25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
25:2 And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish.
25:3 They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
{cp. Heb 10:36-38; Eph 5:14; 1The 5:6,7}
25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. {cp. Mat 24:44}
25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise,
Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
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. {Isa 55:1-7; Rev 3:17,18}
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.
25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins-
The ten virgins are representative of Israel (not of the Church)-
v.1 is trans. ''... to meet the bridegroom and the bride,'' in the Syriac and Vulgate (Latin) versions.
in Luk 12:35,36, the lamps are kept burning while waiting for the bridegroom to return from the wedding.
During the Tribulation period, the Bride (the Church, having been caught away in the Rapture) is in heaven with Christ. Meanwhile, Israel is on earth, waiting for their King to appear and deliver them. When Christ returns, His wife comes with Him. The marriage has already taken place in heaven, the marriage supper takes place on the earth. The wise virgins are 'the companions' of the bride. cp. 1The 4:16-18; Rev 19:7-9; Psa 45:14,15 (Also see the Book Notes study for the Psalms of Messiah on Psalm 45.)
the wise virgins - are the Jewish remnant who come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation.
the foolish virgins - remain in unbelief until it is too late.
The 'kingdom of heaven' (v.1), the realm of both true and false profession (as in ch.13), is brought to conclusion at the return of Christ to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and truth.
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.
25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one;
to every man according to his several {GK=idios, unique} ability;
and straightway took his journey.
25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same,
and made [them] other five talents.
25:17 And likewise he that [had received] two, he also gained other two.
25:18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 strawed:
25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth:
lo, [there] thou hast [that is] thine.
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 strawed:
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.
25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give [it] unto him which hath ten talents.
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.
25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Parable of the Eight Talents- (cp. Luk 19:12-27, The Parable of Ten Talents)
the travelling man- represents the Lord Jesus who departed but will come again.
his own servants- ie., individual Jews. cp. Ex 19:5,6
Remember, the focus of ch. 24 and 25 is the nation of Israel (the Church having been raptured).
Since this parable is set at the close of the 'kingdom of heaven', again we see a mixture of true believers and an unbeliever.
a talent- was a considerable sum of money, worth 6,000 denarii.
(one denarius was a day's wage for a laborer).
one talent- a wealth of advantage was given to the Jews. cp. Rom 3:1-3; 9:4,5 A similar advantage was given to those who profess Christianity (Rev 3:3). The basis for knowing and serving the Lord has been entrusted to us, but only through faith can an individual avail himself of these things.
two talents, five talents- ''grace multiplied'', cp. 2Pet 1:1-4
the assignment of reward (v.20-23) was not on the basis of 'ability' (since the reward of the man who gained two was identical to that of the man who gained five), but according to each man's faithfulness, or unfaithfulness. cp. 1Cor 4:1,2; 3:11-15; 2Pet 1:5-11
Note that, in this parable, individual Jews give account to the King at His return to earth.
Church age believers will give account to Christ in heaven, following the Rapture. (2Cor 5:10)
The severity of this punishment is not due to his unfaithfulness in service alone,
but due to his lack of faith in the Lord (v.24-26). (A true believer who is unfaithful in service, will suffer loss of reward, but not loss of salvation. cp. 1Cor 3:15)
This man's unfaithfulness was rooted in his unbelief in the Lord that he did not truly know.
Tragically, he did not know Him, because he had neglected the resources given to him. cp. Heb 6:4-9
The reality of every individual's faithfulness toward Christ will be revealed at His coming.
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:
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:
25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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:
25:35 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:
25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me:
I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?
25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]?
25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
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.
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:
25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
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.
25:44 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?
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.
25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
The Judgment of the Nations (also see 'Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth: The Five Judgments')
My brethren (v.40)- ie., Jews (Jesus' brethren according to the flesh. cp. Rom 1:3; 9:3-5)
What is the basis of judgment?
The treatment of 'the least of these my brethren'. (v.40)
This judgment applies to those gentiles who survive to the end of the Tribulation period, and are physically alive at the time that Christ begins to establish His Kingdom on earth.
The judgment is not based on the relative merit of actions (eg., kindness vs. unkindness),
but rather of what those actions reveal of the heart's faith and love toward Christ. cp. Mat 12:35
During the Tribulation, the Jews will be persecuted severely by the antichrist. Anyone who offers assistance to a Jew will place himself in peril. Only those gentiles who belong to Christ will risk identification with His brethren.
cp. Mat 10:40-42; 16:26,27; Mark 8:38
What is the outcome of judgment?
The 'sheep' are welcomed into the Kingdom of the Messiah on the earth (v.34),
and also into eternal life (v.46b).
The 'goats' are banished -
to everlasting fire (v.41). This is the same fire into which the Devil and his angels {or, 'messengers'} will be cast at the start of Christ's Millenial Kingdom. cp. Rev 19:19-21; 20:1,2