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Jesus’ Use of Parables1. In which way was Christ’s parable teaching similar to His own mission? “Christ took ourand dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisiblein the visible human form. Men could learn of the through the; heavenly things were revealed through the . . . . So it was inChrist’s . . . .” (COL, p. 17.1)2. Which Old Testament prophecy predicted that Jesus would speak in parables?(Read Matthew 13:34-35 and then check the marginal reference in your Bible. Be sure to studythe entire background chapter in the Old Testament)3. What link existed between the written Word of God and the parables of Jesus? “Natural thingswere the for the spiritual; the things of nature and the life experience of Hishearers were with the truths of the written word. Leading thus from thenatural to the kingdom. . . .” (COL, p. 17.2)4. Why could Jesus employ the lessons of nature so effectively? "In His teaching from nature,Christ was speaking of the things which His own had made, and which had qualitiesand powers that He Himself had .” (COL, p. 18.1)5. What was the original purpose of the created order? “In their original perfection all createdthings were an expression of the of God.” (COL, p. 18.1)6. What striking difference did the people see between Jesus’ teaching and that of the Scribesand Pharisees? “And so it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people wereat His teaching, for He taught them as one having , andnot as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29)Sin’s Effect on Nature1. How did the entrance of sin into the world affect the lessons of nature? “As soon as the holypair transgressed the law of the Most High, the from the of Goddeparted from the face of nature.” (COL, p. 18.1)Note: That is to say, sin damaged the transmitter. After the entrance of sin, nature spokeimperfectly about God. While it still revealed a God of love, it also revealed the contrary principleof evil.2. Did the inception of sin totally obliterate the lessons of nature? “The earth is nowThe End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 8 of 405

and defiled by sin. Yet even in its state much that isbeautiful remains. God’s object lessons are not ; rightly understood,nature speaks of her Creator.” (COL, p. 18.1)Note: Creation still speaks of God. For this the reason the Psalmist could exclaim: “The heavensdeclare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)3. What happened with the mind of man because of sin? “In the days of Christ these lessons[from nature] had been lost of. Men had well-nigh ceased toGod in His works.” Paul says that men “became in their , andtheir foolish heart was .” (COL, p. 18.2; Romans 1:21)Note: Not only did sin damage the transmitter but it also damaged the receiver. Man’s unaidedsinful mind could no longer read God’s lessons in nature correctly.4. How is the veil of sin removed from nature and from humanity? “Christ sought to remove thatwhich the truth. The veil that sin cast over the face of , Hecame to draw aside, bringing to view the spiritual glory that all things were created to.” (COL, p. 18.3)5. What two books must we use side by side in the science of education? “The book ofis a great lesson book, which in connection with the weare to use in teaching others of His character, and guiding lost back to God.” (COL, p.24.1)The Purpose for Parables1. What was Jesus’ intended purpose for using parables? “The veil that sin had cast over the faceof , He came to draw aside, bringing to view the glory that allthings were created to reflect. His words placed the teachings of as well as ofthe in a new aspect, and made them a new revelation.” (COL, p. 18.3)2. Why did Jesus choose parables as his preferred method of teaching? “By connecting Histeaching with the scenes of , experience or , He secured theirand impressed their hearts. as they looked upon theobjects that illustrated His lessons, the recalled the words of the divine Teacher.” (COL, p. 21.1)Note: So to speak, Jesus employed a live power point presentation. He knew that a picture isworth a thousand words!The End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 9 of 405

3. Why did Jesus employ illustrations? “By using a of illustrations, He not onlypresented truth in its different , but appealed to the different.” (COL, p. 21.2)4. What process did Jesus frequently follow as He told His parables? In the parable of the lilies ofthe field, Jesus first “ the beautiful lily. . . . Then followed the sweetand the important .” (COL, p. 19.1) Finally, He spread Hishands and made a call to the multitude, uttering the well-known words found in. (COL, p. 19.2)Note: It is obvious that the parables of Jesus were not only meant to inform. Their main purposewas to lead the people to make a decision in favor of His kingdom.Concealing and Revealing1. Why were the parables of Jesus meant to conceal as well as to reveal? “He presented truth insuch a way that they could find nothing by which to bring His case before the Sanhedrin. Inparables He the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied highpositions, and in language clothed truth of so cutting a character that hadit been spoken in denunciation, they would not have listened to His words,and would speedily have put an end to His ministry.” (COL, p. 22.1)2. What does Matthew 13:11 tell us about the revealing and concealing functions of the parables.“Because it is given unto you to know the of the kingdom of heaven but tothem it is not .”3. Since when had God concealed these mysteries of the kingdom? Jesus stated that thesemysteries that He came to utter, had "been kept from the foundation of theworld." (Matthew 13:35)Note: Several passages from Scripture indicate that these mysteries were directly related to theearthly ministry and mission of Jesus. Revelation 13:8 explains that Jesus is the Lamb of God slainfrom the foundation of the world.4. From whom did Jesus conceal the mysteries of the kingdom and to whom did He reveal them?God revealed these mysteries to the but hid them from the and. (Matthew 11:25; see also Matthew 13:11; Matthew 21:16; Luke 10:21;Psalm 8:2)The End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 10 of 405

5. What did the apostle Paul have to say about these mysteries? Paul identified these mysterieshidden from the foundation of the world as “the of Jesus Christ. . . . whichwas kept since the world .” (Romans 16:25; see also, Ephesians 1:4;1:9; 3:3; 6:19; Colossians 1:26-27; Revelation 10:7)Nature and the Parables1. In which three ways did Jesus seek to teach the people about God? “He taught them to beholdHim as manifested in His , in His , and by His .” (COL,p. 22.2)2. In what environment can truth best be taught and exemplified? “Christ taught His disciples bythe , on the , in the and , where theycould look upon the things of by which He illustrated His teachings.” (COL, p.23.2)3. What error do teachers frequently commit and how can they correct it? “Too often the mindsof are occupied with theories and speculations, falsely calledscience and philosophy. They need to be brought into contact with nature. Let themlearn that creation and Christianity have God. Let them be taught to seethe of the natural with the spiritual. Let which their eyessee or their hands handle be made a lesson in character building.” (COL, p. 24.2)4. What link exists between the teaching function of the nature and the Sabbath? “On the holyrest day, all other days, we should study the messages that God has written for usin .” (COL, p. 25.1)Note: The Sabbath, in a special sense, reminds us that God is the creator of the heavens and theearth (Exodus 20:11).The Sabbath and nature are closely bound. In fact, the Sabbath should be aspecial day for the contemplation of God through nature.5. How did Jesus connect the teachings of nature with the common labors of everyday life? “Inthe plowing and sowing, the tilling and reaping, He teaches us to see an of Hiswork of in the heart. So in every line of useful labor and every association of life, Hedesires us to find a lesson of truth.” (COL, p. 26.1)The End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 11 of 405

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“The End Time Dimension of the Parables”Lesson #2 – The Parable of the SowerBy Pastor Stephen BohrRecommended Reading: COL, pp. 33-61; Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:36-43; Mark 4:1-20;Luke 8:5-15The Field, the Sower and the Soils1. The field in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares represents the (Matthew13:38).2. The sower represents the of man (Matthew 13:37).3. The soils represent four kinds of hearts where the word of God is planted: “And these are theyby the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh, and taketh away the word that was sown in their .”(Mark 4:15).The Seed1. The seed represents the of God (Luke 8:11).Note: COL, p. 33.1 explains that Jesus’ "parable itself was the seed with which themost precious truths of His grace were ."2. 1 Peter 1:23 explains the meaning of the seed: “Being born again, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible, by the of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”3. “the same that govern earthly seed sowing govern the sowing of the seeds of. (COL, p. 33.1)The End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 13 of 405

4. Jesus frequently told parables as the events were occurring. When Jesus told the parable ofthe sower, “upon and both sowers and reapers were busy,the one casting seed and the other harvesting the early grain”. (COL, p. 34.2)5. The life giving power of God’s word can be discerned in the following statement: “Inevery and in every of the word of God is the , thevery life of God, by which the command may be fulfilled and the promise realized. He who byfaith receives the word is receiving the very and character of God.” (COL, p. 38.1)6. It is dangerous to substitute the ideas of men for the word of God because, “Philosophicaltheories or literary essays, however cannot satisfy the ” (COL,p. 40.1)7. The life changing power of God’s word is described in Psalm 119:11 : “Thy have Ihid in mine that I might not against thee.”8. Through the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 55:11), God promises that as the seed bears fruit: “So shall mybe that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me , but itshall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”9. There is grave danger in setting aside the word of God for, “When the word of God is set aside,its power to the evil passions of the natural is rejected. Men sowto the flesh, and of the flesh they reap corruption.” (COL, p. 41.2)10. In many of our schools, the works of the world’s great men are placed before the youngpeople instead of the word of God. The result is that “In turning from God’s word to feed on thewritings of men, the mind becomes and .(COL, p. 41.3)11. Ellen White explains the psychological process whereby the mind is dwarfed and cheapened:“The understanding itself to the comprehension of the things with which it isfamiliar, and in this devotion to things it is weakened, its power is contracted, andafter a time it becomes unable to .” (COL, p. 41.3)12. In many of our schools the study of the Bible is considered of secondary importance. This istragic because, “There is so ennobling and as a study of thegreat themes which concern our eternal life.” (COL, p. 42.1)13. It is not enough to teach the theoretical truths of the word of God. Truth must be embodied.Of Christ it is said: “Christ taught the truth because He the truth. His own thought, HisThe End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 14 of 405

character, His life-experience, were in His teaching.” (COL, p. 43.1)The Seeds by the Wayside1. “The seed sown by the wayside represents the word of God as it falls upon the heart of anhearer. . . . The spiritual faculties are . Men hear theword, but it not.” (COL, p. 44.2)Note: The wayside represents people who have hearts of stone where it is impossible for theseed of truth to penetrate.2. The birds which plucked the seed away represent the who "taketh away theword out of their hearts lest they should and be .” (Luke 8:12)Note: Concerning this, Ellen White wrote: “As the birds are ready to catch up the seed from thewayside, so is ready to catch away the seeds of divine from the. He fears that the word of God may awaken the careless, and take effect upon theheart.” (COL, p. 44.3)3. Among these inattentive hearers are those who “listen to the preaching of the word of God[and] make it the subject of at home. They sit in on theas they would on the words of a lecturer or a political speaker. . . . Often thesethings are spoken by in the hearing of their own . Thus aredestroyed respect for God’s , and reverence for their message.” (COL, p. 45.1)4. Among the “wayside hearers” was Felix whom, after Paul had preached to him aboutrighteousness, temperance and judgment said to him: “Go thy way for this time, when I have aseason, I will call thee.” (Acts 24:25). That opportunity never came!5. Among the “wayside hearers” was also king Agrippa. After the apostle Paul preached apowerful sermon, the king replied: “ thou persuadest me to be a.” (Acts 26:27-28)6. Among the “wayside hearers” were members of the Sanhedrin who stoned Stephen. We aretold that after they heard Stephen’s message they “ on him with their teeth” andthey “cried out with a loud voice, and their ears, and ran upon him with one.” (Acts 7:54; Acts 7:57)7. In the end-time, many who claim to believe the truth will be “wayside hearers”. Because theydid not or the truth, God will send them a strong delusion thatThe End Time Dimension of the Parables by Pastor Stephen Bohr Page 15 of 405

they might believe the .” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)The Seed in Stony Places1. There are two problems with this kind of soil. Luke 8:6 explains that this soil lacked(a symbol of the Holy Spirit). Matthew 13:5-6 underlines the fact that the soilin stony places had “no of earth” and therefore when “the was up”the plant "was .”2. In the people represented by this soil, “ of the natural heart underlies thesoil of their good and .” (COL, p. 46.3)3. “This class may be easily and appear to be bright converts, but theyhave only a religion.” (COL, p. 46.3)Note: These are the people who have a form

dual meaning of parables in the story of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Lost Sheep. 4. It is important to remember that Jesus employed three types of parables: 1) Verbal parables, metaphors and allegories, 2) Acted parables