PARABLES AS PROPHECY

In my post titled “The Parables: Lesson Guide,” I divided the biblical parables among twelve different categories (shown in bold below) for convenience in studying them. But my divisions were somewhat arbitrary since many of the parables are multifaceted and could have just as well been put in different categories instead. And one category that I left out altogether was that of the prophetic parables, even though a number of the biblical parables could have fit that description.

Looking at these narratives is somewhat like the story of blindfolded people trying to describe an elephant. Each of us approaches the subject with certain presuppositions in mind. There is one popular school of theology which tries to force-fit each parable into its proper chronological scheme of the future. On the other hand, there are scholars who refuse to see any prophetic implications in Jesus' stories at all and treat them strictly as ethical teachings. And each of these points of view is partially correct, but not wholly so. That is because parables by their very nature refuse to be narrowly pigeon-holed.

But in case any of you have not thought much about the prophetic implications of parables before, here are a few example to consider:

Old Testament Parables

The Prophet's Parable to King Ahab (I Kings 20:35-43): Ahab is confronted with his evil deeds by a disguised prophet who foretells the fate God has in mind for him due to his actions.

The Unproductive Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7): Isaiah demonstrates that a parable can not only be a prophecy but also a poem. God's chosen people are compared to a vineyard lovingly cared for by God which refuses to bear fruit. Therefore God will turn it into a wasteland.

Responses to Grace

Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50): On the personal level, this is an object lesson Jesus gives the Pharisees concerning their attitude in which they felt they needed no forgiveness since they had earned a reward from God. But on a prophetic level, it also predicted the turning of the relatively sinful Gentiles to God while the self-righteous Jews rejected His grace.

Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23-35): This somewhat similar parable given to the disciples is a variation on the line in the Lord's Prayer asking God to forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us. But it goes much further than the above parable in predicting eternal judgment on those who violate this principle. One could argue that this isn't really a prophecy since it doesn't refer to earth-shaking events that affect the whole earth, but it certainly does deal with the certainty of the Final Judgment for each of us.

Lostness

Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32): This well loved story can be taken on a personal level. But, on the other hand, it can easily be seen as a veiled prophecy predicting the contrast between the Gentiles accepting Christ while his own people rejected him. Again, it represents the vast difference between those who are aware of their sinfulness and throw themselves on God's mercy and those who feel they have earned the right to stand before God unashamed.

Present Kingdom

Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29): Although I placed this parable into the above category, it really goes far beyond that in chronological scope. The seed was first planted in a tiny group of twelve followers. But then through the hidden action of the Holy Spirit working within their lives, the message of love and grace began to slowly grow until today it has reached throughout the world. But a time of harvest will come eventually to all humanity.

Israel

Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12): The four stories of Jesus that I placed in this category probably represent the clearest examples of prophetic parables. In each case, the downfall of either Israel as a nation, its whole sacrificial system, and/or its religious leaders is clearly foretold. And, of course, the prophecy did come to pass in AD 70.

“Immoral” Parables

Workers in the Field (Matthew 20:1-16): This story offends our sense of fairness since the same reward is given to those who have been toiling the whole day and those who had only been hired recently. But from a divine viewpoint, God doesn't care whether you are a thief on the cross making a deathbed confession of faith or one who has been serving faithfully his whole life. There is also a predictive component to this parable in that it also speaks to the contrast between the Jews who had been trying to live in accord with God's word for generations and the Gentiles who would come much later to the table. There is enough in God's richness to make sure that all are equally satisfied.

Future Judgment

It really requires no explanation as to why the seven parables I placed in this category should be considered as prophetic parables. The prospect of the Last Judgment is front and foremost in each of these stories, such as The Wheat and the Tares, the Ten Virgins, and the Sheep and the Goats.

Enacted Parables

In the Old Testament, Jeremiah and Ezekiel provide most of the examples of this specific sub-group of parables. In each case, the mimed actions of the prophets convey vividly to the people of Israel truths concerning God and his will for their individual and corporate lives. In one such case, Jeremiah is told to buy a field just on the eve of exile from the Holy Land (ch. 32). Through this very public and outrageous action, he is demonstrating to the people that they will not be in exile forever, but God will eventually allow their descendants to return.

The clearest example in the New Testament is that of Jesus cursing of fig tree for being unproductive (Matthew 21; Mark 11). This event proves that a parable (of the acted-out type) can at the same time be a miracle and a prophecy. The last aspect of Jesus' action was to predict the downfall of the whole temple cult which would take place 40 years later.

The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

I placed this rich parable in a category all by itself. Whereas it primarily has its intent and application to our individual lives, it also contains a hint of prophecy in foreshadowing the amazing fact of the gospel being accepted by Samaritans while many of the Jews still rejected it and their leaders were intent on persecuting the church (Acts 8). The parable demonstrated that no ethnic group is beyond the scope of God's love.

Short Paired Parables on Discipleship

Many of these are too brief to contain much multiple laying to them. However, one pair at least does contain implications for the future: new cloth on an old garment (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36) and new wine in old bottles (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37). These short stories predict and warn against the battle within the church that will take place soon after Jesus' death (and related in Acts) caused by the circumcision party who tried to graft the gospel message on to the Old Covenant with its important feast days, sacrificial system, and the need for circumcision.

John's Parables

Many would reject these rather extended discourses as not fitting the definition of parables, but I chose to include them for reasons of completeness. Each of them definitely contains a prophetic component. The Bread of Life (John 6:30-71) contains teachings regarding Jesus' future resurrection, Judas' coming betrayal, and His pivotal role in both eternal salvation and future judgment. The Shepherd and the Sheep (John 10:1-30) predicts Jesus' coming death as well as, in v. 16, the coming of the Gentiles to faith.

Parables of Watching

There is no doubt that the main purpose of the six stories I considered under this title was to warn people concerning a future judgment that would come upon them suddenly. The only real controversy surrounding these parables is to whether an individual parable was meant to predict the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 or whether it was a more eschatological event that he was talking about. On this issue, the various theological camps are so divided that it is probably best for me not to comment without alienating half of you in the process. But you should be open-minded on such a controversial subject and even consider the possibility that some of the parables may have in fact been intended to apply to both near and far events.