I N D E X
33
Therefore, if the Seed of the woman is Christ, the seed of the Serpent is Antichrist; if moreover we may extend
the term to include believers, so must we allow the term to include unbelievers. The parable before us exposes
the policy of the wicked one. Change of purpose he does not know, but change of tactics he will ever allow so
that he may draw nearer to his end.
Among those who were professedly the religious people of the day, and in their own estimation `sons of the
kingdom' were those who were really `sons of the wicked one'.
Matthew 3 opens with the ministry of John the Baptist. The voice of the forerunner was heard:
`and Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the country round about the Jordan went forth unto him, and were
being baptized in the river Jordan by him, openly confessing their sins' (Matt. 3:5,6 Author's translation).
By reason of the fact that John proclaimed that `the kingdom of the heavens is at hand', all who came to be
baptized were professedly those who desired a place in that long hoped-for kingdom. Here it is that we catch a
glimpse of the Devil's seed, ready to be sown among the good wheat:
`But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Offspring of
vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?' (Matt. 3:7 Author's translation).
We must not be too hasty in concluding that these Pharisees and Sadducees all turned back; John
immediately continued:
`Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, and do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our
father, for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham' (Matt. 3:8,9
Author's translation).
John warns them that though they may look so much like the wheat that it would be impossible to
distinguish them then, yet when Christ came He would reveal the secrets of many hearts; the fruit would
manifest which was wheat, and which was darnel, which were the sons of the kingdom, and which the sons of
the wicked one. After referring to the exceeding greatness of Christ, John uses a figure which links this passage
very suggestively with the parable before us:
`Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor, and will gather together His
wheat into the granary, but the chaff will He burn up with fire unquenchable' (Matt. 3:12 Author's
translation).
Some may have heeded these stern words, but many we know refused the witness, and became the enemies
of the Lord and His work. The words of John to the Pharisees and Sadducees find an echo in the words of
Christ in later passages. In the very chapter which precedes this one of kingdom parables, and where the
rejection of Christ reached a climax, we find reference to these `tares', the seed of the wicked one. The subject
(chap. 12:22-37) refers to Satan's kingdom, and in verses 33,34 the Lord says:
`Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt. For from the
fruit the tree is known' (Matt. 12:33 Author's translation).
This last sentence is entirely in harmony with the parable. The tares, or darnel, are the Arabian zowan,
which grows among the corn. Even the native farmers cannot distinguish between the wheat and the tares with
sufficient accuracy to enable them to weed out the latter. The moment, however, that the wheat and the zowan
begin to head out, a child could distinguish between them.
Continuing the quotation of Chapter 12:34 we read:
`Offspring of vipers, how can ye speak good things, being wicked?' (Author's translation).
Again in Matthew 23:33 the Lord says:
`Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye flee away from the judgment of Gehenna?' (Author's
translation).
In John 8:30-32 we have the two kinds of believers or disciples:
`As He was speaking these things, many believed on Him. Jesus said, therefore, unto the Jews who had
believed on Him, If ye abide in My word, ye are truly My disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free' (Author's translation).