Matthew chapter 25 comments

Matthew 25:1 ¶  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.

 

Just a few scattered, disorganized thoughts on this passage to keep from acting like there is only one meaning of it. This parable of the ten virgins and the oil for the lamps is literally said here to be about being prepared for Christ’s return. The Son of man is a reference to the Messiah, Christ.

 

The phrase Son of man links Christ to Daniel 7:13.

 

Daniel 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

 

Jesus, in the previous chapter, went over the events of the end time and gave several indications of how you would know that it was time. He now warns His disciples to be prepared and not to be caught unawares. We should always be looking for the Church’s translation and for His return. It is something that should occupy the Christian’s mind.

 

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 

This does not mean that you will lose your salvation if you are surprised by His coming any more than it is true when a preacher in the 1930s said if the Rapture happened and you were in a movie theater you weren’t going.

 

This is simply a very clear statement that there is no time like the present to be saved, to trust Christ, and keep looking up.

 

The five foolish virgins can represent those religious Jews who did not receive their Messiah and lost out on His redemption. They were warned and should have been prepared. Oil for the lamps can represent the Holy Spirit. They should have received their Messiah and been filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

 

Psalm 45:7  Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 

Now, all that being said there are many great sermons you can find on special meanings for the virgins, the wise and the unwise, the oil, the lamps, the door etc. and I would hope that you would listen to them or read them. But my purpose here is to be concise and get at the most direct meaning of the passage. Christ gave a lot of information on the end times and then told His disciples to always be prepared for it, not to be caught sleeping, so to speak.

 

Romans 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

 

Note how verse 6 appears to be a hint of the Rapture as in the cry made to go out and meet the bridegroom.

 

1Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

 

And I would say that the five foolish virgins have a form of religion but lack the indwelling of the Holy Ghost while the five wise virgins were truly saved. It makes a good point that you can carry a caricature of faith in God while rejecting Christ.  I would consider all religions that expect eternal life without faith in Christ as the five foolish virgins had no oil.

 

Matthew 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. 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 intothe 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.

 

Then, after talking about the end times and then about inward preparation and expectancy of Christ’s return, Christ goes into a parable about the wise use of resources in yet another probable reference to people who claim to be religious, who have the outward appearance of such, and yet fall short because of their lack of commitment or faith.

 

The traveling man could represent God with His goods being the Gospel and the talents, a unit of money, referring to the gifts each follower is given. I think at this point a reading of Romans 12 is in order.

 

Romans 12:1 ¶  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9  Let love be without

dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13  Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14  Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

There are things that Christ has called us to do in His absence physically, until His return, and we are given gifts unique to us but common to others as well. How we use those gifts is important. What are your gifts?

 

Notice that at the end of this passage there is a dire warning that does not seem to fit our salvation. Those religious-minded Jews who were given the oracles of God throughout history treated them in different ways and will be held accountable for, with all the knowledge they have been given, should they not act on their knowledge which burying the talent is a metaphor for. One of the things that Christ does repeatedly is confront the Jews with their inaction on what they should know, how that the truth has been revealed to them and most, particularly the religious elite, avoid the truth at all costs and reject the promised Messiah.

 

God left the Jews with tasks to perform and gifts to exercise and He will be furious with those who reject Him, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

So, Christ went from telling them what was going to happen, telling them to be prepared, and then telling them to get busy. Now He will speak of judgment.

 

Matthew 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: 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.

 

This is clearly starting out with a statement of Christ’s return to take over the kingdoms of the world.

 

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

This is the judgment on the nations of the earth at the beginning of His millennial reign. Look how they are being judged by their treatment of God’s people, a treatment witnessed in our discussion on the Revelation. With the church removed and only the saved Jews being persecuted by the Beast and Satan here they are judged by their apathy and acquiescence in the persecution and murder of these saved Jews and, one might assume, of any Gentiles who believed on Christ during the horror to come. I don’t think it is necessary to reprint my comments on Revelation but I would suggest going back and reading or listening to them. Those who participated in the persecution by the Beast and Satan by their consent to the atrocities committed will be reserved for the Great White Throne judgment and their final and eternal destruction in a lake of unquenchable fire for the soul. Notice a description of Hell in Luke 16, the continuation which will be for eternity in the Lake of Fire.

 

There are those commentators, like John Gill, who believe that these are all professing Christians of every nation; the goats; the tares mentioned in the parable of the tares and the wheat and the sheep; the true Christians. Here is what separates them, how they treated other Christians, formerly both Jew and Gentile, or rather if they acquiesced to their torture. These are things to contemplate and pray about.