Witnessing the rejection of Jesus by both Israel's religious rulers and even His own step-brothers would cause the Lord's disciples and other followers to wonder what would happened to the promise of the Messianic Kingdom if Israel rejected the King? The answer is the primary focus of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 13 (with parallel accounts in Mark 4 and Luke 8). Through a series of parables, He told His men that the literal Kingdom on earth would be postponed until a time when Israel would accept Him (His Second Coming). However, though the literal Kingdom was postponed, the Lord taught about a "mystery" form of the Kingdom that would be established in the interval between His rejection and His return. This "interregnum" would be an internal, spiritual Kingdom on earth - not visible because it would exist in the hearts of believers. This truth was unknown to the Old Testament prophets and writers, which is why it is called a "mystery". Through the parables presented in Matthew 13, the Lord revealed the "mysteries" or "secrets of the Kingdom" to those with ears to hear and understand. The first parable of "The Mystery Kingdom" is the very famous "Parable of the Sower". The Sower is Christ (and His followers); the Seed is His Word; the four types of soil represent the four types of heart conditions (human responses) upon which the sown Word falls: (1) roadway soil, (2) rocky soil, (3) reprobate soil, and (4) ready soil.
