THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS Another emphasis on the fact that all must be ready for His second coming is found in this parable. It is the parable of ten maidens who were to go out to meet the bridegroom in accordance with custom, to welcome him with their well lit, oil-soaked torches, so as to es... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then will the kingly rule of heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.' ‘Then the kingly rule of heaven will be likened (future passive).' The Kingly Rule of Heaven is thus to be seen as like this in its whole history from start to finish, althou... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For the foolish, when they took their torches, took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their torches.' The division between five and five is arbitrary. The point is that everyone is in one section or the other (compare M... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all fell asleep and slept for some time.' But there was a delay in the Bridegroom's coming, just as there had been delay in the return of the Master (Matthew 24:48). Thus Jesus' teaching concerning His coming has built into it the idea of unexpected delay. He... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But in the middle of the night there is a cry, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come you forth to meet him.” ' And then while they slept the moment that they had been awaiting arrived. In the middle of the night (not necessarily midnight, but possibly even later) the cry went out, ‘the Bridegroom is comin... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their torches.' And as a result all arose and ‘trimmed their torches'. They did all that was necessary in order for them to shine out. This was when readiness was vital. If they were not properly prepared their torches would not shine out, because somethin... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” ' The foolish suddenly realised that they had failed to provide extra oil for themselves. They thus knew that they had nothing suitable with which to welcome the Bridegroom, for without further oil the drying out... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the wise answered, saying, “Perhaps there will not be enough for us and you. You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” ' The wise knew that they could not help them. They had only brought with them sufficient for their own needs. They had none to spare. And they dared not take... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and they those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.' For while the foolish went off to seek what was needed the Bridegroom came. Those who were ready went out with their brightly shining torches, to welc... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” ' Having either purchased oil of a kind, or having been unable to obtain any (it really made no difference), the remaining maidens came running desperately to the door and discovered that it was shut against them. And they ha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But he answered and said, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” ' The reply of the Bridegroom came back firm and strong, ‘Truly I do not know you!' Compare Matthew 7:23, and note there that He had _never_ known them. This is not a case of the saved being lost, it is a case of people who have w... [ Continue Reading ]
“Watch therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” And then Jesus applies the main lesson of the Parable. All must watch in full preparedness so that they will be ready for His coming, for they do not know the day or the hour when He will come (compare Matthew 24:36; Matthew 24:42; Matthe... [ Continue Reading ]
“For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods.” ‘It is as --.' That is, ‘the Kingly Rule of Heaven is as --.' Note the relationship of the Kingly Rule of Heaven to the man who is going away. It is He Who has the Kingly Rule. And those... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (25:14-30). In this third of three major parables on the need to be ready for His coming Jesus likens Himself to a man who goes to another country and hands over control of all that He has to servants so that they can look after His affairs. Two of them do well and double... [ Continue Reading ]
“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his several ability, and he went on his journey.” Note that no one is expected to do more than they are capable of. Each is given a task to do in accordance with their ability. Each has been assessed and is calle... [ Continue Reading ]
“Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.” The first goes out ‘immediately'. He is joyful and dedicated in his service. And he makes full use of what has been entrusted to him by his Lord. He trades, and turns the five talents into ten t... [ Continue Reading ]
“In the same way he also who received the two gained another two.” The man who had received the two talents, a lesser amount, but still very large, behaved similarly. And he too doubled what he had been given. He gained two talents more.... [ Continue Reading ]
“But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.” But the one who received the one talent, which did not after all require all that much of him, although it was still a useful sum (it was beyond most people's dreams), went away, and instead of making use of what... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now after a long time the lord of those servants comes, and makes a reckoning with them.” Inevitably the day came when the Lord returned and called them all in for reckoning. In the context this refers to Jesus' second coming. Thus all were to be busily occupied until His return.... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you handed over to me five talents. Lo, I have gained another five talents'.” The first servant came to give his account and was able to point to the fact that he had doubled his five talents. The Lord had e... [ Continue Reading ]
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' ” And he thus received his Lord's commendation of ‘well done, good and faithful servant' (or ‘it is well, good and faithful serv... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he also who received the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you handed over to me two talents. Lo, I have gained another two talents.' ” The one who had received the two talents also came to render account, and was able to point out that he had doubled what he had been given. He too had used wh... [ Continue Reading ]
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' ” And he too received the same commendation and the same reward (compare Matthew 20:1). But the greatest reward of all was in be... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter, and I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Lo, you have your own.' ” However, the man with the one t... [ Continue Reading ]
“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter. You ought therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own, with interest.” But his Lord answered... [ Continue Reading ]
“Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.” So his sentence was twofold. Firstly that he should lose what had been entrusted to him, simply because he could not be trusted to use it properly. He was rather to see it given away to another who had proved to be m... [ Continue Reading ]
“For to every one who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” And thus was fulfilled the proverb that to those who ‘have', because they have been good and faithful, will more be given. They will receive an abundance. But as rega... [ Continue Reading ]
“And cast you out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” These words are left until the end so as to bring out their emphasis. This was what the parable was finally leading up to. It is not an added note, it is at the heart of the par... [ Continue Reading ]
“But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory,” Significantly here the Son of Man is paralleled with the King (Matthew 25:32). In Daniel 7:13 the son of man came into the presence of the Ancient of Days and was given a kin... [ Continue Reading ]
“And before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” From His throne He surveys ‘all nations'. These include the ‘all nations' who have hated His disciples and followers throughout the age (Matthew 24:9), a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FINAL JUDGMENT (25:32-46). That this is the final judgment comes out in that its verdict determines the eternal destiny of men (Matthew 25:46). It should be noted that it is not said to take place on earth, it includes everyone, that is ‘all the nations', whether living or dead, for all the dead... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” He is pictured as a shepherd dividing the flock. The separating of sheep from goats for various reasons was a regular part of the shepherd's life. Goats required different treatment from sheep, and especially to be protected... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will the King say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingly rule prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' ” Here Jesus is for the first time called King. For the shepherd King see Ezekiel 37:24. For the Son of Man as King see Matthew 13:41, wher... [ Continue Reading ]
“For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.” The reason for His verdict is given. It lies in what they have revealed themselves t... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will the righteous answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and fed you, or thirsty, and gave you drink? And when did we see you a stranger, and took you in, or naked, and clothed you? And when did we see you sick, or in prison, and came to you?' ” Being blessed by His Father the... [ Continue Reading ]
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of these my brothers, even these least, you did it to me.' ” For the King will point out that it was when they did these things to ‘His brothers' that they did it to Him. The only people whom Jesus describe... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will he say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels,' ” Then comes the judgment declared on ‘those on His left hand'. Notice the anonymity of the description. They are all who are not ‘the righteous, the... [ Continue Reading ]
“For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.” And their rejection was based on their attitude towards the followers of Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will they also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?' ” Again they ask the question which reveals that they are ignorant of what they have done wrong, for to them Jesus Christ is irrelevant,... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will he answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of these least, you did it not to me.' ” And His reply is that it is because they have failed to reveal their love and compassion towards the followers of Christ, whom they see as ‘the least', and have therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” And the final verdict is given. These who have not responded from their hearts towards Jesus and His followers will go away into eternal punishment. While those who have been made righteous by Christ will enter e... [ Continue Reading ]