We will see in this blog that the parable of the weeds applies to a specific period. But there is also a general lesson in this parable. We as believers do not have to fight against weeds. When the time comes, the Lord will make a separation. We humans are so limited in what we perceive, but the Lord will judge all things, even the hidden things of man, in His time (Rom.2:16; 1 Cor.4:5).
39 (…) and the harvest is the end of the aeon; and the reapers are the messengers.
40 Then as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so will it be in the end of the aeon.
41 The Son of man will send his messengers, and they will gather out of his kingdom all the snares and those who practice lawlessness,
42 and will cast them into a furnace of fire; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
the end of the age
This parable is specifically related to a certain time, to the end of the aeon, and this is mentioned twice (:39,40). This (evil) aeon (Gal.1:4) will be closed and a whole new aeon will begin, a thousand-year period in which Satan is bound (Rev.20:2) and the Kingdom of the Messiah will be established worldwide.
the reapers
The reapers are a picture of the messengers (Greek: aggelos), usually translated as angels. God will send out His messengers at the end of the aeon to gather and take away the unbelievers. They will have no part in the Kingdom of the Messiah on earth, which will then begin.
Matthew 24
Jesus’ speech in Matthew 24, which is also called the speech about the last things, deals with this period, because the disciples ask Jesus there, among other things, when the end of the aeon will be (Matt. 24:3) and the speech is an answer to that question.
unbelievers taken away
Before the new aeon begins, unbelievers will be judged and taken away from the earth (Matt. 24:40-41). The believers will remain on earth and because the Kingdom begins there, they will enter the Kingdom (Matt. 24:40-41). See also this blog.
the fiery furnace
The weeds are gathered and burned in the fire. So it will be in the end of the aeon. Then the unbelievers will be gathered by the messengers of the Son of Man and taken from the earth and they will cast them into the furnace of fire. The furnace of fire is here a picture of the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20).
weeping and gnashing of teeth ***
Weeping and gnashing of teeth is usually said to be about suffering in hell. But the Bible does not know hell and gnashing of teeth in the Bible is never an expression of pain or suffering, but of anger and frustration.
When Stephen gives a fiery speech to the high priest and scribes of the Jewish people, at a certain point they have had enough. In anger they gnash their teeth, rush at Stephen and stone him.
Acts 7
54 When they heard these things, it cut their hearts, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
(…)
57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And they cast him out of the city, and stoned him (…)
outside the Kingdom
Many who thought they would enter the Kingdom will be cast out. They may have been religious, called themselves believers or Christians and went to church or synagogue. But the Lord will say: “I do not know you” (Matt. 25:12; Luke 13:25) and they will be cast out, outside the Kingdom and have no part in it (Matt. 8:12; Luke 13:28). They will weep and gnash their teeth in anger and frustration.
43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
The righteous (=believers) will shine like the sun, a reference to Daniel 12:3. They will enter the Kingdom and inherit the aeon to come (Matt. 5:5; 19:29; 1 Cor. 6:9).
Parables are about the secrets of the Kingdom ((Matt.13:11). Therefore, the parable stops here when it speaks about the revealed Kingdom.
Two extensive blogs about ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ can be found here:
Matthew 24:51 there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (1)
Matthew 24:51 there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (2)