Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 13:40

"As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world." — Matthew 13:40 (ASV)

The identification of the actors is over, and the description of the action begins. As the weeds are “pulled up” and burned, so it is at the end. The kingdom we have known as the kingdom of heaven is also seen as the kingdom of the Son of Man, Jesus’ kingdom (cf. 20:21; 25:31; cf. Daniel 2:35; Revelation 11:15); his reign after the Resurrection extends to the farthest reaches of the universe (28:18). In that sense, “everything that causes sin and all who do evil” are weeded out of his kingdom (7:23; cf. Zephaniah 1:3) and, like the weeds, are thrown into the eternal fiery furnace (see comment on Mk 9:43–49), where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (see comment on Mt 8:12). What is clear is that Jesus ascribes to himself the role of eschatological Judge that the Lord assigns himself in the OT.