In the Fulness of Time/Part 91
| By: Dr. Thomas O. Figart; ©2007 |
| How are we to understand the parable of the leaven? Dr. Figart explains the background and factors involved in answering that question. |
The Parable of the Leaven. Matthew 13:33
- Matthew 13:33 “Another parable spoke he unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan makes an interesting observation at the beginning of his interpretation of this parable: “Either leaven alone is the type of the kingdom, or all the facts of the parable—the meal, the woman, the leaven, the hiding, and the issue—are required in order to understand what the King intended to teach.” A little later he says: “In the parable of the darnel we read ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man,’ and here nobody suggests that the man in the parable is the type of the Kingdom of heaven.”[1]
His reason for stating this stems from the fact that some commentators in his day wanted to make the leaven represent the good permeating force of the Church which overcomes all obstacles until the whole world is evangelized and Christianized. Only then would the Lord return after this golden age. This was known as Postmillennialism. Today some evangelical writers, dispensational and non-dispensational, have a similar interpretation of the leaven, only they stop short of espousing postmillennialism, saying: “Ultimately His kingdom not only would not fail but would prosper and grow. Christianity will win, evil will be destroyed, and Jesus will reign. Christ Himself is building His church, and the ‘very gates of Hades [death itself] shall not overpower it’ (Matt. 16:18).[2]
The interpretation of this parable, like all four uninterpreted ones, depends upon one’s approach to all seven in the series. If it is to be consistent with the others, then there must not only be agreement in emphasis, but there must also be a “mystery” in each one. If you interpret this parable as referring to the penetration of the “word of the kingdom” this message must eventually be effective in every part of the meal until all is leavened, and extend over the entire “age,” including the return of the Son of man at the end and His worldwide victory in His Messianic Kingdom. Yet, if this is true, where is the “mystery?”
As stated with reference to the previous parable, the Old Testament is full of prophecies concerning the worldwide dominance of the Kingdom. But if a dispensationalist should say the leaven represents the worldwide penetration of the gospel through the Church, which is the “mystery,” then this directly contradicts the New Testament prophecies of deterioration in 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5,13. Paul speaks of the last days of the Church as “perilous times” and that “The Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.” As quoted before, Christ Himself asked, “When the Son of man cometh, will he find (the) faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8).
Though leaven is not evil in itself and the main thrust certainly can be its power of penetration, yet the connotations of Christ and Paul are of evil penetrations, and these would all have to be ignored if this theory of good penetration is accepted! Matthew 16:11-12 states: “How is it that ye do not understand that I spoke not of you concerning bread, but that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? Then understood they that he bade them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (And in Mark 8:15 “of the leaven of Herod”.)
The leaven of the Pharisees was “hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1), “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:1-9). The leaven of the Sadducees was rejection of doctrine, denying the resurrection and the existence of angels or spirits (Acts 23:8). The leaven of the Herodians consisted in changing of Jewish laws in order to conform to the non-Jewish practices of those who adhered to the Herodian political party.
The suggestion of Dr. Morgan thus can be followed for a more consistent interpretation and one which is compatible with “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” yet without attempting to press every detail of the parable.
It is unnecessary to push for an individual meaning for the “woman” and the “three measures,” though some have gone to great lengths to do so. These are merely part of the setting and give some idea of how much bread dough was prepared by the mother of a family. This is illustrated by Sarah in Genesis 18:6: “And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes on the hearth.”
The “mystery” then, would be represented in the fact that the “meal,” the true “word of the kingdom,” would be penetrated with hypocrisy, improper doctrine and any other satanic influences working their way through until they were thoroughly mixed with the truth, proving Paul’s statements that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7), and the “mystery . . . that blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:26).
This interpretation provides continuity with the parables of the sower, wheat and tares, mustard seed and the net full of fish. It also agrees with the consistently negative use of leaven in all the other New Testament passages (Cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:7-9).
Conclusion of His Message to the Multitude. Matthew 13:34-35
- Matthew 13:34-35 “All these things Jesus spoke unto the multitude in parables, and without a parable spoke he not unto them, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
In Matthew 13:13-15 Jesus gave His reason for speaking to the multitude of unbelievers in parables; that is, to conceal further truth from them, because they had hardened their hearts against Him and stopped up their ears against His message. Here in 13:34-35 Matthew reiterates this by quoting from Psalm 78:2, where Asaph says that he will be uttering things from Israel’s history, but not merely from an external point of view. The psalmist will be using the Hebrew mashal, full of figures for practical application, as well as the Hebrew chidah, a riddle.
Matthew takes this as a prophecy of how Christ speaks in parables, uttering things which were hidden from the foundation of the world, which are a perfect riddle to unbelievers, but a glorious new revelation to those who have ears to hear, which will be fulfilled “in the fulness of time!”
