Does the Emerging Church and the Megachurch Movement somehow fit into the mystery form of the kingdom?
It sure does. The Mustard Seed in Matthew 13:31 and following depicts the kingdom growth in the present age. But it depicts growth that is unhealthy. A mustard seed grows into a monstrosity. Matthew 13:32 says “the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” You will remember that in the Parable of the Sower, also found in Matthew 13, birds represent Satans agents. They devour the Word of God. Birds are never used in the Bible to indicate Christians. They are scavengers and feed off of rotting meat. In Revelation 19:18 the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven come and eat “the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses.” And we must not neglect the fact that right after the Parable of the Mustard Seed we are told the parable of the leaven. It says, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Leaven is a symbol of evil and corruption. The
