THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

Hello All!

I have done a study on two parables that Jesus gave in Matt. 13. These are the parable the Hidden Treasure, and the parable of the Pearl of great price. Both these parables are a continuation of the parable of the Sower and the Seed, thus showing us that the Sower, Jesus, is also the man in the Hidden Treasure parable, and the merchant in the Pearl of great price parable.

Simply, my study has shown me that the hidden treasure is Israel and the pearl of great price is the Church. Both are about the Kingdom of God and the promises to both Israel and the Church. Yet, they are different promises. Israel will have an earthly kingdom, and rule with Christ on earth, as that is their inheritance. The Church will rule in heaven with Christ, as their inheritance is spiritual. Both make up the Kingdom of God.


Yet, these parables have something very crucial in common, Jesus paid everything he had, both spiritual glory and earthly glory to buy the treasure, and the pearl of great price. It is by HIS BLOOD that both Israel and the Church are saved.


Let us first look at the Hidden Treasure Parable:


Mat 13:44 ¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. '

The parable begins with the word 'and' and by this we see that this parable is related to the previous one about the Sower and the Seeds. In that parable, the Sower is Jesus Christ, therefore in this continuation identification we can see that Jesus is likewise the man who found and hid this treasure, and sold everything he has to buy the field. The field is the world, and Israel is the hidden treasure that Christ dies to possess. This is the earthly kingdom that Israel is promised.


In the parable of Hidden Treasure, Israel is buried in the world. She inherits physical promises pertaining to her place in the world, and in particular to the giving of a land. They are God’s treasure, yet they became a buried treasure. Jesus died for the whole world. The entire field can be saved…but He died in a special way to redeem Israel.


Isaiah 53:8

…for the transgression of my people was he stricken."

God is not finished with the nation of Israel. One day He will reclaim His treasure. I realize some theologians say the church has replaced Israel, but it has not. Jews are not saved automatically because of their being Jews. They need to be saved just like Gentiles…there is no difference.


God did not choose Israel because they were better, or more moral or more obedient. It was God’s sovereign choice to set them aside as His own peculiar treasure. And in doing so God has placed upon them His 7-fold blessing…


Romans 9:4-5

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption [God has made them His adopted family], and the glory [glory cloud―no other nation has ever had such a physical manifestation of God to lead them], and the covenants [unconditional promises God has made to them], and the giving of the law [the scriptures were penned by God thru the Jews, 40 of them], and the service of God [the leadership of the worship in the OT temple], and the promises;

Truly, they are God’s special treasure.


Not only are they God’s chosen people, but…Israel is God’s Covenant people.


Genesis 12:2-3
2 'And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.'

　
Now let's look at the parable of the Pearl of Great Price:


Matt. 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Mat 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
　

The most common interpretation of both parables is that a person should be willing to part with everything they own in order to possess Jesus, the “exquisite pearl of infinite price.” The problem with this interpretation is that it is precisely backwards. Sinners do not naturally seek Christ .


John 6:44
" No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."


Romans 3:10-11

" As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."


Instead, Christ seeks and saves those who are lost.

Luke 19:10
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost".

And sinners have absolutely nothing of any value that they can possibly use to obtain Christ.


Isaiah 64:6; "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."


Romans 3:12; "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Most importantly, the central part the Gospel message, is the fact that God gives Jesus Christ to us as a free gift.


Romans 5:15-18; "But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.


17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)


18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."
　

He doesn't ask or want payment from us:


Romans 3:24; "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;


Romans 8:32; "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"


Romans 4:4; "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt."

Romans 11:6;"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

In other words, the common teaching concerning the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price runs contrary to the very Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By putting a price on God's free gift, it adds a human work to and consequently denies the completed work of Jesus Christ.


In the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, we are to see that we did not seek and find Christ. He sought and found us. We paid nothing for Him. He paid all for us. We are naturally unclean sinners, but because of Christ's sacrifice, we are a sinless gem in God's sight. And we are to see the unity we have with our fellow Christians, because we are all one in Christ.


Galatians 3:28; "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

BOTH ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH WERE BOUGHT WITH A GREAT PRICE.


In the Pearl Of Great Price, the church, is bought out of the world.She inherits spiritual promises which are deemed to be heavenly;

1 Cor. 15:49; " And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."

That is why the Christian is constantly reminded to live above the world and separate from the world, because he was bought out of the world.

Col 3:1-7; "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them."

Whereas in verse 44 in Matt. 13, Israel is seen as being sought after in the world, and then lost in world to be rediscovered at a later date, in the Pearl of Great Price, the church, the pearl is not replaced, but bought and retained.


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I would like to include here some observations about Matt.13:52 that I feel relates well with the above information.


Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old. "

A faithful minister of the gospel, is a scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to teach them. Christ compares him to a good householder, who brings forth fruits of last year's growth. Old experiences and new observations, all have their use. The scribe is a student who has been taught and is continuing to be taught. Not only is he a teacher, but he is also learning at the same time. He must continue to learn so that he can continue to teach.


I feel this parable would also relate to both the Old and the New Testaments, as well as the old and new Covenants, as our guide. Israel the treasure of the Old Testament and the Church the pearl of great prize in the New.


Both the hidden treasure, which is Israel, and the pearl of great price, which is the Church, will inherit the Kingdom of God, which is the New Heaven and the New earth.


Rev. 21: 10-14 (KJV)10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:


13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.


14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

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All this studying and writing about Israel and the Church, has given me a new insight into who the 144,000 are, and this insight feels really right in regards to the make up of the Bride. I believe that the 144,000 are born again Christian Israelites who come to Christ BEFORE the Rapture, and are married to Christ along with the rest of the Church before the Tribulation. Right after the wedding, they are sealed and returned to earth to save the rest of their people.


They are the firstfruits of Israel that are raptured in the barley harvest along with the other firstfruits to God, those being Christ first, the elders that rose from their graves when it was finished, the work Christ came to do, in the NAME OF HIS FATHER, to save both Jew and Gentile. I believe this group of firstfruits to be the 24 Elders. The Bride, which includes the144,000.


Each one in his order.....after Christ. The Old Testament saints which are the firstfruits of Old Covenant mankind, and then the Bride, which are the firstfruits of the New Covenant, and the 144,000 whom are the firstfruits of redeemed Israel.
Of course this idea deserves much more study...somehow it really seems to tie in with the two parables...about pearls and hidden treasure. Searching the Scriptures is such an exciting treasure hunt, there is so much that requires a bit of serious digging!


I am not preaching or teaching or trying to convert anyone from one belief to another. I am simply sharing with you what I learned in studying these parables.


Agape!
Patti C.