1. The Parable of the Two Trees
Our subject this evening is one that spans from Genesis to Revelation – that deals with principles set out in Genesis – that investigates symbols explained in Genesis, expanded the in Psalms, brought forward by the prophets and sees their conclusion in Revelation. It involves two trees – one representing the kingdom of men and one representing the kingdom of God. It deals with 2 classes of animals beasts and birds. In the end we are left with just one class. Our endeavor this evening is discovering the meaning behind these two trees, to understand what is symobolized by these two classes of animals, and to understand what became of the beasts.
The Parable of the Two Trees
MACBS-2013

2. 1st Tree – Daniel 4 “Thou are the tree” Beasts of the field shadowed
Fowls of heaven dwelt
Hew down the tree
Band the stump with iron & brass
Dan. 4:10-16, – Beasts and Fowl = people finding refuge under Nebuchadnezzar’s reign
Daniel 2:38 – Thou art the head of gold – kingdom of Babylon – head of the kingdom of men (Dan. 4:17)

3. 2nd Tree – Matthew 13
The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed … becometh a tree
Birds of the air lodge in its branches
Matt. 13:31-32
Second represents the kingdom of heaven.
Fowls – What happened to the beasts???
Need to back up to the beginning of the Bible

4. Uniqueness of the Human Being
Image and likeness of God
Image
Hebrew = Resemblance
Ability to reflect God’s character
Likeness
Hebrew = Similitude –At its root is to think or meditate
Ability to discern between right and wrong
Gen. 1:26-28 (Not that the we are a living soul – beasts are the same )
Image = brightness of his glory
Glory?
Exodus 33: > Exodus 34:5-7
Likeness = express image of his person
Express image = χαρακτήρ = character
Person = steadfastness of mind

5. Without Discernment & God’s Character
“Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.”
Psalm 49:20
“I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast:”
Ecclesiastes 3:18-19
Beasts – people taking refuge in the kingdom of Babylon
Fowls – people taking refuge in the kingdom of Babylon – I Kings 17 - Ravens
Both people

6. God’s Sacrifice (Great Supper)
Ezekiel 39:17-24
Revelation 19:11-21

7. The Beasts Of Daniel Of Revelation 13 – beast of the sea and the earth
16 – 17, 19 – make war with the saints
Psalm 2
“The slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth” as “dung upon the ground” (Jer. 25:33)

8. The Fowls Isaiah 34 Isaiah 60:5-8
They are those who will submit to the rulership of Christ – witness the destruction of the rest of the world

9. Parable of the two trees
Missing beasts?

10. Our Obligation
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
I Peter 2:11-12