Now we’re ready to look at the parable of the mustard seed. This parable is found in Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-19. We’ll look at Matthew’s account.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a single mustard seed, which a man planted in his field. Even though it is the smallest of seeds, it grows into one of the largest plants. And when it is grown, it is the size of a tree, and birds come to live in its branches.”
Remember, parables are comparisons and illustrations. And, as with other parables in Matthew this one begins with, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Like what? It’s like the smallest of seeds that grows up to be the largest of plants. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds known; so small it’s used as an illustration to emphasize smallness (Matthew 17:20). Yet varieties of this plant common to Judea grow into tree-like plants, often 12 feet high. Again, this parable illustrates the smallness of the seed to the greatness of what the seed produces. Jesus’ influence on such a small group of people in a relatively small area surrounding Jerusalem seems insignificant when compared to all the people in the whole world. Yet, it quickly led to the formation of a worldwide religious conglomeration unsurpassed in the influence and power it has held over people for almost two thousand years now – for both good and bad (but as we’ll see from this parable, mostly for bad).
As in all the parables found in Matthew 13, the man in this parable is Jesus. Here, as in others using this illustration, the seed is the Word or message of the kingdom and the field is the world. And, since “birds” have been mentioned in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:4) and the “enemy”, a clear reference to the devil in the parable of the tares or darnel (Matthew 13:25), it’s time to identify the birds and the enemy. The birds of the air that lodge in the branches of this tree-sized plant are demons. The term used here is peteinon, that which is able to fly, with ouranos, heavens, and literally means “those who are able to traverse the heavens”, a reference to demons.
This is consistent with what Jesus has already said in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-9, specifically, verse 4 about the seed (message of the kingdom) that falls by the side of the road being quickly eaten by birds (demons) and in His explanation of this parable that follows in Matthew 13:18-23, again, specifically verse 19, where He says the wicked one (the devil) comes to snatch away or destroy the message. So from this we can conclude the birds in the parable of the mustard seed are the same as the birds in the parable of the sower, demons under the supervision of Satan, sent to lodge in this worldwide religious conglomeration called the kingdom of heaven to deceive those who reside there and rob them of truth.
And if you remember, then, the parable of the tares follows the sower and leads up to the mustard seed. Jesus’ illustration of the activities and program of Satan is consistent. In His explanation of this parable Jesus explains that the tares are the children of the wicked one and the enemy that sowed them is the devil. The good seed, still the message of the kingdom, sown by the master produced good wheat or children of the kingdom; but the seed sown by the enemy representing religious deception, produced something that looked like wheat, but was really tares or darnel or children of the wicked one. (Matthew 13:37-43)
There is absolutely no reason to think that these three parables (or the other parables that follow in Matthew 13, as we will see) are isolated, unrelated stories. Jesus meant for us to compare the illustrations contained in them in order to understand more fully their meaning and the characteristics of the kingdom of heaven they describe. And keep in mind, the term “kingdom of heaven” is used to describe this current age of religious profession, a time clearly illustrated by these parables when true children of the kingdom live in the same realm with those who look like them, but are really the children of the wicked one.
Therefore, the birds in the parable of the mustard seed are used to illustrate demons sent by Satan to deceive the inhabitants of the kingdom and steal away the truth. This deception comes in the form of the religious systems that make up the kingdom. The “branches” of the mustard plant represent all the different religious institutions and denominations that exist. And the parable of the mustard seed clearly illustrates the fact that demons lodge in every branch — religious deception is not isolated or limited to certain groups, it is pervasive in the world.
Think about this. If the message found in all the different denominations and institutions that make up what is called Christianity today all represent accurately Jesus’ message of redemption and the apostle’s doctrine revealed in the New Covenant, why are there so many denominations and groups with differing names, beliefs, traditions, rituals and practices, the formation of which came under different men (or women) at different times?
Shouldn’t there just be one. Shouldn’t we all just be called “Christians” as they were first in Antioch around 45 AD (Acts 11:26)? This brings into clear view the meaning of the parable of the mustard seed and its many branches all inhabited by demons sent by the devil to deceive, distort truth and create what we see today. If you don’t like your current form of deception, don’t despair, there are many more you can try to see if they suit you better.
There’s one more point that must be made to solidify this idea of demonic participation in the religious institutions of the world. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit John uses the same “bird” illustration in Revelation 18:2. Here’s what he says: “And he (the angel) shouted with a loud voice, She is fallen! Mighty Babylon is fallen! She had become the habitation of demons, a dungeon for every loathsome spirit and a prison for every filthy, hateful bird.”
Now, I’ll try to make this short. If you look at Revelation 16:17, the seventh vial is poured out on the earth. If you study the subject, you’ll find these vials describe the judgment of God on the earth during the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation period. They’re called the “vials of God’s anger” in Revelation 16:1. The fall of Babylon is one of the many significant events that take place during this time described under the seventh vial. If you read Revelation 17 and 18 you’ll see a description of Mystery Babylon (here, “mystery” means, symbolic) and an account of her destruction.
Symbolic Babylon is not a city; it represents the worldwide system of religious institutions. “She” is described as the great “whore” (17:2) with whom the leaders of the world have committed unrestrained lust and idolatry and by whom the inhabitants of the earth have been conquered, intoxicated by the deceptions of her religious influence (17:3). Her name describes her sin, “Mystery Babylon The Great, the Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth (17:5): literally, symbolic Babylon, the source from which has proceeded the religious practice of mixing ungodly, pagan rituals and beliefs with the Truth of God in order to deceive those who would seek truth.
A cursory examination of religious history is all that’s needed to know the original, ancient Babylon of Nimrod and his evil queen Semiramis was the beginning of institutional, religious whoredom. Their cultic practices (worship of images, veneration of heroes (later, “saints”), holy sites, relics, confessions to priests, penances, scourging, pilgrimages, pagan festivals and sexual perversions) spread among all people groups and influenced the formation of their religious practices. The Old Testament uses “harlotry” and “whoredom” to describe this religious idolatry, a temptation Israel fell into with some regularity and a sin for which they were judged with the same regularity.
Of course, non-Catholics insist the Babylon of Revelation is the Catholic Church; a position of some credibility among religious types who know the history of the Catholic Church. It can be easily traced back to 378 AD, when Demasus, bishop of the Christian church in Rome, united pagan Roman Babylonianism and Christianity. Catholics try to deny this, starting their history with Peter, their first Pope - this in hopes of glossing over the obvious. I suspect Peter wants nothing to do with that. Most all of the religious crowd, Catholic and non-Catholic alike (with the obvious exception of Peter) are seriously deceived.
Religious institutions regardless of their name, origins, beliefs and practices or any other factor are part of the symbolic Babylon that will be destroyed in the end time. Name any denomination, any group, it doesn’t matter, they’re all included. People who read statements like this in my articles are always trying to exclude their group from what I call traditional, institutional religion. They always want to believe their group is the one that’s right. Sorry, Jesus illustrates in these parables that there’s no such thing as a group that’s right. Give it up. If you go to the building with the rest of the herd on Sunday morning to participate in the program, you’re joined at the hip with symbolic Babylon. And if you’re going to a “house church” but still do the same things you did when you were running with the herd, you’re still a Babylonian. When nothing changes, nothing changes.
Religious idolatry today may not involve the obvious idols of more ancient religions carved from wood or stone. Contemporary religion has its own idols: idols more sophisticated and appropriate to the age, wealth, possessions, big buildings, influence, fame, wrong doctrine, a worldly lifestyle that caters to the whims of the flesh, exciting entertainment, maybe some signs and wonders (along with the old forms and rituals to satisfy the traditionalists). And how do they justify them? They do it by mixing half-truth with The Truth. It’s the same deceptive shell game started by Satan in the garden and continued through the ages by his emissaries, demons sent to promote religion, distort truth and deceive the weak and unsuspecting, the proud and insolent, the ignorant and unconcerned.
There are some today who argue this deception does not now exist, the “church” is an honest representation of what God intended it to be and that this invasion of demons and deception will only come towards the end of the age. I don’t know what they’re smoking, but whatever it is, their reality is seriously distorted. This invasion started over six thousand years ago. And Satan has been trying to mess things up ever since he caught Eve looking at the forbidden tree in the garden. The aorist tense of the verb in Revelation 18:2, translated “had become” above, describes simple, undefined action as to time, an indication this condition has been true for an indefinite period.
In Matthew’s account of the mustard seed, when he talks about the “birds”, he says they “come to” lodge in the tree-like plant where “come to” is an aorist infinitive, which simpy states a fact. Then “to lodge” that follows is from katkaskenoo, a present infinitive that illustrates constant or continuous action. In other words, the demons came and never left, the meanining being, the deception came and still persists.
So, the time described by John in the Book of Revelation is the same as that described by Jesus in His parables (and, in truth, thousands of years before that). The only difference being that John’s focus is on the end of that time. John tells us symbolic Babylon is dominated by religious deception sponsored by Satan and carried out by demons. Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is dominated by religious deception sponsored by Satan and carried out by demons. It should be just as obvious that Old Testament Judaism was dominated by religious deception sponsored by Satan and carried out by demons.
And to emphasize and re-emphasize his point, John repeats something three times. In Revelation 18:2 he tells us symbolic Babylon is: (1) “the habitation of demons”; (2) “a dungeon for every loathsome spirit”; and (3)“a prison for every filthy and hateful bird”. Is there any doubt the symbolism used here by John is the same as that used by Jesus in the parables of the sower, the tares and the mustard seed? I don’t see how there could be. These “birds” are demons. Their agenda is to promote false religion. And when symbolic Babylon is destroyed at the end of this age, when the religions of the world go away for all time and eternity, every creature in heaven will rejoice! (Revelation 19:1-6)
Again, I’m not going to belabor this point yet again, but the teachings of Jesus and the apostles that followed contain absolutely nothing about the formation of the many denominations and groups that have come to represent what we call Christianity. They simply teach the fundamentals regarding an individual, personal, intimate relationship with God through trust in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ, period.