PARABLE, MIRACLE, AND SIGN
36
The first thing we notice is the smallness of the grain of mustard seed. The kingdom purpose of God
commenced with the call of one man, Abram, and his descendants. God definitely told Israel that the people
cast out of Canaan were `seven nations greater and mightier than thou' (Deut. 7:1). It is further said:
`The LORD did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people;
for ye were the fewest of all people' (Deut. 7:7).
`Thy fathers went down into Egypt with three score and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made
thee as the stars of heaven for multitude' (Deut. 10:22).
Here we have the teaching of the words, `less than all the seeds'. Let us now consider the growth of this
small company of people. Deuteronomy 10:22 has already told us that the seventy sons became as the stars of
heaven for multitude. This, however, was not permanent. In between the promise of the unconditional covenant
made by God in Genesis 12, came the covenant of law and works of Sinai, `All that the LORD hath spoken we
will do'. Thus in Deuteronomy 27 and 28 we have blessings and cursings uttered with reference to the law. The
curses are terrible, and tell us of the removal of all the privileges and blessings attaching to the chosen people.
Among the judgments we note the following:
`And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou
wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God' (Deut. 28:62).
Those who are acquainted with the history of Israel know how all these things came to pass. First the ten
tribes, and then the two, were removed from their land, and the dominion given to Nebuchadnezzar. With this
man commenced the `times of the Gentiles' - `it became a tree'. These times must run their destined course
before `all Israel shall be saved' (Rom. 11:25,26). This the apostle declares to be a `mystery', and indeed it is
related to the `mystery of the kingdom of the heavens' as recorded in Matthew 13.
The dominion handed over to Nebuchadnezzar went the same way as it did with Adam and with Israel.
From the head of gold it degenerated by stages from silver to brass, from brass to iron, and from iron to clay.
We know that Babylon was succeeded by Medo-Persia, which in its turn was succeeded by Greece. This we
know not merely from history, but from Scripture (Dan. 8:18-27). The question as to whether Rome succeeded
Greece may form a profitable consideration at some future time; what we know is that when the Lord Jesus was
on earth:
`Satan showed Him the kingdoms of the world (oikoumene) in a moment of time; and the devil said unto
Him, All this will I give Thee, and the glory of them (note "Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory"),
for unto me hath it been delivered, and to whomsoever I will I give it' (Luke 4:5,6 Author's translation).
This brings us to the words of the parable again. `The birds of the heavens lodged in its branches'. The
parable of the Sower has settled the meaning of the birds - Satan and his agents. Daniel 10:13 and 20 show us
that Satan had an emissary at the courts of Persia and Greece, a principality or power conducting affairs for the
`prince of this world'. Inasmuch as idolatry is allied to demons, it seems probable that the dominion given by
God to the Gentiles was given up to Satan, who is seen in full possession in the days when the Lord Jesus was
on earth.
The normal, or true kingdom growth, and the abnormal, or Gentile-Satanic development, may be better seen
by viewing the parable as follows:
Sowing.
A1 `The seed sown'.
B1 `Least of all'. Its beginning -
The kingdom viewed as
small
from Abraham to its
final establishment.
A2 `When it is grown'. Growing.
B2 `Greatest of herbs'.
Its real end - great herb.
Becoming. The kingdom as it
A3 `Becometh a tree'.
became during the
B3 `Fowls ... in branches'
Its end under Gentiles.
`times of the Gentiles'.