Chapter 25

This chapter is divided about half in half. The first thirty verses take up the baptism of fire from the standpoint of the Jews. When Christ returns to the earth He will find two kinds of Jews: believing Jews who will go into the Millennium; unbelieving Jews who will be cast off the earth. This is developed under two parables in this section. But in verses 31 through the rest of the passage we have the Gentiles. They, too, are two kinds when Christ returns: saved Gentiles who go into the Millennium; unsaved Gentiles who are cast off the earth. So the passage deals with the baptism of fire. Verses 1-13, the parable of the ten virgins. In a marriage situation in the ancient world when two people decided to get married the father of the groom went to see the father of the bride to be, and they work out a deal. They would eventually agree on a dowry and once they did then that was the engagement. (The Jews were a little different from others. They considered the marriage to have taken place, except for its consummation, once the engagement was made. It was the same as marriage and could not be broken) So there was an agreement and they specified a wedding date.

On the day of the wedding the groom arrives at the house of the bride. The father of the bride takes the his daughter and takes the groom and joins their hands and gives her away. The groom takes the bride’s hand in his and escorts her out the door and they are married. That is the ceremony.

But that is only the beginning. Over at the groom’s house there is anywhere from one to a thirty-day banquet, depending on how many friends they have, and so on. The cavalcade goes to the groom’s house and in the meantime the bride’s friends have been invited to the banquet. This isn’t a ceremony, it is a banquet. The bride’s friends have to wait outside, they are not permitted in until the bride comes. This includes her girlfriends who are called here the virgins. Then the bride and the groom drive up, he escorts her into the house and then the bride’s friends come in. There is no ceremony at all. The guests may spend as much time as a week there and then the couple leave on their honeymoon.

Verse 1 — “Then” is tote, at that time [of the second advent], which means the chapter goes right on; “shall the kingdom of heaven,” a reference to the second advent and the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Of heaven” is a genitive of source, the source of this kingdom is from heaven. Christ is the King, He comes from heaven and that is why it is called the kingdom of heaven; “be likened unto” is a future tense to indicate that these events had not occurred at the point at which it was written; “ten virgins” are friends of the bride and they are waiting for the coming of the groom who is Christ. The virgins represent the population of the earth and specifically the Jewish population of the earth during the Tribulation. Since they have to wait outside they have to provide their own light; “which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” The groom is the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ arrives on the earth that is the same as arriving at the door of the groom’s house where the banquet will be held. This is the same picture we have in Revelation 19:7-9.

The groom, Jesus Christ, has the bride. The bride is the Church and at the end of the Tribulation the bride is ready to come back with the groom, and that is the picture of coming to the groom’s house. The groom is Christ; the bride is the Church. The virgins: the population of the earth. Why are they called virgins? Because they have free will. These ten virgins all have free will and they represent the population of the earth. All ten heard the gospel during the Tribulation.

Verse 2 — “And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” The wise ones are the born again ones; the foolish ones are the unbelievers of the Tribulation.

Verse 3 — “They that were foolish took their lamps.” The lamps represent their personal volition. They had free will; “and took no oil with them.” The point is, they had free will, and during the Tribulation they heard the gospel four different times, but “they took no oil” which means they went on negative signals when they heard the gospel. The reacted to the gospel instead of responding.

Verse 4 — “But” is a conjunction of contrast, a contrast between the unsaved and the saved; “the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” The lamp again represents their volition; taking of oil is positive volition. Positive volition is expressed by faith in Christ. So the wise ones were wise because they were prepared for the second advent; they were prepared for eternity.

Verse 5 — the second advent occurs. “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” There is a delay, and these lamps are not to be lit until the groom arrives. So everyone holds off lighting their lamp until the groom arrives, and some have fuel for their lamps and some do not; some are saved and some are not.

Verse 6 — the arrival. “And at midnight there was a cry made.” “There was” is imperfect linear aktionsart, which means there kept on being a cry. In other words, sometimes for a wedding people would turn out all over town. As the groom would go down the streets of the town people would cheer. In the distance they could hear the cheering so they knew the groom was coming. He hasn’t arrived yet but they know that he is coming any minute, just as in the Tribulation believers will know that he is coming any minute. And hearing the cheers coming closer now they all start to scramble to light their lamps. Five have oil; five do not. Five get their lamps lit; five do not. The point is that the warning of the coming of Christ is given to all, along with evangelism. As His coming gets closer and closer some are saved and some are not.

Verse 6 — “And at midnight there was [kept on being] a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom [ The word “cometh” is not found in the original]; go ye out to meet him.” To do this they have to have their lamps lit.

Verse 7 — “Then all the virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.” “Arose” is an aorist passive, that means they received awakening (the word “arose” means to awaken) from the shout. Then it says, “they trimmed” and that is active voice, they trimmed their own lamps. In other words, each one was responsible for his own lamp and the point is: each is responsible for his own life because each one has heard the gospel and each one has free will. The principle here is free will in evangelism. Every person must make his own decision for Christ, no one else can make it for him.

Verse 8 — “And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” Again, the point is you have to make your own decision, no one else can make it for you.

Verse 9 — “But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there not be enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.” In other words, you have to have your own oil, you have to make your own decision.

Verse 10 — “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came [Christ returns] and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” These are the saved ones.

Verse 11 — “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.”

Verse 12 — “But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not” — no relationship here. They have not accepted Christ and therefore are rejected. Unbelievers can only be prepared for eternity by receiving Christ as saviour; they haven’t.

Now the command is given as a result of this parable.

Verse 13 — “Watch [be alert].” This time it is addressed to the unbeliever. This time “be alert” means be ready; “therefore, for ye do not know that day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” The only preparation is salvation. You are not ready unless you have believed in Christ as saviour. The emphasis in this parable is simply: be prepared for eternity.

Verses 14-30. The next parable looks at believers and unbelievers from the standpoint of their production in the Tribulation. This time we go from preparation to production; we have the parable of the talents. The producers of the Tribulation are believers, the non-producers are unbelievers.

Verse 14 — “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man.” The words “kingdom of heaven” is not found here in the original. It should be, “For as a man travelling into a far country.” In other words, a continuation of the concept. The man travelling into a far country is Jesus Christ at His ascension. Jesus Christ leaves the earth at His ascension and goes to a “far country” which is heaven. This is not the ordinary Greek word for travelling, this means to be absent from one’s people. Christ is the son of David and the ruler of the Jews, and in His ascension He is absent from the Jews, they are on earth. But before Christ leaves He gives a command. He “called his own servants.” Since the Jewish Age terminates after the death and ascension of Christ the calling of the servants refers to the Tribulation; the servants are Jews in the Tribulation; “and he delivered unto them his goods.” This means again the Jews will be the custodians of the Word. The word “goods” here means assets.

Verse 15 — he gives them responsibility. The Jews have responsibility in the Tribulation, they are once again the custodians of the Word and responsible for its dissemination. “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one” — three persons listed. Notice that we have a five and a two talent person. These two are believers but they do not produce the same. The third one, the one talent man, is an unbelieving Jew; “to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey [the ascension of Christ].”

Verses 16-18, production.

Verse 16 — “Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made five more.” Here is a believer witnessing, a productive believer in the Tribulation.

Verse 17 — “And likewise he that received two, he also gained two other.”

Verse 18 — the unbelieving Jew cannot produce because he is an unbeliever. You cant be a witness, a missionary, unless you are born again. “But he that received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.” He is a Jew but he is an unbeliever and therefore he fails to receive Christ and cannot fulfil the principle of the Jewish Age.

Verse 19 — “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.” Here is the second advent of Christ again, to the Jews this time.

Verse 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.” He declares his production.

Verse 21 — the reward of this individual. “His lord said unto him, Well done thou good.” The word “good” means good of intrinsic value, it is the word for divine good. Faithfulness is the human side of it, “and faithful servant: thou hast been [kept on being] faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The joy of the Lord here refers to the Millennium.

Verse 22 — the second believer. He gained two talents, the Lord says the same thing to him, he too is rewarded.

Verse 24 — the unbelieving Jew of the Tribulation. Remember the Tribulation is the Jewish Age. He has responsibility, he fails in his responsibility because he rejects Jesus Christ as his saviour. “Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee,” religion speaking, “that thou art an hard man.” This is the way in which religion rejects the Lord Jesus Christ. They reject anything that isn’t sweetness and light. They talk about brotherhood and loving everyone. It is interesting to note that religious crowd is always talking about peace and that there ought not to be any fighting, except that the “downtrodden races,” as they call them, should riot. They believe in violence, they are always inconsistent; “reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed [shovelled grain].” Reaping where not sown refers to reaping the benefits of being a Jew.

Verse 25 — “And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast what is thine.” He gave it back.

Verse 26 — “His lord answered and said unto him, Wicked [unsaved] and slothful servant, “Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed.”

Verse 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 [interest].”

Verse 28 — “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.” The opportunity for production for these people goes into the Millennium. In the Millennium the believer will still have production, he is still in his human body. So giving him the talent means that he will keep on producing, he will lead people to the Lord in the Millennium.

Verse 29 — “For unto everyone that hath shall be given.” The believer of the Tribulation who sticks with the Word is going to be rewarded, but not the martyrs because they disobeyed the Word; “and he shall have abundance.” This abundance indicates a marvellous prosperity and it indicates the nature of some of the rewards in eternity; “but from him that hath not,” the unbelieving Jew, “shall be taken away even that which he hath.”

Verse 30 — “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” because he lost the opportunity. All Jews in the Jewish Age are supposed to be servants. Not all are because some are unbelievers.

Up to this point we have studied the Jews: from Matthew 24:16 through 25:30. Why? Because the Tribulation is the end of the Jewish Age. In verses 31-46, in order to convey the mechanics of the baptism of fire, we switch now to the Gentiles, Gentiles living throughout the entire world.

Verse 31 — “When the Son of man shall come in his glory [second advent], and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory,” Christ will be ruling.

Verse 32 — “And before him shall be gathered all nations [all the Gentiles, literally].” “Nations” is ta e)thnh, and it refers to Gentiles. These are Gentiles individually rather than some collective concept. Passages where this same ta e)thnh is translated Gentiles: Matthew 12:21; 6:31,32; 20:19; Acts 11:18; 15:3; 26:20.

“and he shall separate them,” individuals are separated, not nations, “one from another.” This means an individual is separated from an individual; “as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” The shepherd is Christ.

Verse 33 — “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left,” right hand: approbation; left hand: disapprobation.

Verse 34-40, the commendation of the sheep.

Verse 34 — in the approval and disapproval we have a commendation. “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom [the Millennium] prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Verse 35 — “For I was hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.”

Verse 36 — “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” Immediately we understand something: you are not saved by doing these things. He is talking to people who are saved by faith in Christ.

Verse 37 — “Then shall the righteous.” Those who have God’s righteousness, imputed righteousness; “answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

Verse 38 — “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?”

Verse 39 — Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?”

Verse 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.” This takes us back to Revelation chapter seven. When the Rapture occurs there are no saved people on the earth. Very shortly thereafter 144,000 Jews, by reading the Word of God, accept Christ as saviour. These Jews are scattered all over the earth and these are the first evangelists of the Tribulation. They will be all over the world preaching and Gentiles are going to respond to their message. During the Tribulation the “World Council of Churches” (or similar ecumenical organisation) is going to set up a ban. You can’t buy groceries unless you have the mark of the beast. If you are a believer you are ostracised, you can’t have food, you can’t have clothing, you can’t buy anything. This will be the situation for the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. They can’t buy, the “World Council of Churches” has cut them off. So who will help them? Their Gentile converts. The 144,000 Jews are “the least of these my brethren.”

Verse 41 — “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand.

Revelation 6:17 — “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” — who shall live with the Tribulation. Chapter seven answers that. First of all the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will live through the Tribulation.

Verse 5 — we have them sealed. We have the twelve tribes, one is missing: Dan, because Dan is the apostate tribe.

Verse 9 — “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations” … Notice: “all nations,” panta ta e)thnh, should be “of all Gentiles,” … “and kindreds, and people, and tongues [languages], stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”

Verse 10 — “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne” … and so on.

The question is: Who are they? — verse 13. The answer is in verse 14, “These are they which came out of great tribulation (these are the sheep), and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Verse 16 — Notice: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” In other words, they now have proper clothing.

So here is the other side of the coin. These Gentile believers are pictured before the throne of God.

Back to Matthew 25:41 — “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand.” These are the unbelievers. This is the condemnation of the goats. “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire [baptism of fire], prepared” — prepared in the past at the time of Satan’s fall — “for the devil and his angels” — fallen angels.

Verse 42 — Jesus repeats the principle. “For I was hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink.”

Verse 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.”

Verse 44 — “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?”

Verse 45 — “Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me.”

Verse 46 — “And these” — individuals, not nations. These are unbelievers; “shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous” — those who received the imputed righteousness of God — “into life eternal.” The baptism of fire is for unbelievers only.

The principle involved here: In order to have fellowship with God forever a person must have three things. His sins must be paid for. That is the cross; he must have God’s righteousness. When anyone believers in Christ. God’s righteousness is credited to their account; he must have God’s eternal life. If we are going to be with God forever we must have His life and eternal life comes by way of the cross, “Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”