To grasp this, one should study Lord Jesus' parable of the tares of the field in Matthew 13, both the parable He gave at Matthew 13:24-30, and His explanation of that parable in Matthew 13:36-43.
Then it's important to understand how those on man's false 2nd century Amillennialism theories abuse this parable by Lord Jesus to force it to exclude Lord Jesus' later Revelation about His future "thousand years" literal reign of Revelation 20.
The Parable Itself:
The parable of the tares of the field is about actual agriculture of sowing wheat. A tare is a weed that while growing among the wheat, the tare looks just like wheat. Thus it is difficult to separate them before the harvest time. At the time of harvest, the tare (or weed) shoots forth a blackish thin fruit on the end of it, showing it is not wheat.
When the servants of the householder revealed there were tares growing among the wheat, it was said 'an enemy has done this.' That's a statement about the Jude 4 idea of the "crept in unawares" that is understood later once Jesus explains this parable later in the Chapter. The servants then ask the householder should they reap early, before harvest time? The householder says no, unless you mistake reaping some of the good wheat with the weeds (tares). But wait until harvest time, then separate, and cast the tares in the fire, but put the wheat in the barn.
In the parable there is no... mention of a temporary period (like a Millennium, which means a thousand years) between harvest time and the casting of the tares into the fire. Men's theory of Amillennialism abuses this and claims that on the day of Christ's future 2nd coming, all... the wicked are destroyed and then we immediately go into God's new heavens and a new earth time. They do not believe the future "thousand years" reign by Christ and His elect written in Revelation 20 is meant literally.
In other words, no Millennium. Man's theory of Amillennialism contains different versions, which makes it all the more questionable, with some claiming it does include the "thousand years" of Revelation 20, only that it is not meant as a literal period of a thousand years, but only as an allegory. They try to apply the "thousand years" to the period starting with the Church up to to Christ's future return, which of course is much longer than one thousand years. No matter to them, since they believe it is just an allegory anyway.
Here is Lord Jesus' Explanation Of The Parable:
Matt 13:37-43
37 He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
The field represents the world; the good seed was sown by Christ, but the tares were sown by the devil. Harvest is at the end of the world.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
This is still according to the rules of agriculture harvest of wheat. At that time of course, the harvest was done by manual labor. The root of the tare intertwines with the root of the wheat, making it too difficult to separate while growing. Rooting up the tare would also possibly root up the wheat along with it. So it was customary to wait until harvest time. It's also important to note that the tare when mixed with wheat flour can cause dizziness, intoxication, paralysis.
At harvest, the wheat buds would be recognizable from the type buds of the tares, and then easier to separate.
41 The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Man's theory of Amillennialism of course interprets the above to mean at Christ's future return, all the wicked are gathered and cast into the future "lake of fire" on that same day, and God's future Eternity of new heavens and a new earth begins. There's actually another matter in the above, in red, that many miss.
In the Matthew 8:12, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 24:51, and Luke 13:28 Scripture, we are given examples of the wicked being cast to the "outer darkness" where their "gnashing of teeth" will happen. Where then... will the location of that "outer darkness" be? I deem the following Revelation 22:14-15 Scripture as defining where that "outer darkness" will be...
Rev 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
KJV
That above prophecy, even though it is written in the latter Revelation 22 Chapter, is timed with the Revelation 20 "thousand years" events. That is when the wicked "dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie," will be cast outside... the gates of the holy city. Their final Judgment does not happen until after... that "thousand years" written in the Revelation 20 Chapter.
This suggests that future event will take place DURING Christ's literal "thousand years" reign with His elect, and the location of that "outer darkness" will be outside the city, away from Christ's Presence. It is not the future "lake of fire" one-time destruction just yet, but the "outer darkness". It suggests a burning hell existing on earth outside the gates of the holy city on earth at that future time.
Did you know in some NT examples of the KJV word "hell", in the Greek it is sometimes the word 'geena' (NT:1067) derived from the valley of Hinnom about the perpetual burning garbage pit outside the walls of Jerusalem? It was also known as Tophet (Isa.30:33; Jer.7:31).
Also note, that the KJV for "furnace" above in Matt.13:42, the Greek word (NT:2575) can mean 'burning', and not necessarily a literal furnace or kiln. I believe it is pointing to the still existing place of separation for the wicked called hell, that will remain until it also perishes in the future "lake of fire" shown at the end of Revelation 20.
All in all, what I am saying is this Matthew 13 Scripture is NOT actually excluding the period of Christ's future "thousand years" reign over the wicked and unsaved which Revelation 20 reveals as being a literal period that begins at His 2nd coming.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV
If you heed what Jesus showed in Revelation 20 about His future "thousand years" reign with His elect, as a literal period, then this Matt.13:43 verse will only happen after... that future "thousand years" Millennial reign by Christ.
Then it's important to understand how those on man's false 2nd century Amillennialism theories abuse this parable by Lord Jesus to force it to exclude Lord Jesus' later Revelation about His future "thousand years" literal reign of Revelation 20.
The Parable Itself:
The parable of the tares of the field is about actual agriculture of sowing wheat. A tare is a weed that while growing among the wheat, the tare looks just like wheat. Thus it is difficult to separate them before the harvest time. At the time of harvest, the tare (or weed) shoots forth a blackish thin fruit on the end of it, showing it is not wheat.
When the servants of the householder revealed there were tares growing among the wheat, it was said 'an enemy has done this.' That's a statement about the Jude 4 idea of the "crept in unawares" that is understood later once Jesus explains this parable later in the Chapter. The servants then ask the householder should they reap early, before harvest time? The householder says no, unless you mistake reaping some of the good wheat with the weeds (tares). But wait until harvest time, then separate, and cast the tares in the fire, but put the wheat in the barn.
In the parable there is no... mention of a temporary period (like a Millennium, which means a thousand years) between harvest time and the casting of the tares into the fire. Men's theory of Amillennialism abuses this and claims that on the day of Christ's future 2nd coming, all... the wicked are destroyed and then we immediately go into God's new heavens and a new earth time. They do not believe the future "thousand years" reign by Christ and His elect written in Revelation 20 is meant literally.
In other words, no Millennium. Man's theory of Amillennialism contains different versions, which makes it all the more questionable, with some claiming it does include the "thousand years" of Revelation 20, only that it is not meant as a literal period of a thousand years, but only as an allegory. They try to apply the "thousand years" to the period starting with the Church up to to Christ's future return, which of course is much longer than one thousand years. No matter to them, since they believe it is just an allegory anyway.
Here is Lord Jesus' Explanation Of The Parable:
Matt 13:37-43
37 He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
The field represents the world; the good seed was sown by Christ, but the tares were sown by the devil. Harvest is at the end of the world.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
This is still according to the rules of agriculture harvest of wheat. At that time of course, the harvest was done by manual labor. The root of the tare intertwines with the root of the wheat, making it too difficult to separate while growing. Rooting up the tare would also possibly root up the wheat along with it. So it was customary to wait until harvest time. It's also important to note that the tare when mixed with wheat flour can cause dizziness, intoxication, paralysis.
At harvest, the wheat buds would be recognizable from the type buds of the tares, and then easier to separate.
41 The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Man's theory of Amillennialism of course interprets the above to mean at Christ's future return, all the wicked are gathered and cast into the future "lake of fire" on that same day, and God's future Eternity of new heavens and a new earth begins. There's actually another matter in the above, in red, that many miss.
In the Matthew 8:12, Matthew 22:13, Matthew 24:51, and Luke 13:28 Scripture, we are given examples of the wicked being cast to the "outer darkness" where their "gnashing of teeth" will happen. Where then... will the location of that "outer darkness" be? I deem the following Revelation 22:14-15 Scripture as defining where that "outer darkness" will be...
Rev 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
KJV
That above prophecy, even though it is written in the latter Revelation 22 Chapter, is timed with the Revelation 20 "thousand years" events. That is when the wicked "dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie," will be cast outside... the gates of the holy city. Their final Judgment does not happen until after... that "thousand years" written in the Revelation 20 Chapter.
This suggests that future event will take place DURING Christ's literal "thousand years" reign with His elect, and the location of that "outer darkness" will be outside the city, away from Christ's Presence. It is not the future "lake of fire" one-time destruction just yet, but the "outer darkness". It suggests a burning hell existing on earth outside the gates of the holy city on earth at that future time.
Did you know in some NT examples of the KJV word "hell", in the Greek it is sometimes the word 'geena' (NT:1067) derived from the valley of Hinnom about the perpetual burning garbage pit outside the walls of Jerusalem? It was also known as Tophet (Isa.30:33; Jer.7:31).
Also note, that the KJV for "furnace" above in Matt.13:42, the Greek word (NT:2575) can mean 'burning', and not necessarily a literal furnace or kiln. I believe it is pointing to the still existing place of separation for the wicked called hell, that will remain until it also perishes in the future "lake of fire" shown at the end of Revelation 20.
All in all, what I am saying is this Matthew 13 Scripture is NOT actually excluding the period of Christ's future "thousand years" reign over the wicked and unsaved which Revelation 20 reveals as being a literal period that begins at His 2nd coming.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV
If you heed what Jesus showed in Revelation 20 about His future "thousand years" reign with His elect, as a literal period, then this Matt.13:43 verse will only happen after... that future "thousand years" Millennial reign by Christ.
