TAKING THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD
UNDERSTANDING THE TRIBULATION
Volume II – Part 2
by
Douglas Shearer
This amplification of several of the most difficult
parables regarding preparation and readiness for apocalyptic times – the
Parable of the Ten Virgins, the Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the
Judgment of the Sheep and Goats – within the context of all Christians
throughout Church history, but especially at the close of this age – will amaze
you because of its profound simplicity of interpretation and its spiritual
depth. Furthermore, in light of the great themes throughout the New Testament,
let alone the overt emphasis throughout the original testament wherein
endurance, persecution, suffering and overcoming by believers is the
uncompromised norm of revealed truth, there cannot be any variation from these
divine principles and patterns of saintly status.
Once again – earnest preparation is heralded as the classic essence of undefiled faith – if we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him – for if we are to proclaim: I know that my Redeemer liveth – then think it not strange that as Job and Paul, we “suffer the loss of all things and count them but dung, that I might gain Christ.”
Believers Can’t Borrow on Each Other’s Walk
Some commentators have become almost obsessed with getting a handle on the motive prompting the five wise virgins to reject the request: it seems so selfish. But that’s not the issue at hand. Again, what we have here in the first part of verse 9 is color and drama, not interpretive substance. The interpretive substance is found in the follow-up clause “go ... and buy for yourselves.” What Jesus is saying is simple: believers can’t borrow on each other’s personal relationship with God. It’s an answer that has already been hinted at in verse 5 - with its stress on personal responsibility (“their very own lamps” - “ταζ λαμπαδαζ εαυτων”).
We’re now able to unravel the essential meaning of the parable:
· The oil symbolizes the Holy
Spirit;
· The amount of oil symbolizes a
believer's walk with the Lord - meaning the five wise virgins, whose vessels are
filled, have cultivated a personal relationship with Christ - a relationship
that’s rich and deeply profound; on the other hand, the five foolish virgins,
whose vessels are not filled, have neglected to cultivate a personal
relationship with the Lord. Their walk is superficial and perfunctory.
· The five wise virgins don’t share
their oil with the five foolish virgins simply because believers can’t borrow
on each other’s relationship with Christ. It’s a wholly personal matter. In the
very words Jesus uses in the parable...
... but go ye rather ... and buy for yourselves
Matt. 25:9
· The five foolish virgins
represent, therefore, believers who - though they’re attuned to the signs of
the Second Coming and are watching for Christ’s return - have, nevertheless,
failed to develop a personal relationship with him.
· It’s in this sense, that Christ
tells them in verse 12 “I know you not.”
What we’ve unraveled thus far guides our interpretation of the last three verses, verses 10-12
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.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I
know you not.
Matt. 25:10-12
The two clauses in verses 10 and 12...
· “The door was shut;” and
· “I know you not.”
... are no different from what we ran across in Matthew 24:51 ...
· “cut him asunder”
· “appoint him his portion with the hypocrites,” and, finally,
· “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
They’re idiomatic expressions Jesus uses to get across to his disciples what an unfaithful believer will face at the Second coming...
· Because he failed to remain true to his witness, he will be denied the privilege of ruling alongside Christ in the Millennial Kingdom.
· Because he failed to cultivate a personal relationship with Christ, he will bear the shame of hearing him say, “I know you not.”
Clearly, the marriage here in this parable symbolizes the joy...
· of being “knighted” by Christ (see Volume I) to rule alongside him, and
· the intimacy that entails.
Let’s move on now to Matthew 25:13...
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour
wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matt. 25:13
It simply underscores once again the need to watch; here, however, its meaning has been clearly expanded to include the sense of putting to good use the time God has allotted us to deepen our walk with him.
The Marriage Paradigm What it means
Marriage is a paradigm that’s frequently used throughout the scriptures, but especially in the parables; nevertheless, its exact meaning is not fixed. It changes considerably from passage to passage and from parable to parable; moreover, the roles assigned believers taking part in the marriage often fluctuate as well.
In some passages, believers are cast in the role of invited guests (e.g., Matthew 25:1-12 and Revelation 19:9); in others, the role of the bride herself (e.g., Revelation 21:9); and, surprisingly, in still others, believers are cast in both roles (e.g., Revelation 22:17).
· 
Meaning #1
When believers are cast in the role of the bride herself, simple logic leads us to conclude that all believers are present at the marriage - anyone who has availed himself of God’s mercy and has cried out for his forgiveness; after all, the bride of Christ is the Church, and all believers are included in the Church - no exceptions. Here the “marriage” corresponds to the wedding ceremony itself.
· Meaning #2
When believers are cast in the role of invited guests, we often find that only some believers are invited, only faithful believers; and that’s what we have in the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Here the “marriage” is more akin to a reception following the actual ceremony - a reception to which not everyone who attended the wedding itself is invited, only close, personal friends. There’s also the sense that what we have in these kinds of parables is more akin to a coronation ceremony - to which only “lords of the realm” are invited. Commoners are never invited.
Contemporary American Christians have no problem with the first meaning; however, the second meaning is apt to grate on their nerves - geared as they are to egalitarian sentiments and the “put down” of royalty. Nevertheless, both meanings are clearly highlighted in scripture, and anyone who denies it has blinded himself to the obvious.
Paul and John on What It Means to be an Overcomer
The notion of royalty - of being knighted for faithful
service and made a “lord of the realm” - is certainly what Paul had in mind
when he penned 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness,
Which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me
only, but unto all those also who love his appearing.
2 Tim. 4:7-8
Here, at the close of his life, Paul knows a crown awaits him - a crown “certifying” that he’s qualified both...
· to rule alongside Christ in the Millennial Kingdom, and
· to be admitted to a circle of intimacy reserved exclusively for those who have “fought the good fight, finished their course, and kept the faith.”
No doubt the crown Paul knows is now his is the very prize he had in mind seven years earlier when he wrote to the Philippian believers...
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but
this one thing
I do, forgetting those things that are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things that are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize (βραβειον) of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 3:13 -14
The Greek word “prize” (“βραβειον”) used here in Philippians 3:14 is an award that’s grounded in merit - ordinarily victory in athletic competition. Hard work! Focus! Total resolve! Unflagging perseverance! Paul knew that is what’s required to win the prize! He knew the difference between the gift of eternal life that’s granted all believers regardless of merit and the prize that’s awarded only to believers who have earned it - whose efforts entitle them to it.
The prize of ruling alongside Christ - of being admitted to his circle of intimate comrades - his band of brothers - is not awarded to half-hearted believers - nor even to believers who “give it a good go.” It’s awarded only to those who dedicate themselves to it wholeheartedly - even to the point of death. The Apostle John, in the Book of Revelation, gives a brief summation of what an “overcomer” looks like...
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto
the death.
Rev. 12:11
An overcomer bases his walk around three principles...
· first and foremost, he knows that he has been justified - that he has been truly reconciled to God by the “blood of the lamb;”
· second, he fearlessly witnesses on behalf of Christ; he’s an ambassador of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:20) - imploring mankind to be reconciled to God;
· third, he is willing to put his life on the line - even to the point of dying if necessary.
That’s what an overcomer looks like. Paul also gives
the sense of what’s required in his first letter to the Corinthian believers.
Know ye not that those who run in a race run all, but
one receives
the prize (not the gift, “χαρισμα” or “δορεα,”
but the prize, “βραβειον”)
So run, that you may obtain.
And every man who strives for the mastery (“αγονιζομαι”
- struggles
or agonizes to win) is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly
(half-heartedly); so fight I, not as
one who beats the air (a person who only looks good,
but never actually
engages):
But I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should
be a castaway
(“αδοκμοζ”
- declared unqualified to win the prize).
1 Cor. 9:24-27
A castaway (αδοκμοζ) - a believer who doesn’t measure up - who is declared “unfit” - who falls short of winning the prize - that’s what Paul has in mind here.
Once again, salvation is a gift, not a reward; it’s not grounded in merit, but in the grace and mercy of God. Ruling alongside Christ, however, is a reward - a privilege that’s bestowed only on those who have earned it.
The Parable of the Talents A Believer’s Service
We’re now ready to move on to the fifth parable, The Parable of the Talents.
In the first of the parables addressed to believers, the Parable of the Faithful Servant and the Unfaithful Servant, Jesus stresses the need to watch for the signs heralding the Tribulation and the Second Coming; that unless believers lend those signs genuine credibility, there’s little likelihood that they’ll be prepared for the Tribulation or for the judgment that follows.
In the second of the parables addressed to believers, the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus stresses the need to cultivate a personal relationship with the Lord; that unless they do so, though they’ll hear the midnight cry, “Behold, the bridegroom comes,” they won’t be able to respond to the accompanying command, “Go ye out to meet him;” and, consequently, they’ll be “shut out.”
In this, the third parable addressed to believers, the Parable of the Talents, Jesus highlights a third criterion of evaluation: service.
Matthew
25:14-15
For the kingdom of
heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called
his own servants, and
delivered unto them his goods.
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.
Matthew 25:14-15
Clearly, Jesus is hinting that his departure is close at hand; and that during his extended absence he’ll be leaving his goods - meaning the church and its mission - in the care of believers. No believer is excepted. Each believer is given a portion of the Lord’s goods to watch over.
The “goods” the servants are given are not cast in static terms - meaning property - but in wholly liquid terms - meaning cash - implying that the servants are not expected to merely guard what has been given them, but to invest it and earn a return. And that’s in keeping with what we learn in the verses that follow - where the word “trade” is used.
What’s interesting is the amount of money each servant is given: a “talent,” a unit of currency common during the time of Jesus. And though it’s impossible to be exact about its value, even the lowest estimate puts its worth at several thousand denarii - with a single denarius the usual payment for a whole day’s labor (Matthew 20:2). Therefore, for an ordinary person, a single talent reflected many years of hard work.
It’s hard to know what interpretive substance this detail lends the parable. It may mean, however, that the “resources” God gives every believer - even the most simple, nondescript of believers - is far more than any of us can possibly imagine; that with those resources at his disposal, there’s no excuse for a believer - any believer - to fail at earning a return. If handled faithfully, it will make provision for itself - which is exactly what we can infer from verse 27...
You ought therefore to have put my money to the
exchangers, and then at my
coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Matt. 25:27
Moreover, Jesus makes it clear that no believer is expected to do more with what has been given him than his abilities permit...
... each according to his several ability ...
Matt. 25:15
... emphasizing again that there’s no excuse for failure.
Matthew 25:16
Then he that had
received the five talents went and traded with the same,
and made them other
five talents.
And likewise he that
had received two, he also gained another two.
Matthew 25:16-17
Once again, it’s not merely a matter of watching over and protecting what has been given him, a believer is also expected to “trade” with it (verse 16, etc.) - meaning gain a return on it - use it to advance his Lord’s interests.
Here in verse 16 the servant given five talents earns a return of five more talents. Likewise, the servant given two talents earns a return of two more talents. In other words, both servants faithfully discharge the tasks given them - to advance their Lord’s interests.
The third servant, however, is different.
Matthew 25:18
But he that had
received one went and digged in the earth,
and hid his lord’s
money.
Matthew 25:19
Instead of investing the resources his master has put in his charge, he hides them - meaning he ignores his responsibility to advance his Lord’s interests during his absence.
Matthew 25:19
After a long time the
lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
Matthew 25:19
Finally, the master returns - and immediately “reckons” with his servants/slaves. The word “reckon” translates the Greek word “λογοζ” - which implies that he calls them to account - he evaluates how well they discharged the tasks he assigned them.
Here we have again the Second Coming linked to judgment. The two go hand in hand.
Matthew 25:20-23
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.
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.
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.
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.
Matthew 25:20-23
The First Two Servants
The first two servants dutifully report that they’ve used the resources he put in their charge to earn him a return - meaning advance his interests. And in both cases, the master commends them for their faithfulness. And because they’ve been faithful, he calls them “good.” In short, a faithful servant is a good servant; and a good servant is a faithful servant.
Notice carefully what their faithfulness entitles them to...
· They’re made “rulers” - which tells us that a faithful believer who advances Christ’s interests will be “knighted” and will rule alongside Christ in the Millennial Kingdom.
· They’re invited into the joy of their master - which tells us that they are admitted to a circle of intimacy reserved exclusively for faithful believers.
It’s exactly what we’ve learned from each of the previous parables. No difference!
The Third Servant
But now Jesus turns from describing the glorious future awaiting faithful believers to the dark and ominous future that awaits unfaithful believers. It’s a warning that very few Christians here in America give any heed to. Indeed, for many, it serves only to arouse their anger and indignation.
Matthew 25:24-25
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 strewed:
And I was afraid, and
went and hid thy talent in the earth:
lo, there thou hast that
is thine.
Matthew 25:24-25
Finally, the third servant/slave is called to give account. Included in his account is not only a description of what he did, but the motive underlying it. And both are startling.
I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have
not sown,
and gathering where you haven’t strewed...
Matthew 25:24
The Servant’s Excuse
He begins with an assessment of his master’s character. Notice that neither the first nor the second servant gave any such assessment. It’s unique to the third servant. He accuses his master of being “hard.” The Greek word translated “hard” is “σκληροζ” - meaning not just hard, but “fierce” and “demanding.” But he doesn’t stop there; he goes on to accuse him of being exploitative ...
... reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you haven’t strewed ...
... meaning he takes
advantage of others - using them as mere pawns to advance his own personal
interests - without giving any 
thought to their interests. But all that merely
prefaces what he says next ...
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth:
lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Matt. 25:25
“I was afraid of you ...” That’s his excuse for doing nothing with the resources his master left in his charge.
There’s no suggestion that the servant here has absconded with the funds his master gave him; he simply hid them - meaning he did nothing with them. That’s key; it’s not a matter of theft, it’s a matter of neglect - of doing nothing to advance his master’s interests. That is what’s at issue here.
The Master’s Response
His master’s response is very instructive: he makes no attempt to refute the assessment. Why? Because it’s so often useless to reason with a person who’s faithless: he blinds himself to his own rationalizations - and convinces himself that they’re true. Nevertheless, in letting his servant’s assessment stand, he reveals just how pathetic it is - how it fails to justify what he has done. Let’s look at it...
Matthew 25:26-27
His lord answered and
said unto him, You wicked and slothful servant, you
knew that I reap
where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed...
You ought therefore
to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at
my coming I should
have received mine own with usury.
Matthew 25:26-27
Essentially, what he’s saying is...
“OK, let’s take it from your perspective. If you knew
I’m a hard man –
a man who brooks no nonsense and who’s very demanding –
then why didn’t you attend more diligently to the task
I assigned you?
Surely, you must have known you’d be called to give an
account –
and because I’m so harsh and demanding,
any neglect on your part would entail severe
consequences.”
His Excuse Exposed
In short, his excuse is a flat-out lie. He wasn’t really frightened at all; otherwise, his behavior would have been quite different: he would have scrambled to complete the task assigned him - at the very least depositing his master’s funds in a “bank” and letting the “bank” do the job of earning a return - however little that might be. No, it’s not that he was frightened; it’s that he was lazy and slothful - exactly how his master addresses him...
You wicked and slothful servant...
Matt. 25:26
Matthew 25:28
Take therefore the
talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
Matthew 25:28
The Overlooked Truth: God’s Interests
What we have here is another key verse. In giving the
talent to the servant who has earned the most, Jesus is drawing our attention
back to the often overlooked truth that God has a job to do, the
salvation of the lost, and he’s looking for faithful believers to get it done.
American Christians give little thought to God’s interests - so wrapped up are they in their own interests - so absorbed and preoccupied. And that’s what Jesus intends for his disciples to grasp here in this parable. God honors “producers.” It’s a starkly simple truth, but a truth that offends the sentiments of anyone for whom God is little more than a cosmic Santa Claus.
For most American Christians, the church is all about serving their interests - saving their marriages and their families, helping them overcome addictions and debilitating habits, helping them to get ahead in life.
Take a good look at what much of the American church has evolved into over the last several decades: a commercial venture designed to entertain us, to protect us, and to facilitate our own personal agendas. We pay lip-service to advancing God’s interests, the salvation of the lost, but little more than that. For the most part, it’s all about us - better sermons, better music, better acoustics, amusing and distracting programs for our children, latté’s in the foyer, divorce recovery courses, self-help ministries, etc.
A Matter of Production Not Reward
We’re now ready to move on to verse 29...
Matthew 25:29
For unto every one
who has shall be given, and he shall have abundance:
but from him who has
not shall be taken away even that which he has.
Matthew 25:29
It’s important to distinguish between the meaning of verses 21 and 23 on the one hand...
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.
Matt. 25:21 and 23
... and verse 29 on the other.
· Verses 21 and 23 describe the reward that awaits faithful servants - and it’s the same reward - regardless of the different amounts earned. It’s certainly true that the servant given five talents to invest earned more than the servant given two talents. But each earned exactly the same amount proportionately - a 100% return. And that’s the bottom line. Both are awarded the same privilege - ruling alongside Christ in the Millennial Kingdom and both are admitted to the same circle of intimacy.
· Verse 29, on the other hand, is different. Notice carefully here that what’s given the servant with five talents, now ten talents, is not more “reward,” but another talent - meaning more resources to work with. In short, Jesus is emphasizing once again the very principle he highlighted in the previous two verses: production. God has a job to do, the salvation of the lost, and he wants to get it done - so he gives more resources to those who produce the most. That’s the meaning of the phrase ...
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he
shall have abundance...
Matt. 25:29a
It’s not a greater reward that Jesus is pointing to here, but additional resources that will enable his best producers to produce still more.
We now move on to the same sobering message highlighted in Matthew 24:51 and Matthew 25:10-12.
Matthew 25:30
And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:30
Outer Darkness
Here we have a fifth disquieting idiom - “outer darkness.” And it “fits” perfectly the context that Jesus has already sketched out.
On the one hand, the two faithful servants are admitted to the joy of their lord; here, however, the third servant is denied that very joy. Borrowing on the idiom found in verse 10, he’s “shut out.” It’s a term that lines up well with the idiom used here in verse 30 - “outer darkness,” or, more accurately, “the darkness that’s outside.” In short, anyone who’s “shut out” is “left outside in the darkness” - cut off from the celebration taking place “inside,” cut off from its light, cut off from its joy, cut off from its fellowship.
Can anyone doubt the grief that would give rise to - the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” it would provoke?
The Parable of the Talents completes the bracketed verses that make up the inclusio.
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
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...
Matthew 25:31
We’re now ready for the sixth and final parable, the
Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. It’s the second of the two “bracketing”
parables (see page 2) that make up the inclusio. And like the Parable of the
Flood, the first of the bracketing parables, it’s addressed to the entire human
race - and, therefore, the matter of rewards is not relevant. The single
overriding theme is the gospel: those who hearken to it are bound over to
salvation; those who don’t are bound over to damnation. It’s that simple.
While the Parable of the Flood revolves around both readiness and judgment; the Parable of the Sheep and Goats revolves only around judgment - and omits readiness altogether. Why? Because what we have here is the grand climax of redemptive history - its consummation. Readiness, therefore, is no longer an issue.
Matthew 25:32-33
And before him shall
be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them
one from another, as
a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
And he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25:32-33
Judgment of Mankind
The parable opens with Jesus sitting in judgment - and
before him are gathered all the “nations” of the earth.
And before him shall be gathered all nations...
Matt. 25:32a
The Greek word translated “nations” is “εθηνοζ” - and usually what’s meant are gentiles or gentile nations. But here the context points to a different meaning - not just gentiles and gentile nations, but the whole human race. And Vincent concurs (Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament). It’s much the same meaning that we find in Luke 24:47...
And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in
his name among all nations (“εθηνοζ”),
beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:47
... or in Acts 17:26...
And hath made of one blood all nations of men (“εθηνοζ”)
for to
dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation
Acts 17:26
Clearly, what Luke has in mind in both verses, Luke 24:47 and Acts 17:26, is all mankind - both Jew and Gentile - exactly what Jesus has in mind here in Matthew 25:32.
Timing Not a Relevant Issue
The scene depicted here in this final parable is more than merely a specific event that lies off in the future - an event that Jesus is telescoping for us. The issue here is more abstract than that. We know, of course, that it occurs “at the end,” but exactly when at the end is not revealed. Anyone who makes timing an issue faces conundrums that can’t be resolved. There’s simply not enough information to make it a worthwhile project.
All that’s relevant in this parable is the gospel - its utter importance - what men and women throughout the ages have done with it - because what they’ve done with it now determines their eternal fate.
Separation
... and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goat ...
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left.
Matt. 25:32b-33
Jesus begins to separate this almost numberless mass of humanity into two groups - sheep which he puts to his right and goats which he puts to his left. And because the gospel is two dimensional - including both...
· justice based on what’s deserved - leading to wrath, and
· salvation based on grace and mercy - leading to eternal life...
... it’s a portent that hints ominously at what’s to follow.
