The Net Matthew 13:47-50

This post discusses Jesus’ parable about a net.

The net shows the work of fishing, Matthew 13:47-48. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that 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 containers but threw away the bad.” Jesus used fishing by net, observed daily on the Sea of Galilee, to teach about the kingdom and the end of time, Matthew 13:49-50. “So, it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Thus, in this parable, Jesus stresses what will happen on the Judgment Day to members of the kingdom of heaven, the church.

He depicts the church as a net thrown into the sea or the world. The fish comprise righteous and wicked people in the kingdom. The wicked imagine they are saved because of their names in the church role. The wicked escape detection while on the earth. But at the end of time, angels will sort the righteous from the wicked and throw the wicked into hell, the fiery furnace, and terrible pain.

Also, wicked people claiming membership in the kingdom parallels the wicked in every age. Consider the following pairs: Wicked Cain with Abel at the beginning of time; Judas as one of the twelve; Diotrephes in the church (III John 9). God’s mercy allows the wicked time to repent or exist alongside the righteous until the end of time. At that time, Angels then separate the wicked.

Note, God does not authorize people or churches to remove the wicked from the kingdom. On Judgement Day, angels will do this sorting. (Congregations can withdraw fellowship from erring, unrepentant members to try to restore them, 2 Thessalonians 3:6.)

So, what did we learn?

1.Wicked people masquerading as church members will receive punishment at the end of time.

2.God’s mercy allows time for wicked church members to repent until Judgement Day.

3.On judgment day, angels sort out the wicked.

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