Shalom Precious Partner and Friend of Israel,

Just as a farmer patiently waits for the produce of the soil to bear a great harvest so too must we be patient for the Lord’s Coming - it is near! (James 5:7-8) The End-times or the Last Days of the world is compared to a harvest, because the time of it is fixed and settled even though its time is NOT known exactly when it will be! But, as certain as the “time of harvest” is …so too WILL the Judgements of God; the Rapture and the Second Coming of our Lord be! “Harvest” language is all throughout the New Testament and in recognizing this the authors used it as a key to understanding the Bible’s prediction of a great “End-Time Harvest.” John the Baptist described Yeshua (Jesus) as the one who would “harvest the earth!” “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” - Matthew 3:12.

Now let’s look at the Parable of the Wheat and Tares; Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn’” - Matthew 13:24-30.

Interesting here is… “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.” You see Satan will sow seeds if we don’t stay focused just like the 5 foolish virgins who were not prepared and found without oil in their lamps (Matthew 25:1-13). In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares we can tell that the harvest time was NOT far off and that the servants working in the fields and began to notice that the plants were coming to the last stage of their growth. Though the wheat and tares looked similar to the sowers saw that some of them began to look different as their heads began to form and grow longer than the wheat! Another thing that is very interesting is that “the wheat” BOW down but “the Tares” stand straight! 

Satan always is counterfeit to God! And so, the sowers were quick to tell the owner and master of the field that they had to take the weeds out before their seeds develop. The problem was that the weeds are rooted into the same ground as the wheat, and by pulling up the weeds would also do great damage to the growth of the wheat. The master’s decision was to wait until the harvest and then would come “the separation of the wheat and the harmful tares (also called weeds or darnel)!

The Hebrew word for “tares” is “zunim,” (from that comes the Greek word “zizanion”) and zunim is said to be connected with the “root” word; “zanah” - which means “to commit fornication!” The popular story is that the “tares” or “weeds” took their origin in the time of “wickedness” which preceded Noah’s flood (Genesis 6:5-13) for at that time the “wickedness” of man caused them to go astray and so they committed themselves to everything contrary to God’s plan. 

In their early stages, the “wheat and tares” could NOT be safely separated when both were growing …but in the end, they had to be separated! WHY? The Greek word “zizanion” in the Parable in Matthew 13:24-30 is translated variously as; “tares,” “darnel,” and “weed.” “Darnel” is slightly poisonous and causes dizziness, sickness and is narcotic in its effects, and even a small amount has a bitter and unpleasant taste and so according to the Biblical text, “tares” must have a life cycle like wheat …BUT can easily contaminate the “wheat“ seed. This strategy has always been the enemy's plan, to permeate, intermingle, infiltrate and control not only the world system but also to control man. Here lies the thought of the intermingling of the root structure of the “tares” (weeds or darnel) with the wheat.

The “tares” (weed, or darnel) was a nuisance! This sort of weed was of No good or profitable use, and to sow it was a crime in the Roman Empire. The ability for a fungus to inhabit the grain rendered it toxic if consumed. Sowing the “darnel” among the “good seed” was an act of agricultural sabotage …or to understand this in the grand scheme of Scripture, revenge by the Enemy. Regardless, the Sower’s reception to the bad news and his plan demonstrates patience! We need patience! Two options laid before the Sower who understood that with imprudence the “good crop” will be lost - so the “weed” (tares or darnel) MUST be left alone to co-exist with the “wheat.”

This means that the fieldworkers care of the “good crop” would profit the weed as well. Here we can understand more the fact why the un-righteous godless seem to profit seemingly even without God? You see that it is God’s desire that NONE should perish without Eternal Life in Him and provides opportunity to all. Both receive the resources. Sunlight, good soil, and water are all things that make for a good crop …and the weed enjoy these things too. Since the “wheat and the weed” are intertwined, their immediate circumstances are as well. If the wheat receives “blessing” such as consistent rain or sunshine, then the weed receives the same blessing. This reminds us of the AGAPE Love of God and Yeshua’s (Jesus) statement in Matthew’s Gospel; “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” - Matthew 5:45. Both crops receive blessing. Every good thing comes from God!

In Matthew 7:15-20 Yeshua (Jesus) warns that any tree which does not bear good fruit eventually is thrown into the fire! Taking this into account, as “wheat” or God’s Church we are to demonstrate God’s love in our lives …and that is NO better way demonstrated in patience than with the ungodly - the sons of evil whom we have to live alongside us in this sinful world. Our Lord displayed this patience in His own life with His disciples. Among them was Judas, a son of the evil one, and Yeshua shows forbearance with His betrayer and was able to use Judas for good, despite his evil nature and intentions, for the larger, greater good of redemption. So why is the character of the Sower important? Because it’s the nature and character of the Sower that determines the destiny of both seeds. If the Sower was lazy, the destiny of the crop is death. If the Sower is impatient, the crop will NOT give its full yield. And yet the nature and the character of the Sower in the parable is strikingly different. The Sower is good because He sows “good seed” and his crop is a reflection of Himself as his work mirrors His nature. But not only that the Sower’s patience and diligence save the good seed from ruin. To hastily remove the weed from the wheat …would have ruined the wheat! The Sower (God) was, and still is, patient. As for the weed sown comes from Satan - its malicious nature runs counter to the Sower’s and so its destiny is the raging inferno. The patience of the Sower serves both as the foil and launching pad for our world and for us.

 Are the harvests described by the Lord in Matthew 13:24-30,36-46, and by Apostle John in Revelation 14:14-20, depictions of the same End-Time harvest? Yeshua (Jesus) described ‘a harvest of “weeds”’ (tares) and “wheat” as we read in Matthew 13:24-30 and explained it to His Disciples in Matthew 13:46-46. The Apostle John described a harvest of “grapes” in Revelation 14:14-20. Do you think that these End-Time harvests are the same or different events?

Look at this description by the Lord; “Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds (unsaved) and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat (saved) and bring it into my barn. ... As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the End of the Age.” - Matthew 13:30, 40.

Now, look at this description by John; “Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud; ‘Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So, he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle; ‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes (unsaved) from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe.’ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city.” - Revelation 14:15-20. In response to the angel's call to thrust His sickle into the harvest, the “One like a Son of Man” seated on the cloud (Yeshua) swung His sickle across the earth. Consequently, the earth was reaped. Not a single unbeliever anywhere on the planet will escape Jesus' judgment. The psalmist asked; “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” - Psalm 130:3. 

If we look carefully, we will see that (1) the Parable of the Wheat and Tares follow right after the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23) …and that Parable was about the work of the evil one seeking to hinder people from coming to the fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God. The seed sown represented the Word of God planted into the ground of a person's heart and his response to it. So, why were the Disciples puzzled with the Parable of the Wheat and Tares? Because it sounded similar to the Parable of the Sower! When the Disciples got Yeshua (Jesus) away from the crowds, they didn’t ask Him to explain the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast of Matthew 13:31-35 which followed …but rather something more about the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds (Tares) especially intrigued them.

Now let’s read the Lord’s explanation - as it comes down to the End of the Age; “Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear!”- Matthew 13:36-43. What did Yeshua (Jesus) say the things in this Parable represent? How is it different from the Parable of the Sower in the first part of the same chapter?

In the parable of the sower… is the one that sowed the seed of the Word and is a picture of anyone who shares the Gospel (good news) of the finished work of Yeshua – Jesus Christ. The ground or soil represented the hearts of those hearing the Word of God, and the seed was the Word of God. The difference we see in the Parable of the Weeds …is that the sower is a picture of the Yeshua Ha’Mashiach – the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:37), and the field is the world (v. 38). The “good seed” represents all those who believe and have trusted Christ so they become “wheat” …while the weeds are the sons and daughters of the evil one, and the enemy that sows them is Satan (v. 39). The “Harvest Time” is a picture of the approaching End of the Age with the harvesters being the angels. The Parable is about the struggle between two opposing forces: GOOD - the kingdom of God and EVIL - the kingdom of Satan.

We ask ourselves this question …why would an enemy want to ruin a perfectly good field by sowing weeds? There is the thought of hatred for the owner of the field, with the desire to spoil His harvest. We can relate this to today! A very good example is to look at the hatred sown today by the enemies of God, Globalists, Media, Big-Tech, radical Liberal Democrats, Socialists, Islamists have for US President Donald Trump! And, they hate him with such a passion bordering on psychosis and without cause! It is a form of “derangement or mental illness.” They are envious of his work seeking only to destroy that which they themselves have failed to accomplish over decades! We can also see in the Scripture that the enemy also wants to gain control of the field …in other words, the world! Here today can be tied to the Globalists, Communist China and their cohorts who are so desperate to “gain control” of America and the Western nations that China deliberately spread the Corona (Covid-19) Virus to affect the nations of the world and clearly with intention to stop US President Trump …as well as destroy the world’s prosperous Western Economies built on Judeo-Christian values, and Capitalism!

Just as God has those, He uses to accomplish His purposes on earth… Satan our enemy also seeks to employ individuals for his means and the most effective way so that he can destroy the plans and intentions of God! The way that Satan achieves this is to; infiltrate, deceive, occupy and ultimately kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). We have ALL watched in horror the riots in America with Antifa and the BLM movement built only on racial divide through hatred and deception which spread to Europe and other parts of the world as well. In South Africa we were not immune and with horror of EFF and the murders of farmers and their farms set on fire simply to stir up a racial divide with no help from the government for protection. When we realise that our God doesn’t look at the outward appearance – He looks inside the hearts of man and then we are ALL made in His image! God has warned us that a house divided cannot stand and so too with a nation. We ALL have a common enemy called Satan who also doesn’t look at the appearance and does his work best when undetected and through division. Truly we have experienced this division caused by Satan especially when the Church was immobilized with the lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Suddenly, to the dismay of humanity, the whole world came to a dramatic halt and shut down. Without warning the inhabitants of the earth became prisoners behind invisible bars of a global quarantine. Wave after wave of consuming gripping fear was released to terrorize the hearts and minds of the masses.  The spread of fear and depression is more deadly than the actual Coronavirus. Satan looks for every opportunity to capitalize in circumstances to inject FEAR and division into the hearts of man. The faith filled redeemed remnant must NOT fear but rather be trusting on this important biblical promise, “… God causes all things to work together for good (Eternal good) to those who love God, to those who are called according to His (Holy) purpose” - Romans 8:28. Throughout the Scripture, it was prophesied that conditions on earth would become increasingly volatile and fiercely perilous, “…for it will be a time of great suffering, such as never has been from the beginning of the world till now, and assuredly never will be again.” - Matthew 24:21.

You see MOST people across the world were caught most off guard (except China, WHO and their Cohorts) …and stunned with FEAR of the China Virus and the endless Lockdowns across the world. Satan is most effective when he appears as “an angel of light.” He is counterfeit and presents something that looks genuine is NOT! However, there is one thing he cannot accomplish and that is produce “good fruit.” In the end, Satan’s deception WILL be apparent when the “fruit of the weeds” are exposed! And, the product or an outcome of his work, will be to yield a “bitter crop!”

Satan hates God, His Word – the Bible and he hates us because we are ALL made in God’s image... it should be clear that the “facemask ritual” has nothing to do with protecting us from a virus.  Satan hates that we are made in the image and likeness of the Father in Heaven and hates our faces.  And, especially those faces who reflect and shine the light of Yeshua – Jesus Christ in these Last Days! There is a phenomenon happening that many are now clearly beginning to see and that is “the separation of the wheat and the tares” – Good versus Evil. Something is happening! Those who are truly children of God WILL shine brighter …but, those who are Satan - the enemy’s children, those of the serpent seed, are also beginning to show their true colours and even their faces are changing and becoming uglier filled with hatred. While at the same time God’s chosen vessels, believers in Yeshua (Jesus) are becoming more beautiful - because of the love of God inside them. You see whatever is in the heart will be exposed on the face!

The enemy has sown many of his tares in Leftist / Socialist / Communist / Marxism political power …and we have seen these power-hungry world leaders and this whole Covid-19 thing from Communist China as being a great divider …and is showing exactly what was really inside people’s hearts and revealing their evil agenda to change the world. They plan to destroy the prosperous Capitalist - Western Way with freedom thinking! The Lord has allowed it – WHY? To expose this wickedness openly and 2020 has been a year of revealing and examining of hearts and much of this has happened right before our eyes in amazement. Yet, we believe more is to come and this year is not yet over!

In the days ahead the “wheat” (true believers – Judeo Christians – the remnant - believing that the Bible is the true Word of God) WILL keep shining brighter and brighter and nothing will stop that!  And at the same time the “tares” WILL become darker and uglier! “This earth is under increasing judgments, and to the degree that if we have any investment of hope in this world our faith will be battered and shattered, because it is in the wrong place. And, for the redeemed, our Heavenly Father is causing a paradigm shift, the refocusing of our hopes and treasures from this transitory earth under judgment to the Heavenly Kingdom. Yeshua (Jesus) said, “…when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” - Luke 21:28.

Faith keeps our focus… “not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” We are to “walk by faith” and “not by sight” during our brief pilgrimage on earth - 2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7. You see, “without faith it is impossible to please God”…and “if we do not stand firm in our faith,” we will not stand at all (we will fall into fear) (Hebrews 11:6, Isaiah 7:9). Yeshua (Jesus) asks us; “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” - Mark 4:40. If our hopes and desires are to be with Him in His kingdom, then nothing that happens on earth will be able to remove us from our secure position of faith in our Redeemer’s protecting power and biblical promises.

“… I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (and its fearful and increasingly dreadful events)” - John 16:33. Fear is the arch-enemy of our faith and “faith is the victory (over fear) and overcomes the world” and its many unexpected terrorizing circumstances (1 John 5:4). Just as prophesied in the Last Days, this earth is under increasing judgments, and to the degree that we have any investment of hope in this world our faith will be battered and shattered, because it is in the wrong place as we keep our eyes on things above and the Kingdom.

At the end of the world; the Lord’s sickle will be thrust in, and the earth reaped, the tares bound in bundles, and cast into the fire! The “wheat” will be gathered as “harvest” and just as the farmers celebrate their abundant crop …so will the end of the world be joy to saints, who will then enter into the joy of their Lord, and be for ever with Him forever. But it will be sorrow to the wicked, which will then go into everlasting punishment. Until this time in the future the “wheat” and “tares” are to “grow” together. The “wheat” or true believers, “grow” in the exercise of God’s Grace of faith, hope, love, humility and in spiritual knowledge of the will of God! The doctrines of Grace, and of Christ grows by the dews of “Divine Grace,” and God’s SON of righteousness shining brightly upon them - to the gracious influences of the blessed Spirit, and to the Word of God.

God’s Word is true! He IS watching to see how the nations are treating His people – Israel. God will have mercy on Israel through Gentile believers acting as mediators towards them! This is one of the most amazing revelations ever given to the Church – an opportunity to do something that carries the highest priority in the heart of God. Yet, sadly, so few have seen the potential and the rewards of serving God in this manner - as agents of mercy to Israel and the Jewish people! Israel was and still is despised today and a despised nation continually turning away from God BUT nothing ever altered the purpose of God for that nation. The despised element is always a noticeable element in the purpose of God. When the Saviour of the world came, He came of that despised nation; like Israel… He Himself was; “despised and rejected by men,” …and there is that despised element; “…things that are despised God has chosen,” 1 Corinthians 1:28. Now, more than at any time is the time to support Israel and the Jewish people - the Lord’s Brethren! We are witnessing the nations and people turning their backs on Israel. Thank you for your prayers and generous financial support especially during these very difficult times. With “lockdown” and difficult “recovery” still lying ahead we ARE reminded that the Wuhan Corona Virus has caused many dire needs and continue to increase here in Israel upon the already most vulnerable! Once again – Thank you!

We hope that you enjoy and become more informed by our work. We serve an awesome God and we are humbled by this opportunity to bring you this information. With Shalom to you and your family always,

Alf & Julie Saunders

01^st November, 2020

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