A STUDY OF THE WHEAT & TARES,
Part 1

IS THE UNITED STATES BABYLON ?

Just the other day, I was having lunch with an old friend, whom I admire and respect tremendously. He, is a pastor in the community of Havasu City. Reverend Richard Tatham and his precious wife Grace have served the community for many years. Anyway, as we

were visiting, I asked him what I should write about in my next newsletter. He suggested that I write about the wheat and the tares. So, here I go with God’s help.

"And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE so that you do not partake of her sins and do not receive of her plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven and God has remembered her plagues." . . . "And the Merchants of the earth shall

weep and mourn for her, because no man buys their merchandise any more." . . . "The merchants. . . who were made rich by her shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. . . for in one hour, so great riches have come to nothing. And every ship owner

and all the company of ships and the sailors as many as trade by sea, stood far away and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like this great city?" -Rev. 18:4, 5,11,17,18

IS THE UNITED STATES BABYLON ?

Over the years I have been asked this question many times. My answer has not changed. No, the United States is not Babylon, because this city was drunk with the blood of the saints and Apostles. Many have speculated that this city is ancient Rome. She certainly was drunk with

the blood of the saints! Yet, I know of no time, when the leaders of the Church called for Christians to abandon Rome. Such an event must be future because the Christians did not leave Rome in large numbers.

However, I do believe that cities like New York and London and Paris and Tokuyo, are in Babylon. We must first understand that Babylon represents a lifestyle of acquisition and consumption. It stands in sharp contrast to the New Jerusalem which was seen descending to the top of a mountain.

Now, do not suppose that we will see a literal city descending to earth. She is already here! "The Kingdom of God does not come with outward observation; Neither will they say, ‘Loa there! for behold the Kingdom of God is within you." - Luke 17:20, 21 I am satisfied that

God’s fiery judgement shall fall upon man’s city, with its wayward institutions and corrupt lifestyles, creating a revolution in the affairs of men, such as has never been seen. I believe that Babylon is falling right now and that those who do not forsake her will experience the same

divine visitation as the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. They will be burned with fire just as the Tares in Jesus’ parable.

THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES

"The father of a family planted good seed in his field but while his servants were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. When the wheat sprang up, his servants saw many tares growing among the wheat. So they came to the father of the House and said,

Didn’t we plant good seed in the field? Behold, now there are tares growing among the wheat. The good man answered, ‘Yes, I sowed good seed, but the enemy of Man, came and scattered tares among the wheat. The servants asked him, Would you like for us to go out and pull

up the tares from between the wheat? No, said the master of the House, for in doing so, you would also uproot the good seed." - Gospel of Barnabus as found in the Complete Gospel Of Jesus, P. 87, 88, Edited by Jeffrey Brackeen

"Wait until the day of harvest when the tares will be quite visible and then pull them up and cast them into the fire, but gather my good grain into my granary." - Gospel of Thomas Scholars believe these tares to be darnel.

This may well be, however there was also a fungus which often appeared on wheat but particularly on barley. If it got ground up with the wheat, it could prove to be quite deadly. In small amounts, it was used to enhance the wine or beverage given to the Initiates of the Eleusian Mysteries. It assisted them to see the great vision which lifted Greece from barbarism to great civilization. But we are not left to imagine what Jesus meant these tares to symbolize.

WHO DO THE TARES REPRESENT?

"Then, they asked him to explain the parable of the tares in the field. He answered, ‘I tell you the truth, the father of the family is God our Lord, the Father of all things, since it was He who created everything. But He is not a father as nature knows a father, because he does not move.

Generation is dependant upon silent motion. Nevertheless, He ownes the world. The field where he sows is Mankind and the seed is the Word of God. When the teachers become negligent in teaching the word of God, because they are occupied in worldly business, Satan sows errors in the hearts of men, producing countless sects with false teachings". - The Memories of the Apostles

"Therefore, the good seed becomes the Sons of the Kingdom, while the tares become the Sons of the Evil One, who is the enemy that sowed them". - The Gospel of Matthew

"The prophets and angels of God cry, ‘Oh Lord, did you not give them good teachings, why then are there so many errors? God answers them, I gave good teachings to men, but while they sleep in their vanity, Satan sows errors among them in order to bring to nothing my laws.

The holy ones asked Him, would you have us destroy those errors by destroying men? The Lord answers them, Do not do that, because the faithful are joined to the infidels by kinship. To wipe out the infidels would also destroy the faithful. I tell you that many an infidel father has

produced sons who became faithful and that is why God waits for repentance. - Gospel of Barnabus- bus as recorded in the Complete Gospel of Jesus, p. 91, 92, by Jeffrey Brackeen

"Let both grow together until the Harvest; and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather my wheat into my barn." . . . "The harvest is the end of the age and the harvesters are the angels. For just as

the Tares were pulled up and cast into the fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. THE SON OF MAN WILL SEND HIS ANGELS AND THEY WILL PLUCK OUT OF HIS KINGDOM EVERYTHING THAT OFFENDS AND THOSE WHO PRACTICE EVIL. They

will cast them into the fire, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. The righteous will shine like the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father. He that has ears to hear, let him hear! - Gospel of Matthew,

The other day, I had an interesting visit with a Mormon evangelist. He informed me that those who serve as bishops, priests and apostles in the Mormon church do not receive any kind of wage for their work, which I thought was wonderful. But then, he turned around and told me that their

apostles manage all the corporations and business entities owned by the Mormon church. According to Jesus, it is was because of those who profess to be spiritual leaders, being involved in daily business, that errors and corruption creep in.

The ‘bundles’of tares represent the various organizations which attract the wicked. The ‘sheaves’ of wheat represent the cults, sects, denominations and churches that hold them. Soon, there will only be one fold and one flock, if we can believe Jesus. But the

process of gathering the sheaves into the barn and then beating them to extract the grain may be painful. After the grain has been extracted, the wind will carry away the chaff.

WHAT IT MEANS TO WATCH

To avoid falling into error and the clutches of false teachers and prophets, we are commanded to Watch! If we Ask, we will receive the Holy Spirit. If we Seek for the Divine Mysteries, we will find them. If we Knock upon the Door, which stands at the beginning of the strait and narrow Way, it will be opened to us.

Watching was a form of meditation. It involved introspection and self awareness. It also involved watching for error and false teachings and recognizing false teachers. One of the expressions which Jesus substitutes for ‘watch’ is ‘take heed’. For instance, in the Gospel of

Mark we find him saying, "Take heed lest any man deceive you." "Take heed to your selves, for they will deliver you up (to be persecuted.)" "Take heed - watch and pray - for you do not know when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a long journey,

who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work and commanded the porter to Watch. Watch you therefore, for you know not when the Master of the House comes, at dusk, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing or at noon. Lest coming

suddenly, he finds you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say to all of you, Watch! - 13:5, 9, 33-37 These are the four watches of ancient times. "Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he comes shall find them Watching; Truly I tell you he will gird himself and cause them to sit down to eat and will come and serve them.!" - Gospel of Luke 12:37

We are also warned, "Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life does not consist of the things which he owns." - Gospel of Luke 12:15

"Jesus said, If you have money do not lend it out at interest, but give it to one from whom you will not get it back." - Verse 95, Gospel of Thomas. "I say unto you Make friends for yourself with your Mammon (gained from unrighteousness) so that when you fail, they will receive you into everlasting habitations! - Luke’s Gospel 16:9

So many of our people are concerned about their investments in the Stock Market and their Bonds. They forget that this life is short and that we are destined to be laid in graves and if we attain the Resurrection, it would be well to have laid up treasures in heaven, where thieves do not

break in and steal and where moths do not eat our clothing. "The Light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye is single, your whole body shall be full of Light. But if your eye is evil, then your whole body shall be filled with darkness. Therefore, if the Light that is in you be Darkness

how great is that darkness! For no man can serve two masters: either he will hate one and love the other or he will cling to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon."

My advice to my readers for this time of trouble would be: 1. Move out of the big cities to small communities. 2. Find people to work with who believe as you do. 3. Begin raising your own food. 4. Take up bartering. There are exchanges today for everything.

May God bless you my reader. - Jeffrey Brackeen