Matthew 3:12 Meaning and Explanation
“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →John pictures the Coming One as a harvester who gathers the wheat and burns the chaff.
What Does Matthew 3:12 Mean?
John completes his portrait of the mightier One with an image from the threshing floor. The winnowing fork tosses grain into the air so the wind carries off the light chaff while the heavy wheat falls back. The Coming One holds that fork, ready to separate.
The picture is one of careful sorting. The good grain is gathered and kept safe in the barn, while the worthless husks are burned away. John presses each hearer to ask which they will prove to be, and the warning is a summons to become wheat through the repentance he preaches, that they may be gathered and kept by the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 3:12
What does Matthew 3:12 mean?
John pictures the Coming One as a harvester who gathers the wheat and burns the chaff.