The Prophetic Parables of Matthew 13

The Sower, Mustard Seed, Wheat and Tares, Pearl of Great Price...how should we understand the parables of Matthew 13? Pink views them as prophetic in nature and writes, “[T]he thirteenth chapter of Matthew... is, from the standpoint of prophecy, the most important chapter of all the New Testament. There is much in God's prophetic program which must necessarily remain dark until the parables of this chapter are thoroughly mastered. At present they are much misunderstood and misinterpreted.” In discussing the seven parables, Pink suggests that the first four give us the external view of the history of Christendom, while the last three address that which is internal or spiritual.