“He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and put in his own garden. It grew, and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.” Again he said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom? It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”” (Luke 13:18-21 WEB)
The Jews thought that when their Messiah comes, there would be utopia on earth immediately. Jesus corrected them with teachings like the parables above.
A seed germinates by putting off its outer shell to reveal the inner one. It’s representative of death bringing forth life.
“You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies. That which you sow, you don’t sow the body that will be, but a bare grain, maybe of wheat, or of some other kind. But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.” (1 Corinthians 15:36-38 WEB)
Therefore the mustard seed in the parable represents Jesus. The kingdom of God would begin by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
At conception, Jesus received a mortal body in which He would die in, and when He resurrected, He received a glorified body He would live forever in.
The kingdom of God would begin very small like a grain of mustard seed and then grow to fill the earth like a large tree. The church grew from just Jesus and His disciples, and now it has spread worldwide! There’s billions of Christians throughout history until today.
The large tree giving shelter to the birds of the sky represents how the church is a source of rest, refuge and cool shade from the heat (troubles) of the world.
Notice the “three measures”? To the Lord, one day is as a thousand years.
“But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8 WEB)
Three measures can represent three days with the Lord (counting from 0 AD).
AD (Ano Domini) counts the years from the birth of Christ.
On the third day, during the Millennial Reign of Christ, the kingdom of God will reach its full stature!
By that time, we who have faith in Jesus will all be in glorified bodies, reigning with Him in the Kingdom!
The Jews were mistaken. Jesus’ first Coming was to put away sin by dying on the cross. He fulfilled the role of the suffering Servant.
Jesus’ Second Coming (after the Rapture) will be to defeat the Antichrist and set up His glorious Kingdom on earth.
The Messiah King is coming back—let the whole earth receive Him with joy!
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