Matthew Chapter 25
Memory verses for
this week: Rev 7:9 After this I beheld,
and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Introduction:
In
last week’s lesson, Christ told of the upcoming destruction of the
temple, and how that we would know the time of his soon return when we
saw various things begin to happen, such as rumours of wars, nations
rising against nation, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers
places. All of these things point to Christ’s soon return.
I. Parable of the
Ten Virgins
Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten
virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil
with them:
Mat 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept.
Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil;
for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9 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.
Mat 25:10 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.
Mat 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know
you not.
Mat 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
We see a parallel here in this chapter to the prior parables
we studied about the tares in the wheat, the leaven in the meal, and
the bad fish in the net. These 10 virgins are a parable concerning
Christendom in the world. Christendom is made up of all ‘so called’
Christian churches, and it embraces both the true and the false… the
believers and those who just profess to be believers. The fact was
that the five foolish virgins took no oil with them (v. 3) is proof
that they were not saved. Oil in the scriptures typifies the Holy
Spirit, and if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Several things need to be noticed about the foolish
virgins:
a. They were foolish
b. They took no oil in their lamps
c. They were unprepared when the bridegroom came.
d. They waited too long to be concerned about entering into
the marriage.
e. They asked for entrance but were denied.
f. The Lord declared that He knew them not.
The Five Wise Virgins:
a. Ready when the Bridegroom came.
b. They entered in.
c. They took oil in their lamps.
II. The Lord’s
Return Tests the Servants
Mat 25:14 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.
Mat 25:15 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.
The man in this verse is a picture of Christ, who has
entrusted His possessions with His servants, we who are Christians.
He called His own servant and delivered goods unto them. (The
servants that belonged to Him.) Not all had the same ability and not
all received the same amount of the master’s goods.
Mat 25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and
traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
Mat 25:17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained
other two.
Mat 25:18 But he that had received one went and digged in the
earth, and hid his lord's money.
The Lord gave money to each one. The one who received five
talents gained five more. The one with two also gained two more. But
the one with only one talent went and hid his Lord’s money and did not
bring forth anything for the glory of the Lord.
Mat 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and
reckoneth with them.
Mat 25:20 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.
Mat 25:21 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.
Mat 25:22 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.
Mat 25:23 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.
The man returning speaks of the Lord’s return when He will
reward His saints for what they have done in this life. These
rewards will be given at the judgment seat of Christ. No doubt,
there will be positions of authority given as rewards during the 1,000
year Millennial Reign of Christ.
Mat 19:27 Then
answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and
followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28 And Jesus
said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me,
in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his
glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29 And every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall
receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 25:24 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 strowed:
Mat 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the
earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Mat 25:26 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 strowed:
Mat 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the
exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with
usury.
Mat 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him
which hath ten talents.
Mat 25:29 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.
Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The servant with the one talent gives his excuse for not
doing anything with it. He said he knew the authority of the Lord and
was afraid to put the talent to use lest me misuse it. He had
nothing to show for it when the Lord returned. He is called a wicked
servant.
J. Vernon McGee said this about the talents the Lord gives
us.
Notice that the “talents”
were sums of money. They do not represent talents in the sense of the
natural endowments of a person such as a musical talent. The
application to us is that whatever God has given to us, we are to use
for Him.
There is a great
principle in this parable for us. And it was given in the light of the
fact that all of us—you and I included—are going to have to stand in
the presence of God and give an account of how we have used what He
has given to us. The Lord is not going to ask us how much we have done
for Him but how faithful we have been to that which He wanted us to
do.
For
the child of God there are two important things: (1) Find out what God
wants us to do; that is, determine what the talent is that He has
given us, and then (2) be faithful in the use of it. To some of us God
gives a very small ministry, and that may be upsetting to us; but if
we are one-talent people, God expects us to be faithful with that.
[i]
III. The Judgment of
the Nations
Mat 25:31 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:
Mat 25:32 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:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left.
Notice when Christ returns, it says that he comes in His
glory. This is at the end of the tribulation when be comes to take
the throne of His father David. All nations will be gathered before
Christ and he will divide them. The sheep nations will be on his
right, whereas the goats will be on his left. There shall be a
judgment in that day of the nations. This is not to decide whether
they have accepted Christ as Savior, since this is about nations, not
individuals.
W. A. Criswell in the Believers Bible commented this on these
verses:
25:31–46 The
sheep and goat judgment should not be confused with other judgments
(cf. Rev. 20:11–15, note), e.g., the judgment seat of Christ (beµgma,
Gk.) for believers
only, which occurs immediately following the departure of the church
at the revelation of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 3:13, note); or the Great
White Throne judgment for unbelievers, which occurs at the conclusion
of the millennial age (Rev. 20:11–15). This judgment of sheep and
goats is at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation to determine who
may enter the millennial or kingdom age. The basis of the judgment is
the relationship of men to Christ, as demonstrated by their treatment
of Israel during the Great Tribulation (vv. 34–46). Those who are
saved (the “sheep”) enter the kingdom prepared for them (v. 34), while
the lost (the “goats”) are turned away into eternal punishment (v.
46). The kingdom consists only of the saved at the outset of that
final age.
[ii]
Mat 25:34 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:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me:
I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee
drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked,
and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee?
Mat 25:40 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.
The sheep nations are those that have treated the Jews
correctly and with care. The entrance of these nations into the
kingdom appears to be related to how they have treated the brethren.
(the Jews) Apparently this judgment may cover the treatment of the
Jews by all nations in all ages, but it clearly speaks of how they
have been treated during the 7 years of tribulation. The children
that have not reached the age of accountability will enter into the
kingdom in their natural bodies as will these nations labeled as
‘sheep’. Jesus says that if you have done it to the least of these
my brethren, you have done it unto me. While this is in reference to
the Jews, we need to always remember that to cut down the church that
Jesus died for is to be turning against Christ. We need to remember
that Jesus shed his blood for the church, and it means so much to
him. People may fail us, but the Lord will never fail us.
Mat 25:41 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:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 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.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or
in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 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.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but
the righteous into life eternal.
We see the results of being one of the ‘goat’ nations in
these verses. They have treated the Jews poorly, and they pay a dear
price for this. These nations will be punished and destroyed for the
wrongs they have inflicted upon the Jews. The sheep nations will be
the ones that Christ and all his saints will reign over during the
1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth.
As I read through my various commentaries, I found a lot of
conflicting teachings on these verses. So there is considerable
debate as to what these verses in Chapter 25 mean. It appears to me
that these are in reference to the treatment of the Jews during the
tribulation (and possibly in all ages). J. Vernon McGee points out
some points that are interesting if not totally accurate.
The 144,000 Jews sealed
at the time of the Great Tribulation will go out over the entire world
to preach the message of the gospel of the Kingdom, which is to
receive Christ as the sacrifice for their sins and to be ready for His
immediate coming. Some nations will reject Christ. Antichrist will
have God’s messengers butchered and slain, and anyone who would give
them a cup of cold water will do so at the risk of his life. To hand
out a cup of cold water has little value in our day, but in the Great
Tribulation it will have tremendous value. It will mean taking a stand
for Jesus Christ. The basis on which the nations will be judged is
their acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ. He says, “Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me”—because the messengers were representing Him. That
will be the way they evidence faith in the message that the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand and that they are to repent and turn to Christ to be
saved.
For those who reject,
there is only judgment—
Entire nations will enter the millennial Kingdom. Out of
these will be some individuals who will reject Christ. But the
judgment of the nations at the second coming of Christ is to determine
what nations are to enter the millennial Kingdom. This judgment is
separate and distinct from all other judgments.
[iii]
Internet Bible Studies are prepared and distributed free of charge.
The lessons may not be sold without consent. If you have questions
or wish to discuss the lessons, or possibly need help in finding Jesus
Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior, contact David Parham at
940-322-4343.
Prov
4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth
more and more unto the perfect day.
e-mail at: davidparham@internetbible.net
Website:
http://www.internetbible.net
Practice Random Acts of Kindness. Each act spreads, and many will be
blessed.
[i]J.
Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible
commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System,
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1981 by J. Vernon McGee.
[ii]W.A.
Criswell, Believer’s study Bible
[computer file], electronic ed. , Logos Library System,
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1991 by the Criswell Center for
Biblical Studies.
[iii]J.
Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible
commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System,
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1981 by J. Vernon McGee.