Don K. Preston produced a short video yesterday comparing Matthew 13 (“The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares”) to Daniel 12:3, and made some interesting observations. Here’s his introduction, followed by the 7-minute video:
“In Matthew 13:43 Jesus directly echoes Daniel 12:3. How does this impact our understanding of the end of the age and the resurrection? Well, “orthodoxy” says that Daniel and Matthew 13 refer to the “end of human history.” But, Daniel 12 totally refutes that, demonstrating again how badly church history and “orthodoxy” have missed the story of eschatology!”
I created a chart below showing the parallels between Daniel 12 and Matthew 13, as well as parallels between Daniel 12 and the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21).
| Daniel 12:1-7 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 | Matthew 24 / Mark 13 / Luke 21 (Olivet Discourse) | |
| Prophecies regarding the Jewish people | “…who stands watch over the sons of your people… your people” (verse 1) | “…who are in Judea” (Matt. 24:16); “pray that your flight may not be…on the Sabbath” (Matt. 24:20); “…all the tribes of the earth” (Matt. 24:30); “…you will be beaten in the synagogues” (Mark 13:9, Luke 21:12); “For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people” (Luke 21:23); “Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles…” (Luke 21:24). | |
| Incomparable time of trouble | “…there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation” (verse 1) | “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21, Mark 13:19). | |
| God’s people delivered | “And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book” (verse 1). | “…then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matt. 24:16, Mark 13:14, Luke 21:21).* | |
| Resurrection | “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (verse 2). | “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:31, Mark 13:27). | |
| Righteous shining like stars | “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (verse 3) | “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (verse 43). | |
| Timing of these things | “…it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished” (verse 7). | “…the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels” (verse 39); “…as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age” (verse 40). | [Jesus prophesies that the temple will be completely destroyed (Matt. 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6).]
[a] Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3)
[b] “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:4, Luke 21:7)
“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things are fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34, Mark 13:30, Luke 21:32). |
* Remigius (437-533 AD) tells us this:
“[F]or on the approach of the Roman army, all the Christians in the province, warned, as ecclesiastical history tells us, miraculously from heaven, withdrew, and passing the Jordan, took refuge in the city of Pella; and under the protection of that King Agrippa, of whom we read in the Acts of the Apostles, they continued some time.”
As Daniel 12 and Matthew 13 are related, and Daniel 12 and the Olivet Discourse are also clearly related, so also are Matthew 13 and the Olivet Discourse related. They are related in terms of their content, as well as the time period in which they were to be fulfilled. The “end of the age” referred to the old covenant age, which came to a fiery end when Jerusalem and the temple were burned as Jesus predicted. The power of Daniel’s people was completely shattered at this time, before Jesus’ own generation passed away. The righteous (in Christ) have been shining like the stars from that time, even since the cross.
A detailed study of “the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares” was posted here last year.
Chuck Crisco, pastor of His House Church in Nashville, also has a good article on Matthew 13 and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares: “Spiritual Myth Busters: Is God Separating the Wheat and the Tares?”
Pursuing Truth 
I appreciate getting your articles very much. Thank you. I value your clear ways of communicating and have the deepest respect for your careful research. I’ve been a serious Bible student for 64 years or so.
tomdurst1@msn.com
Medical Lake WA (509) 487-1991
“Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.” ― Oswald Chambers
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You’re welcome, and I appreciate your feedback and I’m glad to know you found the article to be a blessing.
P.S. I thought I scheduled this one to post at 4 pm, but apparently it went live at 4 am. 🙂
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I am so thankful for Don Peterson’s insights. There is no doubt that modern “evangelical” protestants and even many of those who consider themselves as “reformed” have seriously underestimated the importance of the 70 AD destruction of Israel and end of the Old Covenant age. I don’t understand the interest that so many Christian groups have today with all things Jewish. It seems to me that the message of the New Testament is “to come out” of the Old Covenant, not “enter back in” when it comes to dispensationalism dangerous or divine? I think the answer is obvious, dangerous.
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I agree – the importance of the end of the old covenant age has been very much underestimated. And I believe you’re right – there has been a wave of attempts within some modern movements (Christian Zionism, dispensationalism, Hebrew roots) to enter back into that world.
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Typo-Don K. Preston
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Adam, didn’t know where to post this, I am working on a sermon to preach in June on the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven., Matthew 16. Would it be fair to say that on dispensational principles Jesus gave the wrong set of Keys to his petros? Matthew 16 seems like a very problematic text for those who make distinctions between Israel and the church.
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