Matt 25.1-46 continues Yeshua’s teaching about the kingdom and being prepared for it. It also teaches about a coming judgment of those who have survived the birth-pains and are gathered to Jerusalem. This judgment will take place while Yeshua is seated on the Mount of Olives between Tishri 10 and Tishri 15.
v 1…Then (when I come, relating to the previous verses in Ch 24) the kingdom of heaven will be (future tense) comparable to ten (the number of judgment) virgins (“virgins” in their singleness to the Lord) who took their lamps (the word in their hearts-Psa 119.105; Prov 6.23) and went out to meet the bridegroom (this parable teaches preparedness).
v 2…And five of them were foolish and five were prudent.
v 3…For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil (they were professing believers, with no Holy Spirit regenerating their heart) with them.
v 4…But the prudent took oil in their flasks along with their lamps (these were true believers, enlightened by the Holy Spirit).
v 5…Now while the bridegroom was delaying (the time he is referring to here is the time from the ascension, when the kingdom will be offered again, but it was rejected and “delayed”. As a result, the kingdom will come in its “due time”- Isa 60.22), they all got drowsy and began to sleep (the delay caused them all to be unconcerned with his coming, being caught up in the cares and worries of this world, associating with professed believers and men of the world will spiritually put us to sleep).
v 6…But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
v 7…Then all those virgins arose (out of their sleep, which happens to true believers also) and trimmed their lamps.
v 8…And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil (an unbeliever can see the work of God in a believer), for our lamps are going out (the external profession of an unbeliever is not sufficient to meet Yeshua).
v 9… But the prudent (the true believer) answered saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves (you must go to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the dealers, to get “oil” of your own).
v 10…And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came (on Yom Kippur, after the birth-pains-Matt 24.31), and those who were ready (Luke 12.35-40; Matt 22.11; Matt 25.31-34) went in with him to the wedding feast (on earth-Isa 25.6; Rev 19.7-10) and the door was shut (a Hebrew idiom for Yom Kippur).
v 11…And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us (not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter-Matt 7.21-23).
v 12… But he answered and said “Truly I say to you, I do not know you (Matt 7.23. Hos 2.20 uses the word “know” and it is “Yada’at” which is a word made up of “yada” which means to know intimately, as in a husband and wife-Gen 4.1 and “da’at which means “knowledge” and the word is used in Hos 4.6 where it says my people are destroyed for the lack of “the knowledge” or “ha ‘da’at”, not just any knowledge. It is a specific knowledge of the Lord through his word. So, when the Lord says he does not know them, it is that deep, personal, intimate knowledge that only comes when one is born again).
v 13… Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour (the main theme of the parable is personal preparedness).
v 14… For it is just like a man (Yeshua) about to go on a journey (ascends to heaven), who called his own slaves (teachers of the word), and entrusted his possessions (the truth of the word of God and the gospel-Matt 28.19-20) to them.
v 15… And to one he gave five talents (these talents belong to the Lord and are not based on our ability. Spiritual enlightenment is according to what we can handle), to another two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability (our ministry gifts are as he wills to give them and belong to him, this is not based on our own abilities-1 Cor 12.1-31) and he went on his journey (after he sent them out into the world).
v 16… And immediately the one who received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents (by attending to study, the work, meditation on the word, preaching).
v 17… In the same manner the one who received the two talents gained two more.
v 18… But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the ground, and hid his master’s money (neglected the gift that was entrusted to him and became useless; he didn’t learn much).
v 19… Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them (of what they did).
v 20… And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me; see, I have gained five more talents (they invested themselves spiritually, moved forward-Jer 7.24).’
v 21… His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master’ (which the Lord has prepared for his people).
v 22…The one also who had received two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted to me two talents; see, I have gained two more talents (he moved forward spiritually-Jer 7.24).’
v 23…His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.
v 24…And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed (these were not true, he was saying his master was covetous. The Lord requires nothing that is not already his).
v 25… And I was afraid (to negotiate with the talent, for fear he would lose it), and went away and hid your talent in the ground (so it would not get lost, but it was useless); see, you have what is yours.’
v 26… But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow; and gather where I scattered no seed (if you thought I was such a person, which I am not).
v 27…Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest (he reproves him for inactivity).
v 28…Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten talents.’
v 29…For to everyone who has shall more be given, and he shall have abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
v 30… And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (even those who are given a small amount from God are accountable, and we all should be obedient).
v 31… But when the Son of Man comes in his glory (the second coming), and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. (When he returns, this judgment will commence and this throne will be on the Kidron side of Jerusalem, facing west, on the Mount of Olives).
v 32… And all the nations (Jews and Gentiles who have survived the Tribulation) will be gathered before him (the unbelievers will be gathered first-Matt 13.30); and he will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Ezek 34.17-22).
v 33… and he will put the sheep on his right (towards the temple mount, the holiest place on earth), and the goats on the left (in Tophet, where the valley of Hinnom runs south of Jerusalem and connects with the Kidron valley. This was seen as the most cursed spot on earth. See the article “Tophet” on this site for more information).
v 34… Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
v 35… For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in;
v 36… naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’
v 37… Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and gave you drink?
v 38… And when did we see you a stranger, and invite you in, or naked, and clothe you?
v 39… And when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’
v 40… And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine (brothers here means the children of Israel and those Gentiles who have been grafted into the olive tree, the faith of Israel. They keep the Torah and trust in the Lord-1 John 2.3-4; 3.22-24; 5.2-3; 2 John 1.6; Rev 12.17; 14.12; 22.14. Works are a part of the faith-James 2.24. You are not saved by them, but they are a part of the faith), even the least of them, you did it to me (Acts 9.1-6; they helped the Torah observant believers in Yeshua during the birth-pains).’
v 41… Then he will say to those on his left (standing in Tophet, the most cursed place on earth), ‘Depart (which is what “Azazel” means, the goat that symbolized the false messiah on Yom Kippur. They followed his “lawless” ways) from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire (God’s wrath) which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Tophet was a garbage dump for Jerusalem in the first century and was used to illustrate Gehenna);
v 42… for I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink;
v 43… I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in; naked, and you did not clothe me, sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.’
v 44… Then they themselves will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you (some of these professed to be believers but persecuted those who were Torah observant followers of Yeshua, and by persecuting his brothers, they persecuted him-Acts 9.1-6)?’
v 45… Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least, you did not do it to me.’
v 46… And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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