined upon Israel, that is … 70 weeks x 7 years = 490 years (Daniel 9:24-27).

This time frame is broken into four time periods of (a) 7 weeks + (b) 62 weeks + (c) the mystery church age of about 2,000 years + (d) 1 week = 70 weeks and is explained as follows:

#1. Seven weeks of years is 7 x 7 = 49 years … the time it takes to restore and build Jerusalem from 445BC to 396BC.

#2. Sixty two weeks of years is 62 x 7 = 434 years … the time from the building of Jerusalem in 396BC to Christ being cut off at the cross in 32AD.

#4. One week of years is 1 x 7 = 7 years … this is the seven years of tribulation of God’s wrath upon the earth, that takes place after the rapture … called Daniel’s 70^th week.

DANIEL 9:24-27
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city … from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks … after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off … he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week …”

the kingdom of heaven = see above diagram
a net = God’s net for his harvest of people at the end of the world

In the natural, imagine a fishing net that could be cast into the actual sea … so as to scoop up every living creature and fish in it. Likewise, God will scoop up every person into his net to be judged.

every kind = all races … like the song says “red and yellow, black and white”

when it was full = how full is full? Every living and dead person are all gathered into the net

gathered the good = like an inspector at the fish markets, picking out the good fish from the bad ones

cast the bad away = … tossing out the bad fish into the bin … in this parable, the bin will be the fires of hell

the end of the world = the end of the seven years of tribulation. The good will be raptured/ gathered (Matthew 24:40-41) … just before Revelation chapter 19 with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” (Matthew 24:40-41)

This will be a rapture of people just before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is NOT the rapture that happens just before the seven years of tribulation.

sever = severe … a brutal separation … there will be no emotion attached to this severing process

furnace of fire = fires of hell

APPLICATION TO CHRISTIANS
A Christian’s scooping up occurs at the rapture before the seven years of tribulation.

At the seven year harvest, there will be no Christians … only those who have persevered to the end. There will be of course, a harvest of the persevering ones (Matthew 24:40) just before the return of Christ at his 2^nd coming.