Matthew 13:36-43

[paulespino]

As I was reading, I encountered this verse.
Questions to preterists: Matthew 13:36-43
If this happened on 70 AD who are the angels?

[dizerner]

I think they'd say the angels reaped in 70 A.D. Full Preterism is a pretty serious error for me.

[jaydam]

I believe this scripture is talking about the time leading up to and including 70 AD.

However, I don't know as angels here has to mean supernatural beings. The reapers of God could be the Roman military who punished the unbelieving Jews.

But, it certainly could be angelic beings behind the scenes of the events as well.

Either way, I don't know as it matters. It is fairly clear that Christ was looking to a harvest in that day, he viewed Israel as having been sown with the children (seed) of Satan, and the threat in Matthew echoes what was specifically directed at Israel in Malachi as well - same language.

[paulespino]

According to scripture4all.org that the Greek word used for angels is "aggelous" in plural form which means messengers in English. God sent the roman military to judge the non believing jews and therefore the roman military served as a messengers for God. I agree with you jaydam but I also want to hear from full preterists.

[dizerner]

I don't think the Romans "sorted the good from the bad" lol.

[jaydam]

I don't think the Romans "sorted the good from the bad" lol.

From how I read it, the angels' job was to clean house by doing away with the bad. The good had already left by the time the Romans came.

[dizerner]

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age at 70 A.D.; and the reapers are Roman soldiers. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age at 70 A.D. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His Roman soldiers, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Just doesn't fit especially when you compare parallel texts.

[robbyyoung]

According to scripture4all.org that the Greek word used for angels is "aggelous" in plural form which means messengers in English. God sent the roman military to judge the non believing jews and therefore the roman military served as a messengers for God. I agree with you jaydam but I also want to hear from full preterists.

Hi paulespino,

Remember, Matthew was arguably the first or second gospel written; additionally, it was written exclusively to the Jews. Therefore, a jewish audience would easily interpret the language given by Yeshua as given in the O.T. account. For the most part, God dealt with His enemies by the hand of foriegn nations. God didn't literally show up as the symbolism suggested. No, human armies sent by God did the job sufficiently. Yeshua said He will operate just as he saw His Father operate, and that's not literally appearing as the symbolism suggested but rather as the O.T. denotes. Also, brother jaydam is correct concerning possible angelic activities working behind the scenes. I am reminded of how God allowed us to witness this truth in the account of Elijha (2 Kings 6:17):

"And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

Besides all of this, the end of the age is always in the context of the 1st century; thus, the events in question cannot be separated from this period in time.

God Bless.

[paulespino]

HI Rob,
I'm thinking that another possibility is that the angels which also means "messengers " are the disciples.
In Matthew 10 :5-15 Jesus ordered the disciples to evangelized to different towns and to knock on individual houses. Those who accepted Christ were blessed but those who did not were cursed worst than Sodom and Gomorrah. I think the process of evangelizing which was done by the disciples of Christ was the process of harvesting (separating the good seeds (believers) from the weeds (non believers)). Those who believed did not experienced the wrath of the Romans and those who did not believed suffered, tortured and died.
Therefore the messengers are the disciples.
I'm just thinking maybe this is another possibility

[dizerner]

HI Rob,
I'm thinking that another possibility is that the angels which also means "messengers " are the disciples.
In Matthew 10 :5-15 Jesus ordered the disciples to evangelized to different towns and to knock on individual houses. Those who accepted Christ were blessed but those who did not were cursed worst than Sodom and Gomorrah. I think the process of evangelizing which was done by the disciples of Christ was the process of harvesting (separating the good seeds (believers) from the weeds (non believers)). Those who believed did not experienced the wrath of the Romans and those who did not believed suffered, tortured and died.
Therefore the messengers are the disciples.
I'm just thinking maybe this is another possibility

Why would the destruction of Jerusalem be the end of the age, where all are judged. Who threw the Roman soldiers (bad seeds) away in the furnace? I think many lived a full life.