And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Again he sent other servants - "There (v.4) we find the record of the second call to Israel. The preaching of the kingdom is resumed for a brief period and with this preaching is the promise of forgiveness of sins and the times of refreshing and restitution. The invitation, which went forth after the Lord had taken His place at the right hand of the Majesty on high, is clearly stated by Peter in the third chapter of Acts. “Repent, therefore, and be converted, for the blotting out of your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and He may send Jesus Christ, who was foreordained for you, whom heaven indeed must receive till the times of restoration of all things, of which God has spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets since time began” (Acts 3:19-21). No Gentile heard this message, nor was it meant for a Gentile; it was exclusively addressed to Jerusalem." (Gaebelein)
burned their city - a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.
wedding garment - In the east, garments were provided by the host. To refuse to wear it is an insult. This guest considered his own garment good enough. (Zephaniah 1:7-8; Isaiah 61:10).
"The word not in verse eleven is a different word from the not [without] in verse twelve, and it is impossible to translate the different meaning by any equivalent in our language. In the Greek language the first not was always used when referring to a matter of fact, while the second was always used in reference to a matter of thought. This is certainly the intention of the passage — there came in a man not having a wedding garment; that is the fact. But when the king looked at him and said “How camest thou in hither not having,” that is, deliberately not having, with determination not having, it is the not of thought — you did not mean to have a wedding garment, you have dared to come without a wedding garment." (Morgan)
burned their city - a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70.
wedding garment - In the east, garments were provided by the host. To refuse to wear it is an insult. This guest considered his own garment good enough. (Zephaniah 1:7-8; Isaiah 61:10).
"The word not in verse eleven is a different word from the not [without] in verse twelve, and it is impossible to translate the different meaning by any equivalent in our language. In the Greek language the first not was always used when referring to a matter of fact, while the second was always used in reference to a matter of thought. This is certainly the intention of the passage — there came in a man not having a wedding garment; that is the fact. But when the king looked at him and said “How camest thou in hither not having,” that is, deliberately not having, with determination not having, it is the not of thought — you did not mean to have a wedding garment, you have dared to come without a wedding garment." (Morgan)
the outer darkness - "away from the lights of the wedding festivities." (Ryrie)
weeping and gnashing of teeth - "indicates extreme torment" (Ryrie)
Here is my understanding of this passage.
The first invitation to the wedding was made to Israel in the Old Testament and during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. God sent the prophets who were ignored and mistreated and killed.
The second invitation to the wedding is that made by the apostles after the resurrection, at Pentecost and for a short time after. (See Gaebelein’s quote above.) When this was refused — the messengers during this time were also mistreated and killed (Stephen) — the Jews were attacked by the Romans and many died. Jerusalem was destroyed.
The third invitation was not to the church and doesn’t relate to this age. This is obvious because the Lord begins this parable with “The kingdom of heaven is like …”
The kingdom of heaven is the Millennial Kingdom. The bad and good, I’m guessing, are the Gentiles and the Jews. All will be blessed during the kingdom when Christ is on the throne ruling with an iron hand. The guest without the garment is the individual who is in the kingdom but who hasn’t trusted Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.
That these people will exist is evident from Revelation 20:7-10.
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Note the similarity in consequences for these unbelievers in the kingdom and the wedding guest in the parable in Matthew 22.
Here is my understanding of this passage.
The first invitation to the wedding was made to Israel in the Old Testament and during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. God sent the prophets who were ignored and mistreated and killed.
The second invitation to the wedding is that made by the apostles after the resurrection, at Pentecost and for a short time after. (See Gaebelein’s quote above.) When this was refused — the messengers during this time were also mistreated and killed (Stephen) — the Jews were attacked by the Romans and many died. Jerusalem was destroyed.
The third invitation was not to the church and doesn’t relate to this age. This is obvious because the Lord begins this parable with “The kingdom of heaven is like …”
The kingdom of heaven is the Millennial Kingdom. The bad and good, I’m guessing, are the Gentiles and the Jews. All will be blessed during the kingdom when Christ is on the throne ruling with an iron hand. The guest without the garment is the individual who is in the kingdom but who hasn’t trusted Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.
That these people will exist is evident from Revelation 20:7-10.
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Note the similarity in consequences for these unbelievers in the kingdom and the wedding guest in the parable in Matthew 22.
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