February
6th Matthew 25 The ten virgins
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven
be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. 2: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3: They that
were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4: But the wise took
oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5: While the bridegroom tarried, they
all slumbered and slept. 6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7: Then all those virgins arose, and
trimmed their lamps. 8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your
oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9: But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest
there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy
for yourselves. 10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they
that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11:
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12: But
he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13: Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh.
The
Talents
14: For the kingdom of heaven is as
a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered
unto them his goods. 15: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and
to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway
took his journey. 16: Then he that had received the five talents went and
traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17: And likewise he
that had received two, he also gained other two. 18: But he that had received
one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19: After a long
time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20: And so he
that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying,
Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them
five talents more. 21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22: He also that
had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two
talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23: His lord said
unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of
thy lord. 24: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I
knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25: And I was afraid, and went and hid
thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26: His lord
answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that
I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27: Thou
oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my
coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28: Take therefore the
talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29: For unto
every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him
that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30: And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.
Judgement
of the living nations
31: When the Son of man shall come
in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory: 32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he
shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats: 33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the
left. 34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world: 35: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36: Naked, and ye clothed
me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37:
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred,
and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38: When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39: Or when saw we thee sick, or
in prison, and came unto thee? 40: And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41: Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,
prepared for the devil and his angels: 42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me
no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43: I was a stranger, and ye
took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not. 44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we
thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and did not minister unto thee? 45: Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it
not to me. 46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.
Christ completes his prophecy
regarding the Times of the Gentiles with two Parables, a description of the
judgment of the living nations and an explanation of why the judgments are
made. The Parable of the ten virgins is
related to the coming of Christ in glory for Israel not the church. Why are the
five wise? Because they have oil in their lamps. Oil is symbolic of the spiritual
life. These five are spiritual and godly under the law. In contrast to the
foolish who take no thought regarding the needs of the night and therefore when
the midnight hour comes and Christ is glory returns they find they are not
spiritually ready. The second Parable has to do with the kingdom too. But this
time it has something to do with the responsibility of men who do or do not
take up their God given responsibilities. Those who do right are given more
responsibility and those who do little have little responsibility. Those who do
nothing receive nothing. There could not be a more meritorious system as this.
Why are the blessed? – Because they do the right thing. What a contrast to Gods
dealings in grace in which he blesses the unrighteous because of what someone
else has done. It seems that in the darkest days of the Tribulation men set
their course for the Kingdom. Lastly Christ recounts the prophecy regarding the
judgment of Christ at the end of the Tribulation before the Kingdom. When the
Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all
nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats: This is a unique judgment of people alive at the end
of the Tribulation. The principle of judgment is not law keeping or even faith.
The principle of judgment is charity. Kindness show to those brethren of the
LORD who have been in need during those dark days. Christ establishes the
principle that Kindness to ‘my brethren’ is effectively kindness to Christ.
Then shall he answer them, saying, verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it
not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And so Christ shows that
entrance into the Kingdom will be based on Watchfulness, Diligence and Charity.
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