Whose Fan is in His Hand

John, the son of Zachariah and Elisabeth (Luke 1:13), is he who we commonly call “John the Baptist”. He is the one whose mission it was to make ready the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom (Luke 1:17). Jesus said of him, “For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee” (Mal. 3:1; 4:5-6; Matt. 11:10). His initial message was “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:1-2) as was the Lord’s when He began His ministry saying, “…Repent: for the kingdom for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). He baptized in water, the “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4). John’s mission was to prepare the children of Israel to become children of God in the kingdom of the Lord. With this context in mind we notice two figures John uses as warning to the Jews to firmly embrace the new covenant teachings of that which would later be called Christianity. He uses the ax being laid at the root of the tree (Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9). The root of the tree is the Jewish nation that will be cut down completely, not just trimmed or pruned. Thus, they who refuse the new position will be cast into the fire. The second figure used is the one we wish to focus on, that being the winnowing of the wheat (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17).

The antecedent of the word “whose” in Matthew 3:12 is the one that is coming after John the Baptist, the One for which he is the forerunner and the one who will baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matt. 3:17). Thus, it is Jesus who will be wielding a winnowing fan. The figure is one that would be familiar to those of that day as their common method for harvest time in the separation of the wheat and chaff took place in the threshing floor. The fan or winnowing shovel was used to throw the grain and chaff into the air where the wind would blow the lighter chaff away, allowing the wheat to fall to the floor. Thus, the chaff was purged from the wheat. Though the application in the context used by John, was for the Jews to remove all the evil from the good, leaving the pure to serve the Lord in the new kingdom and the chaff to be burned up; this same analogy can be used and applied to mankind in this present age where Jew and Gentile is not the issue for the most part. In truth, the Lord will separate the wheat from the chaff in every age.

God’s people are to be separated from the world, not geographically, but in manner of life. Paul told the Ephesian Christians, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). He told the Romans, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2). And, to the Corinthians he wrote, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (II Cor. 6:17).

God will have us separated from all doctrine and practice that is not in harmony with His word. An Old Testament command serves as a good wording of a principle found throughout the Bible, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2). Paul warned, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. l:8). Jesus Himself said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15). He also stated, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matt. 15:13), and, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). Let us rest assured, there is not a single deviation from His word that God does not know of.

Also, as with the chaff from the threshing of the wheat, that which is found to be foreign to God’s commands will be cast into the fires of hell. After the parable of the tares, Jesus stated, “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth”. (Matt. 13:40-42). Just as sure as is God’s promise to bless those with eternal life who faithfully serve Him, is the promise of eternal damnation to those who disobey Him.