“The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil.” “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them.” Matt. 13:38, 39, 30.
7. When does the harvest come?
“The harvest is the end of the world.” Verse 39.
Notes.—Thus it is plain that the wicked (the tares) live with the righteous (the wheat) till the end of the world. There is, then, no time before Christ's coming for a sinless state, in which all men will be converted and turn to God.
Harper's “Book of Facts,” edition 1906, article “Religion,” classifies the population of the globe religiously as follows:—
| Non-Christian | Christian | ||
| Buddhists | 400,000,000 | Roman Catholics | 175,000,000 |
| Brahmans | 250,000,000 | Protestants | 110,000,000 |
| Mohammedans | 180,000,000 | Greek Church | 90,000,000 |
| Fetish-worshipers | 150,000,000 | Various | 25,000,000 |
| Jews | 8,000,000 | ||
| Various | 62,000,000 | ||
| 1,050,000,000 | 400,000,000 |
From this it will be seen that only about one fourth of the world's population are even nominal Christians.
8. For what purpose did Christ say the gospel was to be preached in all the world?
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14.
Notes.—He did not say that all would receive the gospel, but that the gospel was to be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and that then the end would come.