In the parable of the wheat and the weeds Jesus showed that there would be some down through the ages who would be living as true Christians. These would not be the prominent men of the world. (1 Cor. 1:26-28) They would be serving the true God, while at the same time there would be a host of false Christians holding themselves forth as ‘lights.’​—Matt. 13:36-42.

These two classes, Jesus said, would continue, not clearly distinguished from each other, until the time of the “harvest,” which is “a conclusion of a system of things.” Then a distinct separation would be made. “At that time,” he said, “the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”​—Matt. 13:43.

When the hypocritical Constantine the Great was “converted” to Christianity, he made professed Christianity the State Religion of the Roman Empire. Thereby it was made to appear that Christ was reigning through the Church and that Christ’s return was therefore unnecessary. The professed Christian bishops were asleep to Christian responsibility.

This religious situation seemed to parallel what Jesus foretold in the parable of the wheat and the weeds: “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man that sowed fine seed in his field. While men were sleeping, his enemy came and oversowed weeds in among the wheat, and left.”​—Matt. 13:24, 25.