Matthew 25:1-46

What is the theme of this chapter?

The predictions and warnings of the King continued (demonstrating faith during the Tribulation).

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verse 34

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also 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 minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

This judgment, at the Lord’s second coming, of Gentiles who survived the Tribulation, is not the same as the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the Millennium when the wicked dead will be resurrected to judgment.

all the nations - Gentiles

"Lit., all the Gentiles.  This is a judgment of those Gentiles who survive the Tribulation and whose heart-relation to God is evidenced by their treatment of the Jews (Christ's brethren, v.40), specially during that time.  Surviving Jews will also be judged at this same time.  See Ezekiel 20:33-44:  This passage describes the coming judgment of those Jews who will be living at the conclusion of the tribulation period when Christ returns to earth.  The Chief Shepherd (Christ) will then examine His flock (pass under the rod, v.37; cf. Lev. 27:32), purge ... the rebels (v.38), and bring the faithful into the blessings of the new covenant in the kingdom.  At this same time, Gentile survivors of the tribulation period will also be judged so that all who live through that terrible time will at its conclusion either enter the kingdom in unresurrected bodies or be case into hell. Thus, at the very beginning of the Millennium, all who enter it in earthly bodies will have proved through these two judgments that they are redeemed." (Ryrie)

on his right - "The place of honor." (Ryrie)

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. - "To do these deeds of kindness to Jewish people during the Tribulation will undoubtedly expose the doers to persecution and even death at the hands of Antichrist and his agents." (Ryrie)

when did we - "They are unconscious of their goodness, in contrast to the ostentation of the Pharisees.  In verse 44 we see the opposite: the unconscious neglect of duty." (Ryrie)

my brothers - Israel

"The reference to 'these brothers' indicates that there will be a third group there in the presence of Christ. That phrase may refer to those who are Christ’s brothers after the flesh, that is, the nation of Israel; or it may refer to those chosen messengers, the 144,000 of Revelation 7, who will bear witness of Him during the Tribulation. Such ones will be under a death sentence by the beast. They will refuse to carry the beast’s mark, and so they will not be able to buy and sell. Consequently, they will have to depend on those to whom they minister for hospitality, food, and support. Only those who receive the message will jeopardize their lives by extending hospitality to the messengers. Therefore what is done for them will be an evidence of their faith in Christ, that is, what is done for them will be done for Christ. These will not be accepted because of their works, for no man is ever saved by works. But their works will demonstrate their faith in in the person of Christ that renders them acceptable to Him." (Pentecost)

"By rejecting God’s love and mercy, by continuing in unbelief they [the goats, v 46] sided with the devil and his angels and now there is no other remedy for them but to share for all eternity the place prepared for the devil and his angels. At the close of the thousand years the devil is put into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Previously the beast and the false prophet were cast into that place before the millennium (Revelation 19:20). The order of punishment then is the following: 1.) The beast and the false prophet. 2.) The unrighteous nations. These go there before the millennial kingdom. 3.) The devil with his angels. 4.) The wicked dead from the great white throne judgment. This takes place after the thousand years." (Gaebelein)

"This judgment, which results in the goats being cast into everlasting fire, is in keeping with the previous prediction of Christ in the parable of the wheat and tares and the parable of the dragnet (Matthew 13:24-30, 31-43, 47-50), and is also clearly taught in Revelation 14:11 and 19:15. No adults who are not converted will be allowed to enter the millennial kingdom. The judgment here is not a final judgment, but is preparatory to establishing the kingdom of righteousness and peace, of which many Scriptures speak." (Walvoord)

Pentecost includes a helpful summary of the entire Olivet Discourse.

"Christ’s announcement of judgment on Jerusalem undoubtedly was understood by the disciples in its eschatological context as a judgment preceding the second advent of Messiah to the earth. They asked when the judgment would come and what signs would be given to the nation Israel. Christ explained the signs in detail (Matthew 24:4-26), outlining the events of the first half of the Tribulation (vs.4-8) and also the events of the second half (vs.9-14). He then described the climactic sign (vs.15-26). Christ moved on to the next eschatological event, His second advent to the earth (vs.27-30), followed by the regathering of Israel (v.31). In a parenthetical statement in unfolding the eschatological events, He gave exhortations to watchfulness, preparedness, and faithfulness (vs.32-51). He then resumed the eschatological revelation, teaching that following Israel’s regathering Israel will be judged to separate the saved from the unsaved. The saved will be received into the kingdom but the unsaved will be excluded (25:1-30). In concluding He spoke of the judgment of living Gentiles to separate the saved Gentiles from the unsaved. Again, the saved will be received into the kingdom but the unsaved will be excluded (Matthew 25:31-46)." (Pentecost)

Matthew 25:14-30

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

"For it will be like a man going on a journey" is obviously referring to the sentence immediately preceding (there are no verses in the original, so there is no break here). "… Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." So, along with the context of the whole passage, this makes it clear that it’s still referring to the Lord’s return at the beginning of the millennial kingdom.  This seems obvious for if we try to apply this passage directly to us, saying this passage merely contrasts those who make use of God's gifts and those who don't, then we must conclude that those who don't use their gifts wisely go to hell (v 30).  This can't be the case because of what we are told in Romans 4:5 and Galatians 2:15-21.  Of course there are timeless principles in this portion of Scripture but it is not written directly to us or about us.

talent - "A talent was a large sum of money, varying greatly in value according to whether it was silver or gold, and could weigh from 58 to 80 pounds. A silver talent could be worth as much as $2,000, and a gold talent could be worth as much as $30,000. With the rise in price of these metals, today the value would be even higher. When taking into consideration that a mans’ wage in Christ’s time was 16 cents a day, the purchasing power of this amount of money was very large. At maximum, the five-talent man could have received as much as $150,000, a fortune, which would be worth millions today in purchasing power." (Walvoord)

"The explanation seems to be that this wicked man had the same kind of cunning that Judas Iscariot used when he accepted the money for the betrayal of Christ. Judas had reasoned that if Jesus was indeed the Messiah, his betrayal would not matter, and he would be ahead thirty pieces of silver. If Jesus was not the Messiah, he at least would have the silver. So, the wicked one-talent man likewise reasoned: If my lord returns, I will be able to give him back his talent and cannot be accused of being a thief, but if he does not return, there will be no record that the money belongs to him, such as would be true if I deposited it in the bank, and then I will be able to use the money myself. His basic problem, like the problem of Judas, was a lack of faith. The one-talent man did not believe that it was sure his lord was coming back. It is therefore clear that his basic problem was that of being an unbeliever, not simply being unfaithful in service. Accordingly, the conclusion of the illustration, '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' (v.29), refers to everyone who has faith or who is lacking faith." (Walvoord)

"In the second parable (Matthew 25:14-30), Christ again taught that following His return and Israel’s regathering the nation must undergo judgment, This again will be a judgment to determine, on the one hand, who is saved and therefore to be accepted into the kingdom, and on the other hand, who is unsaved and to be barred from entering the kingdom. In this parable the Lord taught truth similar to what He had taught in Luke 19:11-27. In that parable in which there was equal distribution, Christ taught equal opportunity; here however, where there is an unequal distribution, He taught individual responsibility. Christ in this parable revealed that the nation Israel, which had been set aside as God's servant (Exodus 19:5-6), received a responsibility for which they were answerable. In the Old Testament Israel was designed to be God’s light to the Gentile world. The candelabra in the tabernacle was to be a perpetual reminder of Israel’s function. Because Israel was faithless to that function, Isaiah promised that another Light would come to bring light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 60:1-3). Christ came as the 'true light' (John 1:9; 8:12). God will set apart Israel again during the Tribulation to be His light to the world (Revelation 7:1-8). When Christ comes the second time, the nation will be judged to determine individual faithfulness to that appointment . Faithfulness will indicate faith in in the person of Christ. Those who prove themselves faithful will be accepted into His kingdom, but those who are faithless will be excluded from His kingdom. Thus, in these two parables, Christ described the judgments that will come on the nation Israel following their regathering after His second coming." (Pentecost)

Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

lamps - "The lamps consisted of round receptacles for pitch or oil for the wick. This was placed in a hollow cup or deep saucer, which was fastened by a pointed end into a long wooden pole, in which it was born aloft." (Gaebelein)

Every one of my commentaries (except Pentecost) inexplicably and almost desperately attempts to apply this parable to the current church age even though the Lord clearly states in verse 1 that He’s referring to the kingdom of heaven, the Millennium. My guess is that most pastors and writers find that it gives them such a great opportunity to lecture their listeners and readers about being good that they just can’t bear not to use it. Of course there is universal application here, but first and foremost, it’s important to find out what the passage actually means and to whom it is written.

Again, the Lord was talking to His disciples (Matt 24:3), the men who will sit on twelve thrones in the kingdom (Matt 19:28). He was in the process of taking them through the coming prophetic program. In chapter 24, He took them through the Tribulation and His second coming at the end of that period. Then He began teaching them through parables the importance of being ready for the second coming and the kingdom that would immediately follow. The existence of the church hadn’t yet been revealed and the existence of a gap of time in the prophetic program, hadn’t yet been revealed. In fact, the kingdom hadn’t even been offered yet! There is simply no honest, logical way to apply this directly and primarily to the church.

Pentecost is the only commentary I have that sees this. I wish he had gone into some more detail, but here’s what he has to say on this passage in its entirety.

"Christ now resumed His revelation of the chronology of prophetic events for Israel. He taught that following His return (Matthew 24:30) and the regathering of the nation Israel to their land (v.31), the nation would be brought under judgment (25:1-30). Christ used two parables to teach that the regathered nation will be judged to determine who is saved and who is unsaved. The purpose of this judgment will be to exclude the unsaved from, and to receive the saved into, the kingdom that He will establish following His Second Advent. The first parable is that of the ten virgins (25:1-13). While Paul used the figure of a virgin in reference to the church (2 Corinthians 11:20, the Jewish context here shows that the church is not in view. Christ in His discourse was developing the eschatological program for the nation Israel. The parable was based on the marriage customs of our Lords’ day. Previous to the actual wedding, an invitation would be extended to those who were invited to the marriage feast. At the time for the banquet, a second invitation would be sent out announcing that the marriage feast was prepared. While the bridegroom sent for his bride so as to claim her as his own, the guests would assemble. The presentation of the bride to the bridegroom would be made in a private inner chamber. At the conclusion of the presentation ceremony, the assembled guests would eagerly await the appearance of the bridegroom with his bride. In the Lord’s parable ten virgins had been invited as guests and were awaiting the appearance of the bridegroom with his bride. The ten were divided into two groups. Jesus called one group foolish. The reason was that while they took lamps anticipating a possible delay in the appearance of the bridegroom, they did not take any extra oil so their lamps could be kept burning if there was a delay in his appearance. The wise not only took lamps but, anticipating a possible delay, took extra oil so that their lamps could be replenished and thus kept burning. The bridegroom was delayed and the ten fell asleep. and in the middle of the night, they were suddenly awakened from their sleep. It was announced that the bridegroom had returned, and now they were expected to meet him to welcome him and his bride. The lamps of the foolish virgins had gone out, and they were unprepared to meet the bridegroom. They sought oil for their lamps, but it was too late the obtain oil because the bridegroom had come. The foolishness of the five virgins thus consisted, not (as is commonly supposed) in their want of perseverance — as if the oil had been consumed before the bridegroom came, and they had only not provided themselves with a sufficient extra-supply — but in the entire absence of personal preparation, having brought no oil of there own in their lamps. The five who had prepared themselves for the delay could light their lamps and welcome the bridegroom because they were prepared. 'The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet' (Matthew 25:10). The appearance of the bridegroom terminated the time of opportunity to prepare to meet him. After the prepared virgins were admitted to the wedding banquet 'the door was shut.' When the unprepared virgins returned and sought admittance, they were rejected because they were unprepared and were not watching. In this parable Christ taught that during the interval in which He will be absent, those who anticipate His coming should be prepared and should be watching. His return will terminate the opportunity for people to prepare themselves to enter the millennial kingdom, and only the prepared will be accepted. No unsaved (unprepared) person will be admitted into Christ’s millennial kingdom. This is made very clear in Psalm 24, which tells of pilgrims proceeding to Jerusalem for a festival. They are seen approaching the city with the hope that they might on that occasion meet Messiah and welcome Him to His kingdom. But as they proceed, some ask, 'Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?' (Psalm 24:3), that is, who will be accepted into Messiah’s kingdom? Others give the answer, 'He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false' (v 4). Thus only the pure in heart shall see God (Matthew 5:8)." (Pentecost)