Matthew 13:46-50
Mat 13:46 (KJB)
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had,
and bought it.
When a person is in the business of pearls, once in a while they will make a
find that normally transcends the value of the others. Here though the man did
not just find a pearl which was worth more than the other individual pearls, but
it was a pearl which was so great in value that he took all the money he could
raise by selling his stock and purchasing the pearl. When we look at this
parable, we can see a person who sold all that he had and we can say that all
that he had represented all the religions that he tried and did not satisfy him
nor bring him spiritual peace. Once he found grace through the Lord Jesus
Christ, he went and sold or got rid of all the religions which he tried to
appease God but now found out that the only way to God is through the Lord Jesus
Christ. Once he found the pearl of great price to be the Lord Jesus Christ, and
he has given up everything to follow Him, he now has the peace he so desperately
sought for in these worldly religions.
Mat 13:47 (KJB)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and
gathered of every kind:
Then Jesus likens the kingdom of Heaven do a great dragnet. The dragnet normally
was a large square net with floats and it was towed between two boats. (Rev
21:16 KJV) And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the
breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.
The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. The city of New
Jerusalem which is the body of believers as portrayed in Revelation 21 is also a
square. The sea which the net was cast into is the world. (Isa 17:12 KJV)
Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the
seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of
mighty waters! Then when the net came up it had fish of all kinds. In this
case, the church has within its doors, both believers and unbelievers.
Mat 13:48 (KJB)
Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good
into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Then the net was drawn to the shore and the fishermen sat down. To sit down,
means a position of authority. Here we see that Lord Jesus Christ as the one who
sat down because the net was full which means all the Elect who were to be saved
have become saved. The fish in the net represent all the people of the world.
This parable is another understanding of the great separation at the last day.
The Lord Jesus will sit down on the Judgment Seat. (Mat 25:32 KJV) And
before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: Then just as the
good fish and bad fish are separated, the sinners will be separated from the
believers and each will go to their assigned place, believers to Heaven, and
unbelievers to Hell.
Mat 13:49 (KJB)
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever
the wicked from among the just,
Then Jesus makes the statement as plain as He could, telling His disciples that
on the last day, which is the end of the world, the wicked will be forever
separated from the just who will go into Heaven. Jesus made judgment a major
focus in many of the parables. To sever the wicked is to completely remove every
one of them so that there will never be one wicked ever again to tempt a
believer or to bring offense. These verses also teach that there will be one
general resurrection. There is not going to be two separate days of resurrection
but only one and that is on the last day of recorded history.
Mat 13:50 (KJB)
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth.
Jesus repeats His statement found in verse 42. (Mat 13:42 KJV) And shall
cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
He is not mincing any words concerning an end time judgment and eternal
punishment. He reiterates the fact that there will be physical and emotional
pain in Hell. Hell is not going to be a place of parties with the unsaved but a
place of eternal damnation where those who had no Savior to save them will be
paying for their sins throughout eternity.